Lesser Known MMA facts

[EndlessCritic]

-most normies wont believe this but MMA started through Japanese pro wrestling.

Probably because it's an absolutely ridiculous claim.

On any objective metric, modern MMA's roots are more closely connected to Brazilian Vale Tudo than Japanese Pro Wrestling.

UFC 1 was created by a Brazilian -- Rorion Gracie.

UFC 1 was won by a Brazilian.

The UFC 1 referees were themselves Vale Tudo legends from the 1950s (Joao Barreto and Helio Vigio). Vigio of course was selected because he was already a notable Vale Tudo referee from fights in the 1980s.

Is there some influence in MMA from Japanese pro-wrestling? Absolutely. And you can absolutely make a case that Pride had its direct roots in Japanese pro wrestling (and not Vale Tudo).

But the UFC's roots (and the roots of modern MMA) are far more connected to Brazilian Vale Tudo than Japanese pro wrestling. To claim otherwise is frankly preposterous.

 

[SamuraiBro]

Dan Severn was in the movie "Rudy"

And he fucking aged like 20 years from 1993 to 1994

 

[tequilaboy]

Jeremy horn has a head kick ko victory over Forrest Griffin

He also slept Chuck Lidell in their first fight..

 

[tequilaboy]

Pele koed Matt Hughes with a flying knee making it look easy

 

[BigTruck]

-Poatan is a muslim, he converted back in 2015
-RDA and Gilbert Burns went to the same school and were in the same class
-Butterbean has more subs than BJ Penn
-most normies wont believe this but MMA started through Japanese pro wrestling.

How do you fuckers even come across threads this old? Holy fucking necroman

 

[BowserJr]

It's a slow night on sherdog. Let's get a fun topic going.

Post some MMA facts that not a lot of people know about like let's see....

Brian Bowles has two wins over Damacio Page both wins by guillotine choke at 3:30 of the first round.

Jake O'Brien lost to Cain Velasquez and dropped to light heavyweight and lost to Jon Jones and was cut.

Renan Barao's UFC debut was supposed to be against Mighty Mouse.

Let's get some more going

I didnt know the last one.

Frank Mir took down JBJ in a street fight

 

[BowserJr]

He was one of the main villains in "15 Minutes" where they killed the main star, Robert De Niro.

He was also in Bad Boys 2.

He was in a Predator movie too

 

[NicholasJBasile]

He also slept Chuck Lidell in their first fight..

With the rare arm triange from the bottom. I bellieve Aljamin Sterling is the only other fighter to do that in the UFC.

 

[jeff7b9]

Gary Goodridge won a Vale Tudo fight by executing...

 

[Pequeño Corey]

Probably because it's an absolutely ridiculous claim.

On any objective metric, modern MMA's roots are more closely connected to Brazilian Vale Tudo than Japanese Pro Wrestling.

UFC 1 was created by a Brazilian -- Rorion Gracie.

UFC 1 was won by a Brazilian.

The UFC 1 referees were themselves Vale Tudo legends from the 1950s (Joao Barreto and Helio Vigio). Vigio of course was selected because he was already a notable Vale Tudo referee from fights in the 1980s.

Is there some influence in MMA from Japanese pro-wrestling? Absolutely. And you can absolutely make a case that Pride had its direct roots in Japanese pro wrestling (and not Vale Tudo).

But the UFC's roots (and the roots of modern MMA) are far more connected to Brazilian Vale Tudo than Japanese pro wrestling. To claim otherwise is frankly preposterous.

Thanks for addressing this. I have heard the claim many times that MMA was born from pro wrestling and listened to all kinds of takes on the subject, but I just don’t see it. There’s overlap, at best, and the Gracies fought some pro wrestlers for sure, but actual fighting is just a different thing imo. Those dudes all got stomped in Pride. Bork is the singular exception.

 

[EndlessCritic]

Thanks for addressing this. I have heard the claim many times that MMA was born from pro wrestling and listened to all kinds of takes on the subject, but I just don’t see it. There’s overlap, at best, and the Gracies fought some pro wrestlers for sure, but actual fighting is just a different thing imo. Those dudes all got stomped in Pride. Bork is the singular exception.

I honestly blame Ariel Helwani for propagating this nonsensical claim that the histories of MMA and pro wrestling are inseparably intertwined.

 

[JPOMMA]

Cowboy Cerrone, Paul Felder, Dana White, Megan Olivi and Cub Swanson were in an episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. It’s season 12 episode 4 “Wolf Cola: A Public Relations Nightmare”. And it’s hilarious (if you like IASIP).

 

[Ghostoftheville]

- UFC's lightweight division is the only active division that does not have a two time champion. Women's featherweight is the other division.
- Lightweight also has the most vacancies of all UFC divisions. The last four champions of the division were not beaten for their title but were stripped or forfeited.
- Valentina Shevchenko has competed in all but the inaugural women's flyweight title match.

 

[Ghostoftheville]

I honestly blame Ariel Helwani for propagating this nonsensical claim that the histories of MMA and pro wrestling are inseparably intertwined.

but they are inseparably intertwined. From Pancrase, which predates UFC, to Shamrock who competed in the first UFC event. Pro wrestling has always been a part of what we know today as MMA.

 

[wwkirk]

Don't believe I came across this long running thread until today.

As for a lesser known fact.
Related to MMA. Wrestling, to be specific.
President Abe Lincoln was one of the best wrestlers of his day. From the Wrestling Hall of Fame

In the rough and ready style of the frontier, "catch as catch can" wrestling was more hand-to-hand combat than sport. Lincoln, an awesome physical specimen at 6-feet-4, was widely known for his wrestling skills and had only one recorded defeat in a dozen years.

At age 19, he defended his stepbrother's river barge from Natchez thugs by throwing the hijackers overboard. Ten years later, Lincoln was a storekeeper at New Salem when his boss backed him to out-wrestle Jack Armstrong, local tough and county champion. From the start, Lincoln handed out a thrashing. When Armstrong began fouling, Lincoln picked up his opponent, dashed him to the ground and knocked him out.

 

[WoozyFailGuy]

Overeem was a K1 champion, I think it's a ltitle unfair to call him 'an MMA dude'. More a succesfull kickboxer that transitioned well to MMA like Adesanya and Poatan

The heights of his kickboxing success came during the heights of his MMA career since he was roided to the gills.

Don't believe I came across this long running thread until today.

As for a lesser known fact.
Related to MMA. Wrestling, to be specific.
President Abe Lincoln was one of the best wrestlers of his day. From the Wrestling Hall of Fame

Only POTUS to have a recorded slam KO, that's sick.

 

[gspieler]

Dan Severn was in the movie "Rudy"

Apparently so was Al Snow.

 

[mkt]

UFC 1 was created by a Brazilian -- Rorion Gracie.

UFC 1 was won by a Brazilian.

Conflict of interest much? "Hey, brother Royce...how can we set up tournament brackets and make rules that give you the easiest path of winning?"

 

[mkt]

Apparently so was Al Snow.

View attachment 1122322

Chuck Liddell has quite an extensive filmography. Yes, most are cheesy movies and short spots in TV series, but he played an uncredited Boy Scout in the 1981 version of The Postman Always Rings Twice starring Jack Nicholson.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1101910/

 

[Pierce 34]

Probably because it's an absolutely ridiculous claim.

On any objective metric, modern MMA's roots are more closely connected to Brazilian Vale Tudo than Japanese Pro Wrestling.

UFC 1 was created by a Brazilian -- Rorion Gracie.

UFC 1 was won by a Brazilian.

The UFC 1 referees were themselves Vale Tudo legends from the 1950s (Joao Barreto and Helio Vigio). Vigio of course was selected because he was already a notable Vale Tudo referee from fights in the 1980s.

Is there some influence in MMA from Japanese pro-wrestling? Absolutely. And you can absolutely make a case that Pride had its direct roots in Japanese pro wrestling (and not Vale Tudo).

But the UFC's roots (and the roots of modern MMA) are far more connected to Brazilian Vale Tudo than Japanese pro wrestling. To claim otherwise is frankly preposterous.

You do realize ufc wasnt the first mma organization? It was shooto and that started from Japanese pro wrestling