And since the FMA and dog brothers came out….
i think Top Dog & Crafty Dog deserve a place too.
they are not MMA in strict sense but hey… if they didn’t change perception of fighting, i wonder who can….

El Chupa Cabra!

Regarding Fedor & Coleman: I agree a 100%. Fedor is a far better fighter (obviously). The list is about people who changed the way we see the fight game, and Coleman’s “Ground & Pound” did change people’s (As well as other fighters’) perception.

I am not sure what new element Fedor has introduced. It’s just that the mofo is unbelievably good. He doesn’t talk shit, praises his opponent even after he has beaten them and can transition well from range to range. His sheer dominance is what stands out.

Crocop was an incredible fighter who is not well known in the U.S because Pride was well promoted. For whatever reason, by the time, he got to the UFC, he was done. Wish he’d stop fighting.

take care
Cameron

Chris Cyborg Santos needs a honorble mention as well. Many people still think women can not fight. Santos proves them otherwise, fantastic ground game as well as precision striking. Curano is probably the only women alive that can possibly beat her. I cant wait for their rematch. Peace!

It’s funny you mentioned the Filipino stuff dovetailing into Western Boxing. An acquaintance of mine trains in a lot of that and mentioned that after the recent Manny Pacquiao fight, his Kali instructor claimed that Manny is utilizing some of those FMA techniques. (Using lead hook that is not intended to land but brush hands guys off in order to land the next punch.)

I didn’t see the fight but would be fascinated to know if Manny is actually employing some of those techniques as the guy is obviously a very accomplished boxer. (or maybe the FMA guy just wanted to take credit for it. lol)

As for me, I’ve never done any JKD formally. I’ve read enough about it, but let’s be honest, reading it and doing it are completely separate things. Growing up in the South Bay, I’ve been exposed to a lot of that stuff because a lot of the Inosanto and Dog-Brothers people come from that area.

In my opinion, MMA striking is for the most part still far behind the grappling. Outside of a few exceptions, most of the guys are not very smooth in putting together combinations and accurately moving.

To bring a JKD feel to it, I’d prefer to see guys who could intercept attacks or at least counter properly. That “Crazy Monkey” defense where a guy puts both hands up (Like Tito Ortiz) just to defend himself temporarily drives me crazy. If you watch Rashad Evens and Rampage knock outs of Chuck Liddell in slow-motion, you’ll see very two similar cases of someone beating Chuck to the punch, literally.

You’ll see Chuck wind up for a huge hay-maker, and the other guy using better “Economy Of Motion” to intercept his haymakers with a powerful hook that put Chuck to sleep. Chuck is one of my all-time favorite MMA fighters, but I always wondered what’d happen if a more technically proficient striker got in that Octagon with him.

Anyhow, like you said, it’s a great sport to watch and it’s only going to get better. While they may not be pure Kali or Kung-fu guys, there’ll be guys who’ll borrow a few principles and techniques to add elements to their game (much like Machida has.)

Canmeron

Personally, I really don’t know if FMA or stuff like Silat would really work out in the Octagon as a “pure thing”. I mean, granted, there are martial concepts one could pull from the Indo-Malay and Filipino arts that are quite applicable in the ring–Marc Denny and the Dog Brothers have a thing they call “Kali Tudo”, where they are exploring that very idea. Certainly, speaking from my own experience, Filipino methods dovetail really damned well with Muay Thai and Western Boxing (and if you ask any old Eskrimador from the P.I., you’ll often find there’s a deep love and respect for Western Boxing, both the sport and the style)–often, FMA guys train in these systems extensively, along with other stuff.

But all that said, the Filipino and Indo-Malay arts are fundamentally *weapon-oriented*, meaning that we are often seeking to access or deploy a weapon (either one on our person, or in the environment) to finish our opponent. Empty-hands techniques is often considered transitional in nature, and the targets we prefer are the vitals, like the eyes, the throat, and the groin–and really, Kali guys would often rather stab, slice up, shoot, or bludgeon the bad guy(s). There’s more of a military emphasis (like Krav Maga, the SEALs with their streamlined Kali/JKD stuff, or the Marines’ LINE and MCMAP programs), rather than a sporting thing. Hell, the UFC thought the Dog Brothers were friggin’ batsh-t crazy when they watched them live-stick sparring in a Gathering! And well, they are *that crazy*!
;-D

I do love watching MMA, and all the fighters you mentioned are personal faves. Cheers, dude–keep up the good work!

Or was it his catch-wrestling background being so effective against BJJ?

Either way, Sakuraba DOES deserve a mention. If I had to write the article over again, I’d replace Wanderlei with Sakuraba. Too much work to do all of that over again. lol

Cameron