” CONOR Mcgregor I’M NOT RETIRED ‘PAID TO FIGHT, NOT PROMOTE

Conor McGregor RETIRED??!!  Oh, wait no he isn’t…

So, apparently Conor McGregor tweeted a vague and cryptic message about early retirement. Then, he posted a message on Facebook airing his true feelings. Below is an exerpt from his post..

“I have become lost in the game of promotion and forgot about the art of fighting.”

“Talking to some lady that deep down doesn’t give a f**k about what I’m doing, but just wants some sound bites so she can maybe get her little tight ass a nice raise, and I’m cool with that too, I’ve been giving you all raises. But I need to focus on me now.”

Conor’s full quote is on his facebook page: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1260441947357435&id=494191297315841&ref=bookmarks

Honestly, I have more respect for Conor since reading his post. I think if you are paid to fight, you should have time to train. It seems fairly reminiscent of Ronda Rhousey’s downfall.

What are your thoughts on the UFC putting pressure on fighters doing  promotions rather than actually train for their fights?

A General Misconception About Fighting Part II

Allow me to lead into this blog with this awesome quote from Bruce Lee. I thought it quite fitting, plus Bruce is the MAN!

So, if you have not read “A General Misconception about Fighting Part 1”, what are you waiting for? It will be worth the read.

If you are not so inclined, here is a recap.

• There is a big misconception out there that fighting is just two guys beating each other to a pulp.

• For some people, myself included,  fighting involves training and competing in martial arts such as Muay Thai, mixed martial arts (MMA), Kung Fu, BJJ, boxing….the list goes on.

You see, fighters have a passion for what they do. It is similar to a painter or an artist. The ring is our canvas, the mat is our drawing board. And the competition…

Well, the competition is a fighter’s outlet. It is our self-expression.

My belief is that fighting, in the right form, keeps a person physically and mentally healthy. It allows them to be in harmony with themselves and those around them.

I know this to be true because I have experienced the change myself.

Through the art of fighting, I have experienced many positive changes in my life. Fighting has taught me that no matter how hard things get or how much pain you’re in, never give up; keep pushing forward. You can control your own destiny.

Fighting has pushed me in ways I would have never imagined.  It has taken me to my limits and beyond, both mentally and physically.

I believe fighting can have a positive impact on people’s lives. It is the reason I continue to spread my message.

But how did this idea come about anyway?

The idea came during a time that I was fighting through some of my own demons. I was at a low point and close to giving up.

But then it hit me as I was bummed and sitting on the train on my commute home from work:. “Life is Hard. Fighting is Easy.” So simple, so true.

Sometimes, inspiration comes to you at your lowest points. I now realize that the mind works best when put in tough situations.

But, why is Fighting Easy?

Fighting is Easy is a bold statement,   I know.  But let’s take a look at LIFE.

Life poses many challenges.  Poor health, poverty, taxes, jobs, traffic, people (getting on your nerves…).  The list goes on. Many of these things we can’t control.

They are irritating, infuriating, they drive people to alcohol, drugs, overeating and violence, which I consider different from fighting.

On a side note, most fighters avoid these vices because he (or she) knows it will not help towards their ultimate goal.

 

Now, Fighting, as I see it, is something that you can control. When you face off with your opponent, all those life troubles fade away.

You know all you have to do is fight. That’s it. It’s simple. You control what happens (in the ring) and it ends in victory or defeat.

My last point, before I wrap this up, is that people fight everyday without even realizing it.

When you see a political debate on TV, it is nothing more than a fight with words. In business, there is a continuous fight to stay ahead of the competition.

People fight depression, disease and other physical and mental illnesses.

In history, the people who have fought the hardest for what they believe are the people we respect the most. Martin Luther King. Jr., comes to mind.

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading. So, then let me end with this.

If you are dedicated to what you believe in, you will fight for it and this fight becomes easy. In the end, we are all Fighters. End.

How did Rob Font make it to the UFC?

Tonight Sityodtong’s own Rob Font fights for the second time in his UFC career at UFC Fight Night 81 on FIGHTPASS.

Rob ended his first fight with a definitive KO in the first round against George Roop.

Rob is a good friend and former teammate of FightingIsEasy founder, John Cumper and we would often train together. During training , Rob would always give his all and constantly switch up his style, which made for some interesting sparring sessions.

When I met Rob, that is when he started training at Sityodtong, he already had a solid background in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He would often help me as I struggled along as a white belt, but we will save that for another blog. Anyway, let’s get back on topic.

As we trained together, I saw 3 traits in Rob that would propel him quickly to the top of the MMA scene in the Northeast and eventually to the UFC. Besides skill and great cardio, which is a must have for a fighter, these are the traits I observed:

1. A great attitude towards training.
2. A never give up mentality. (Gets in early…Stays late)
3. Respect for his coaches and teammates. (Listens to his coaches)

These are traits I believe will propel any athlete to the top of their game and he possessed the three in spades.

It has been at least a year since I’ve seen Rob train and I am looking forward to how he has progressed tonight.

Rob, remember when you step into that cage tonight that Life is Hard. FightingIsEasy. is still holding you down in the NYC!

MMA: Fighting or Stalling

I was digging through and found a blog I wrote back in in 2011 about the controversial topic of stalling in MMA. Keep in my I was an active Muay Thai and MMA fighter when I wrote this. I am a coach now, but my views have not changed dramatically. I hope you enjoy…

Is MMA still a fighting spirt , sometimes I wonder..,
Now, I have attended and watched a number of Amateur and Professional MMA events throughout the years. Some of these fights, I must say, have disappointed me as a fighter and a paying customer. If I am paying at least $$$ to see some fights, then I want to see the fighters do one thing: FIGHT!

I am fairly certain that other spectators want to see the same thing as well. Who would want to see two punches thrown in the ring in order to one combatant pressing the other against the cage for the majority . Or even worse- a fighter takes the other guy down and does nothing while in the dominant position. He lays on the other guy for 3 rounds and pulls out a decision win.

Typically after a less than stellar performance, you would hear the crowd ‘booing’ and obnoxious chanting to express their thoughts about that fight.. I cannot blame them for acting this way. They paid good money to see fighters put their skills that they have worked on to the test. I have to say seeing this, which I call “stall tactics” pisses me off as a fighter and I am sure it pisses off the fighter that loses.

As a Muay Thai practitioner, I appreciate and love watching a great stand-up match where the two guys slug it out. It may appear as if I am downplaying other sports or martial arts such as wrestling or even BJJ (a discipline I have grown to love). A fighter will stick to his strengths. A wrestler will do what he knows best in a fight, that is he will wrestle.

I am not knocking that at all. I just hate seeing fighters work so hard in their training just be taken down or press the guy into the cage and be complacent with just staying there. Or a Jiu-jitsu practitioner, who may fight well off his back, be complacent with pulling guard and controlling the other fighter. As a fighter, I always want to advance to the dominant position and from there look to finish the fight! There is too much at stake if you do not finish a fight that presented many opporuntiies to win.

The fault does not always lie with the fighter. The referees have a hand in this too. It appears at times that some of these referees are inexperienced because they do not know when to stand fighters up or break them apart. This is done in the boxing or kickboxing world. So how come it is not done in these local MMA events?

Stalemates happen in a fight. However, a fighter shouldn’t work towards a stalemate. The fighter should work to advance. Even though a fighter may have a phenomonel record, they may not progress because promoters lose money on boring fights. Sometimes a stalemate occurs because of their training style. If the fighter is not versatilewith their training, then they will use only one method to win. That fighter will continue to use that method, regardless of its effectiveness, because it’s all that they know.

But then again, stall tactics are often used in the UFC by high level fighters. So, how can we not expect to see it occur so often in the MMA scene?

What are your thoughts on the subject?