Starting in July the UFC will implement a payout tier. So what is the reaction of the fighters? According to social media and conversations MMA Futures has had with fighters across the country, it is overwhelmingly negative. This is putting unnecessary stress onto an already high pressure career path. Fighters struggle to make ends meet as it is in the lower ranks. Now, when they get to the pinnacle of the sport, they are limited by a hierarchy of earning potential based their value to one sponsor. It just seems unfair.

The hierachical tiers are tenure-based. What does that really mean? What it means to the fighters is, on July 11 with UFC 189 in Las Vegas, the break down is as follows: Fighters with 1-5 bouts receive $2,500 per fight; 6-10 bouts get $5,000; 11-15 bouts get $10,000; 16-20 bouts get $15,000; and more than 21 bouts get $20,000. Additionally, title challengers receive $30,000, and champions receive $40,000.

Under the Reebok deal Joanna Jędrzejczyk will make $40k when she fights in June. If she loses that fight, she’ll make $2.5k for her next bout. Likewise, if Chris Weidman and TJ Dillashaw lose their belts (and don’t get immediate rematches) they will be knocked down to $5k. UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub claims he’s made at least six figures in sponsorship dollars for each of his past six UFC fights. With a total of 12 octagon appearances to his name, Schaub now stands to make just $10,000 for his next fight under the terms of the Reebok deal.

“It’s the lowest I’ve ever made on sponsorship money, the Travis Browne fight. Ever, ever in my 13-fight career. It’s crazy, right?… I think the top guys might benefit… I think it helps the very top guys. From what I know, I don’t know all the facts. So the top 5 guys, the champ, it’s going to help, and the guys in the middle, I don’t think it’s going to help. But it helps the new guys too, who don’t get sponsors.”  –   Brenden Schaub

These are the kinds of differences in pay scale that cause strikes. You just don’t want to see your workforce complaining and talking about the difference in the amount of pay that they’re getting. It is just no good for business. It just seems very USSR-like to limit a champion to 40k. A manager at Jiffy Lube makes more than that and he doesn’t get hit in the face (usually). The best guys in the world only get 40 grand? That just does not seem like enough.

Only time will tell if the fighter’s objections and needs will be taken into consideration. Can the fighters force the UFC to alter the structure? Most of the fighters that we follow on social media are very much opposed to the deal. So what is the solution? At this point no one can speculate as to what Dana White and the UFC plan to do. It is just a shame when fighters have to suffer to benefit a high profile sponsor.

TODAY is the first day of the rest of my life… This age-old adage is without significance if you refuse to do anything different after making this vow. For some people TODAY is New Year’s Day, a birthday, or just plain Monday. The day does not matter. What matters is, what you choose to do to start living your life differently. For Sean “P-Town” Wilson that day was inspired by tragedy. Wilson was critically injured in an motorcyle accident a little more than a year ago, an accident that claimed the life of one of his great friends.

“Now is my time,” says Sean “P-Town” Wilson. He is on a three-fight win streak and feels the best he has ever felt in his life. Since the accident, things have changed in Wilson’s life. He is raising three children with full custody of his three-year-old daughter. He says, “I feel good spiritually, mentally and physically right now. I feel better than I ever have.” This is coming from a man that has had over 200 fights in his career. The way Wilson sees it; he is 3-0 right now. He has taken on a whole new fight team, coaches and has taken his new lease on life to heart. “When my buddy died right in front of me, it was like a switch went off in my head. I realized that this was my chance and I was going to take it. I’m working out two or three times-a-day, six or seven days-a-week but I don’t even think about it. It is just coming natural like I’m supposed to be doing it,” says Wilson. Sean Wilson is a man with a purpose.

Sean “P-Town” Wilson, born ( October 20, 1982) raised in Omaha, Nebraska, where he grew up with his family. Wilson says, “They call me “P-Town” because I grew up in a small town just South of Omaha called Papillion. When I started boxing as a kid, I had a match against another kid from South Omaha and they started calling me ‘P-Town’ and it just stuck. Most people don’t even know my real name.”

When asked how he got his start in MMA Wilson says, “My dad always had me working out. I started hitting the heavy bag when I was about eight years old. I played a little football and tried other sports but I really got into boxing in high school from about the age of fourteen, then I had to wait until I was eighteen to fight MMA, so as soon as I turned eighteen I got into Mixed Martial Arts.” Wilson began his mixed martial arts career in 2000, and turned professional shortly after. “I was all about making money back then” admits Wilson. Along the way he compiled an up and down career. Wilson says, “I didn’t take fighting seriously. I was just doing it for the money. As soon as I would get tired or something like that, I would just kinda lay down and collect the money and go home.”

Sean calls himself a freestyle fighter with an emphasis in the standup game. “I am very comfortable standing up with my boxing and kickboxing because I grew up on it, but I’m not scared of going to the ground, I just won a fight with a submission so I can grapple too. I just think of myself as more of a stand up kind of Freestyle Fighter,” says Wilson. When asked who his mentors are Wilson says, “I used to look up to guys like Grover Wiley, Vito Agusto and of course my dad growing up, Jesse Jones was another one. All of them are coaching now and I’m still fighting. I kinda got Jake Ellenberger into MMA he was always asking me to train and now look at him. I don’t know, I don’t really look up to too many people. I’m just really proud of Jake.” 

32-year-old Sean Wilson has been tentatively scheduled to fight in Bellator on June 19^th in a 145-pound bout and/or VFC (Victory Fighting Championships) on July 25^th in Omaha. Wilson has put together somewhat of a winning streak as of late, winning his last three, all of which he finished via KO/submission. Although some would argue, can a 32-year-old man compete or even win a title? Just remember, Randy Couture did not even start his MMA career until 33. He is the oldest champion in UFC history at the age of 45, and he will likely forever hold that distinction. Even as he approached 50 years old, Couture won three of his final four MMA bouts. Today it would be amazing to see a fighter at Wilson’s age reach the height of MMA. So what about Sean Wilson? “It took me 32 years to grow up but I wouldn’t change what I’m doing right now for anything,” says Wilson. He emphasizes his gratitude to all of the people who have helped, supported and stuck with him through all of his recent trials. Sean Wilson is a man on a mission.

His coaches tell him to aim for the UFC. If you are going to aim, aim big. “I am training like I am training for the UFC and I will do everything that is in me to get there,” says Wilson. Wilson’s new lease on life has given him a purpose and a direction. That direction, at least for the moment is headed straight for the top. And if you ask him what his ultimate goal is, he does not say the UFC or a championship. He simply states, “I’m gonna hurt some people this year.”

Do you remember the first time you stepped into the ring/cage and lost your MMA Virginity? My high school football coach, John Lawler, used to tell all of us cocky nobodies, “You guys are just one ‘ass-kickin’ away from being nice guys.” I did not understand what he meant by that at the time. That is, until I got my “ass kicked,” so to speak. He was talking about humility, gratitude and respect. There’s not much about cocky nobodies that separates us from any other fighter-wanna-be, except maybe how we learn respect.

I tried to recount specific fights and experiences. All I could really come up with is a series of memory fragments, moments that send little glimpses of fear, anger or adrenaline through my soul. You know, like the smell of “Aquanet” and “Charlie” reminds you of junior high dances. God I’m old. Anyhoo, it’s funny how the mind works. You catch a whiff of Aquanet and shazam, you’re making out with Ronda Brown in the gym bleachers. But I digress, I thought I would throw out some of those random memories and see if you can relate.

I decided to watch my first fight, from 2004, Sigma Chi fight night, a boxing match. Almost immediately I got drawn back to a time when I thought I was trained up and ready. Soon I was thinking of all of those “do-you-remembers.” Reminiscence echoed extra loud for two reasons: I just started training in Muay Thai again lately and dammit I still feel that familiar adrenaline junkie pull to get back in there and do it again. Nevertheless, I started remembering the insane mixture of naivety and heavy self-confidence I felt that night. And remembering put me there again, peaceful. I remembered my coach Kurt Podany. And I remembered why I needed this.

THE LEAD-UP

I had a handful of full-speed sparring sessions and a ton of street fights under my belt before I trained for my first real fight, a Muay Thai event in Peoria Illinois.

My Muay Thai coach was top notch and I believe all my training was of the highest caliber. I felt I was ready to fight at this point. I believed that because I was training with Kurt Podany. I felt like I was untouchable. Kurt sets me up to fight in the Muay Thai Regional event. The winner goes on to nationals. Most of the other fighters have a number of Muay Thai fights under their belts. This is my debut, yeah, I’m nervous.

The fight is set at 165 pounds and I’m walking around at 170-175. I remember, Kurt did not feel right unless I puked at least once a week from training. We were training in a garage in 90-plus degree heat like hard-cores. I remember about 10 days before the fight he made me do a 30 minute round with him at about 80%. Now that may not sound too bad but keep in mind that he is six-foot four-inches tall (I’m 5’7″) and outweighs me by about 20 pounds. Not to mention, he has a world title belt in Muay Thai that he won IN THAILAND!!! That round was the hardest thing I have ever done.

It’s a nine-hour drive to Peoria, Illinois, from Omaha. I sit in the car, miserably nervous but trying to play it cool.

I weigh in at 167. It was 98 degrees that day and I remember going outside to jump rope in sweats for about 20 minutes to shed the last couple of pounds. I come back in and step on the scale again, 161. I lost so much that Kurt told me that I have four pounds to go. I reminded him that I was fighting at 165 not 157. To this day, we cannot figure out how I lost 6 pounds in 20 minutes but hey, I made weight.

I have no idea how to re-hydrate so I drink about six Diet Cokes and a Gatorade, because that is all they had. I ate some candy and a protein bar and my stomach turned with the first food inside it for two days.

I met the other fighters and trainers. There were two pro Muay Thai fighters in the locker room.  I’m too nervous to say anything, but I watch what they do and how they interact with the other people to get a sense of what I should do. My nerves are making my feet pace like crazy. My voice gets too loud and I laugh too much. Kurt tries to distract me with some pads.

I meet another guy fighting on the card, He tells me he loves Muay Thai but that this might be his last fight, he’s 40. He just wanted to get one more fight out of the way. He says this, matter-of–factually as if full contact Muay Thai is a 40-year-old’s most natural thing to do. All of the fighters had some unique and bizarre stories.

I remember feeling in my element with the people around me.

I see my opponent when we change, but I am numb to any consequence of him. I don’t know how to act. He doesn’t smile, all business. He weighs a couple pounds more than me. He is from Chicago.

I don’t sleep much that night.

FIGHT DAY

Nervous as f#$%. I pretend to be cool, but cracking my neck compulsively, which is me coping with stress. Jumping around, trying to control the hurricane that is blowing through my mind. Don’t want to show fear, so I grin like a fiend and crack jokes.  I guess my brain makes me do the same things when I’m drunk as I do when I’m nervous.

The lockers and warm-up rooms are separated into two sides. The corners are gray and damp and look like a jail cell. There is an intrusive sweaty, moldy smell. The bathrooms are on the other side of the locker room so at least you don’t have to walk through the crowd to pee. I think I had to pee about 30 times.

Someone calls my name. I walk up a narrow aisle and I see my opponent looking at my American flag Thai Shorts. And we wait to walk out onto the stairs into the ring. There are no pyrotechnics, no fanfare, just raw emotion and energy as Kurt steps on the bottom rope, pulls the top-ropes over my head and I step into the ring. The crowd is cheering. My heart is in my throat as I stare down the man that wants to kill me.

Kurt whispers in my ear, “He is a spinner, hit him hard with leg kicks right when the bell sounds.”

THE FIGHT

Bam. Fight on. I can’t remember the details, except he loved that spinning back and side kick,  so I know I need to slam that plant leg. Sure enough, right out of the gate he tries to spin and I throw a hard leg kick to the plant leg, he goes down. I follow him down with several straight punches. Oooooh that felt good.  Ref pulls me off and stands him back up. I did that twice in the first round but damn I was out of gas. My mouthpiece almost falls out. Bell rings; round one is over. I was on top of him twice in that round. I’m winning, right?  I go to my corner and I don’t really remember what Kurt was saying to me except, “Keep your head up, don’t lunge and keep attacking that plant leg.”

Round 2. He spins at me, I try to clinch and trip and fall over my own feet. I back up and wait for the plant leg. Clinch. Separate. He whacks me when I try to kick. We clinch again and he tries to trip me. Again he spins with a side kick to my abdomen which throws me into the ropes. The ref gives me a standing 8 count. Which was a B.S. call. The kick did not hurt me, it just looked strong because I flew into the ropes.

I swung wildly with my head down. I was clearly getting tired. My head got caught up in the ropes. Break, the bell rings.

Round 3. I am gassed but I know that I have to win this round. He landed some more strong spinners. He was really good at that.  I don’t remember much from the round but the very end. I had him against the ropes and I remember thinking, keep hitting him as hard and fast as you can. You need the knock out. The bell sounded and his coach came straight over to me, rubbed my head and said, “You’re one tough son of a bitch.” That was cool but I could tell Kurt was disappointed.

I lost the fight by decision.

It’s impossible to quantify the feeling I had back then. My life was a mess and fighting changed all that. Kurt Podany changed  my life. He gave me a job, he trained me and he became one of the best friends I have ever had. And I do remember the first time I stepped into the ring coach, but virginity? I don’t know about that comparison but I do know that my high school football coach was right. Humility is much easier to come by today. And after nearly 20 years of knowing Kurt Podany and throwing those theoretical punches and kicks, I am swimming in the gratitude and respect that I have for him and all that he has done for me. Kurt Is having heart surgery this week and as a friend, I am worried for him.  But as a fighter, I know the champ will come out on top.

So hey coach, we will never be able to go back in time, but you have to get better because, I wanna go again!

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]oday there is a new sport of kings and it is called, Mixed Martial Arts. The history that defines the “Sport of Kings” began around 300 years ago in England, where the idea of breeding a superior racehorse was a passion of royalty. And too began the novel idea that anyone could come to the track and take part in that passion.

Everybody remembers “Seabiscuit.” That horse made so famous in the movie of the same name not so many years ago. That movie is not about the horse or the sport of horse racing. It is about how an entire culture can be built around an idea, the idea that an underdog that no one expects to amount to anything can come from nowhere and rise to the top and inspire a nation. That is what is happening now in Mixed Martial Arts.

It is a pivotal time in the USA. We are all war and recession weary. We are all looking for something or someone to inspire us. The way we communicate is evolving. We have grown away from a two-way exchange of ideas around the campfire for stories and conversations to a one-way written society based on the written word. Sure, radio, television and film have transformed the delivery device but the exchange of ideas has still been primarily one-sided. “Everybody is talking at me,” to quote a phrase.

Today’s “New-media” is a way for us to get back around the campfire. It gives everyone the ability for expression that is unprecedented based on the speed and the scale of delivery. As Andy Warhol predicted in the late sixties, “In the future, everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes.” That time is now. The motivation to become “famous” is merely an extension of our personal need for identity and individuality.

More and more people are identifying with Mixed Martial Arts and some of its’ stars and future stars. Now, more than ever, up and coming Mixed Martial Artists are gaining fans. Over the years the sport has evolved from “garage band” to “rock star” status. The beauty of this sport is that the mentality of the athletes has remained the same. The humility of most premier fighters, and even most legends of the game is unprecedented in any other sport. Let me explain; do you think that you could run routes with Calvin Johnson or Dez Bryant? Do you think you could ask Joe Montana how to throw a pass? Could you even get within 100 feet of Kobe Bryant?

My point is this; all across this great country are premier athletes working out in a gym near you. The accessibility of these top athletes is much more mainstream than the NFL, NBA, NHL or any other sport for that matter. If you want to pay your dues, you can walk into a gym and train with guys like Jens Pulver, Pat Militich and many others. If you want to be the best Mixed Martial Artist you can be, there are so many great gyms and great mentors who are more than willing to work with you. Now I’m not saying anyone could or should train with Brock Lesnar. I am simply saying that if you have the dream and the talent there are mentors and gyms out there that will help you. This is what makes Mixed Martial Arts the greatest sport in the world, the humility and the willingness to train with anyone that has the drive and desire. It is the true sport of kings.

In Bettendorf, Iowa, you can check out Miletich Fighting Systems and train around guys like Pat Miletich, Jens Pulver and Matt Hughes. In Albuquerque you can go into Jackson’s MMA with Gregg Jackson and train with greats like Jon Jones and Rashad Evans. In Vegas you can check out Xtreme Couture with the Natural, Randy Couture and see guys like Forrest Griffin and Evan Dunham. Or in Minneapolis you can check out Minnesota Martial Arts Academy with Gregg Nelson where Brock Lesnar and Sean Sherk trained. The list goes on and on.

Training in the world of Mixed Martial Arts has and always will be a blue-collar effort. It just seems as though the top athletes in this sport don’t forget where they come from and they give back to the sport much more than all other sports combined. There is a certain bond that the men and women that decide to step into the cage share. It is never broken, even after fame and fortune come, a true Mixed Martial Artist always returns to the gym. And that’s where you can find them doing what they have always done, training. There is a culture being built around that idea, and the underdog that no one expects to amount to anything is coming from places like Bettendorf, Iowa and rising to the top.

So remember today, the new sport of kings. The history that defines it is being rewritten with the blood, sweat and sacrifice of these men and women. This is where the passion of royalty has come to rest. And with it, all of us that love to take part in that passion.

He was too well dressed to be a Cowboy, his suit was pressed, nice tie and freshly shined shoes. I had no idea who he was when he walked up to our control booth. We were setting up for a live broadcast in Cheyenne, Wyoming of all places. My mind was on other things as he handed me a bright red folder with a Celtic looking crest on the front. I looked closer and noticed the words around the crest, “Legends of MMA, Hall of Fame.” He extended his hand and said, “Ashe Bowman, I’m putting together an MMA Hall of Fame…” I thought to myself, that sounds like a good idea but what does he want from me? He explained his vision, in a smooth southern draw, as I worked. I don’t know if it was the idea or the sales pitch but the more he talked, the more I wanted to help. “The sport is much bigger than the UFC,” he said. And he was going to travel the country and contact each nominee personally. I wished him luck, got his number and told him to stay in touch. And now, Ashe Bowman’s vision to start the first ever MMA Hall of Fame has become reality.

The Legends of MMA Hall of Fame differs from the international boxing hall of fame in several ways but holds the same spirit of induction. “The sport is bigger than any organization ‘Al ah’ the UFC. People need to be recognized and people need to have a voice. We run this like the rock and roll hall of fame there is influence of the fans. You must me a good person inside and outside the ring,” says Ashe Bowman, CEO of the organization. Each inductee receives an official MMA HOF championship ring produced in 10k white gold and surround by 14 rubies valued at $2,500 each. They also receive a serial numbered induction certificate and crystal award. Every HOF inductee has the opportunity for licensed merchandise and other ventures. “On the back end the fighters acquire a venue to generate income for the rest of their lives,” says Bowman.

The Legends Hall of Fame gives back a substantial portion of all proceeds, from all merchandise, to the men who earned it and built the sport from the ground up. The Legends of MMA HOF is also continually working to procure endorsements, product merchandising, television & motion picture appearances and roles for the inductees. “A percentage of retail merchandise is disbursed to each member providing them with post-career income, is the goal of the Legends of MMA HOF,” Says Bowman

The Legends of Hall of Fame wants to keep these fighters relevant and keep the sport accountable to their effort and dedication. They identify a distinction between the overall ‘sport” and the UFC. The Legends of MMA HOF is global and all encompassing. There were 20 nominees for the 2014 class of The Legends of MMA HOF. Only five will be inducted in November; Art Davie, Pat Miletich, Rickson Gracie, Fedor Emelianenko and Big John McCarthy. “The Legends of MMA HOF fans have also spoken and had a huge influence on the induction of Fedor,” says Bowman. “They Blew up Facebook and Twitter to voice their adoration for Fedor Emelianenko.” The Legends of MMA HOF takes fan opinion seriously and responds promptly.

From a fighters standpoint you must have 10 years experience and must have won a championship in a large Martial Arts Organization. Trainers must have at least 1 champion in any organization and anyone else depends on how much they have influenced the sport and that means advancing the sport in the public view.  This year, Inside MMA’s Ron Crook will host the ceremony at the Silver Legacy Casino in Reno, Nevada and the presenters include MMA Futures own Jens Pulver, Sean Wheelock and Monte Cox. “This is the first year we will have an award show,” says Bowman.

The Legends of MMA Hall of Fame is doing a great thing for the sport of MMA and the way they are going about it is even better. Congratulations to all of this years inductees and we look forward to many more to come.

There is a Zen psychology to Mixed Martial Arts and there is no other experience quite as existential than stepping into the cage.  A lot of young fighters say that they don’t remember a damn thing that goes on in the cage until they watch the tape. Think about what their mind must go through when they are in the cage facing someone that wants to rip their head off. This is an intense moment. So why don’t they remember what happened?  They can recall bits and pieces but for the most part, they have no memory of the event. I would like to take a scientific approach to explain the phenomenon that a lot of fighters experience after a fight. And then try to explain how experience in the cage makes memory a lot clearer. So let’s treat this like we were writing a term paper for Cognitive Psychology. This is the Zen of the cage.

Let’s look at perceived demands or “stress level”, both physical and psychological, in the course of a Mixed Martial Arts event and how they effect a fighter’s performance using a collection of experiences of professional and amateur fighters as well as a military research study by Thomas, Adler, Wittles, Enne and Johanne (2004).

I will explore the effects of emotion and situation with regard to divided attention (multi-tasking) from preliminary training to the actual fight. I will be using my personal and a collection of professional and amateur fighter experiences from a variety of fighters in the Mixed Martial arts arena.

I believe that attention is flexible by way of repetition. I also believe that divided attention is a more flexible element of attention necessary for expanding “multi-task” capacity (and when I say “multi-tasking” I mean the ability to think, block, deliver, remember, evade and all of the things that have to happen simultaneously in a fight). In addition, I believe that emotion and situation directly effect performance and the ability to push behavior into an automatic function. I think that the physical and psychological effects of perceived demands or “stress level” (due to emotion and situation) directly effect the retrieval and storage of memory performance and  the efficiency of divided attention or the ability to multi-task.

With regard to divided attention or multi-task ability, I have found that attention can be freed up for a person to multi-task with some processes becoming automatic. I believe that the dynamics of divided attention (multi-tasking), in the MMA Cage, in relation to extensive practice are flexible. I will address three main points, which effect the flexibility of divided attention (multi-tasking). First, I will discuss the effects of emotion and situation on attention demands (in the MMA Cage) and its effect on retrieval. Second, I will discuss the separation of the physical and psychological demands as found by Thomas et al. Finally, I will discuss situational modifications for improving performance through personal and a collection of fighter experiences. I will address these points one at a time, respectively.

First, flexing the limits of attention with repetition. I believe that multi-task performance can be improved with repetition and that the confines of a person’s total attentional capacity can be flexed or expanded with practice. Automatic processing frees up resources for attention and retrieval to work more efficiently. Thompson and Tulving (1970) demonstrated the idea that when material is first put into LTM (long term memory), memory encoding depends on the context in which the material is learned. This memory encoding relies on situational context.  There is emotion-dependant memory, which effects the encoded memory information by emotional state.

Bower (1981) established that a person would recall more information if he or she were in the same emotion at recall time, that he or she was in at the time the memory is encoded.

In both instances situational context directly effects the efficiency of retrieval. I would thus contend that if one can step beyond the intensity of the situational context of an actual fight using emotion and other modifications one could vastly improve their performance in the MMA cage. As you can imagine, emotions run high, in front of a crowd of onlookers. Imagine yourself staring into the eyes of someone who wants to inflict as much pain upon you as possible. There is no training that can duplicate that emotion in the gym. Although one’s physical body is conditioned, the psychological demands are foreign to the fighter in the MMA Cage situation. If the fighter can duplicate this psychological situation and use a repetitive process of achieving the same emotional state, as in the MMA Cage, I believe that he or she can improve performance. Divided attention or multi-task ability has already been improved through the physical repetition. The problem now becomes the process of duplication, not so much in the physical but the psychological state in preparation for the fight. Retrieval of a larger overall strategy is imperative.  This can only be accomplished if the fighter can free up attention space and overcome the demands of a heightened emotional state and the context effect.

This brings me to our second point. I believe that physical and psychological demands must be dealt with equally. Thomas et al examined elite military troops and their performance on a number of stress related tasks. The study compared elite soldiers’ perceptions of physical and psychological demands over the course of an intensive military training exercise.   The research hypotheses were that (1) perceptions of physical and psychological demands during unrehearsed training phase will be higher than routine training; (2) perceptions of physical and psychological demands during the recovery phase will be lower than during the unrehearsed training phase; and (3) psychological demands at recovery will be higher than at baseline, whereas physical demands at recovery will return to the base line level. The measures in which this study was conducted were questions followed by a 1 to 5 scale of demand (5 being the highest level of perceived demand). The question was; “In the past 24 hours, the (physical/ psychological) demands placed on me have been___?” Thomas et al found that hypothesis (1) did show a significant difference in the unrehearsed phase in both physical and psychological areas. Hypothesis (2) was not found to be of significance but there was a slight decrease in the recovery phase. In hypothesis (3) the psychological demands did not recover as quickly as the physical. The study concluded that assessing the separate impact of physical and psychological demands is inherently difficult because of the underlying psychological component to an intense, unrehearsed physical demand and the underlying physical component of many psychological demands.

The fact that training tends to emphasize the physical and not the psychological demands suggests the need that soldiers must train in both.  I would suggest the same from the experience that MMA fighters have had in the Cage. More experienced fighters remember more details of a fight. I believe that a change in the emotion and situation drastically effect divided attention. I would agree with Thomas et al in the assessment that physical and psychological demands are important but the emphasis in a fighter’s training has mostly been on the physical. A fighter must also try to alter the emotion and situation into as many unrehearsed scenarios as possible and thereby decrease the demand or stress level at the time of the fight.

Finally, These situational modifications must be both physically demanding and unrehearsed. The effects of stress level during training, in the practical, MMA Cage, application clearly effect a fighters performance in retrieval and the efficient use of divided attention or multi-task ability. The study of Thomas et al,  is now very clear. A fighter’s emotion and situation directly effect performance and the ability to push behavior into an automatic function and the more repetition of all variables gives the fighter the ability to slow things down. That is why more experienced fighters remember more details of a fight. Thomas et al showed psychological demands during the unrehearsed phase of training were significantly higher. Thus, the intense unrehearsed training scenario was perceived as more physically and psychologically demanding than the routine scenario, this is also consistent with most fighters’ observations in the MMA Cage.

I would conclude that altering one’s stress level, at the time of training, with emotion and situational stressors will significantly improve one’s performance in the actual fight.  I would also conclude that one’s memory retrieval performance and the efficiency in which a fighter uses divided attention is drastically improved by increasing the levels of physical and psychological stress during training. Psychological training is a much more important aspect than the physical. I would thus contend that psychological stress can be used as a tool to alter a fighter’s ability to retain and increase automatic function (making higher levels of memory retrieval more efficient) by altering the emotion and situational levels during training. The fighter can more efficiently use his or her divided attention and decrease their perceived demands or stress level by increasing the physical and more importantly, the psychological demands during training. In the actual fight they are now much more effective and the fighter’s “stress training” with emotion and situational preparation has become critical.

Okay, that was a mouthful. There is a special psychology to Mixed Martial Arts.  The reason people can’t remember what happens in a fight is that our brains don’t have enough processing space and speed. If you think of your brain as a computer, attention is the processor (we only have so much speed). If we are using it all to process a complex equation like a fight, we can’t retrieve or save anything to RAM or our short-term memory (we only have so much space). And we sure as hell aren’t able to save anything to the Hard Drive or long-term memory (processor is not efficient enough). The way to improve is through experience. That is why seasoned fighters can remember what happens better than first timers. Their psychological processor is way more efficient. There is no substitute for the Zen experience. “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.” – Sun Tzu

A Tribute to Jens Pulver (Part 2)

By Tommy O

Act Two – Antagonism: By the time I went to treatment, near Des Moines, Iowa, the lesser stars that had assembled around Jens had faded, and his championship had vacated. His rigorous pride had become itself a kind of heroism. The poignant warrior had developed an unexpected quality of defiance. At that time it seemed like he was always coming back; back from ultimate wrestling, back from the UFO, the UCC, the EC, the IFC, hardly a season went by without some promotional change. Yet he always did just that; came back. And he always looked like himself. The delicate mechanism of timing and power seemed unshakeable, rigid, somewhat outside his body. But the game had changed since his departure from the UFC. And it was becoming a monster. Growing malignant like a karma cancer. The four lesser stars; Uno, Sera, Thomas and Penn were gathered in a tournament to crown a new champion. And as if the legend of Jens Pulver was taking back what they wanted to steal, none of them would claim it for six more years. Jens dabbled and won in wrestling and boxing but lost his first two MMA bouts after leaving the UFC. They say; a true competitor can only play up to the quality of his foe. Dropping a weight class, the descent in competition and a sense of worth had to be, for Jens, like that hurricane blowing through my mind. The hero was lost, searching, struggling and changing. He came back up in weight and entered the Pride Fighting Championships.

In 2004, well into a prime, so harassed and hobbled by transition and doubt, Jens was granted by the surrendering fortunes another chance at becoming champion. He took on Pride, reigning Champion, Takanori Gomi and lost after Gomi delivered a knockout uppercut in the first round. Jens was not the same fighter. He looked like a ghost of his former self, tired and discouraged and unconvincing. He never looked passionate to me, in the cage after that. There was a certain “bigness” to the cage now, all those high standards and all those lesser stars growing brighter. Time, for Jens Pulver, had become a relentless enemy. And, of course, in the shadows there were the rumors and the doubts. It would take at least one good run to get back to the Octagon and even then nothing was for sure. The final outcome in Pride was; Pulver 2, Time 2.

There was no television, no newspapers, no cigarettes, no coffee; one fifteen-minute phone call per week and the only thing to read was a bible and religious literature. I was in a place that boasted an eighty-five percent success rate although it drew a lot of parallels to a prison. This was not my first rodeo. I had been to treatment three previous times. But I knew this place was different, the first day I arrived. Everyone was smiling, happy. I did not know what was wrong with them. I showed up at 11:22 am, after the night of my final hurrah. I was still drunk. I paid my $400 entry fee and they put me to work cleaning the hallways with another suffragette. Months later, he told me, the odds on me making it more than a month were set at 100 to 1. The place was an Old Spanish style resort that had been neglected over the years and recently bought up by the treatment center. They were in the process of refurbishing. President George W. Bush had visited this place just a few months prior and invited the director to the Whitehouse. And he proudly displayed a handwritten note from the President, on Whitehouse Letterhead, that said, “Good to see you, Big W.” The director was a big man, a former offensive lineman for Iowa State. And for the next nine months I would get to know him and his family like my own.

I made it through the nine months. I also made it through the six-month transitional halfway house in Omaha. I was able to go back to work at my business during that time. The struggles continued for the business until I finally filed for bankruptcy in 2004. It was hard for me to keep track of Jens Pulver during that time. I had other things on my mind. It was as if he had disappeared. For the next two years I worked construction with my friend and trainer Kurt Podany. He trained me for my first Muay Thai fight. I was 37 years old and competing with guys 15 years my junior. I cannot put into words what fighting and training meant to me at that time in my life. It brought to me a calming peace amidst the violence and pain. All of those things that used to run through my mind, that hurricane of memory, fault, money, lost love and subdued aspiration would all go away as soon as I stepped into the ring. The cage had now become the eye of the hurricane for me. I wish I could say that I never touched a drop of alcohol after that but I can’t. I stumbled, I fell and I failed time after time. But now, I knew how to get back up, how to start over and keep going no matter what the consequence. My thinning mortal coil was not that insurmountable enemy anymore. I had always been in that fight but now, I was a fighter. And I knew that I could, and would, eventually win.

In 2006 that rocky marriage had finally found some common ground and a sort of bittersweet reconciliation. The UFC conceded that the lightweight division, newly reinstated, could not legitimize itself without its true inaugural champion. At UFC 63, Jens was matched against Joe Lauzon and the headliner, his old nemesis BJ Penn, would face Matt Hughes. Both men would lose and then face each other in season five of “The Ultimate Fighter.” In the finale Jens would lose to BJ Penn by way of a rear naked choke in the second round. A string of six losses, most in the WEC (World Extreme Cagefighting) would soon follow. From January through April 2010, Jens filmed a documentary that led up to his fight against Javier Vazquez. A do or die comeback after suffering four previous losses in the cage. If you have not seen the movie “Driven,” put it on your to-do list. I had no idea what the depth of this man’s character was until I saw it on the big screen. A man who rose from a childhood laced with violence and substance abuse, to become one of the most loved and respected MMA fighters of all time. I understood what I loved about Jens Pulver. I understood why he wore his emotions on his sleeve. He managed to transcend personal tragedy and achieve greatness. All of us have shared in that fight, but not all of us, like Jens Pulver, had it played out in front of millions on pay-per-view. For the next two years his struggle would continue. From January of 2011 to November of 2013 he would take on ten more opponents resulting in a .500 performance.

I had to conclude that my hero was heroic not because of victory but how he recovered from defeat. A hero is ordinary; just a regular guy that finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles and loss. From time to time, I hear about stories of heroism, courage and bravery. Three types come to mind:

1. The soldier on the battlefield.
2. The famous celebrity. (athlete, entertainer, politician, etc)
3. The People who suffer/recover from life-threatening diseases.

Which are the true heroes? Did they just do what most other people would do in similar circumstances (athletes or entertainers, did they do what most other people with similar talents/assets would have done)? Or were they simply involved in situations where they ended up proceeding along a single path, which was somewhat pre-determined? I reserve those words: Heroism, Courage, and Bravery for those exceptional individuals who demonstrate such a distinction. Not just for those who simply did what anyone else would do in their shoes. Instead, I use those words to describe the exclusive few who took off the shoes that they had on, stepped off the well-paved road ahead, and chose to walk a very different and difficult path. These are the real Heroes. Jens Pulver is not my hero because he won battles or achieved notoriety or overcame obstacles. He is my hero because he always gets back up, takes off his own shoes and walks the difficult path along side those who ask.

In 2010 I moved back to my hometown. I had my ups and downs, hitting and missing but my family stood behind me. Thank God for them. I don’t know if I would have done the same for someone that was like me. After another DUI, I finally said enough is enough. I found a counselor and a group of friends that would eventually help me come to terms with my life and my struggle. I was working with my family again and doing contract film and photo work on the side. The antagonism of life had set in at times and it made me wonder if there was a purpose to all of it. Contemplating a resolving bullet revolved in whatever semblance of reason remained in my soul. It’s funny how life happens while you are making other plans. In late 2012, my friend Nathan Rogers and I decided to begin broadcasting MMA events locally. We started small, covering just three events our first year. We launched a website and started traveling, visiting gyms in the region and interviewing up and coming fighters. We wanted to tell their stories but we had no idea where that would lead.

PART 3 COMING SOON…

Lets be honest MMA isn’t what it once was.  I would say it’s evolved for the better.  We have sanctioning bodies who’s primary goal is to make sure fighters are safe.  Many new weight classes have evolved from the old days.  Women are getting in the cage.  All in all the sport has grown for the better. But when a sport evolves so does the money wrapped up in it and the business surrounding the sport comes out.

Fighters get managers, agents and PR people these days to help them steer their career in the right direction. That being said, managers have a lot to lose if a fighter they represent, takes a loss in the professional ranks.  A single loss can set a fighter back months if not longer.  So fighters, a manager truly believes in, are set up to never take a loss. This takes away from the fans. This also takes away from the sport, because if you enjoy going to local fights you will never see the elite fighters put to the test or even fight top notch competition because they are set up to win.  A lot of promotions aren’t going to want you to know this, but it’s true.  I have had promoters tell me they know who is going to win every fight before the fights take place.  [pullquote align=left]
This really makes a fighters’ record irrelevant, you’ve got to go through and look closely at who all they have fought.
[/pullquote]  Now, there are some exceptions. There are a few organizations that are able to control matchups a little better because for the most part the fighters are contracted with them and the promotion has control.

The list of fighters that have made it to the UFC that weren’t ready for one reason or another is an ever growing list. Now not every fighter cut from the UFC is cut because the fighter isn’t ready, many are because a fighter is on the decline, or just can’t cut it with the new up and coming talent.  But for this article I want to focus on the guys that weren’t ready. The guys that have had the road paved for them to get there.  Well they get there and then what?  I will say that promotions like RFA, Titan and, and other large regional shows are turning out to be the way for these guys to get there and know they are ready.  The promoters take more control over the fights, have access to a greater amount of fights and more skilled fighters.

Now let me throw in another twist.  Bellator.  With them letting Eddie Alverez out of his contract this may change, but from what I am told the way the Bellator contract is set up they have complete control.  And it’s because of this that they will never be able to compete with the UFC.  The UFC at this point, is the sport! The UFC is the dream of every fighter out there. And any fighter that has aspirations to fight in the UFC will avoid Bellator because once they commit they are stuck.  Is this good to grow the sport?  In my opinion not really, they won’t be able to become competitive by growing with the younger kid so in order for Bellator to make a big swing at the UFC they would have to sign away several top athletes from the UFC and lets be honest that’s not going to happen.

So how do we as fans encourage a change? Step 1- I think it starts in the amateur ranks, I see way too many kids customizing fights in the amateur ranks and making the jump before they are ready.  In my opinion I don’t think an amateur should ever go pro after a loss, there is a reason they lost, and it means they aren’t ready, the competition is only going to be more difficult at the pro level.  Step 2 – These pro’s need to be taking tough fights, there is a difference between a bad matchup and a tough fight.  Step 3 Up and coming fighters, guys and gals, need to be fighting in the “Minor leagues” those smaller regional promotions we spoke about earlier.  This is the best way for these fighters to know they are ready, and the best way to rate their readiness, because  now you can trust their record.

So, is the business of MMA destroying the sport?  No, but it is changing the direction the sport is heading. The sport will evolve and the fans that love it will follow.  Whether it be putting fighters in uniforms or which fighters make it all the way, it is and always will be a business. I’m sure many more “business” decisions in the future will alter the path of Mixed Martial Arts again.  But only time will tell.