MMA in Asia

[GeneChing]

Poached of the China MMA thread

Asia set for mixed martial arts "revolution"
By Peter Rutherford SINGAPORE
Mon Dec 21, 2009 12:38pm EST

Mixed martial arts instructors spar with each other during a demonstration for the media in Singapore December 15, 2009. REUTERS/Vivek Prakash

Popularized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship in the United States, MMA is a fusion of fight styles that melds the stunning strikes of boxing and muay thai, the sleek submissions of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and the devastating power of wrestling.

Sports

It has fought hard to gain credibility, regulatory backing and global appeal by introducing a comprehensive list of rules, stringent doping procedures and embarking on a educational campaign to win hearts and minds.

Now sanctioned in more than 40 U.S. states, the sport is experiencing explosive growth in viewership and participation. Its top athletes are winning mainstream recognition, hefty salaries and lucrative sponsorship deals.

George St-Pierre, the UFC's welterweight champion, inked a multi-year deal with sports apparel maker Under Armor Inc in November and earlier this year became the first MMA fighter to sign with Gatorade.

MMA gyms are springing up worldwide and the UFC is staging events in Europe, Canada and Australia.

Chatri Sityodtong, managing director at the new Evolve Academy in Singapore, said that MMA's massive growth lay in a primal fascination with combat -- "a reflection on humanity, the caveman instinct."

However, it did not deserve its reputation for violence, he said.

"This is the greatest misconception about the sport of MMA," said Chatri. "If it was such a violent, dangerous sport the safety record should be worse than boxing .... worse than skydiving, worse than all these other adrenaline sports. Yet it's safer."

'BLOOD AND ILLEGALITY'?

While boxing has a far longer history, the 'sweet science' has a much poorer safety record, with studies in the Journal of Combative Sport putting the number of ring-related deaths at more than 10 per year worldwide.

The death of Sam Vasquez in 2007, however, is the only fatality from a sanctioned MMA bout in North America, though there have been three other deaths in Mexico, South Korea and Ukraine.

The condition dementia pugilistica, also known as "punch-drunk syndrome," is another health risk for career boxers and is caused by repeated dazing blows to the head, resulting in memory, speech and coordination problems.

Chatri said since MMA fights are shorter (three-five rounds) and much of the action takes place on the mat, the potential for permanent damage to the brain is far less than in boxing, where fighters can be "pounded in the head for 12 rounds."

Boxing and MMA have an uneasy relationship, due in part to their battle for pay-per-view revenues.

WBC chief Jose Sulaiman told Reuters in a previous interview: "(MMA) is fed to those fans who like aggression, blood and illegality. They are not boxing fans. Boxing fans have class."

Thai Chatri, who trained at the world-renowned Sityodtong muay thai gym growing up and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, pointed to the numerous former Olympians who have switched to MMA as an example of the sport's growth and safety.

"If it was all about violence it would be like two animals fighting. But it's not," he added.

"These are professional athletes who love this stuff, dream about it all day long and give their entire lives just to be able to showcase their abilities."

MARTIAL COMBAT

Chatri said MMA was primed to take off in Asia after having become the third most watched sport in the United States, although other sources suggested the figure referred to viewers within the male 18-34 demographic.

"We blew through our three-year financial goals in three months, so there's strong interest in Singapore," he added.

"We are at the beginning of the MMA revolution in Asia."

That "revolution" will take a step forward next year with the launch of 'Martial Combat', a series of MMA events to be broadcast across Asia by ESPN Star Sports (ESS) and staged at Singapore's S$6.59 billion ($4.69 billion) Resorts World Sentosa.

ESS said the first event, scheduled for May 14-15, would feature top fighters from Asia and around the world and would be broadcast in 24 countries around the region.

Victor Ciu, director of the events management group at ESS, said they had been working for two years to create the event and had made safety their top priority.

"When we first created the X Games it was full of very similar questions: 'Is this really a sport? Is it dangerous?'" Ciu told Reuters. The X Games feature sports such as snowboarding, skateboarding and BMX.

Ciu said the event that while MMA would find it tough to replace soccer and cricket as Asia's top sports, there were definite growth opportunities.

"We think that the really exciting opportunity for the sport is not with the 'diehard MMA fans' -- those people will watch it regardless. What we want to do is ... bring the sport to people who enjoy competition, who enjoy the genre of 'fight'.

"The objective is to make this entire event an entertainment show. In the same way as if for a concert or a musical, you leave with a positive experience."

[GeneChing]

I was torn between posting this here or on the Women in MMA thread. Looks like MMA is percolating in Singapore.

Dawn Tay
Tue, Dec 29, 2009
Women kick butt in mixed martial arts

IT SEEMS like a hopeless situation for any woman to be in.

Events manager Ashley Chong, a petite 27-year-old, is on her back on the floor. Looming over her is a strapping man, looking ready to do her violence.

He descends upon her, but in a blur of kicks and twists, she fells him - hard - to the mat, and straddles him, ready to deliver a knockout blow.

Like Miss Chong, more women here are holding their own - and coming out tops - against their male counterparts in several martial arts that are newer here, including mixed martial arts, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and muay thai.

Three martial-arts schools here reported up to a 200 per cent increase in female enthusiasts in the last few years.

Today, women make up around half the class, a far cry from five years ago, when it was common to find lone females outnumbered by men.

A typical workout session sees women going at it with the men, kicking, punching, grappling with and wrestling each other into submission.

This reflects a global trend of more women worldwide taking up martial arts, evidenced by professional female fighters entering the rings.

For example, mixed martial arts is now one of the world's fastest growing sports, despite being previously branded as "human ****fighting" by United States Senator John McCain and heavily criticised for its no-holds-barred brawls.

Professional mixed-martial arts fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship in the US are followed by scores of fans worldwide, and make wrestling fights in the World Wrestling Entertainment look tame in comparison.

Come May next year, Singapore will host a series of mixed-martial arts fights between top fighters from around the world, organised by ESPN Star Sports and Resorts World Sentosa.

In Singapore, the women fighters are not looking to rough up their opponents.

Keeping in shape while learning handy self-defence skills are their main aims, said trainers and women my paper spoke to.

Miss Chong said: "Though Singapore is quite safe, this martial arts helps equip me with defence skills, which may come in handy when I travel."

And women are spoilt for choice at martial-arts schools here.

They get to pick from martial arts such as the dance-like Brazilian capoeira, the Thai kick-boxing martial art of muay thai, and the Israeli martial art kapap, that lets you disarm assailants.

Many academies also offer packages that let customers try their hand at the different martial arts.

For example, at Fight G, customers can pick from muay thai, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and other martial arts for an unlimited number of classes at $110 a month.

At Evolve Mixed Martial Arts, prices start from $249 for membership and unlimited classes a month.

Watching over a class there, where Miss Chong trains with three other men, head instructor Rafael Lima, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu former world champion, said: "Ashley would give everyone here trouble. She can 'finish' them, put a lock on them and make them give up."

Grappling with men during her mixed-martial arts class is what Miss Chong terms a "liberating experience".

She said: "Secretly, I enjoy it and take pride whenever I manage to subdue them."

The usual bruised shins and twisted ankles aside, injuries are few and far between, say women martial-arts enthusiasts.

For production manager Jean Tan, 30, calorie-burning comes in the form of her bi-weekly 11/2-hour muay thai sessions.

Miss Tan said: "It's really intense,especially when we do pad work - 100 roundhouse kicks on each side in five minutes. We usually finish faster than the guys. It's an ego thing - we don't want them to think we're soft."

Her boyfriend is supportive of her picking up martial-arts skills - as long as she does not try them on him, she quipped.

[TaichiMantis]

She said: "Secretly, I enjoy it and take pride whenever I manage to subdue them."

Heh, no big secret there...it's true!

[Syn7]

Originally Posted by TaichiMantis

Heh, no big secret there...it's true!

I enjoy submitting anyone and I make no secret of it. It feels great. I was always under the impression that that is why we are all there. If self defense was the main point I would go to an armory, not a dojo.

[GeneChing]

Just got this press release from ONE

ONE Fighting Championship™ launches the largest MMA organization in Asian history

14 July, 2011 - Singapore: ONE Fighting Championship™ has launched Asia's largest mixed martial arts organization in history. ONE Fighting Championship will launch a series of world-class, live events in all major cities in Asia, including the
ONE Fighting Championship™, the ONE National Qualifier Series™, and the ONE Life™ Reality TV show. ONE Fighting Championship™ is home to some of the most decorated World Champions and elite fighters in Asia, including:

-6x Muay Thai World Champion, Anuwat Kaewsamrit (Thailand)
-Wushu and MCFC Champion, Eduard Folayang (Philippines)
-Sanda World Champion, Bao Li Gao (China)
-Spirit MC Champion, Kwang Hee Lee (Korea)
-6x Muay Thai World Champion, Namsaknoi Yudthagarngamtorn (Thailand)
-Total Combat FC Champion, Eddie Ng (Hong Kong)
-Malaysia Champion and XFC Champion, Adam Kayoom (Malaysia)
-Sanda World Champion, Zhao Zhi Long (China)
-BJJ World Champion, Zorobabel Moreira (Brazil/Singapore)
-URCC FC Champion, Kevin Bellingon (Philippines)
-WBA Boxing World Champion, Yodsanan Sityodtong (Thailand)
-Muay Thai World Champion and K1 Veteran, Ole Laursen (Philippines)
-Risingon FC Champion, Soo Chul Kim (Korea)
-2x MCFC Champion, Mitch Chilson (USA/Singapore)
-BJJ World Champion and MCFC Champion, Leandro Issa (Brazil/Singapore)
-URCC FC Champion, Eric Kelly (Philippines)
-5x Muay Thai World Champion Orono Wor Petchpun (Thailand)
-Sanda World Champion, Ba Teer (China)
-Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Champion, Gregor Gracie (Brazil)
-Muay Thai World Champion, Yoddecha Sityodtong (Thailand)
-Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Champion, Rolles Gracie (Brazil)
-Afghanistan Champion and MCFC Champion, Malik Arash Malawyi (Afghanistan)
-Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Champion, Igor Gracie (Brazil)

ONE Fighting Championship™ currently remains in confidential discussions with many of the top Asian fighters in Asia and is
expected to make additional major announcements soon. It is the goal of ONE Fighting Championship to work with all the top
Asian MMA event organizations, managers, and fighters in growing the sport of mixed martial arts in Asia.
As part of its broadcast plans, the ONE Fighting Championship™ will be shown on ESPN STAR SPORTS (ESS), Asia’s top
sports content provider, and MediaCorp Channel 5 (MC), Singapore's leading media company, across Asia. It is the largest
MMA media broadcast in Asian history. In addition, several other major Asian broadcasting partnerships will also be announced
in the near future.
Victor Cui, CEO/Owner of ONE Fighting Championship, said, ”ONE Fighting Championship marks a significant inflection
point in the sport of mixed martial arts in Asia. By our first event on September 3, we will be in more than 500 million homes
across Asia and it is only the beginning. Asia has been the birthplace and home to martial arts for the last 5,000 years and ONE
Fighting Championship has a vision of bringing mixed martial arts to the 3.9 billion people living in Asia. I am excited by the
dominant leadership position of ONE Fighting Championship in Asia and the future of mixed martial arts in this region of the
world. MMA is the fastest growing sport on the planet. We intend to showcase some of the most adrenaline-filled, exciting
fights in Asia, featuring the best Asian fighters.”
About ONE Fighting Championship™
Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Fighting Championship™ (http://www.onefc.com) is Asia's largest mixed martial arts
organization. ONE Fighting Championship hosts the most prestigious mixed martial arts event in Asia and is the only Asian
MMA organization with a pan-Asian media broadcast.

About ESPN STAR Sports
ESPN STAR Sports is a 50:50 joint venture between two of the world’s leading cable and satellite broadcasters. As Asia's
definitive and complete sports broadcaster and content provider, ESPN STAR Sports combines the strengths and resources of its
ultimate parent companies – Walt Disney (ESPN, Inc.) and News Corporation Limited (STAR) – to deliver a diverse array of
international and regional sports to viewers via its encrypted pay and free-to-air services.
ESPN STAR Sports showcases an unparalleled variety of premier live sports from around the globe 24 hours a day to a
cumulative reach of more than 310 million viewers in Asia. ESPN STAR Sports has 17 networks covering 24 countries, each
localised to deliver differentiated world-class premier sports programming to Asian viewers. This includes ESPN SEA, ESPN
China, ESPN Hong Kong, ESPN India, ESPN Malaysia, ESPN Philippines, ESPN SEA 2, ESPN Taiwan, MBC-ESPN (Korea),
STAR Sports Asia, STAR Sports Hong Kong, STAR Sports India, STAR Sports Malaysia, STAR Sports SEA 2, STAR Sports
Southeast Asia, STAR Sports Taiwan, and STAR Cricket.
On the ground, the ESPN STAR Sports Event Management Group manages and promotes premier sporting events around Asia.
ESPN STAR Sports aims to reach consumers at any time, any place and through all new media platforms, both internet and
mobile. The multi-lingual, online platforms, espnstar.com, espnstar.com.cn and espnstar.com.tw and footballcrazy.tv interact
with millions of users providing them with in-depth sports news, results and competitions. Developed for the sports fan that is
constantly on the move, mobileESPN and STAR Sports Mobile delivers differentiated mobile content targeted at its various
audiences. mobileESPN enables the serious sports fan to follow their favourite sports more closely than ever before with a
combination of specially produced video news clips, in-depth news coverage and analysis. STAR Sports Mobile aims to provide
interactive and entertaining opportunities to engage with sports, delivering exclusive video excerpts from leading football clubs
Arsenal and Liverpool as well as highlights from STAR Sports original programmes covering opinions, instructional tips and the
latest online game reviews.

About MediaCorp
MediaCorp is Singapore’s leading media company with the most complete range of platforms, spanning television, radio,
newspapers, magazines, movies, digital and out-of-home media.
It pioneered the development of Singapore’s broadcasting industry, with the broadcast of Radio in 1936 and Television in 1963.
Today, MediaCorp has over 50 products and brands in four languages (English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil), reaching out to all
adults in Singapore every week.
Our industry firsts include the Digital Video Broadcast technology for outdoor digital television, and Asia’s first Digital Audio Broadcast radio service. Initiatives in the digital space include online classifieds, Internet TV-on-demand and High Definition TV broadcast.
MediaCorp is an active regional player through co-productions in TV dramas and movies, magazines publishing, as well as
Channel NewsAsia International, one of the first Asian-owned English news channels.
Our financial and strategic relationships in the region since 2007 include a venture with Indonesia's most integrated media
company PT Media Nusantara Citra and its parent, Global Mediacom, and International Media Corporation in Vietnam, set up to
develop and produce television entertainment and economic news content.
Winner of numerous international awards and accolades including Asian Television Awards' Terrestrial Broadcaster of the Year,
MediaCorp’s vision is to become Asia’s top media company, delivering valued content to the world.

[GeneChing]

MMA in Asia

[LeeLi]

that is the COOLEST WEBSITE EVER! how amazing my relationship with Kungfu Magazine has evolved in the last 15 years...

[GeneChing]

Meet another rising Chinese MMA star, Legend Fighting Championship's Bantamweight Champion, Yao Honggong in The People's Champ by Lee Li.

Let us know here how Yao does this weekend, won't you?

[GeneChing]

4 Asian MMA events in 2 weeks. Something’s got to give
Posted by Wesley De Souza on February 7th, 2012

There’s never a quiet week in Asian MMA with events having practically every single week. The next 2 upcoming weekends are going to be jammed packed with Asian MMA action.

Firstly, we’re going to see the return of Asia’s premier Mixed Martial Arts organization, ONE Fighting Championship making it’s debut in Indonesia on the 11th of February. This is going to be mixed martial art’s big return to the Indonesian scene and the event promises non-stop action with a mix of international and Asian fighters such as Bob Sapp, Rolles Gracie, Ole Laursen, URCC Champion Honorio Banario and CFC Australia Champion Gustavo Falciroli. The event’s main card will be streamed on pay per view at www.onefc.com and the prelim fights will be shown on Facebook live.

Also happening on the 11th of February, will be another of Asian MMA’s more established promotions, Legend FC from Hong Kong. The Legend card is stacked with homegrown fighters as well as fighters from Japan, Australia and the Philippines. Names such as Li Jingliang, Bae Myung Ho,Jumabieke Tuerxun, Matt Cain and Mark Striegl will be showcased on this card. There are 10 planned fights with both the main and co-main event being title fights for the welterweight and bantamweight championship respectively.

Just when you thought things should quieten down after this weekend, it just gets crazier with 2 MMA events being held in the Philippines by the 2 top promotions there. The first being Pacific Xtreme Combat which is the 2nd most well know MMA company in the Philippines behind the URCC. Their event will be headlined by a title fight between veteran Jesse Taitano and Ale Cali (if he sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve featured him 2 weeks ago in an exclusive interview). Oh yeah and Mayhem Miller is going to be there too as a guest.

The PXC will be going head to head with the biggest MMA promotion in the Philippines, the URCC which will be having their URCC Baguio IV event in Baguio City (no sh*t Sherlock?) on the same day. The event will be headlined by a featherweight championship between Arnold Agapito & Ricardo Sapno. The URCC has also started the trend of bringing super fights to it’s provincial events such as this one to add more star power to the card. It’s been well received and it’s no surprised that this card is being see a super fight between Rey Docyogen and Rodel Orais.

So that’s the lowdown on what’s going to happen in the next 2 weeks. It’s exhausting just writing about it and we don’t know how you can catch everything. However, it’s going to mean only one thing for the fans. We win big time. So if you happen to be able to catch all those events, then more power to you. If you can’t catch them, keep an eye on this space and we’ll bring you the news on what went down. So until then, here are some promo videos for the events mentioned above just to help you waste time in the office.

Here's how we're celebrating the Year of the Dragon 2012.

[LeeLi]

Originally Posted by GeneChing

Meet another rising Chinese MMA star, Legend Fighting Championship's Bantamweight Champion, Yao Honggong in The People's Champ by Lee Li.

Let us know here how Yao does this weekend, won't you?

ah well, no hero is forever! but his training camp in Vegas definitely gave him a new skill set and i know we will be seeing many more bouts with him.

It was on to the co-main event, Bantamweight Champion Yao HongGang defending his title for the first time against Jumabieke Tuerxun. In his relatively short MMA career, Yao came into the Legend ring and defeated Sengoku Rookie winner Nam JinJo and highly experienced Mick Mortimer to gain the title, in the process showed off a developing skill set. Although he's relatively unknown beyond Chinese MMA aficionados, Bieke was added to the roster and given a shot at the title on his first go. Legend FC tried this tactic previously by giving newcomer Jadamba Narantalag a shot at Adrian Pang's Lightweight title, however Jadamba's list of previous opponents was stellar, including a win over Akihiro Gono in Sengoku. It paid off then with a three round war showcasing every aspect of MMA, probably the most exciting bout ever in Legend FC history. As the talent pool in Legend deepens, it will be interesting to see what other lightweight matches will be made.

People who know Bieke put him as coming out with a win by KO. Both fighters were aware of that potential and came out of their corners very cautious. Yao's UFC fight camp must have taught him strategy, and that's what he showed by darting in with a punch or kick then getting out of the pocket quickly. Yao became more confident, using footwork to circle away from Bieke, and eventually showed his punch distraction to takedown that worked like a charm. Yao was able to bloody Bieke's nose with some gnp. Beike came on strong in the second half of the round by slipping on a guillotine when Yao went for a takedown, and was able to get it to the canvas and full mount Yao, whose defense was quite good and didn't allow much pain to be inflicted. The first round ended with an interesting reversal of roles for the two fighters.

The second round saw the two willing to exchange a bit quicker, with Bieke getting the better of it by several takedowns, including a big double leg to side control at the end of the round that Yao was able to reverse it in the last few seconds. Round three saw an even quicker engagement, with Yao the first takedown aggressor. When Beike scrambled to reverse it, Yao got a solid guillotine - the reason China Top Team gets referred to as China GuilloTeam now. Eventually Yao had to let it go. The fight went back to the feet, and Bieke repeated the same scenario of takedown, ground and pound twice more. The end of the final round was a flurry of fists flying from both guys. Bieke never showcased his KO skills, instead finding the takedowns on Yao the better way to score. He earned the decision from them, and took the Bantamweight Championship belt away from Yao.

you can read my entire recap of the event on my site here.

[GeneChing]

sanda actually, but people always forget sanda is part of modern wushu.

Indonesian Wushu Champ Ready to Fight for MMA Dream
Ami Afriatni | February 10, 2012

Youne ‘Indra’ Victorio Senduk, left, will meet Raymond Tiew in tonight’s mixed martial arts competition in Jakarta. (Antara Photo/M. Agung Rajasa) Youne ‘Indra’ Victorio Senduk, left, will meet Raymond Tiew in tonight’s mixed martial arts competition in Jakarta. (Antara Photo/M. Agung Rajasa)

Youne Victorio Senduk has been waiting seven years for another shot to become a professional mixed martial arts fighter, and he has vowed not to waste it when the ONE Fighting Championship hits Jakarta today.

Youne, who fights under the name Indra, won a silver medal in wushu, a type of martial art, at the 2011 Southeast Asian Games, but he says his real passion is to become an MMA fighter.

“I fell in love with MMA when I fought in the TPI Fighting Championship in 2005. But then the tournament was scrapped with no replacement until now,” Indra said on Friday.

“Now it’s like the door has been opened again for me to be a pro MMA fighter.”

MMA in Indonesia had enjoyed something of a cult following until the sport’s top local tournament, TPI FC, was scrapped in 2005.

The Indonesian MMA Organization (OMI) and the Indonesian Martial Arts Federation (FOBI) failed to harness the sport’s popularity at the time and it gradually dissipated.

Indra said he’s been training hard since the ONE FC organizers said in December that he would be given a wild-card entry for the showdown at the Sports Mall at Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta.

“The SEA Games medal has given me a morale boost for this championship, though I have had to hone my skills for close combat like this,” he said.

Indra will face Malaysian Raymond Tiew in 65.8-kilogram bout. Tiew, whose basic skill is also wushu, should be a tough opponent as he has more experienced in MMA, with a record of five wins and a loss in 2011.

“I don’t know anything about him or how good he is. But I was told that he’s also a wushu athlete, so I pretty much know what to expect,” Indra said.

“Anyway, my mission is to beat him because a win will open the MMA door wide for me.”

This is just the second ONE FC event, after the series debuted in Singapore on Sept. 3.

Twenty fighters from the region will vie for supremacy in seven weight classes.

There are three other local fighters, who won the Indonesian Martial Arts Federation qualifiers in Jakarta last December.

Former national team wrestler Ngabdi Mulyadi, who is also a TPI FC champion, will fight in the 70.3-kg division against Peter Davis, who is better known in his native Malaysia for his acting and modeling but is looking to make a name as a fighter.

“It’s been a while since I’ve competed in MMA, but I’m ready,” said Ngabdi, a Semarang native. “If I win this I’ll have better chance to pursue a career in the MMA.”

Veteran local fighters Agus Nanang and Zuli Silawanto are scheduled to meet each other in the 77.1-kg division.

ONE FC will hold a second event in Jakarta later this year.

[GeneChing]

Interesting stance. Thailand defends the integrity of the sport of Muay Thai this way. To be honest, I'd rather watch Muay Thai than MMA. Don't get me wrong - I enjoy MMA very much, but I just prefer to watch stand-up fights in general.

Thailand bans mixed martial arts
Discipline deemed to be too 'brutal'
Published: 31/03/2012 at 12:00 AM

The Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) confirmed yesterday that it has banned mixed martial arts (MMA).

"It is brutal and it is not boxing," said SAT deputy governor Sakol Wannapong who oversees professional sports.

"It is against the 1999 boxing law."

SAT officials met this week to discuss whether holding an MMA event was lawful or not following a request from a private company and they finally agreed that under the 1999 boxing law, it is unlawful to stage an MMA event in Thailand.

"Organising a MMA event here would hurt the image of Muay Thai," Sakol said.

There have been two MMA events held in Bangkok and neither were approved by the SAT, according to Sakol.

He said the SAT was asking the Interior Ministry's legal advisors to consider action against any MMA organisers.

"If you want to do this kind of business, you should do it in another country," Sakol said.

"Organising MMA here could mislead the public into believing that Muay Thai is brutal."

MMA is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, while standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Muay Thai, kickboxing, taekwondo, karate, judo and other styles.

Buakaw can't fight

The Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) said yesterday that Muay Thai superstar Buakaw Banchamek (formerly Buakaw Por Pramuk) can't take part in next month's Thai Fight unless he formally registers his new camp with the authorities.

Buakaw has severed ties with former camp Por Pramuk and has since set up his own camp.

He has also changed his fight name to Buakaw Banchamek following the split.

SAT deputy governor Sakol Wannapong said Buakaw cannot fight until he files a complaint with the SAT which will investigate if Buakaw was unfairly treated by Por Pramuk.

If his claim is proven true, then he will be allowed to fight, Sakol said.

The Thai Fight event will be held in Pattaya on April 17 and Sakol said Buakaw still has time to clear up his legal problems.

[GeneChing]

Women exercise right to fight in Singapore
By Peter Rutherford
SINGAPORE | Wed Apr 11, 2012 5:57am EDT

(Reuters) - Jeet Toshi's eyes glaze over as the blood flow to her brain begins to slow. She claws at the arm clamped around her throat but Nicole Chua's choke is sapping her strength, and the rising panic in Toshi's chest tells her she will black out in seconds.

Brutality is blind to gender in mixed martial arts (MMA).

While abhorred by its critics as a celebration of violence, MMA's explosive growth shows no signs of tapering off. It does not shy away from its violent image but rather embraces it as the ultimate sporting evolution of hand-to-hand combat.

Male fighters enjoy the lion's share of exposure and reward, and while women's MMA does have a following, it struggles due to a shallow talent pool and poor financial backing.

Discrimination has also been difficult to overcome, and while the bias may be based on outdated notions of gender roles in society, some people just are not ready to see women fight.

Not so in Singapore, it seems.

Some 8,000 fans watched Chua become the city-state's first female professional MMA fighter with her debut as part of ONE Fighting Championship's recent "War of the Lions" event.

What Chua and Toshi lacked in polished talent and experience they made up for in heart, battering each other with kicks, knees and punches before Chua took the fight to the ground.

Slithering across Toshi's body, Chua slams sharp elbows into the Indian's forehead, then rains down a hail of punches forcing Toshi to turn onto her stomach to escape. Chua sinks in a rear naked choke and squeezes for dear life. Toshi taps.

Despite the risk of personal injury involved in MMA, neither fighter made much money. Neither fighter seemed to care.

Toshi walked away with $600. Her manager, Prashant Kumar, told Reuters that was three times the sum Toshi had earned for her debut with India's Full Contact Championship in February.

"This is a passion, not a job," Toshi said in an interview. "I'm not doing it to make a living. If I wasn't fighting I really don't know what I'd be doing."

Legs dangling from a pool-side chair that threatened to swallow her whole, the seven-times Indian kickboxing champion said MMA had given her the chance to inspire her countrywomen.

"I want to be an example for girls in India who don't really participate in combat sports. I want to set an example so that we can spread awareness of the sport."

Kumar was immensely proud of Toshi irrespective of the loss, and said he had a stable of willing women fighters in India ready to step into the cage.

"This was her first time out of the country and we were running around trying to get her a passport just before we came," he said. "She's such a young girl but she was so composed despite the fact she was fighting a Singaporean in Singapore."

NUMBER CRUNCHER

Chua's story catapulted her into the media spotlight in Singapore, a bustling island hub more renowned for its safe streets and conservative values than a burgeoning MMA scene.

A full-time accountant, Chua convinced her company to let her train for the fight on condition she made up lost hours after the gym.

Sitting cross-legged on the Brazilian Jiu-jitsu mats at Evolve MMA Academy where she trained before dawn each day, Chua recalled the reaction when she asked for permission to fit work around her training schedule.

"My manager got a shock but he gave in eventually," the muay Thai specialist said with a wry smile.

The pixie-like Chua said she too was not in MMA for the money. With several years of muay Thai fighting under her belt, she wanted to test her limits in the sport.

Part of the test was coming to grips with the vicious techniques of MMA. Her training routine with no-gi Brazilian Jiu-jitsu world champion Takeo Tani saw her practice kicking a grounded opponent's head like a soccer ball.

"I hope I don't have to do that," she said with a nervous laugh, "but in a fight if I don't hit her she will hit me. Inside the cage its competition, you win or you lose."

Tani said Chua's personality changed as soon as she stepped into the cage for sparring.

"I have to look at her like a man. You can see in her eye she is not a normal girl," he added. "She's a fighter."

Chua's manager and Evolve founder Chatri Sityodtong said women's MMA was still in its infancy in Asia and that the financial incentive had to be there before women could make a career out of fighting.

"I don't think women can train and fight full-time right now because the financial rewards aren't there yet," he said. "(But) MMA is the fastest growing sport in the world and it is only a matter of time for the financial rewards to skyrocket as it gains in popularity all over Asia."

WHAT A WAY TO MAKE A LIVING

Earning a living is just as tough for women getting started in the sport in the United States.

Olympic judoka Ronda Rousey, who became the new face of women's MMA after her stunning Strikeforce title win over Miesha Tate last month, said there had been little financial incentive for her when she made her pro debut last year.

"I made $800 out of it," she told Reuters in a telephone interview.

"But it was a hell of a lot more than I made for my first three amateur fights because I got nothing. I was just happy I was getting anything from doing MMA after doing it without making a penny."

Victor Cui, the CEO of ONE Fighting Championship, declined to put an exact figure on how much Chua and Toshi were paid for their fight, but said ONE FC stacked up favourably compared to other MMA promotions.

"Absolutely. And it's not just about pay, fighters want to fight on ONE FC because we are an organisation that treats them very, very well," he told Reuters.

"The contracts include not only guaranteed fees but a win bonus, flights, accommodation for them and however many cornermen they want to bring in."

Cui said Chua was a fantastic story and could encourage more women to take up the sport. While not everyone is sold on the concept of women fighting, Cui said anyone who stepped into the cage deserved the utmost respect.

"This is a sport of professionals that have dedicated their lives to it, put in decades of training in multiple martial arts whether it's muay Thai, taekwondo, BJJ, karate or sanda.

"So the message that has to come across is that whether it is a male fighting or a female fighting, they are professionals and the very best of the best."

It's funny how the press focuses on the money in amateur fights.

[sanjuro_ronin]

RE: Banning MMA in Thailand.
IT was a political move, nothing more.
Seeing how the popularity of MMA can and will hurt Thai boxing events, they stopped it before it got started.
That's all.

[GeneChing]

In Malaysia

Asia the home of mixed martial arts
By Dennis Wong
New Straits Times
Sunday, Jul 01, 2012

Judging from the 10,000 strong crowd that thronged Stadium Negara last weekend for the One FC Destiny of Warriors competition, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is here to stay.

This new form of close quarters combat, using a mix of various martial art styles, is gaining popularity not just in Asia but throughout the world, judging from the viewership of the matches that were also broadcast live on the Internet.

Malaysia is certainly making a name for herself in the MMA scene with rising stars such as Adam Shahir Kayoom, Peter Davis and Aj Lias Mansor, sparring alongside MMA greats such as Gregor Gracie, Masakazu Imanari, Renato Soboral and Tetsuya Mizuno.

"One FC is now a platform for martial arts proponents in the region to reach even greater heights in their careers," said One Fighting Championship chief executive officer Victor Cui.

He said as sports was very much culture-oriented, Asia was the home of the MMA because of its martial arts heritage.

"We have Bruce Lee, Jet Li, Donnie Yuen. Everyone in Asia knows about martial arts. It is part of our culture. In Japan alone there are 50 million karate practitioners. Now MMA is the fastest growing sport in the world and we are here to stay," he told the New Sunday Times.

In the past 10 years, MMA has raked in US$500 million (S$633 billion) via pay-per-view live telecast, compared with boxing, which only netted half that amount.

"MMA creates local heroes, which also gives opportunities for local martial arts proponents to build their careers. When we watch an F1 race, many of us are supporting an international racer. We do not enjoy the pride of showing off a local hero. But in MMA we have that," added Cui.

And it was patriotic pride that drove Malaysian spectators wild the minute local fighters entered the cage despite the presence of famous names such as Marcos Escobar, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt holder. This was the first time Malaysia hosted an international level MMA event.

He said Asia had a larger fan base and a deep talent pool because of its martial arts culture.

"A fighter who knows silat, karate or tae kwon do can become an MMA fighter in just two to three years.

"They just need to work on their stand up and grappling skills and they can be a complete fighter," he added.

Malaysia can also stand tall in the MMA arena as three of the 18 competitors during last Saturday's championship are locals.

One of them was Adam, who was badly taken down and pounded by Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion Gracie in the first round of the championship, before emerging winner in the third round, dominating the match with his muay thai skills.

Though Adam clearly won the match against Gracie (who is part of a prominent sporting family from Brazil known for their founding of Brazilian jiu-jitsu), he was quick to honour the family.

"Without them, BJJ and MMA would not be what it is today. Thank you for helping us BJJ instructors with employment, and the knowledge of BJJ," he said after winning the fight.

The victory comes as a double joy for Adam who will be a father soon.

Adam travelled to Brazil at a young age to learn BJJ from Ricardo Liborio who trained under Carlson Gracie, considered the best in the sport.

After winning several BJJ titles in Brazil and Australia, he decided to take up Muay Thai in Thailand, where he was initially rejected from most gyms because he was considered too old to train with them.

But he proved them wrong by winning the world titles in 2006 and muay khmer in Cambodia the following year.

The two other Malaysian fighters who fought that night were model-turned actor Peter Davis, who went against 21-year-old Singaporean national boxer Quek Kim Hock.

He proved many wrong when he won the match against Kim Hock in just 55 seconds in the first round.

Former national silat champion AJ Lias Mansor, 37, however, was out of the match after 1 minute 25 seconds into the first round against American Mitch Chilson, 34, by a rear naked choke submission.