Help me come up with some magazine article ideas. . .

[SPX]

So I'm trying to re-kickstart my writing career. I've only had like one article published in the past 4 or 5 months. Which sucks. I need to start generating some new ideas but I'm having a hard time. I guess I just don't feel like I have my hand on the pulse of the MMA community at the moment.

If you were reading an MMA mag, what kind of articles would you want to read? What issues would you want covered? What questions would you want answered?

Help me out.

[MMA_scientist]

Interviews are pretty much all I ever read if I am perusing an MMA mag, which I haven't done in a while.

- People are drawn to lists. So anything list oriented is easy to read and I think people will more readily read, like "Top 10 Karate techniques/fighters/trainers in MMA" or "Top 5 spinning kicks in 2013"

- We were talking about the rebirth of the kick a few weeks ago. I think that could be an interesting article.

- I like human interest stories, find yourself a stuggling idiot on the local scene and try to build a piece around him or her. Or make it about local MMA and how shitty it is and why they do it.

- find someone who people formerly cared about and do a "Catching up with Scott Ferrozzo" piece.

[Luke]

If you want some attention, find some info on TRT and write about it. Or write an article on Strikeforce vs UFC fighters .

[Ludo]

What all goes on in a training camp? Is every camp absolutely different in almost all ways or are they mostly the same core with a given set of days committed to preparing for the individual opponent?

Maybe something on Jon Jones and why he's so successful in the sport.

An homage to the dark ages, maybe do an editorial on some of the lesser known early starts like Mark Kerr, some of the wolf den guys other than Ken and Frank like Jerry Bolander, Guy Mezger, Pete Williams.

A listing of the top ten most impressive finishes in MMA history like Pete Williams head kicking Mark Coleman into bolivian, or either of the spinning back kick knockouts we've seen in the last year or so, Anderson's front kick, etc etc etc.

Just some brainstorming.

[SPX]

Really good suggestions. Thanks!

I like the ideas about catching up with early MMA fighters. I've considered that before but finding contact info for those guys can be difficult. Like finding Steve Jennum for instance . . . not easy. But I'd love to do a whole series on guys like Jennum, Jimmerson, Bosset, etc. Or maybe do a series on guys who actually kept fighting long after that but never made it to the big time, like Macias and Delucia. Or as Ludo said, an "early legends" piece on guys like Mezger.

I also like the idea on looking at local talent who will never make it to the UFC. Why do they do it? What drives them?

Ludo, I think I'm going to take the "most impressive finishes" idea and run with it. That's a good one and list articles are always easy. I can knock those out quick I usually make like $50 an hour writing them when you break it down.

The camp idea is also good, though I'd want to actually visit a camp firsthand to write that, which I can't do right now.

These are great! Keep them coming! I talked to my editor today and he said "we could use your help on MMA" so I really need to start producing while there's a window to get back in.

[edman5555]

How about an article about vitor belfort? He's the talk of the town.

[SPX]

I'd definitely be down for that but it can be difficult to get access to fighters at that level. An interview would be great, though. I'll look into it.

[edman5555]

Can you take quotes from other interviews? How about a trt doctor quote? Someone from his camp? How about someone he fought once? So and so's perspective as a former opponent and then throw in the trt doctoe.

[SPX]

If it's like one quote you can do something like, "Speaking to Fight! magazine in July, Belfort said, '. . . . .'" But beyond that you really need to conduct the interview yourself and use your own material. I like the idea, but logistically it would be hard to put together and could be too much work for the $200 or so that I'd get paid for it.

I might see if my editor has a contact for him and if he doesn't already have an article on him lined up. It's possible that's the case. If so, it would be cool to interview Vitor and do a piece on what it's life to be his age, and to have gone through the low periods in his career like he is, and be on top again.

[Ludo]

BOL at the new thread title.

[Ludo]

::popcorn::

[Mr. IWS]

Interview with Ronda Rousey? Maybe interview that growth on Her face too?

[MMA_scientist]

Zak's on fire this morning!

[SPX]

BOOM!

"Top 10 Finishes of All Time"

Query sent . . . Acceptance received!

So this one's official. I'm doing it. Now I need everyone's help on making the list. Give me some suggestions.

Personally, I like the Williams/Coleman headkick, as Ludo mentioned. I also like Rampage's slam on Arona. Barboza's spinning heel kick on Etim. And Werdum's triangle on Fedor.

What else? Throw some more shit out there. . .

[SPX]

Interview with Ronda Rousey? Maybe interview that growth on Her face too?

. . . what?

[MMA_scientist]

BOOM!

"Top 10 Finishes of All Time"

Query sent . . . Acceptance received!

So this one's official. I'm doing it. Now I need everyone's help on making the list. Give me some suggestions.

Personally, I like the Williams/Coleman headkick, as Ludo mentioned. I also like Rampage's slam on Arona. Barboza's spinning heel kick on Etim. And Werdum's triangle on Fedor.

What else? Throw some more shit out there. . .

There are a lot of great finishes, but to make an all-time list, there has to be some signifigance to the bout IMO in addition to being spectacular.

Hughes' RNC on Trigg has to be on the list. That is still my favorite fight of all time.
Silva's seagal kick on Belfort.
Machida's Seagal kick on Couture.
Rampage's hook KO of Chuck.
Silva's triangle on Chael.
Royce's triangle on Severn.
Sakuraba's Kimura on Renzo.
Fedor's KO of Arlovski.
any of Nog's come from behind subs (sylvia, cro cop)

[edman5555]

Bigfoot knockout of reem.

[SPX]

Those are good suggestions. I'd say Silva on Chael should definitely be on there.

[SPX]

Oh, and Serra over GSP. Of course.

[Luke]

Gracie throwing the towel in vs Sakarba, Silva-Stann, Hunt walk off KO, Holyfield-Tyson II, and Lensar-Carwin

[Mr. IWS]

Mir/Nog 2

That was fuckin nasty

[Mr. IWS]

Zak's on fire this morning!

::thumbup::

[MMA_scientist]

Mir/Nog II is good as is Mir/Sylvia.

[Mr. IWS]

Silva's seagal kick on Belfort.
Silva's triangle on Chael.


These are really good too. Make sure you credit Seagal's training and telling him to use the kick broski.

[Ludo]

Gonzaga's headkick KO of Cro Cop
Marquardt's street fighter combo on Gouveia
Jose Aldo's flying double knee against Cub Swanson
Hendo knocking out Wanderlei
Randleman's knockout of Cro Cop
Hughes' KO'ing Newton by way of slamming out of a triangle
Vitor Belfort knocking out Wanderlei Silva
Weidman's knockout of Munoz

Hughes choking out Almeida with a front headlock type choke
Lytle submitting Brown with that inverted triangle/armbar
Toby Imada's inverted triangle choke over Jorge Masvidal
Frank Mir breaking Minotauro's arm
Shogun's kneebar on Randleman
Fedor's armbar on Randleman right after the Randleplex
Chan Sung Jung putting the twister on Leonard Garcia
Urijah Faber's one armed guillotine on Dominick Cruz

There are plenty more but those are some of the ones that came to mind.

[Ludo]

Also: Gary Goodridge giving Paul Herrera permanent dain bramage with elbows from the back crucifix position.

[SPX]

Goodridge/Herra, Gonzaga/Cro Cop, Imada/Masvidal, and Mir/Nog all probably deserve a slot. I'd say those are going to be going in there for sure.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[edman5555]

Gonzaga's headkick KO of Cro Cop
Marquardt's street fighter combo on Gouveia
Jose Aldo's flying double knee against Cub Swanson
Hendo knocking out Wanderlei
Randleman's knockout of Cro Cop
Hughes' KO'ing Newton by way of slamming out of a triangle
Vitor Belfort knocking out Wanderlei Silva
Weidman's knockout of Munoz

Hughes choking out Almeida with a front headlock type choke
Lytle submitting Brown with that inverted triangle/armbar
Toby Imada's inverted triangle choke over Jorge Masvidal
Frank Mir breaking Minotauro's arm
Shogun's kneebar on Randleman
Fedor's armbar on Randleman right after the Randleplex
Chan Sung Jung putting the twister on Leonard Garcia
Urijah Faber's one armed guillotine on Dominick Cruz

There are plenty more but those are some of the ones that came to mind.

I'm just going to go ahead and commend you on your great memory.

[Vandelay]

Alright 10. Fedor/werdum, Anderson/Sonnen, Cro cop/Gonzaga, Bisping/Hendo, Anderson/Belfort, Belfort/Rockhold, Wand Rampage 2 (or whatever one went thru the ropes), Rampage/Arona, Nog/Mir 2...and for shits and giggles, Nick Diaz/Gomi

[Ludo]

I'm just going to go ahead and commend you on your great memory.

BOL thanks, man. I'm sure there are plenty of finishes that are better than most of the ones I listed, those are just the ones I could recall that really stood out to Me.

[SPX]

Alright 10. Fedor/werdum, Anderson/Sonnen, Cro cop/Gonzaga, Bisping/Hendo, Anderson/Belfort, Belfort/Rockhold, Wand Rampage 2 (or whatever one went thru the ropes), Rampage/Arona, Nog/Mir 2...and for shits and giggles, Nick Diaz/Gomi

Bisping/Hendo is a great one. I'd definitely include Belfort/Rockhold if I wasn't doing Barboza/Etim, but I think overall Barboza's was better.

I may need to do 10 for the main article and then a sidebar with 5 runners-up.

[Mr. IWS]

Oh, and Serra over GSP. Of course.

Thats another good one.

[poopoo333]

Matt Wiman vs Mac Danzig at UFC 115.

[Luke]

Kimbo-Houston Alexander

[SPX]

Okay, y'all are getting stupid.

[zY|]

Also: Gary Goodridge giving Paul Herrera permanent dain bramage with elbows from the back crucifix position.

This has got to be there. It is so gruesome.

[zY|]

Kimbo-Houston Alexander

Houston Alexander-Keith Jardine

[SPX]

So here's my tentative list, in no particular order:

Goodridge/Herrera
Serra/GSP
Anderson/Chael I
Gonzaga/CroCop
Rampage/Arona
Wand/Rampage 2(?) . . . like Vandelay said, whichever one where he went through the ropes
Machida/Couture
Barboza/Etim
Hendo/Bisping
Fedor/Werdum

And 5 Runners Up:

Mir/Nog 2
Fedor/Arlovski
KZ/Garcia II
Imada/Masvidal
Belfort/Rockhold


Thoughts? Objections? Anyone want to make an argument that something is getting unjustly left out?

[SPX]

Now that I think about, it seems like Kongo/Barry should be on there somewhere. That shit was crazy. . .

[Svino]

There are so many great finishes, it's hard to object. But of the fights not yet named:

Favorite submission finish: Chonan over Silva.
Favorite KO finish: Sell over Smith.
Favorite old-school finish: Pardoel over Weit (I think this may have something to do with the 12-6 elbow rule).

[SPX]

I just rewatched Coleman/Williams. After Pete Williams knocks Coleman out one of the announcers say, "And the Lion's Den is victorious yet again!"

It made me wonder what it is that causes a fight camp to go from being one of the best in the world to toiling in obscurity with no notable fighters or notable wins. I don't know. But the Lion's Den, Hammer House and MFS are all dead as far as I can tell.

[Mr. IWS]

I just rewatched Coleman/Williams. After Pete Williams knocks Coleman out one of the announcers say, "And the Lion's Den is victorious yet again!"

It made me wonder what it is that causes a fight camp to go from being one of the best in the world to toiling in obscurity with no notable fighters or notable wins. I don't know. But the Lion's Den, Hammer House and MFS are all dead as far as I can tell.

Funny story, I literally just drove by a Lions Den that opened where I get my hair cut. It is in the same building that used to be a McDonalds when I was a teenager.

McDojo Irony!

[SPX]

BOL. I wonder what ties it has exactly to the original shit.