Lead Jab – Quit Picking On The Little Guys

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Posted by Mika Frankl

The general public has its opinion of MMA- that it’s human cock fighting and that’s just one of many out right wrong statement about MMA. When you ask a trainer, a fighter, or people close to the fight business it is two men or women, stepping in to the cage or ring, and testing each other’s skill in the form of combat to see who is better. It’s also well known that the bigger the fighters are the more strength comes into play over technique. But, when you drop down to a lower weight class that’s not the case, as speed and technique reign supreme.

The newest division to the UFC is the Flyweight’s at 125 lbs. These guys are the smallest also making them the fastest and more technical. With the smaller weight classes there is more speed, more in and out, quicker slapping strikes instead of fully landed hay-makers. To this the reaction for the most part has been good except for the boo birds that have flown their way into a few arenas. At UFC 152 Demetrious Johnson made history coming out on the victorious side of a split decision over Joseph Benavidez. The two men combined landed 121 strikes out of 406 thrown strikes which come out to 20 strikes a minute being thrown, but yet they received boos. How can you boo that type of nonstop action? Could it be they move so fast you can’t comprehend the artistry on display in front of you? Next time appreciate instead of hate, enjoy instead of destroy!

The boos from the crowd continued in the Flyweight number 1 contender match at UFC On FX over the weekend with John Dodson vs. Jussier Da Silva. The boos rained in as Dodson stalked and waited for his moment blasting Da Silva with a left and finishing the bout on the ground. Why were there boos during this fight? This fight gave us what we as fight fans want, the big finish in an impressive fashion. Why the boos for the small guy? It doesn’t help that this was a number 1 contenders match that was third from the top on a FX card, the UFC could show the weight class more respect like co-main event.

I get booing when it is deserved, at times of lay and pray, when one or neither fighter is willing engage, or when both fighters are gassed out and unprepared. Boo during a bad decision, or a bad call by a ref, boo if the fighter is disrespectful or cheating. But how can you boo two professionals that made it to the top level of their sport. The time, energy and dedication alone put in by a MMA fighter is commendable. Just the courage to put your body on the line and go through constant beating of training and the courage to step in the cage makes every fighter worthy of our cheers. There is a time to boo and a time to cheer. The Flyweight division has come under scrutiny of boos, and just for facts in 9 UFC Flyweight bouts there have been 3 TKO’s and 2 Submissions finishes. The Flyweight division is a division that’s slightly over a 50% finishing rate, which I feel is good.

If you think you can do better start training, get in there and prove it. With MMA being previously under scrutiny as an inhuman sport it’s now the fans I see that need to have a broader insight into what a great fight can look like.

Follow Mika Frankl on twitter @cagedmindsmma