Fred Ettish wants redemption... Will YAMMA give it to him?

**sambosteve** · Posted On: 4/26/2008 4:33pm

I know...that is why I say such stupid **** all the time.

**slideyfoot** · Posted On: 4/26/2008 4:54pm

Originally Posted by Asriel

What actually happened that was so bad? I've seen the abominations that were the early UFC's and this guy doesn't stick out in my mind as being particularly embarrassing

I wrote something up in my blog about Ettish a while back, which meant I came across a couple of handy links that go over his later feelings about what happened to him (along with the stuff in Gentry's No Holds Barred). To quote from my notes:

‘Old School: The Return of Fred Ettish’, interview with Clyde Gentry, Ultimate Athlete, 2002 [Retrieved 7th January 2008, from here]

Then on whaledog.com, Jeff Fehler has compiled several of Ettish’s posts from MMA.tv into a single article (dated 16th June 2006).

***jnp*** · Posted On: 4/26/2008 5:55pm

Originally Posted by Geordi LaForge

Ettish has been training MMA for a long time. I would like to see this happen as it would show what can be done when people train realistically, no matter how bad their previous training/skill was.

Amen brother.

Originally Posted by SamboSteve

Personally, I would love to see Ettish fight and win. But, If I were promoting the show, I would never do it. The last show had too many has beens and they should stay away from the "legends" of MMA theme. Just stick to good, young, up and coming guys. Most noobs have no idea who Ettish is and the fight has the potential for another circus show feel. Yamma has potential, but if they keep bringing old timers back, it will kill whatever chances they still have to do a good show. I hate to say this, as I really would love to see Ettish in the ring again. But, business is business. Keep him out...and any other "legends" who should retire as well.

Essentially, as an old school fan, I would love it. As a promoter of a new show that bombed last time around, I would not even consider it at this point.

No more business acumen out of you young man!

**Ke?poFist** · Posted On: 4/26/2008 7:35pm

Originally Posted by sambosteve

Personally, I would love to see Ettish fight and win. But, If I were promoting the show, I would never do it. The last show had too many has beens and they should stay away from the "legends" of MMA theme. Just stick to good, young, up and coming guys. Most noobs have no idea who Ettish is and the fight has the potential for another circus show feel. Yamma has potential, but if they keep bringing old timers back, it will kill whatever chances they still have to do a good show. I hate to say this, as I really would love to see Ettish in the ring again. But, business is business. Keep him out...and any other "legends" who should retire as well.

Essentially, as an old school fan, I would love it. As a promoter of a new show that bombed last time around, I would not even consider it at this point.

I've already decided that the entire "YAMMA" concept sucks, so circus fights will be the only thing that may just get me to buy the PPV at this point

**sambosteve** · Posted On: 4/27/2008 9:47am

So you would be more interested in circus fights than quality cards? Assuming they got their butts in gear and scouted good fighters...

**nightowl** · Posted On: 4/27/2008 10:31am

Did the PPV figures for YAMMA get released yet? It got almost universially panned in MMA circles but if they are doing another event it must have drawn in enough people out of curiosity the first time.

**Ke?poFist** · Posted On: 4/27/2008 11:33am

Originally Posted by sambosteve

So you would be more interested in circus fights than quality cards? Assuming they got their butts in gear and scouted good fighters...

I do not like the pit at all. At first I was intrigued by the concept, and thought as well that it would lead to less stalling, but all it seems to do is serve as an easy-takedown lip, where one fighter can pressure his opponent back, and then scoop his legs out (assuming his opponent doesn't stumble and fall all on his own). Instead of stalling on the fence, they're all sliding down the side into a funky guardish position on the incline, where no one is really capitalizing. The whole thing looks like they're trying to fight in a giant pasta bowl. This is a problem that I'm sure they could have spotted earlier before sinking so much money into the promotion by having fighters spar in a prototype to test out the mechanics of it, and compare that to the cage. If they did try it out before putting real fights in it, why didn't they realize this?

**Cullion** · Posted On: 4/27/2008 11:52am

I found the early UFCs highly entertaining, in the same way that people like to see the first-round rejects humiliate themselves on modern 'talent' shows.

**Ke?poFist** · Posted On: 4/27/2008 12:10pm

Originally Posted by Cullion

I found the early UFCs highly entertaining, in the same way that people like to see the first-round rejects humiliate themselves on modern 'talent' shows.

I find them entertaining because had I been born 10yrs earlier I could very well have ended up being one of those rejects :binkybaby

**nightowl** · Posted On: 4/27/2008 12:11pm

Originally Posted by Ke?poFist

I do not like the pit at all. At first I was intrigued by the concept, and thought as well that it would lead to less stalling, but all it seems to do is serve as an easy-takedown lip, where one fighter can pressure his opponent back, and then scoop his legs out (assuming his opponent doesn't stumble and fall all on his own). Instead of stalling on the fence, they're all sliding down the side into a funky guardish position on the incline, where no one is really capitalizing. The whole thing looks like they're trying to fight in a giant pasta bowl. This is a problem that I'm sure they could have spotted earlier before sinking so much money into the promotion by having fighters spar in a prototype to test out the mechanics of it, and compare that to the cage. If they did try it out before putting real fights in it, why didn't they realize this?

They need to have it over water or something American Gladiators style. So far it already has been mostly sideshow fights, so might as well go all out and have an entertaining gimmick. That might give an unfair advantage to sumoka however.