I have been lacking in my blog writing lately, but I think I finally have a topic that I am passionate enough about to write on.  I hate the MMA scoring system as do a lot of people and how it needs to be overhauled is a topic all in itself.  I want to speak specifically about how takedowns are scored, now as a wrestler I should be naturally inclined to think takedowns should be scored as big points.  However, nothing pains me more than a wrestler who gets a takedown then does absolutely nothing with it and then lets the guy get back up.  I could name a lot of names, but this blog isnt about pointing fingers it is about identifying the problem within the scoring.  If a submission attempt doesnt score then neither should a takedown in which no damage is done.  Fighting is about one thing inflicting damage and a takedown followed by sitting in the guard does nothing and should be scored as such.   Please someone change this part of the mma scoring system.

If you havent been reading I have been getting a lot of Press lately and it is kind of sweet but also a lot of hype to live up to.  Dana White even referred to me as the white guy with the Fucking afro on one of his usual tyranical curse laden rants, that he thinks he needs to make to keep up his tough guy image.  I mean how did he get a tough guy image in the first place by having an amateur boxing career, what a joke.  Don't even get me started on his contradictory nature, this dude contradicts himself with differing talk and actions so many times I cant even count.  Other than that the press has been all good and more than I could ever have hoped for at this point in my career (only beating one guy who should actually consider himself a pro fighter.)  So just gonna keep training, I got some road work to do tonight then more hands and wrestling tomorrow.  Have a good night.

 

In the process of watching the Reno Tournament of Champions I started thinking about a new concept of winning wrestlers.  I always hear “this person” needs more technique, strength, speed, or etc. the list could really go on forever.  As I am watching match after match of unmotivated apathetic competitor* I started thinking about what made me successful.  The one thought that kept coming back to my head was effort, and when I was watching matches I didn’t see one match where I thought ‘damn that guy really gave everything he had.’   The kind of feeling I get when I watch Jordan Burroughs double leg someone fourteen times in a match (note the success he has had.)  If you want to see another recent example of a guy who really wanted to win watch Zach Sanders in the All-Star classic (also note the early successes he has had.)   

I would be surprised if I was the first person to ever realize the difference between the highly successful athletes’ effort and that of the not so successful.  SO why is this topic not talked about more?  One major reason is because it is hard to question a persons’ motivation.  What is inside of their head is impossible for the outside world to see.  Other than that I am not really sure.  I started think what would make one wrestler put forth more effort than another and the answer that kept hitting was because they care, it is important to them.  I know this is not an amazing conclusion. 

Why did I care so much about winning and losing?  Think about a wolf who is chasing his prey, starving to death, how hard is he going to chase?  You better believe it is with everything he has inside of him.  This is the kind of reality I created for myself when I wrestled.  I was never in danger of losing anything serious or being barred from the family or killed because I lost a wrestling match.  So in reality had I lost more wrestling matches nothing in my life would have really changed that much, my family would still be my family, my friends would still be my friends, I would still have a roof over my head and three delicious meals a day.      

Now back to a different reality, the reality I created for myself in wrestling.  Besides having three close friends die too early in life I have felt no greater disappointment and sorrow in life than losing wrestling matches.  I can’t say I have ever achieved the same euphoric feeling as when I won my first state title, national title and when I made my first Olympic team.  Most days of my life I have had nothing more important to think about than how I was going to become a great wrestler.  Maybe you can say I am lucky to have had such an easy life, but I would venture to guess there are many other highly successful wrestlers would have had the same experience as me. 

 

Have you created a different reality? 

*Post Script- After writing this I realized that I forgot about the first round comeback of Frank Molinaro. He was down 10-4 in the second period and came back to win. He gave the performance of a man who really didn't want to lose, congrats Frank.

So the announcement today was made that I am fighting with Bellator.   The first fight is in April so I still have plenty of time to keep preparing.  I am so excited to further my fighting career.

Well I finally made weight again,  back down tot 74kg and it was tough.   I ended up winning the tourney but god was it ugly, I lost a period to both the indian guy and Matt gentry which I feel is unacceptable.  Ended up losing to Travis Paulson in the challenge match because he won the 84 kg bracket.  He was feeling really large and I just could not get any good attacks on him,  I am down in San Jose right now, I came to meet my management team of Duane Zinkin and Bob Cook as well as to get some training in at AKA.  They have an amazing gym here I could not believe all of the really  good fighters and coaches they have here.  Next competition for me is the Grappling Worlds in Ft Lauderdale in Dec and I am looking forward to that.

 

Hey lots of things happening since last time we chatted.  I have a new interest in the fight game, another organization has contacted me and it is going to be a great deal for me I am really excited.  It should be public soon.  I also won the USA Grappling trials the competition was not that great but I got three submissions and a 6-0 win in the finals.  The worlds are in Ft. Lauderdale in December so I will be going to that and it should be interesting to see if anyone good comes.  I also wrestled competitively for the first time since the olympics, I competed in the Sunkist Open at 84 kg.  I wrestled really well but came up short in the finals against my old nemesis Chris Pendelton and there really isnt anyone I hate losing to more than him.  Next week I will be going back down to 74 kg when I compete in the Hargobind in Canada.  It is a big money tournament so I am pumped up.  We also had wrestle offs and the team is set, they wrestled really hard in the wrestle offs and their technique is really coming around.   I also get to go watch Max, Mark and Anthony Robles at the All star classic in three weeks.  Right now Keith Gavin is in town doing some training, he is really working some good new techniques I am learning a lot from him.  Happy halloween

So I just want to get into the octagon and scrap, but i have to be patient.  There is no fight for me as of yet so I am patiently biding my time working on my stand up and getting a lot of wrestling work in.  I am wrestling for the first time since the olympics this weekend.  I am not really sure that I am ready but I am going to scrap anyway.  

I am sitting in the Barcelona Airport headed back to the states from the Abu Dhabi Combat Championships, which is the premiere grappling tourney in the world.  I didnt know what to expect when I came over here, because I had never done a grappling tournament before, but I did know I would be ready for anything.  The ready for anything mindset suited me well on the first day when I was making weight.   The committee decided not to let anyone check there weight on the official scale until weigh ins, seriously how crazy is that .  With a wide variety of bathroom scales being used to check weight I lost an extra couple pounds just to make sure I was not over.  I made weight but it was very tough seeing as it was the lowest weight I made since the olympics. 

The Competition was ok, I won my first match by using an arm triangle.  The guy dropped right to his butt as soon as the match started to take my advantage on our feet away, I kept the pressure on him and he tried a few submissions which were not very dangerous before I was able to pass his guard, then work to the mount and use my arm triangle.  Second round I had Pablo Popovitch a very good grappler from Florida, I trained with him this summer and he knew my weakness.  Early in the match he hit me with a footlock.  I did feel a little bit better when Pablo went on to beat Marcelo Garcia was in the finals to win the world championship. 

The grappling makes for a long day since finals matches can be up to 20 minutes in length and often times they turn into very poor wrestling matches because no one wants to give up position to the other person.  I did learn a lot about jiu jitsu though, especially watching two other former college wrestlers Gerry Rinaldi and Chris Weidman, both took more relaxed styles into the tournament and did really well with them. 

I dont know what is next for me, possibly a fight soon.  Hasta Luego

So I am making my first trip to party cove this weekend at the behest of a bunch of my old teammates, it should be one of the most ridiculous Saturdays of my life.  After that I am headed back to AZ after a quick stop in CO to see good friend Brad Hanson and maybe a stop or two at some national parks.  I was really excited to see the guys working hard during hell week on flowrestling.org and I am excited to start working to get them on the podium.  Things are really coming together in Tempe, there are some many people that want to see ASU win that it makes me excited.    As for me there could be a deal in the works to move up to a better fight league and get some great competition.  Also Abu Dhabi is only three weeks away so Kiko was helping me get prepared for that, I feel suprisingly prepared for it after only a year of Jiu Jitsu.  Make sure to stay tuned for big announcements next week.

 

Just chillin in the kitchen at my house in MO, getting ready to leave for my bud vinny d's wedding.  Last night I had the third fight of my career and a much tougher opponent than the first two,  I wasted little time in getting it to the ground and then worked a north-south choke which is one of my favorite positions.  So what is next for me?  I am grappling in the Abu Dhabi Championships on Sept 26-27, I am really excited but may be in over my head, oh well I love the competition.  Then looking to book a fight on Oct. 3 in Arizona and Nov. 13 with Victory Fighting Championships.  For now I am going to keep training hard and getting better.  The stand up will come with time and before then I will keep racking up the chokes.  Oh yeah and go Sun Devils.