MMA updates.

Wow, small fights with big Stories this weekend.

First, I was never one sleeping on Ronda Rousey, but this woman has been on a TEAR. This weekend was her 'coming out.' There is a big difference in training, mentality and preparation in a true elite athlete and what goes on in a lot of MMA gyms. It is very obvious when someone like Rousey makes the transition. People are going to start comparing wrestling with BJJ with Judo as a foundation for MMA. It is impossible to make that comparison. It's like taking a MLB player, a counties level cricketer and a Coed Rec league softball player and putting them in a game that combines skills from all sports to see which sport prepares you best for "bat and ball games." It's the selection and training, not the sport that matters. Elite level wrestlers, Olympic level judo players, and top level BJJ players have all succeeded and failed in MMA based on their mental strength, durability, and adaptability. Combat grappling is combat grappling, all three have applicable skills to MMA and things that do not translate based on their individual rules. Also there is no way to account for talents that don't matter in combat grappling (Chuck Liddell was a collegate wrestler, but his success was only tangentially related to it.) As an aside check out Ronda's mother's blog if you like grappling sports. It is the goods.

Tough loss for Puget Sound native Miesha Tate. Hopefully her arm heals up fully and she can get back into the mix.

Uncle Creepy got hosed (but sorta.. but not really.. but WTF?). I can see how that can happen, but it should never happen.

Little guys are crazy.

Thiago Alves should have finished his fight in the first round. He got the mount, but didn't sell out for the finish. For his efforts he got choked and beat. How many hard lessons is this guy going to have to learn?

Washington State's own Bristol Marunde got a crack at Jacare. Took him to the third round. Big jump in competition for the young man.

Looks like Demian Maia might be moving to 170. I hope so. Too many monsters at 185. He's always looked a little soft there. Hopefully his smooth jiu-jitsu will work better with smaller guys in a more wrestling dominant weight class.

Costa Philippou looked like a young Chuck Liddell in his drubbing of Court McGee. Very good, polished hands, strong takedown defense. Could be someone worth keeping eyes on. We'll see what happens when he takes on someone with better wrestling than McGee.

It is bad when the only thing I have to say about you is "holy hell fighter x has a stout chin.." but holy hell Court McGee has a stout chin."

Mahalo.