Sherdog Mixed Martial Arts Forums - View Single Post - Sherdog User Rules, FAQ and Contact Info |*|*All New Members Read|*|*|

**Drastic** · 06:49 PM

==================

==================

Sherdog.net Mixed Martial Arts Forums FAQ

Sherdog

Written by Bigj383, buffalo_66, Cojofl. Conrad, Doug Gracie, Drastic_MaN, H2, John O'Brien, mannywankenobi, Shooto Panama, the chairman211, Theagenes, ThirdPartyView and ZleepySweden, wamrage.

Copyright Sherdog.net 2005.

==================

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Forum Related

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. How many posts till I get such and such a belt?

150 = Yellow
250 = Orange (comes with ability to have an avatar under your name)
500 = Blue
950 = Green
1500 = Purple
2500 = Brown
5000 = Black (comes with ability to have custom text and/or a custom belt)
7500 = Red
10000 = Silver
15000 = Gold
30000 = Steel
35000 = Titanium

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. How do I send and view recieved Private Messeges, or change my avatar, password or email as well as check up on subscribed threads?

All of this can be achieved through the User Control Panel which can be accessed from the top of the site by clicking the button USER CP, there you can view subscribed threads/forums, edit your profile and manage your private messeges etc. You can also choose to have a "pop up" box remind you that you've recieved a private messege.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Why don't my posts count towards my postcount?

Postcount is disabled in the following forums:

Wasteland
Sprechen Ze Jive
Pictures & Multimedia

Posts will not be counted in the above forums.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. I've cleaned out my PM box but it still says it's full?

Clean out your sent items folder. When ever you send a PM, it is copied into the Sent Item folder and takes up as much space as an incoming PM. The total PM box capacity is 70 messeges, you can regurarly check how full your PM box is from the Forums Index.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. How big are the avatars and when do I get one?

The avatars are 100 x 100 pixels and their maximum size is 10kb. You get one after 250 posts.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q. .It says that the picture I'm trying to upload is too big, how do I reduce the size of the image so I can use it as an avatar?

The image must be 100 by 100 pixels and under 10Kb. Download Ulead GIF animator and under the "Optimise" tab reduce the size of the image and it will compress the quality and the size accordingly. You can also use this program to make, resize and add special effects to avatars in GIF format.

Ulead GIF animator 5.0 can be downloaded from www.download.com and is a 15 day trial.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. How do I post a picture?

You can either attach the picture to your post but there are size restrictions and the same picture can't be attached to more than one post. Click Post A Reply and click Manage Attachements.

If the pic is on another website right click it, copy the address(URL) of the pic then when replying paste that URL around the [*IMG]URL[/IMG*] Tags like this only without the "*". You can also upload any pics you have on the internet regardless of their size and also post them in the same way. A good site to host your images is www.photobucket.com.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. How do I make my text big, bold, italic etc etc?

Click Post A Reply and simply use the B, I or U buttons to format your text. Also just by typing the same format around any letter will achieve the same result.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Is there a place where I can see all the smilie emoticons I can use?

Yes, here.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MMA Organization / Event rules:

1.What is Pride?

1.A Pride rules

1.B What is Bushido and Bushido rules

2. UFC rules

3. What is King of The Cage?

3.A K.O.T.C. rules

4. What is Shooto?

4.A Shooto rules
Shooto rules (alternate link)

Shooto Amateur rules

Shooto Grappling rules

5. What is Pancrase?

5.1 Pancrase official rules

6. What is Cage Rage? Cage Rage rules?

7. What is ZST? ZST official rules for single and tag-team matches

8. TKO rules?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Forum Lingo, Sherdogisms, and common subjects

Q. What does TTT mean?

TTT means To The Top, its used if a thread drops down to the bottom or back a page and people still want you to see it.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. What’s a newbie?

If you didn’t know what TTT meant you might be a newbie. Newbie just means a new person who posts on the forum. You may have encyclopedic MMA knowledge or you might not even know who Royce Gracie is. Your post count is not what makes you a worthwhile poster, it’s the quality of your posts.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. What is this Romo word I keep hearing?

I keep asking what’s the ringing in my ears but this one is fairly simple. You know how Royce is pronounced Hoyce well take Romo and pronounce it with an H. Same goes for Rottie.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Why are these purple belts telling me to STFU newb, what does that mean?

It means Shut the Fuck Up new forum poster, a very witty remark often used by jerks when a newbie bring up a thread or subject that has been done to death.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Are Joe Son, Fred Ettish, Ranger Stott, John Hess, Harold Howards mullet and 360 kick funny?

Yes, 3 years ago.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q. Which is the best fight to ever happen in the history of MMA?

Sakuraba vs Smirnovas. If you dont agree with this you are a complete and absolute imbecile.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.Why did I recieve these double yellow cards?

Because you have broken a rule, general trolling and posting random nonsense, postwhoring etc. It's covered in the rules, so if you're tagged with yellows it's definately a violation of one of the site rules. PM a Moderator if you need further clarification.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Why do I see Vandelei’s name posted as Wanderlei?

Vanderlei’s name is spelled Wanderlei in Portugese, its pronounced with a V and as such it’s usually spelled with one.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Did Sak tap against Royce in the Pride GP?

No, it was a loose guillotine and in an interview I read Sak said that Royce had kneed him in the groin, he was just letting him know he was alright

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Where is the old Vitor?

The Vitor Belfort who beat Silva, Abbot, Ferrozo, and Telligman is no longer with us. His game is scouted, he appeared briefly in the Liddell match but Chuck kept backing up and circling, then he knocked him down.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q. How would Bruce Lee do in MMA?

We’ll never know he’s dead. If you really feel the need to explore this amazing subject we have a Fantasy Matchup forum where you can place Mr. Lee against anyone you please, and he wins every time!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Where is Philip Miller?

After his victory over Mark Weir he was offered to fight Baroni but wasn't happy with the fact that Zuffa were paying Baroni more than him and argued that his contract stated he is to be paid the same as his opponent. I guess being somewhat viewed as a boring wrestler UFC let him go and he's had one fight at Hook'N'Shoot since.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Where is Oleg Taktarov?

He's in Hollywood now but still makes appearences in attendence at MMA events but expresses no interest in fighting. You've probably seen him in the movies Bad Boys 2, 15 Minutes etc.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. How much does Tank Abott bench press?

I believe it was over 600lbs (as seen here).

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. What's with Sakuraba's ears?

They're called Cauliflower ears, many fighters like BJ Penn, Randy Couture, Vitor Belfort. For check out this thread for more info.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. What's with this Gracie family I keep on hearing about?

A pretty decent history of the family can be found here.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. So, what is the lineage of the Gracie family? Who's related to who?

A tree of the Gracie family lineage can be found here.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Who is Fred Ettish?

Fred Ettish is a Traditional Karate practitoner whose sole MMA fight was at UFC 2 in 1994. He took the fight as an alternate, with about 15 minutes notice, while he was working behind the scenes on the show. He lost to Johnny Rhodes via choke on 3:07 into the fight, after putting up very ineffective resistance. An otherwise obscure and insignificant fight, it is remembered for illustrating the reletive weakness of Traditional Mixed Arts compared to modern full contact forms.

He is also remembered because of some shitbag that put up a website with the express purpose of mocking him. Ettish has since stated in an interview that the creator of said website refused his challenge to a fight. Ettish, to my knowledge, has kept up some involvement in the ufc and mma, judging ocaisionally and writing about the sport.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Ricco beat Nog at ADCC?

Yes, the bout took place at ADCC Sumbission Wrestling World Championships 2000 where Ricco subbed Nog via kneebar.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. How did Josh Barnett dislocate his shoulder against CroCop?

Read this thread.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Ricco was robbed against Nog!

Yes it was a very controversial decision and many believe that Ricco was indeed robbed but there are just as many valid arguments approving the decision. It’s all been convered a million times.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Genki Sude was stabbed? What happened?

Yes, he was attacked by some maniac in Tokyo who was out on a stabbing rampage that night. You’ll find all the info about the incident aswell as Genki’s recovery and the damage he sustained as a result of this attack.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Haha Coleman fell of the ropes after winning the Grand Prix!!!

I’m sure everyone remembers Coleman flopping off the ropes and landing on his ass during his victory celebration. It was hilarious and will always be remembered as one of the funniest celebrations ever.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. What is the note Rampage gave Igor at their staredown?

It was a note from Rampage’s mom that said something like “please don’t hurt my son”.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. What happened to Tra Telligman's chest?

Car accident as a kid.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Why does Nog have a big scar on his back?

Also a car accident as a kid.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Can I bash Fighting Style X?

No. If you think it's flawed or ineffective in some manner, feel free to point out the flaws of its application in MMA or what-have-you (the more detail/explanation, the better), but saying 'Boxing is boring', 'BJJ competition is like watching paint dry' or a similarly 'wonderful' remark like that is frowned upon the board. If you don't watching a specific martial art, that's fine. Just don't try pushing your views on everyone else, or promoting it as though it is the 'truth'.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Was Ken Shamrock vs. Matt Hume a work?

It was an exhibition/pro wrestling match and believed to be a work.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Why do people hate white belts when we know just as much about MMA?

There are white belts, green belts, brown belts, silver belts etc. who are useless. post something good and people will notice.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Why did Shamrock throw the Franklin fight?

Working a fight on US soil with millions watching would not only be highly illegal but incredibly stupid. Franklin is an up and coming fighter for a reason, and Ken is in the twilight of his career for a reason.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Who is this guy? I see him in a lot of Pride events.

Nobuhiko Takada. He was a former D level Pride fighter and is currently a Pro Wrestler in DSE's pro wrestling organization (and is a legend in the Puroresu scene due to late 80s & mid 90s run in NJPW as well as being part of the UWF & UWF-i shoot-style pro wrestling promotions). He is a figure head used to appeal to the public but has no real executive power. Sakakibara is president of DSE and Pride's equivelant of Dana White.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Frank Shamrock tapped out Dan Henderson?

Yes this took place on a show called The Contenders which pitted wrestlers vs grapplers, it wasn’t MMA. Frank submitted Dan via heelhook in under a minute.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Who is responsible for match making in the UFC?

Contrary to what many believe Dana White does make the matches for the UFC. Joe Silva is the man who is primarily resposible for making matches in the UFC.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.What did Carlos Newton say after his fight with Pele, and why was Eiko giggling?

You can read about it here.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. What happen with Vitor Belfort`s sister

You can read about it here, here and here.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Best striker in MMA

You can read about it here and here.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Best Wrestler in MMA

You can read about it here.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Favorite fighter in MMA

This is one of the most common discussion topics on Sherdog. Please don't redo it.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. When did the UFC start having weight classes?

SHW (265+ lb) - The UFC has only had one match that it called Super Heavyweight: Josh Barnett vs. Gan McGee at UFC 28.

HW (265 lb) - Introduced at UFC 12 as 200+ lb; changed to 205-265 lb at UFC 31 (or 28?).

LHW (205 lb) - Introduced at UFC 12 as Lightweight; renamed Middleweight at UFC 16, then Light Heavyweight at UFC 31 and limit changed from 200 to 205 lbs.

MW (185 lb) - Introduced at UFC 31.

WW (170 lb) - Introduced at UFC 16 as Lightweight; renamed Welterweight at UFC 31.

LW (155 lb) - Introduced at UFC 22 as Bantamweight; renamed Lightweight at UFC 31 and limit changed from 150 to 155 lbs.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. This fight is a work! I'll quickly start a thread about it!

There's a recent influx of newbs that seem to think most fights are works, which is fine provided there's a feasible explanation. First of all the term "work" is often misused. A "worked" fight is one in which both fighters agree to work toward a predetermined finish. A "thrown" fight is one in which one of the fighters takes a dive or allows himself to be defeated - his opponent may or may not be aware of it. For example Oleg-Macias was not a work because Oleg was clearly not aware that Macias was going to take a dive.

Fights that are generally considered by consensus to be worked or thrown:

Oleg Taktarov vs. Anthony Macias (UFC VI) - According to Macias, Buddy Albin the local site promoter and manager of both fighters threatened that Macias' career would be over unless he took a dive against Oleg. Oleg was unware of this. Macias went on to win titles in several Albin-promoted events. Buddy Albin was a total sleeze bag BTW.

Dan Severn vs. Mitsuhiro Matsunaga (U-Japan) - Severn denies that his fight against pro wrestler Matsunaga was worked, but watching the fight itself leaves little doubt and the general consensus is that this was a worked fight.

Kimo vs Kazushi Sakuraba (S-Cup) - This was billed as a legit NHB fight on a Shootboxing card, but it turns out it was not legit (another NHB fight on the card, M. Illioukhin vs Mestre Hulk was legit). The fight looks very real and Kimo lands a number of really solid shots and headbutts. There are several versions of what took place in this fight, but perhaps the closest thing to the truth is the version that has Sakuraba carrying Kimo for most of the fight before finally taking a dive without Kimo's knowledge. That would explain Kimo throwing real shots and Sak playing defense the whole time and also the fact that Kimo vehemently (and convincingly) insists it was legit, yet Sakuraba has said on several occasions that his first shoot MMA fight was the Conan Silviera fight, not the Kimo fight.

Murakami Kazunari vs. John Dixon (Pride 1) - It was well-known in the fight community even before the first Pride took place that the Kazunari-Dixon and Kitao-Jones fights would be works. Pride's initial intent was to showcase different types of fights in addition to NHB - full contact karate, kickboxing and also shoot-style works like RINGS and PWFG. Later Pride would be more secretive about its worked fights.

Koji Kitao vs Nathan Jones (Pride 1) - See above.

Nobuhiko Takada vs. Kyle Sturgeon (Pride 3) - All of Takadas "wins" were blatant works. This is pretty much common knowledge.

Nobuhiko Takada vs. Mark Coleman (Pride 5) - See above.

Nobuhiko Takada vs. Alexander Otsuka (Pride 7) - See above.

Fights that are suspected of being works but there is no consensus agreement:

Don Frye vs. Mark Hall 3 (Ultimate Ultimate 2) - Several months after the fact Hall claimed that in the locker room before the match Frye had offered him $50,000 to take a dive so he would be fresh when he fought Tank in the finals (Frye had had a grueling match with Goodridge in the opening round and was exhausted). Hall came out with his accusations because, he said, Frye never paid him. Frye vehemently denied it and said Hall was a disturbed individual. Hall was blacklisted by the fight community and never fought again. The jury is still out on this one.

Naoya Ogawa vs. Gary Goodridge (Pride 6) - Anytime a pro wrestler (other than Sak) gets a win in Pride people will claim it was a work. Gary denies this was a work but many people suspect it was. Hard to tell for sure.

Naoya Ogawa vs. Masaaki Sataki (Pride 11) - See above.

Vitor Belfort vs. Joe Charles (Ultimate Japan 1) - Vitor was sick and refused to fight unless he was able to pick his opponent. He chose Charles who was one of his training partners at the time. No strikes were thrown in what turned out to be a grappling match, with Vitor winning by armbar. Whether this was a worked fight or they simply had a gentleman's agreement not to strike is open to question.

Mark Schultz vs. Leopoldo Montenegro (Jungle Fight 1) - Schultz claims this was work but everyone else involved denies it. There have been questions about some of Montenegro's other fights in the Inoki run promotion as well.

Pancrase works: - The Pancrase organiztion admitted that there had been some worked fights early on, but did not say how many or which ones. Fights that most people agree were works are Shamrock-Hume, Shamrock-Suzuki 2, and Suzuki-Funaki. A number of others are suspected. Bas Rutten claims that he never participated in a work in Pancrase.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. PRIDE vs. UFC: Which is better

This topic has been exhaustively covered. Here, here, here and here are just a few examples.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Fighter X vs. Fighter Y: Who would win?

May have been covered even more than PRIDE vs.UFC. Also, hypothetical (fantasy) fight threads technically are supposed to go in the 'Wasteland' forum, not MMA forum (or any other one, for that matter).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.What do people think of Fighter X? or Do you all know about what Fighter X did recently?

It's probably been covered by someone before good idea to check using the search function to see if it was mentioned, however, so if it is new information, it can be posted to the delight of others.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.Which country/team has the best fighters?

Another topic which has been overexhaustively covered. It's probably not a good idea to rehash it, unless you bring a really, really nice explanation rather than just stating it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Can Fighter X be beaten?

Anything is possible in MMA, so you cannot deny the possibility that someone may lose at any given moment. Note that the potential of being beaten is not the same as being undefeated.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Is Rickson really 400-0?!

No, he lost a sambo match. However, Rickson himself doesn't really count it as a loss, as he stated in this interview:

Quote:

FreeFight
There are rumors that you lost a Sambo match in America.

Rickson
Yes, you did not hear the whole story. The rules were not properly explained to me so I was at a disadvantage. How can you play a game if you aren't told the rules?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Is it cool to talk about Rickson's greatness?

Sure... in the Wasteland forum, where it's supposed to go.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Is Fighting Style X useful in MMA? or Is Fighting Style X better than Fighting Style Y?

It's probably a good idea for threads on the fighting style in question, as virtually every style has been mentioned on the forums at one time or another. Also, comparisons betweens styles have been covered already.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. What fighting styles do most people consider useful in MMA?

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Wrestling, Boxing/Kickboxing (particularly Muay Thai), and maybe a style like Judo or Sambo to help round things out.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.Who is overrated/underrated? or Is Fighter X overrated/underrated?

If a fighter has been around long enough, he will either be overrated or underrated. Naturally, there are threads that start up asking others if they believe the fighter is overrated or underrated.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Which PRIDE/UFC/Organization X DVDs/Tapes should I get?

There are many, many threads listing the best DVDs/Tapes of a promotion to get. In addition, MMAReview is a good source of event reviews for UFC and PRIDE as well, and even for the events it hasn't fully covered, you can see the fight review listing per event here and just average it up.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Where can I find fighting organization title/tournament histories?
Here's a listing:

MMAReview website has gone down however you can view the histories at Sherdog.com simply by selecting any organisation. Here's a link for Pride FC.

http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/f...anization_ID=3
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.Where is Mark Kerr?

Retired, at least for now, after suffering a debilitating self TKO loss at PRIDE 27 to Yoshihisa Yamamoto by way of takedown attempt into a self DDT.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. What happened to Pete Williams?

Pete Williams retired from MMA and became a chef.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.Why doesn't Frank Shamrock fight anymore?

Frank is basically doing seminars nowadays, his long feud with Cesar Gracie was finally settled and the two met in March 2006 where Shamrock ended the fight convincingly in less than half a minute. In a recent Sherdog.com newsletter it was announced that Frank has signed a one-year, multi-million dollar contract with "The World Fighter", set to debut in 2007.

Link: http://www.sherdog.com/news/news.asp?n_id=5579

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Who is the longest MMA champion in history?

The record goes to Alexandre Franca Nogueira From Brazil. Pequeno was the Shooto Lightweight champion since 9/5/1999 until 5/12/2006.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.Who is the best -65.0kg fighter in the world?

At one point, Pequeno Nogueira was considered the best 065.0kg fighter in the world for his continious domination of the division since 1999 but other fighters raised on top like Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto and current Shooto champion Lion Takeshi.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. What was the largest crowd / MMA event in history?

On August 28, 2002, at the National Stadium in Tokyo, a co-promotion between K-1 and Pride held the event Dynamite or Shockwave like is know outside Japan at the National Stadium in Tokyo before a record crowd of 90,000 and many more watching at home on pay-per-view.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.Who has won the most UFC tournaments?

That distinction goes to Royce Gracie, who won the UFC 1, 2 & 4 tournaments. A few others won 2 tournaments (Dan Severn, Don Frye, Mark Coleman & Mark Kerr), and more 1 tournament winners (Steve Jennum, Marco Ruas, Oleg Taktarov, Jerry Bohlander, Vitor Belfort, Randy Couture, Guy Mezger, Kevin Jackson, Kazushi Sakuraba, Pat Miletich, Dan Henderson and Kenichi Yamamoto), but only one 3 time UFC Tournament Champion.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Who has made the most single reign successful title defenses in the UFC? Total reign successful defenses? Total number of reigns?

Matt Hughes' first reign as UFC Welterweight Champion and Tito Ortiz's LHW title reign is bestowed with the current record of single reign successful title defenses of 5. followed closely by Pat Miletich and Frank Shamrock with 4, Jens Pulver with 2, and Maurice Smith, Kevin Randleman, Randy Couture's second reign as HW champion, Tim Sylvia, Murilo Bustamante, Chuck Liddell, Matt Hughes second reign as WW champion & Andrei Arlovski with 1 defense.

Matt Hughes also holds the record of most total reign successful title defenses with 6, Tito Ortiz with 5, Pat Miletich and Frank Shamrock with 4, Jens Pulver with 2, and Maurice Smith, Kevin Randleman, Randy Couture, Tim Sylvia and Murilo Bustamante with 1 successful defense.

The record for most number of reigns in a specific division is a three way tie between Randy Couture at HW & LHW and Matt Hughes at WW (with 2 reigns in each circumstance). The most total number of title reigns in all weight classes combined is Randy Couture with 4 title reigns (2x HW, 2x LHW).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.Who has made the most successful title defenses in PRIDE?

Wanderlei Silva holds this distinction with 3 successful defenses, while Fedor Emelianenko has had 2 successful defenses, and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira had 0 succesful defenses.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. How many people have died in MMA?

In MMA's history 0 people have died in fully sanctioned MMA events. One person (Douglas Dedge) died at an unsantioned MMA event in Kiev, Ukraine (International Super Challenge on 3/16/98). The death was from a pre-existing medical condition (black outs which led to him being banned from competing in sanctioned US events) and improper medical supervision and clearance at the unsanctioned event, and was not due directly to punishment sustained in the ring. Another death, a man called 'Kim' in South Korea, had died of a myocardial infarction (heart attack) following a bout.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. How come Pride is not updated with their dvds?

From the PRIDE FC official site FAQ:

Quote:

Due to unforeseen and unexplainable circumstances, the PRIDE FC DVDs stalled at PRIDE 18. Since then we've been working diligently to catch up in the DVD sequence (and not fall so far behind again). The goal is to simultaneously release the older titles along with the more recent titles, in essence working backwards and forwards at the same time. In addition, we are working to provide the best possible product, so this sometimes requires extra time.

This can also be read here.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.Is using the search function a good idea before posting a thread?

Yes, especially since it is most likely true that your topic has been covered at one point or another by someone else, so if you have something to add, it's better just to reply to that thread (unless it's a year+ old) than to start a new one and get 'Search function', and other similar replies (which will especially happen in extremely common thread topics).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Where exactly is the search function?r

It's on the menu on the top of the forum, to the right of 'User CP' and left of 'Useful links'. Click it, and a sub-menu will appear, allowing you to either input words directly or go to a more advanced menu.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. So where did BJJ come from? / I heard BJJ and Judo are the same thing?

Articles/Sherdog threads on the historical links between Judo and BJJ:

History of BJJ
History of BJJ (alternate site)
Count Maeda's impact on BJJ
Judo vs. BJJ
JJ vs. BJJ
History of BJJ

The Gracie Way details the origins of BJJ (from an admittedly pro-gracie perspective).

Google is a useful gateway for further information.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Why doesn't Dana White be a man of his word and pay up the $250,000.00 that he owes Sakikaraba (PRIDE President) for betting that Chuck Liddell would win the PRIDE 2003 MW Grand Prix?

Because the bet was not that Chuck would win the whole GP. It was about Chuck beating Wanderlei Silva if they met in the GP. Of which they didn't, therefore the bet was off.

The source is Dana White himself in an interview on the PRIDE Total Elimination 2002 dvd.

See this thread for more details.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.What happened to Sumo vs. Kickboxer type matches in the UFC?

UFC & other mixed martial arts promotions have come a long way since the beginning of UFC and other MMA events. UFC came under heavy criticism and had to change their appeal from a no holds barred event to a sanctioned mixed martial arts match which had a very strict ruleset to ensure a fighter's safety. This was the only way (at least in the United states) that the UFC and other MMA promotions could flourish.

The fights also evolved since then. While you may have watched earlier UFC's that pitted style versus style, All fighters are cross trained in muay thai, brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing and wrestling (freestyle or greco). Being that all fighters are so well trained now, a fighter cannot strike without thinking about the consequences of being taken down, a grappler can not attempt a takedown with thinking of the consequences of being sprawl'd and brawl'd. Etc..

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. What is ground n' pound

Ground and pound is a term used for fighters who throw down punches or elbows from someone's guard or similiar position. This method of attack was coined by the likes of Mark The Hammer Coleman who would dismantle their opponents using this method.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.What is sprawl n' brawl

Sprawl n' brawl is a term used for when one fighter is stopping a takedown by sprawling and then proceeding to throw punches or shots from his sprawl.

Here is a wrestler sprawling (on top) in an attempt to stop the other wrestler from scoring a double leg or single leg takedown. Add some punches to the guy after sprawling and you have worked some sprawl n' brawl.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. What is lay n' pray?

Lay n' Pray is a term used for someone who's laying in an opponents guard and not being offensive
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.Who is that unique voice lady who announces Pride fighters?

Look here and here.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.Who is that Japanese guy with the huge chin who randomly shows up in Japanese mma events?

Antonio Inoki home page

Prowrestling legend Antonio Inoki.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.What is the biggest fighting org in Japan?

It is actually K-1. I don't have numbers on me but they consistently beat Pride/DSE by a sizable margin and their name seems to be a lot more 'household' than Pride's.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.Why does Pride American broadcast no longer have the funny skits?

According to an interview with Bas, Pride got a new American producer/director/something and he doesn't want them.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.How much do fighters get paid?

Which MMA fighter has made the most money? thread

UFC pay is listed from time to time on various news sites. Top stars like Randy Couture get around $200,000 and Ken Shamrock got ~$250,000 to fight Rich Franklin. K-1 seems to throw around million dollar paychecks fairly often to top fighters. They are definitely the highest paying org. Pride/DSE's top Japanese stars Yoshida and Sakuraba as well as Rickson were rumored to make close to seven figures and Wanderlei Silva was rumored to sign a $3 million 6 fight contract after his title defense against Rampage.

It has been mentioned on Beatdown that guys like Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell both recieved over a million dollars for their fights with the UFCs new PPV% deal. It was rumoured that Royce Gracie was paid 1.3 mil to fight Matt Hughes at UFC 60.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.Is a 'best X' thread a good idea to follow through with starting? Why is it done, anyway?

No, not really. Pretty much, it's a relatively dry topic with minimum room for debating since everyone has their own opinion on what the best armbar, the best BJJ practitioner, etc. in MMA, and tends not to change over time. Plus, it pops up more than enough times every month that you should be able to do a quick search and bump up one of the previous threads instead of wasting more bandwidth on starting a new thread on the same old topic.

It is primarily done as a 'small talk' topic when people have exhausted most other topics, like talking about obscure fights, little known fighters, etc. and feel they need to do something.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.What are some other weight class information for MMA?

UFC was already covered in post #10 of this thread by Theagenes, but I'll try to cover some of the other big promotions.

Credit to MMAreview's Pride Championship history section, KOTC rankings page, Pancrase rankings and Shooto rules for the stat information:

PRIDE Fighting Championships:

Currently, there are only two weight divisions in PRIDE FC (Heavyweight and Middleweight), although there are plans in the near future to create a third division (Lightweight) with an official belt, etc.

PRIDE Heavyweight division - 93 kg/204.6 lbs and above
PRIDE Middleweight division - 84 kg/185 lbs to 93 kg/204.6 lbs
PRIDE Welterweight division - 73 kg/161 lbs to 84 kg/185 lbs
PRIDE Lightweight division - 73 kg/161 lbs and below

King of the Cage:

KOTC Unlimited division - 120.45 kg and above /265 lbs and above
KOTC Heavyweight division - 93.64-120 kg/206-264 lbs
KOTC Light Heavyweight division - 84.55-93.18 kg/186-205 lbs
KOTC Middleweight division - 77.73-84.09 kg/171-185 lbs
KOTC Welterweight division - 70.91-77.27 kg/156-170 lbs
KOTC Lightweight division - 66.36-70.45 kg/146-155 lbs
KOTC Bantamweight division - 57.27-65.91 kg/126-145 lbs
KOTC Flyweight division - 56.82 kg (or below)/125 lbs (or below)

Pancrase:

Pancrase Openweight division - No weight restriction
Pancrase Super Heavyweight division - 100.45 kg or above/221 lbs or above
Pancrase Heavyweight division - 90.45-100.45 kg/199-221 lbs
Pancrase Light Heavyweight division - 82.27-100.45 kg/181-199 lbs
Pancrase Middleweight division - 75.32-82.27 kg/165.7-181 lbs
Pancrase Welterweight division - 69.32-75.32 kg/152.5-165.7 lbs
Pancrase Lightweight division - 64.27-69.32 kg/141.4-152.5 lbs
Pancrase Featherweight division - Below 64.27 kg/below 141.4 lbs

Shooto:

Shooto Super Heavyweight division - Over 110 kg/Over 242 lbs
Shooto Heavyweight division - Below 110 kg/Below 242 lbs
Shooto Cruiserweight: Below 91 kg/Below 200.2 lbs
Shooto Light Heavyweight division - Below 83 kg/Below 182.6 lbs
Shooto Middleweight division - Below 76 kg/Below 167.2 lbs
Shooto Welterweight division - Below 70 kg/Below 154 lbs
Shooto Lightweight division - Below 65 kg/Below 143 lbs
Shooto Featherweight division - Below 60 kg/Below 132 lbs
Shooto Bantamweight division - Below 56 kg/Below 123.2 lbs
Shooto Flyweight division: Below 52 kg/Below 114.4 lbs
Shooto Minimumweight division - Below 48 kg/Below 105.6 lbs (Amateur Shooto only)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. How do I convert from lbs to kg? kg to lbs?

Check out this weight converter tool, or simply know 1 kg = 2.2046 lbs.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.What are all these different positions on the ground in MMA? Can I see some examples of moves from those positions?

Well, they would take a while to explain here (and may or may not make sense written), and pictures are supposedly a thousand words, so here is a technique directory for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu moves from different grappling positions on the ground with step-by-step pictures so you can see the grappling positions in question.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.What are all the different possible endings to an MMA fight?

Within the scheduled distance:

Knockout (KO) - An opponent is completely (or pretty much) out cold after a devistating strike (or series of strikes) and the bout is halted as he/she is unable to defend themselves any longer. A fight is typically ruled a KO if the referee did not intervene prior to the fighter losing conciousness, although at times a KO ending has been ruled as a referee stoppage TKO.

Technical Knockout (TKO) - A number of situations can lead to a TKO. One is a referee stoppage, where a referee halts the bout as an opponent is unable to intelligently defend themselves from a beating that the opponent is dishing out to them. There have been a number of bouts, however, where the opponent was KOd prior to the referee stepping in and it was ruled a TKO and vice versa, so this type of ruling is somewhat gray, at times. On occasion, however, referees have stopped bouts due to what looked like injury inducing submissions, even without a tapout (such as refusal to tap on a break or being choked out), which can be called either a TKO or a Technical Submission (see below). Also, referees have stopped bouts on bad cuts or other such problems without consulting the ring doctor before.

Another reason a TKO may happen is because of a doctor stoppage. If, after a fighter sustains a serious cut, a noticeable injury or another issue that the referee is unsure about, and the referee takes the fighter to the ring doctor, the doctor has the power to stop the bout in order to save the fighter from long term injury risk. A ring doctor can also determine if a fouled fighter is able to continue on or not, leading to either a DQ (if it was an intentional foul) or a No Contest/Technical Decision will be rendered (if it was an unintentional foul).

Finally, a bout can lead to a TKO ending if the corner throws in the towel for a fighter, either between rounds or during the fight (sometimes this is called Forfeit, as seen below).

Submission - A situation where one fighter is forced to either physically tap the mat or opponent (typically 3 times) to signal defeat, or verbally admit defeat if he/she is unable to physically tapout.

Technical Submission - A form of submission ending where the loser does not tap out or verbally submit, yet the bout is ended while he/she is still in a submission by the referee (Herb Dean stopping Sylvia/Mir at UFC 48 is one example). Some promotions, however, regard this ending as a TKO due to referee stoppage (see above).

Disqualification (DQ) - If any opponent intentionally fouls another opponent, either on several occasions (with warnings) or to the point that they cannot continue, they will be disqualified and lose the contest. Normally, opponents are carded on first offense (and sometimes more than once) before a DQ will be issued, though there have been first time DQs before.

Technical Decision (TD) (Unanimous, Split or Majority) - A decision rendered by the judges after a certain period of time has passed beyond the 'No Contest' time frame and an accidental foul has occured that prevents the fight from continuing.

Technical Draw (Unanimous, Split or Majority) - A draw decision rendered by the judges after a certain period of time has passed beyond the 'No Contest' time frame and an accidental foul has occured that prevents the fight from continuing.

Forfeit - A situation where a fighter, for whatever reason, does not start (although he/she is in the ring rather than pulling out outside of the ring) or continue the bout. Sometimes regarded as a TKO decision (towel throwing or simply exiting the ring), sometimes regarded as its own form of loss, it is nonetheless a loss on the fighters' record, as the fighter has made the active decision to enter the ring, signaling an official interest in the contest, to some extent.

No contest (NC) - If, within a certain time frame in a fight (sometimes the whole fight; It depends on promotion, state, etc.), an accidental foul prevents the bout from continuing, the fight will be ruled a 'No Contest'. In addition, in some states, if a fighter wins a fight yet fails a drug test (almost never if a loser fails a drug test), a result will be automatically reversed into a 'No Contest'.

Reaching the scheduled distance:

Unanimous Decision (UD) - A judgment where all 3 ringside judges have unanimously given a win to one participant in the final scorecards.

Split Decision (SD) - A judgment where 2 ringside judges have given a win to one participant while the third judge gave the opponent the win in the final scorecards.

Majority Decision (MD) - A judgment where 2 ringside judges have given a win to one participant while the third judge had a draw in the final scorecards.

Unanimous Draw - A judgment where all 3 ringside judges have unanimously scored the bout a draw.

Split Draw - A judgment where 2 ringside judges have given a win to both participants (one judge giving the win to one of the opponents, while the other judge scored in the others' favor) while the third judge had a draw in the final scorecards.

Majority Draw - A judgment where 2 ringside judges have given a draw while the third judge had one of the participants winning in the final scorecards.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.What is the PRIDE FC referee doing during the pre-fight meeting at the center before the glove-touching, pointing to various limbs?

Pointing out certain fouls (no elbowing, no headbutting, no groin shots) to the participants of the fight, though technically they knew this from the rules meeting they had to attend prior to the event, anyway.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.Where can I learn some facts/historical information about the major organizations?

Here is a list of links:

UFC Fact Sheet
UFC FAQ
PRIDE FC FAQ

The rest can be found under MMA Organization / Event rules as 1, 1.A, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Where can I learn about the history of MMA? Some Martial Art?

You can find threads that offer such suggestions here. Also, Wikipedia has an interesting MMA article here.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.Why does UFC, PRIDE FC, etc. have stand-ups or move opponents around the ring/cage?

In regards to moving the opponent around the ring, the reason is due to rope entanglement or being afraid the competitors will eventually fall out of the ring. They restart the fight on the ground in the middle of the ring to allow for safe competition and actually reset the exact same position for both fighters rather than just having the top guy start in an initial guard or mount position. Due to a lack of ropes in the cage, this generally does not happen.

Regarding stand-ups, the main reason is due to inactivity, and is true in virtually all promotions. Generally, if a fighter does not capitalize, either on top or bottom and there is a virtual standstill for a few minutes, the fighters will be restarted standing up to (hopefully) become more active. Sometimes a fighter or both fighters may get carded for such inactivity (mainly seen in PRIDE FC, especially Bushido).

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.Where can I read about the history of the UFC, PRIDE, etc.?

Brief history of Shoot-style/MMA in Japan - Another brief history of Shoot-style/MMA in Japan
Some more information on UFC and MMA can be found here
History of PRIDE FC (Link 1 in MMA Organization / Event rules)
History of Pancrase (Link 5 in MMA Organization / Event rules) - More information can be found here and here.
More information can be found here.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Where can I read up on various techniques for different Martial Arts?

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) techniques - More BJJ techniques - Basic BJJ techniques
Judo techniques - More Judo techniques
Wrestling techniques
Muay Thai techniques
Some punch types (Boxing and more)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.Is MMA meant to simulate real streetfighting?

No, modern day mma is classified as a sport (or sports entertainment) and most fighters are likewise legitimate athletes. MMA rules differ depending on the org, but overall they emphasize fighter safety and encourage exciting fights. The rules aren't designed to simulate streetfighting.

Ignorance is mainly what causes people to associate mma with streetfighting. However, there are some small mma orgs with lower quality fighters/rules and unsanctioned fights that are basically like streetfighting. These are generally looked down upon by both the general public and mma fans.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.HoWhy can't there be anymore one night tournaments in the UFC?

From the Nevada State Athletic Commission Chapter 467 NAC on Unarmed Combat (as seen here):

Quote:

NAC 467.472 Time required to elapse before unarmed combatant competes in successive contest or exhibition. (NRS 467.030)
...
2. With respect to contests or exhibitions of mixed martial arts, without the special permission of the Commission, an unarmed combatant may not compete in this State unless 4 days for each round that his last contest or exhibition of mixed martial arts lasted have elapsed since his last contest or exhibition of mixed martial arts.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.[b]How does the judging in UFC work? The 10 point must system?[b]

NAC 467.796 Method of judging. (NRS 467.030)

1. Each judge of a contest or exhibition of mixed martial arts that is being judged shall score the contest or exhibition and determine the winner through the use of the following system:

(a) The better unarmed combatant of a round receives 10 points and his opponent proportionately less.

(b) If the round is even, each unarmed combatant receives 10 points.

(c) No fraction of points may be given.

(d) Points for each round must be awarded immediately after the end of the period of unarmed combat in the round.

2. After the end of the contest or exhibition, the announcer shall pick up the scores of the judges from the Commission’s desk.

3. The majority opinion is conclusive and, if there is no majority, the decision is a draw.

4. When the Commission’s representative has checked the scores, he shall inform the announcer of the decision. The announcer shall inform the audience of the decision over the speaker system.

(Added to NAC by Athletic Comm’n by R070-01, eff. 8-31-2001)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Why does Pride choose to delay the U.S. PPV by a week or even longer sometimes?

They don't. The PPV provider is responsible for that.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.A lot of MMA artists originally trained as amateur wrestlers. What are some of the various amateur wrestling styles -- Greco-Roman, freestyle, folkstyle, etc....what are the rule differences between these...also a few examples of fighters who come from predominantly one or the other background.

Credit to this site:

Greco-Roman: In Greco-Roman, a wrestler may not attack his opponent's legs, nor use his own legs to trip, lift or execute other moves. The wrestler must wrestle from standing without the top of his head against his opponents chest. This is called passivity, and will result in a call of "CONTACT" by the official. The official will say "contact red" or "contact blue" before actually indicating a passivity by holding an open palm hand in the air with the offenders color indicated. There is also a slight relaxation in not requiring a high arch by the attacker when a gut wrench is initiated on the mat, plus some modifications on hand attack when excaping. Note that in either freestyle or Greco-roman, a wrestler who continually avoids contact may be called for fleeing the hold. This results in a caution and 1 point award to the agressor.

Freestyle: In freestyle, both the arms and legs may be used to execute holds or to defend against attack. If legs are used as part of the attack by an agressor, no points are scored and the wrestlers are returned to standing. Only one official needs to see the leg usage for the move to be nulified.

Folkstyle/Collegiate: You can read about some of the specifics here.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.Also what style is used in college and in the NCAA Championships? Is it folkstyle, or a different "hybrid" style?

Folkstyle is the same as collegiate wrestling, for all intents and purposes. The reason it's called 'Folkstyle' is mainly when talking about collegiate wrestling rules, but for non-collegiate wrestlers (High School students and younger).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.Which MMA fighers have won Olympic medals or an NCAA Championship?

NCAA Championship: Royce Alger (x2), Mark Coleman, Alan Fried, Mark Kerr, Josh Koscheck, Kenny Monday, Kevin Randleman (x2), Mark Schultz (x3), Mike Van Arsdale

Olympic Bronze (Freestyle):

Olympic Silver (Freestyle): Kenny Monday, Townsend Saunders

Olympic Gold (Freestyle): Kevin Jackson, Kenny Monday, Mark Schultz

Olympic Bronze (Greco-Roman): Rulon Gardner

Olympic Silver (Greco-Roman): Matt Lindland

Olympic Gold (Greco-Roman): Rulon Gardner, Karem Ibrahim

Olympic Gold (Judo) Pawel Nastula, Hidehiko Yoshida

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.What exactly does it mean to be an "All-American" in college wrestling?

All-American in Collegiate wrestling refers to being a top 8 Wrestler in the NCAA championships (in terms of placement and accumulated points throughout the season), per weight class.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q.How do I read betting odds?

If a fighter has a negative (-) sign next to his/her name, that fighter is the favorite in the betting odds. If a fighter has a plus (+) sign next to his/her name, that fighter is the underdog. For example:

Josh Koscheck -215
Pete Spratt +175

The numbers above are the amount you are required to invest (in the - case) or the amount you will receive (in the + case) if you want to receive $100 (in the - case) or to give $100 (in the + case).

That means if you put down $215 on Josh Koscheck, you get $100 back on him in addition to the original $215 investment if he wins. This means, in effect, you must put in $2.15 for every $1 you get back in addition to the original investment. This applies to part of $100 as well (though you generally have to invest in terms of $100 returns). So, if you put down $430 on Koscheck, you will get the $430 and $200 extra winnings ($630 total) if he wins.

If you put down $100 on Pete Spratt, you will get $175 in addition to the original investment if he wins, or $275 total. $200 investment means $200 + $350 = $550, and so forth.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The grappling styles of MMA (a brief history)

The following is a breakdown of the different grappling styles of modern MMA, their roots and general effectiveness in MMA. Consider it a basic resource since Ive seen a ridiculous amount of misconceptions on MMA grappling in the forum which is understandable since not everyone has a deep working knowledge of the sport. Read up and use the information below to wash away those old school misconceptions.

Traditional Grapplers
The vast majority of fighters who fall into the traditional grappler category are pure BJJ grapplers, although some pure Judokas have begun to enter the MMA scene. The traditional grappler era began with Royce Gracies dominance in the first UFC and continued on until submission wrestlers and hybrid grapplers began to enter the MMA scene. The traditional grappler is basically a fighter who believes fully in the effectiveness of his style and does not seek to supplement his style with outside influences as a hybrid grappler would. This type of grappler has grown increasingly rare with the rise of submission wrestling and hybrid grappling which have proven themselves as the superior MMA grappling styles. None the less, some successful traditional grapplers remain out there. In general, most traditional grapplers tend to place the utmost importance on the maintaining of position as well as waiting for your opponent to mistake and capitalizing on it. In lay mans terms, think of traditional grapplers as the polar opposites of hybrid grapplers.
Examples:Royce Gracie, Royler Gracie, Ricardo Arona and Antonio "Nino Elvis" Schembri.

Hybrid Grapplers
The hybrid grappling style was born around 1996 or so once it became obvious that traditional BJJ was starting to lose its effectiveness in MMA. However, credit must be given to fighters like Matt Hume and the Machados who were developing hybrid grappling systems well before traditional BJJ was losing its status as the grappling system. When I talk about hybrid grappling keep in mind that there is no single hybrid grappling style because the very nature of hybrid grappling encourages experimentation. However, the fundamental nature of hybrid grappling is a style in which the best aspects of different styles are combined and linked together to form a singularly unique style. Most, if not all, hybrid grapplers began with BJJ as their base and started by eliminating the ineffective techniques as well as the general passiveness of the style. In general, solid takedowns are a big part of any hybrid grappling system as is the aggressive pursuit of submissions without an overwhelming concern for holding and maintaining a particular position. Like I said, there is no single hybrid grappling style that everyone uses, however all hybrid grappling styles share the same basic tenants which are adapatability, aggressiveness and above all effectiveness. Virtually every effective submission stylist in MMA falls into the hybrid grappler category.
Examples: The Machados, Frank Shamrock, Hayato Sakurai, Caol Uno, Alexandre Franca "Pequeno" Nogueira, Murilo Bustamante, Mario Sperry, Carlos Newton and Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira.

Submission Wrestlers
Submission wrestling in my mind began after the initial wave of amateur wrestlers entered MMA. Top flight wrestlers like Royce Alger, Kevin Jackson and even Dan Henderson (see his grappling match with Frank Shamrock) got absolutely embarassed by good submission grapplers despite their amazing talent. In response to this wrestlers started to actively train in grappling so as to supplement their already considerable talent. Before I continue let me clarify this much, the submission wrestling style has a misleading name since it would imply that those who use the style are wrestlers who use submissions. In fact, true submission wrestlers are wrestlers who use a deep knowledge of submissions to primarily avoid and defend against submissions as opposed to actually using them. They may occasionally take an obvious opportunity to apply a submission but unlike a hybrid grappler he wil not actively pursue the submission. Most submission wrestlers you find will be ground and pounders who use their ability to defend against submissions to safely apply ground strikes. Also, strikers often use submission wrestling once grounded to avoid the submission and work their way back to the feet. In general, a submission wrestler with strong ground striking and/or stand up makes for an extremely effective fighter.
Examples: Heath Herring, Fedor Emelianenko, Tito Ortiz and Romie Aram.

Sub-categories
Early Japanese Pancrase grapplers
The early Japanese Pancrase grapplers most closely resembled hybrid grapplers but were a bit more unorthodox and off the wall in their approach to grappling. This is owed to the fact that many of these Japanese grapplers had roots in pro wrestling or took on the belief that entertaining the fans was tantamount which led to many of them trying all sorts of unusual moves and techniques (although theres no denying that the more off the wall matches were certainly works). In the early days of grappling these Pancraseists were quite effective but in modern MMA its become clear the style has gaping holes which have been exposed by hybrid grapplers and submission wrestlers, the main weakness being that the style is so open that it leaves you open to far too many submissions. This style is all but dead in modern MMA.
Examples: Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki.

Wrestler/Submission artists
The smallest of the two sub categories, the wrestler/submission artist is a fighter whose base is wrestling but has incorporated a working knowledge of subs not as a means of avoiding them but actually using them. The truth of the matter is that Ken Shamrock is the only example of this style. Ken is/was a proficient wrestler who discovered subs and used his ability as a wrestler to get solid positioning as a means of amplifying his ability to score submissions. Some might say this would make Ken a hybrid grappler but I disagree on the basis that his base is not a submission grappling system. Other hybrid grapplers got their start in wrestling too but all of them eventually made a submission system the main focus of their game. Ken on the other hand was always a better wrestler than submission artist who used his basic knowledge of submissions to victimize fighters with minimal ground training. The final blow to any questions about this styles ineffectiveness in modern MMA came in the Tito Ortiz/Ken Shamrock fight.
Example: duhhhh.......Ken Shamrock.

Grappling in MMA timeline (major events of importance)
11-12-93
Rorion Gracie sets up UFC 1 and after Rickson refuses to participate in it for financial reasons Royce is chosen to step in. The tournament is set up to favor Royce and it shows as Royce wins all 3 of his matches easily. The era of BJJ as the ultimate grappling style begins.

4-7-95
In a much anticipated rematch, Royce is unable to duplicate his domination of Ken Shamrock. Questions about the passiveness of traditional BJJ and its lack of solid takedowns begin. The first real instance where BJJ didnt look like the unbeatable grappling system of MMA some percieved it as.

12-21-97
At the UFC Ultimate Japan show, Kazushi sakuraba taps out well regarded BJJ technician Marcus "Conan" Silviera and Frank Shamrock taps out highly regarded amateur wrestler Kevin Jackson in seconds. The era of the hybrid grappler begins here.

9-24-99
Frank Shamrock is given the fight of his life by a young Tito Ortiz. Frank Shamrock prevails but this fight would lead to Tito leading the charge of the submission wrestling style which he along with several others has helped to perfect.

5-1-00
The hybrid grappler continues to reign supreme as Sakuraba and Frank Shamrock rule the roost in MMA but on this night Royce Gracie returns to reclaim the honor of BJJ in a modified rules match with Sakuraba. Royce fails and Sakuraba would go on to beat 2 more Gracies. In doing so the final proof of hybrid grappling's superiority is given, traditional BJJ fighters continue to struggle in MMA.

3-16-03
In the most important match up of a submission wrestler and hybrid grappler in the history of MMA, Fedor Emelianenko defeats Minotauro Noguiera. Submission wrestlers prove their style is just as good as hybrid grappling.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The striking styles of MMA (a brief history)

After the very positive response to Mr. Blue's post about the different varieties of grappling in MMA, there was some demand for a similar post pertaining to striking. With a LOT of Mr. Blue's help, I threw together such a post, with the similar aim of having it used as a basic resource for identifying different groups of strikers. My terminology is a bit unconventional and I don't define define strikers in terms of boxers, kickboxers, etc., but read on and you'll see what I mean. I hope you all enjoy.

Traditional/Pure Strikers: There were not many of these fighters, and they did not have much success. These were fighters who came in from a pure striking background before the era of cross training. With virtually no takedown defense or knowledge of submissions, they fell pray to grapplers (either wrestlers or submission artists) quite frequently. It is also noteworthy that very few truly proficient, world-class strikers were invited to participate in the original UFC events. It is commonly thought that Rorion Gracie, the organizer of the first events, structured the tournament so that his brother Royce would dominate and thus market the family’s style of Gracie/Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as the most effective fighting style on the planet. Even so, the traditional strikers did provide us with some memorable moments such as Pat Smith’s destruction of Scott Morris. Even today a striker who pays little attention to the other aspects of MMA will have limited success no matter how proficient a striker he is; examples of this are Gilbert Yvel and Cyril Abidi.
Examples: Pat Smith, Keith Hackney, Gerard Gordeau

Striking Wrestlers: These are wrestlers that have added in components of the striking game (typically boxing). Although their base is in wrestling, ground control, and ground and pound, they are rarely reluctant to throw some leather on the feet. Oftentimes wrestlers that have added the striking game are partial to strikes from within the clinch (particularly Greco Roman wrestlers who have developed a strong clinch game already). Although their striking is noticeably less polished than other varieties of strikers, a striking wrestler can typically punch with a good deal of power and has a solid chin to boot. In the case that an exchange on the feet does not go in their favor, they can bring the fight to the ground quickly as their true expertise lies in wrestling, so they are ultimately less timid about trading blows. The striking wrestler came about as a result of the pure wrestler’s relative inability to actually finish a fight. For example, Dan Severn in his first UFC dominated position and controlled all of his fights but always had a great deal of difficulty when it came to actually finishing his opponent. Don Frye was among the first wrestlers to add versatile strikes to his arsenal, but it was Randy Couture’s stunning performance in which he used basic boxing techniques and a strong clinch game to out-strike a superior boxer in Vitor Belfort that was the true birth of this style of fighter.
Examples: Randy Couture, Dan Henderson, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Frank Trigg, Mikey Burnette, Don Frye, Takanori Gomi

Grappling Strikers: These are strikers who have added in aspects of both wrestling submission to allow them to avoid the fight on the ground and keep the fight standing. It was this style of fighter that began to even the balance in MMA between strikers and grapplers. Although they train in both wrestling and submission, it is highly unlikely that a grappling striker will look for either a takedown or a submission. Instead, they’ll use their knowledge of grappling for defense, either to defend a takedown or a submission. Typically a grappler striker will be well-versed in the defensive guard to prevent a grappler from gaining superior position. Most important to the grappling striker’s abilities are the sprawl and the ability to explode from the bottom once on the ground to get back to the feet. This style of fighter was made out of necessity; prior to the grappling striker, MMA was dominated almost exclusively by wrestlers and submission artists. Maurice Smith is the undisputed forefather of this style of MMA, and he displayed every essential aspect of it in becoming the heavyweight champion of both Extreme Fighting and Ultimate Fighting.
Examples: Maurice Smith, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, Duane “Bang” Ludwig, Chuck Liddell, Pedro Rizzo, Jens Pulver, Robbie Lawler, and Vanderlei Silva (somewhat of an exception)

Hybrid Strikers: There may be no other type of fighter in MMA that is more offensively-minded than the hybrid striker. These fighters come from a pure striking background but then add in the submission game to make them a threat on the ground as well. While their submission skill varies, none of these fighters are strangers to the ground and do not fear the takedown. The hybrid striker has a strong guard that can be used for submissions, sweeps, and even striking (as shown by Bas Rutten). Bas Rutten’s dominance over the Pancrase organization, during which he was undefeated for three years and wore the King of Pancrase title, was the inception of this style into the MMA world. He added submissions to his striking in response to the submission-oriented style of the organization and thus created the hybrid striker variety of fighting.*
Examples: Bas Rutten, Hayato “Mach” Sakurai, Anderson Silva, Jose “Pele” Landis, Yuki Kondo, Guy Mezger

Ground-Strikers: Although not traditionally considered a conventional method of striking, the effectiveness and reliability (as well as recently-developing science) of this style cannot be denied. Originally most fighters who relied on striking on the ground were wrestlers, but considering how many fights end up on the ground and how increasingly difficult it is becoming in today’s MMA, strikes on the ground are becoming more and more scientific and technical and essential to a fighter’s training. Don Frye was among the first to use strikes on the ground with frequent success, and Mark Coleman ushered in the era of ground and pound with his brutal takedowns and powerful fists. However, in modern MMA camps such as Miletich Fighting Systems and AMC Pankration have developed intricate strategies for attacking while on the ground. In recent years fighters who rely on strikes on the ground have adopted techniques such as guard passing and ground control to reach positions more conducive to unleashing punishment. With ground-striking, a fighter can safely deliver damage with far less risk of being reversed or swept than that which accompanies a submission attempt.
Examples: Heath Herring, Matt Hughes, Tito Ortiz, Fedor Emelianenko

Submission Strikers: Almost like inverse Hybrid Strikers, these fighters came from submission backgrounds and later added on striking techniques from either Muay Thai or Boxing to supplement their ground games and allow for greater comfort on the ground. As with Hybrid Strikers, their fluency in their secondary discipline varies, but their true strength lies in the ground game. Submission strikers often use punches and kicks against an inferior striker to lead the fight to the ground where they are more likely to finish; a textbook example of this was Frank Shamrock’s striking bursts against Tito Ortiz.
Examples: Marco Ruas, Murilo Bustamante, Frank Shamrock, Vitor Belfort

*It should be noted that the founding fathers of hybrid striking and grappling striking, Bas Rutten and Maurice Smith, respectively, had to develop their styles because of where they took their fighting careers. Bas Rutten was allowed to incorporate a more offensive style on the ground because of the faster pace of the Japanese fighting organizations, whereas Maurice needed to have a tight, defensive ground game because of the more patient, grinding style of the ground game in the U.S. MMA scene. There were very few wrestlers in Pancrase where Bas fought, while in the United States at the time the wrestlers were making an enormous impact. Bas commented upon entering the UFC that he had a very difficult time dealing with the ground and pound and waiting style of American mixed martial arts. The contrast in styles can also be seen in the fight at UFC 32 between Vladimir Matyushenko and Yuki Kondo, where the typically action-packed Kondo was put on his back for most of the fight by the Russian wrestler.

Timeline:
September 21st, 1993: Bas Rutten, a Dutch Thai Boxer debuts in the Pancrase organization winning in :43 seconds with a devastating knee to the head.

November 8th 1993: Maurice Smith makes his debut in the Pancrase organization with a shocking TKO over perennial Pancrase superstar Minoru Suzuki. Along with Rutten, Smith was the first truly successful striking-oriented fighter in MMA.

September 1st, 1995: Bas Rutten wins his first King of Pancrase title with a submission victory over Minoru Suzuki. The hybrid striker is born.

September 8th, 1995: Marco Ruas chops down Paul Varelans with leg kicks. This was the first display of effective leg-kicking in the UFC.

May 17th, 1996: Don Frye delivers one of the most brutal beatings in the history of MMA when he batters Amaury Bitetti with strikes from virtually every conceivable position on the ground before forcing an overdue referee stoppage.

July 12th, 1996: In his UFC debut, Mark Coleman takes the tournament title with his unique brand of takedowns and punishment on the ground, later dubbed “ground and pound.” While Frye struck effectively on the ground, Mark Coleman would create the true starting point for the ****morphosis of the ground-striker.

October 18th, 1996: Maurice Smith defies the odds and turns the MMA world upside down by surviving on the ground with undefeated BJJ black belt Marcus “Conan” Silveira and then KO’ing the Brazilian late in the fight with a massive kick to the head to win Extreme Fighting heavyweight gold. Smith is the first striking-based fighter to win a major MMA title in America.

July 27th, 1997: Smith defies the odd, this time against seemingly unstoppable UFC heavyweight champion Mark Coleman. Again pushing the fight into the late minutes after making good use of his defensive guard, Smith takes control to earn a unanimous decision and the UFC heavyweight championship.

October 17th, 1997: Randy Couture, a Greco Roman wrestler shocks the world by defeating the lightning-fast Vitor Belfort both standing and on the ground. He makes strong use of strikes from within the clinch and dominates Belfort throughout the fight’s duration. The striking wrestler is born.

November 29th, 1997: Frank Shamrock, once thought of as a one-dimensional submission wrestler, knocks out Enson Inoue with strikes while standing to earn his first title shot at the UFC Middleweight Championship. Frank is among the first submission artists to score a KO standing, and the submission striker is born.

January 25, 2003: Duane “Bang” Ludwig, after more than a year of no MMA competition, KO’s #1 ranked lightweight Jens Pulver in a little over a minute. It is the first time that a K-1 Max fighter makes a major impact in mixed martial arts.

March 16, 2003: Fedor Emelianenko, heavyweight champion of the defunct Rings organization dominates undisputed #1 heavyweight Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira with flawless positioning, ground control, and the most potent and technical ground striking ever seen in a major MMA show, becoming Pride heavyweight champion in the process.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Why Are UFC's PPV only scheduled for 4 fights? Are they trying to rip us off? Is Pride better for having more matches?

The UFC buys 3 hour blocks for their Pay Per Views. This is a very common "event" amount of time. Boxing matches, movies, and concerts buy this amount of time to air their material. Pride's North American PPVs are also in this format. The UFC schedules fight according to their time limit. They do so depending on how many non-title fights(3 rounds, 5 minutes each) and title fights(5 rounds, 5 minutes each). So 4 scheduled PPVs is usually the average amount of “scheduled fights” on a card. This means, if the four fights go to a judge’s decision, there is still enough time for all fights to be aired. One of the biggest disasters a fight promoter can have is the PPV coverage cutting out in the middle of a main event.

Many UFC PPVs have more then 4 fights. What often happens is a fight gets over before a judges decision so there is more time available. The UFC prepares for this in 2 ways:

The Swing Fight: The UFC will have a fight tentatively scheduled. If the other fights end quickly, that fight is then aired on the PPV and takes place live. The UFC usually places their swing fight between the co-main and the main event. Many other combat sports have "Swing Fights." You can see many examples of "swing fights" on the show "Friday Night Fights," HBO's "Boxing After Dark" or most boxing PPVs. If their is no time for the swing fight on the PPV, the fight will take place after the main event and will not air on the PPV broadcast. A "swing fight" has never been held after a main event in the UFC.

Airing of prelim fights: A very convenient way for the UFC to fill PPV time is show tapes of prelim matches that occurred on the card before the matches that aired on PPV. This happens when fights on the main card end quickly. This allows the UFC to show fights that a) are the most exciting from the prelims b.) fit in the allowed time. A prelim match might end in the first round and could fill time at the end of a PPV where a full match could not.

Having 4 scheduled fights is not a way to rip you off. This is common practice in combat sports and a common move from the Zuffa era of the UFC. Most of the cards have some sort of "filler" match since rarely do all fights go to a Judge's Decision. Critics of 4 scheduled fights are often fighting for the wrong cause since the card UFC 58 had only 5 matches but had more actual fighting shown then UFC 53 that showed 8 fights, and Pride’s "Total Elimination Absolute" which showed 8 fights. UFC 58 with its 5 matches had 65minutes and 1 second of fighting. UFC with its 8 fights had 54 minutes and 24 seconds of fighting. Pride's 'Total Elimination Absolute" had 57 minutes and 55 seconds of fighting.

For UFC 46(Couture vs Vitor II) the UFC did NOT show any filler fights. This made many people mad since the fights on the show went very fast and there was about 40 minutes left of PPV time when they went of the air. On top of this, the main event was a huge let down with Randy getting his eye cut in a ab-normal incident very early in round one. Many people did e-mail campaigns showing their disgust, and shortly after, the UFC started showing as many fight on PPV as they could once again.

The reason why Pride often shows more fights then the UFC is because Pride is not live when it is shown on the North American broadcast. It is on what is called a "tape delay." This delay happens because of the time zone difference between Japan and North America. If Pride was to broadcast live in North America, the event would air at 3 a.m. Instead, they delay it till prime time 18 hours later. This gives Pride time to edit the show. Where UFC has to show all entrances, all the time in between fights, and everything else that happens, Pride can edit out many entrances, and dead-time so they can fill that time on the North American PPV with more matches. Pride's Bushido show often has 10 matches or more and they can show most of them in the time aloud because of editing.