Tapping Out Is For Sissies...

Well at least that is according to Razak Al-Hassan, who had his elbow popped by Steve Cantwell at UFC's Fight For The Troops last December (from CagePotato.com).




Al-Hassan will be fighting Kyle Kingsbury at UFC 104 on Saturday, lets hope he learned something from his last fight...

Fight Force Pics... As Promised

UFC 104... A Week To Go

On the 24th October UFC 104 MACHIDA vs. SHOGUN will take place in California.

Lyoto Machida has a record of 15-0-0, and will defend his light heavy weight crown for the first time against Mauricio Rua 18-3-0 (formerly a PRIDE fighter) who is coming off back-to-back knockouts of Chuck Liddell and Mark Coleman.

My money is on Machida, with his karate based fighting style, but we'll have to wait and see...

For more info, checkout www.ufc.com

Alternative Fitness Methods

Do you like the idea of MMA training, but are a bit intimidated by all the kicking and punching.

Bootcamp provides similar fitness benefits, and best of all it takes place on the beach.

For more information check out http://www.africanbootcamp.co.za

Combat Coaching Has The Edge

The new Combat Coaching premises has only been open a few months, and is packed full of excellent MMA training equipment. It reminded me of the gyms you see on the international UFC previews... Morne and his staff have done a great job! The training area is also really big, which is unusual for Durban training groups.

I was supposed to attend the beginner’s class on Monday evening; but things don't always go to plan... However, all was not lost as I ended up being a spectator at the advanced MMA class.

WOW, these guys train hard! They started off warming up, stretching and then it was cardio time... Combat Coaching style. Each guy had something to work on, from punch/kick bags, bag ground work, to speed balls and rope climbing. The rounds were 3 minutes, and if I counted correctly they did 13 rounds!! Made me tired just watching! Cardio is a big deal in MMA, and in my opinion, these guys are doing it properly.

Then it was onto techniques, which were quite technical. Morne first demonstrated a technique with one of the guys, and then everyone partnered off to try it out. Everyone seemed to grasp the concepts really quickly, which you can probably expect from the advanced class.

I really enjoyed being a spectator, and on more than one occasion wanted to join in!

Bottom line, Combat Coaching has a world class gym, an excellent coach in Morne, and no egos (I find this really important when training with a new bunch of guys).

If you're looking to improve your skills or need to get combat fit, and can make the trip down to Toti, give Morne or his wife Aileen a call. You can get their contact details off their website, www.combatcoaching.com

Thanks guys!

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers

Fedor is finally going to fight in America!

Arguably the best MMA heavy weight in the world with a record of 30-1-0-1 NC, will be fighting Brett Rogers (10-0-0) on the 7th November - http://fightgameblog.com/2009/09/fedor-vs-brett-rogers-will-be-on-cbs/.

It's gonna be a cracker of a fight... as the UFC fighters always say, its gonna be an all out WAR!

Training at Combat Coaching

This evening I will be attending a beginners MMA class at the newly opened Amanzimtoti branch of Combat Coaching, run by Morne Swanepoel. It should be fun as I haven't trained with these guys since last year, just hope my fitness will be up to it...!

For more information checkout their website at http://www.combatcoaching.com/

Check back soon for details, or alternatively subscribe to my RSS feed to get updates.

More Fight Force Pics

Check back soon for more pics...

MMA Training in Durban

Over the next few weeks I will be attending different MMA training schools in and around the Durban area.

So if you're looking for a place to learn MMA, or you're thinking about attending another MMA class to maximise your skills check back soon for information, photos and my thoughts.

Fight Force MMA Tournament, Sibaya Casino Durban

This highly anticipated event took place on the 4th October 2009 at Sibaya Casino (just north of Durban). This was the first time a UK spec (28 foot) octagon cage was used at a MMA event in Durban (and only the second time in South Africa). The event was sold out early on Sunday afternoon, with hundreds of fans left standing at the doors wishing they had arrived earlier.

Fans were treated to 13 excellent fights (including 2 title fights), of which 2 fights actually went the distance (3 x 5 minute rounds) , which is something I have never witnessed at a local event before. Apart from some dodgy refereeing, which saw knees to the head of a grounded opponent (more than once), and a questionable arm bar call, the fights were some of the most exciting live bouts I have witnessed!

Congrats to the fighters who put on an excellent show, and to Fight Force for organising an excellent event!

All I can say is bring on the cage for the next event, it was a cracker!

The event was recorded, and will possibly be available from the fight force website in the not too distant future. For more information on the fight results, checkout www.fightforce.co.za