# UFC was too brutal early on



## RobZombie (Nov 12, 2007)

I agree with all the critics, back when UFC was brand new I think it WAS too brutal. I just watched UFC Knockouts 2 and it was just fat guys, with 0 technique, going in for slugfests without even having any gloves on! And even still, this jiujitsu guy was laying across the other persons stomach holding his arm and dropping serious elbows onto his head, after the 2nd one the dude was out but he hit 3 more, realized the guy was out and got up. The Ref didnt even stop it. I'm glad I can say now its much more civilized, these guys are truly good fighters not robots with heavy fists, and they have to wear gloves!


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## Damone (Oct 1, 2006)

The early UFC's age horribly. I just can't really stand to watch them anymore. Oleg Taktarov was the most talented guy to come out of that era, and his fight with Tank Abbott still remains a great fight. Dude was underrated as hell, and wasn't some school teacher brawler, with a porn 'stache and an afro.

MMA has definitely changed for the better. Shit was sort of, well, shitty back in those times.


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## Robb2140 (Oct 21, 2006)

I like old UFC, but I agree that they aren't as fun to watch as they were when they first came out. Like Vale Tudo fights, The old UFC's are pretty much hit or miss, some fights are total bore fests and others are 2 guys slugging it out. The boring fights were alot worse than boring fights of today because of the lack of time limits and judges decisions.

I liked watching 170 pounders fighting 250 pounders, knees to the head, headbutts, stomps, soccer kicks and stuff like that. The whole "No Rules" atmosphere is what initially appealed to me and it still does.

I do miss some of the old faces, Tank, Ruas, Taktorov, varelans, harold howard, Pat Smith, Steve Jenum, kevin Rozier, Royce, Severn, Shamrock, gerard gordoue, Jason Dulucia etc...

But the novelty of it all has worn off and the fights today are much better, so I'm happy about the way MMA has progressed.


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## americanfighter (Sep 27, 2006)

yha i felt sorry for the guys that got stacked against ken he crippled some one in the early ufc days

the worst thing was the gracies ran it and changed the rules all the time so royce could win. 

like when ken cant where shoes but royce can choke people out with his belt.


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## Curly (Aug 20, 2007)

I remember watching that first UFC back in the early 90's, it was crazy as hell. The next day at the gym its all we could talk about. You guys have to understand that back then the "MMA Revolution" had not happened yet. We were still talking about which was better, karate or boxing. 

I like the current MMA scene but I do miss the savageness of the early fights. I understand why some can't take that stuff but I loved the realness of it all. Those were the days.:thumbsup:


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## AtomDanger (Oct 7, 2006)

RobZombie said:


> I agree with all the critics, back when UFC was brand new I think it WAS too brutal. I just watched UFC Knockouts 2 and it was just fat guys, with 0 technique, going in for slugfests without even having any gloves on! And even still, this jiujitsu guy was laying across the other persons stomach holding his arm and dropping serious elbows onto his head, after the 2nd one the dude was out but he hit 3 more, realized the guy was out and got up. The Ref didnt even stop it. I'm glad I can say now its much more civilized, these guys are truly good fighters not robots with heavy fists, and they have to wear gloves!



I believe what you wanted to say was Mixed Martial Arts was too brutal early on. It wasn't just the UFC.


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## Robb2140 (Oct 21, 2006)

Curly said:


> I remember watching that first UFC back in the early 90's, it was crazy as hell. The next day at the gym its all we could talk about. You guys have to understand that back then the "MMA Revolution" had not happened yet. We were still talking about which was better, karate or boxing.
> 
> I like the current MMA scene but I do miss the savageness of the early fights. I understand why some can't take that stuff but I loved the realness of it all. Those were the days.:thumbsup:


yea, i remember I was 13 years old, me and my friends were watching UFC 1 and we were betting 1$ on each fight. Nobody wanted to take the little Brazilian guy. The overwhelming favorite was the "Pro Boxer" with one glove or Ken Shamrock, because he had big muscles and looked like a tough guy.

Boy where we wrong, by UFC 2, everybody was fighting to put thier money on Royce


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## swpthleg (Dec 31, 2006)

i heard they used to be able to fishhook etc. 

Would someone please elaborate, here or in the standup technique subforum, on how vale tudo compares to bjj, *****, etc??


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## Robb2140 (Oct 21, 2006)

swpthleg said:


> i heard they used to be able to fishhook etc.
> 
> Would someone please elaborate, here or in the standup technique subforum, on how vale tudo compares to bjj, *****, etc??


Vale Tudo, is like the old UFC's, It originated in Brazil. It's not a technique, it's fighting in a ring or cage with no rules, headbutts, stomps, soccerkicks, groinstrikes, hair pulling, bare knuckles, no wieght classes. It was usually a tournament format, but that wasn't always the case. There was a ref, and usually some sort of time limit. Like in MMA you win by submission, KO, or tapout, occasionaly there were judges but not always. If a cut was really bad then the fight would be stopped, but it would have to be really bad.

The fighters would often make a gentlemans agreement before the tourney to not strike the groin or fishook and stuff like that, but that wasn't usually the case.

here is a thread that I started a few weeks ago, it has a link to a very good Vale Tudo fight, check it out, it's a sick fight.

http://www.mmaforum.com/mmaforum-ge...-landi-vs-jorge-patino-macaco-must-watch.html


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## Terry77 (Jan 5, 2007)

The guys they brought in never helped either, dudes fighting in bar shirts and sweat pants. Really, the guys weren't athletes back then. Oleg, Royce, Ken, Coleman, Frye and whoever deserve a lot of credit for showing how skill and athleticism work.


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## GMW (Nov 15, 2006)

The early UFC's were pretty bad imo, infact they were horrible. Sure, they had a few memorable fights but for the most part I hate it. 
It's why I completely understand people trying to ban it.


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## 70seven (Mar 5, 2007)

The early PRIDE were way better than early UFC, sure early PRIDE had a few boring fights but it was a sport and it had way more class.


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## Uchaaa (Apr 22, 2007)

I want the old rules back. Ok, without groin attacks.


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## M_D (Apr 8, 2007)

I have a place in my heart for the old ufc, I really enjoyed them. Back then I saw some of them like super hero/ super beings for this little guy would beat up these great big guys or they would beat so many fighters in a tourney ect... no when I look at a ufc fighter I see a basketball star or football star just a guy doing the sport for money.


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## Curly (Aug 20, 2007)

Uchaaa said:


> I want the old rules back. Ok, without groin attacks.


Does anyone remember that early fight where the guy pounded the hell out of the dudes nuts with his fist? I dont remember who it was, maybe Keith Hackney, but it was pretty wild. 
Keith is the one who fought the big summo guy, I think he broke his hand on the back of the guys head, there were a lot of broken hands in those days.


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## Damone (Oct 1, 2006)

Yeah, it was Keith Hackney who pounded Joe Son's balls into paste.

Keith Hackney ruled, as did his fighting stance. Dude was swatting bee's away.

Don Frye's UFC stuff was a blast. From David vs Goliath, to Frye vs Tank, to Frye killing Bitetti. Great stuff from the 'stache man.

I really liked the David vs Goliath concept. Smaller, solid fighers vs big, lumbering oafs. Frye & Bohlander ruled it.


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## RobZombie (Nov 12, 2007)

AtomDanger said:


> I believe what you wanted to say was Mixed Martial Arts was too brutal early on. It wasn't just the UFC.


No I'm not saying that at all I'm talking about the slugfests not the times when people were submitting eachother or using the clinch or taking people down.


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## RobZombie (Nov 12, 2007)

Damone said:


> Yeah, it was Keith Hackney who pounded Joe Son's balls into paste.
> 
> Keith Hackney ruled, as did his fighting stance. Dude was swatting bee's away.
> 
> ...



Haha like Guillard(I think) kicking out that sumo guys teeth, ouch!


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## Robb2140 (Oct 21, 2006)

RobZombie said:


> Haha like Guillard(I think) kicking out that sumo guys teeth, ouch!


That was Gerard Gorduea, he was a bad-ass dude, he bit Royce gracie in thier fight as well.


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## Curly (Aug 20, 2007)

robb2140 said:


> That was Gerard Gorduea, he was a bad-ass dude...


Yea, I remember that guy, he looked like a town bully who could beat the shit out of a mad rhino. The guys back then who were tough were really something. They dont have anything over our current fighters but they did have a raw, mean, determination that was fun to watch.


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## name goes here (Aug 15, 2007)

I've only seen like two vids, but I liked the rules - just not the mismatches in level. The rules didn't seem that dangerous, the only danger was with opponents of different level. And not knowing when to stop the fight of course.


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## Uchaaa (Apr 22, 2007)

I prefer the old rules because they were more realistic. Today it is a sport. Back in the old days, it was nearly street fighting.


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## Damone (Oct 1, 2006)

If I wanted to watch som idiots fight in streetfights, then I'd go buy those Ghetto BumFight Brawls, or whatever it is that they advertise at 4 AM along with those Girls Gone Wild commercials.

I watch MMA because it's, like, technical and shit.


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## RobZombie (Nov 12, 2007)

Damone said:


> If I wanted to watch som idiots fight in streetfights, then I'd go buy those Ghetto BumFight Brawls, or whatever it is that they advertise at 4 AM along with those Girls Gone Wild commercials.
> 
> I watch MMA because it's, like, technical and shit.


Yeah I agree, I think Royce Gracie vs. Kimo showcased it well (ok, so Royce was yanking the dudes hair out of his scalp, but he was outweighed by 70lbs so what can you do)


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