Any UFC fans out there?

I like it, and yet it disgusts me. Plus, I don't like paying PPV prices when I already feel that Comcast is ripping me off on my regular monthly fees. I think just watching some of the better Kung Fu movies is good entertainment, as Mr. Tennis suggested. I just saw Jet Li's "Fearless," and liked it a lot, although it was very sad at times.

When I was younger, I took Kung Fu for a couple of years and enjoyed it quite a bit, especially practicing the various animal forms and the free sparring. We were allowed to make hard contact to the body, but not to punch or kick to the face, groin, or knees. I went into a Kung Fu tournement once and was surprised at how brutal it was. And still, the UFC allows much more brutality than that.

Personally, I think you have to be a little crazy to compete in the UFC arena... I'd never consider doing so, but it is occasionally fun to watch. My wife, on the other hand will not watch anything that bloody and brutal (can't say I blame her). She probably thinks I have a screw loose for doing so, and I can't argue with her on that one.

I am a big fan also. Didn't see the fight but expected Liddel to win. No one can take him to the ground and he hits with extreme accuract and power. I can understand people who don't like it but I appreciate the effort the fighters put into the matches. I also like boxing and think it can be as brutal. Phil Brady.

Love the UFC and Pride fighting. Personally, I think boxing is much more dangerous with repeated hit after hit after hit to the head. The REFs in UFC are all experienced in MMA and they know what is going on at all times. If you want to talk violent, check out some of those Asian Muay Thai matches. Man, that stuff is out there. As for the Gracies, back when UFC started most of the contestants were amateurs and weekend warriors. Very few of the contestants were on the level of what you see today. It was the dentist with a black belt kind of thing. Today, all these guys are professionals and are prepared for whatever comes thier way. Sure, it is still violent. This is martial arts and martial means war. It looks much worse than you think especially if you over-react to bloody noses. Check out your Sunday football and you get to see guys playing with broken arms. How is that for violent?

I thoroughly enjoyed that one. Yup, that's another addiction of mine. 40 bucks a pop, better than crack I guess.

Match:

You make some good points. Many MMA critics point to the "ground and pound" as being too violent, but in reality those punches are way less dangerous than boxing strikes. On the ground, the fighter on top does not do a full wind up and slug away with full force as that would leave his arms open to a counter, such as an arm bar or other submission hold. UFC has banned small joint manipulation. Elbow strikes are still allowed, but they tend to look worse than they really are.

2007 will be the year to see if people are truly into MMA, as opposed to being just UFC fans.

Regards, Rich