Adventures in MMA Fandom....

[RaiderFunk]

You ever have one of those nights where you are just surrounded by sandal clad cretins? Not at Bullshido mind you but actually in real life? I felt like a dipstick Groundhog Day was occurring but there was no groundhog, Bill Murray or beautiful co-star. Well technically there was, but she was one of the sandal clad cretins.

Ok, Enough waxing poetic and trying to come up with a proper Intro. The best way to describe this is that you always pray you don't run into that "Tapout/Affiction Shirt Guy" at a bar while watching a UFC fight. Of course my country behind did just that at a San Bernardino sports bar/Club for UFC 124. It was bad enough that Josh Kosheck had smack-talked his way to another title shot with Kosheck and everyone knew he was going to get pummeled. I decided in some type of protest to go watch it at a bar rather than pay $55 at my house.

So I walk up and order a pitcher of shock-top for myself and get to drinking. I'm waiting for my buddy to get there to walk me into the VIP room and am watching the pre-lims. Shock-Top is good stuff...very good stuff. Some youngster taps me on the shoulder and asks me if I like shock-top. Sure do. Guy smirks and pulls up a chair and starts up conversation. I am trying to ignore the tapout shirt and give him a chance. We start talking careers.
"Hey dude, what do you do?"
"I'm a VP somewhere"
"What do you do?"
"I fight mma?"
"Uhm...you mean you train or you fight?"
"I fight"
"What team are you with?"
"I'm between teams right now"
"of course you are?"
"Huh?"
"Nevermind"

My buddy D can't get there soon enough. Now, as anyone who has had runins with "Tapout/Affliction Shirt Guy" knows the 2 worse things that can happen is that the dude gets liquor in him or a hot chick walks up. My buddy D arrives...

"Drinks on me J...and your boy can have one too!"
"Crap!"
"Huh?"
"NVM!"


As if the Gods themselves are spitting in my drink, the most beautiful girl I've seen in about 10 minutes walks up and sits down. Tapout/Affliction Shirt Guy starts putting the moves on the girl. She's ignoring him and talking to me. The story of my life. I am a 300lb love blocker. I notice this guy ordered some drink called a skittle. A skittle? really? Whatever, it's a redbull drink with vodka, guaranteed to have you laid out in an alley somewhere. He buys the girl the same drink, might as well since he didn't pay for his. The girl gives it to me and now Tapout/Affliction Shirt Guy must balance things out.

"Hey man ain't she out of your age bracket"

"Son, why don't...uhm...look...you see this wedding ring? not interested, you two kids have fun."

I walk off to the other side of the bar to finish my pitcher, settle up and go in the VIP room. The girl follows me and so does my Tapout clad friend. Now, the girl tells him, he said stop following him and get lost. Now I'm pissed. It seems little missy is a drama queen and this dude has taken the bait. Now he's shouting at me and the girl. My buddy and security show up and he's still screaming.

"I wish a mutha f#cka would!"

I suggest that he try to be the first Tapout/Affliction Shirt Guy in history to actually just shut up, sit down and enjoy his fruity ass drink. I like to do my duty for the youngsters about to get beat down by security when I can. It's like a public service announcement. All I got from him was a puzzled look so I go off to VIP.

I'm trying to understand this whole thing. All I wanted to do is gorge myself in chicken wings and a pitcher of booze and watch how stupid Dana White will feel about letting GSP pound on Kosheck again. I had no idea it was going to be THAT bad of a beating, but I think the result surprised no one. Now I know that I am not old enough to be ignored and too old to be allowed to chat up cute lil fight fans. Guys wearing MMA apparel and Fight/Train MMA can be very loud, but mostly harmless.

As an appendix I offer an example of the "Tapout/Affliction Shirt Guy"

[Mario915]

I concur, some guys take a lesson once, order the panther video, then wear the shirt, yup Im scared.

[tao.jonez]

Y'know, I've never been in a bar fight. A public viewing of the UFC seems like a darn good place for my first one.

[Permalost]

I suggest that he try to be the first Tapout/Affliction Shirt Guy in history to actually just shut up, sit down and enjoy his fruity ass drink.

I'll probably steal this at some point.

[stridingcloud]

Y'know, I've never been in a bar fight. A public viewing of the UFC seems like a darn good place for my first one.

I fucking hate "that guy". I'm too poor to watch any of the UFC PPVs at my house so I have to endure going out to a bar to catch them. It's always in the washroom too. Some guy is standing in line waiting to pee sizing everyone up. Jesus Christ, I some point he has to realize he's in a washroom where dudes urinate. Not in a cage. No one gives a shit how intimidating you look.

Sometimes a fight breaks out but usually both parties look like assholes because security usually breaks it up before someone comes out on top.

The funny thing is, when I'm on Bullshido I feel like I'm perpetually surrounded by "that guy".

[tao.jonez]

I fucking hate "that guy". I'm too poor to watch any of the UFC PPVs at my house so I have to endure going out to a bar to catch them. It's always in the washroom too. Some guy is standing in line waiting to pee sizing everyone up. Jesus Christ, I some point he has to realize he's in a washroom where dudes urinate. Not in a cage. No one gives a shit how intimidating you look.

Sometimes a fight breaks out but usually both parties look like assholes because security usually breaks it up before someone comes out on top.

The funny thing is, when I'm on Bullshido I feel like I'm perpetually surrounded by "that guy".

Did you just type that shit at me, faggot? I will so beat your ass. After I pee though, k?

[dartleader]

I think part of the reason I don't follow the UFC too closely is I hate 90% of the people who do.

Show up to the club for two weeks, fuck off, and then start telling all your buddies how you do Jiujitsu. COOLEST GUYS EVER.

[Snake Plissken]

I used to go to boxing matches with my dad when I was a teenager and training boxing. Couple times a year we would make a drive to Vegas and catch an ESPN-level card (NABF or USBA title match or a top-10 contender match) at the Showboat or Tropicana. Couple more times a year, we would catch one of the super-fights via closed circuit at one of the casinos.

The boxing fans were different then the MMA fans. I learned more about boxing history and strategy listening to the old fight fans, then I can remember. They would talk to me about what was going to happen and why and how and while their bodies might not have been willing, their minds still were.

There wasn't much posturing and very rarely did I see a fight break out and, off the top of my head the only time I remember multiple fights breaking out was when we went to the "Triple Hitter" and the McGuigan fans kept fighting with the Mexicans, cuz their guy lost.

Everyone was there because they loved the sport. There was a little good-natured trash talking and always betting going on and the rule of thumb was "the bigger the fights the bigger the egos" but I don't recall pot-bellied poseurs wandering around in Everlast gear.

I mentioned a couple times, to the missus, about us going to somewhere like Buffalo Wild Wings to check out a fight, as a family like I did as a young man and she pretty much summed it up:

Are you fucking crazy?

[Andelas]

I'm old and my memory is fuzzy, but I seem to recall Vitor Belfort sporting some Tapout "look at my ass" speedo shorts in his first stint in the UFC many moons ago. I remember thinking that the logo was cool and I would like to have a plain black Tapout logo shirt. At this time, the super bandwagon fringe hadn't taken over and I had no qualms about representing a sport and lifestyle I loved.
Fast forward to the last few years and I would be no less than EMBARRASSED to be seen in their gear now. I teach school at a junior high now and it is laughable how many kids are sporting their Tapout/Affliction gear daily..kids with no athletic ability to boot.
It is just another great example of a good thing ruined by its over popularity and saturation into the general public.
Sadly, we have to accept the bad with the good. The incredible rise in the popularity of MMA lends credence and a general acceptance of our sport. More exposure brings rise to more potential fighters and evolution of the sport.... It also brings in the fans that still think WCW (or whatever) is real.
Anyone that has ever been to a small time MMA or fight show has no doubt experienced the extreme hostility between patrons as each posse tries to out "hard" everyone else in attendance. I avoid the bar scene like the plague at this point..I dont need 22 year old Tapout guy mad-dogging me for 3 straight hours.

[Kovacs]

The events I've been to in the UK are generally good amateur/semi-pro levels and sometimes the fighters and their teams would hang around after a fight and talk with each other or other clubs, fans or whatever. The fans were always drinking heavily but generally the vibe was always good despite obvious rivalries.

Some of the hosting venues were nightclubs which held an after party post fight and every ticket got you into the club. This is where it always got nippy, It would always be young guys in horrible clothes drinking cheap and nasty drinks spouting how 'their' fighter was better than someone elses, they hardly train and never even fight anyway. Every fucking time.

[stridingcloud]

The events I've been to in the UK are generally good amateur/semi-pro levels and sometimes the fighters and their teams would hang around after a fight and talk with each other or other clubs, fans or whatever. The fans were always drinking heavily but generally the vibe was always good despite obvious rivalries.

Some of the hosting venues were nightclubs which held an after party post fight and every ticket got you into the club. This is where it always got nippy, It would always be young guys in horrible clothes drinking cheap and nasty drinks spouting how 'their' fighter was better than someone elses, they hardly train and never even fight anyway. Every fucking time.

That sounds awful. And I was looking forward to going to some small time events because MMA was just recently legalized in Ontario.

[Turrry]

I actually bought a local team's shirt the other night at an amateur event. I don't even do MMA but I enjoy watching it so I thought I'd support a local gym...now I'm that guy I guess...CRAP.

[stridingcloud]

I actually bought a local team's shirt the other night at an amateur event. I don't even do MMA but I enjoy watching it so I thought I'd support a local gym...now I'm that guy I guess...CRAP.

I think that's different. Wearing your Kyokushin Club hoodie or wearing a T-Shirt representing your local gym is different from wearing a Tapout or Affliction T-Shirt. And I don't think anyone is saying don't wear the T-Shirt. Just don't play into the stereotype... seriously bro.

[ZZMaxX]

I'm old and my memory is fuzzy, but I seem to recall Vitor Belfort sporting some Tapout "look at my ass" speedo shorts in his first stint in the UFC many moons ago. I remember thinking that the logo was cool and I would like to have a plain black Tapout logo shirt. At this time, the super bandwagon fringe hadn't taken over and I had no qualms about representing a sport and lifestyle I loved.
Fast forward to the last few years and I would be no less than EMBARRASSED to be seen in their gear now. I teach school at a junior high now and it is laughable how many kids are sporting their Tapout/Affliction gear daily..kids with no athletic ability to boot.
It is just another great example of a good thing ruined by its over popularity and saturation into the general public.
Sadly, we have to accept the bad with the good. The incredible rise in the popularity of MMA lends credence and a general acceptance of our sport. More exposure brings rise to more potential fighters and evolution of the sport.... It also brings in the fans that still think WCW (or whatever) is real.
Anyone that has ever been to a small time MMA or fight show has no doubt experienced the extreme hostility between patrons as each posse tries to out "hard" everyone else in attendance. I avoid the bar scene like the plague at this point..I dont need 22 year old Tapout guy mad-dogging me for 3 straight hours.

Apparently, you don't even need to be in a bar for it to happen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QflmP...eature=related

[Andelas]

This clip has been around for a while but I have always liked it. The guy that shoots in on the drunk, albeit in slow motion, obviously had an idea of what he was doing. He closed the gap and then controlled from the side while on the ground. It also looks like at some point he is working an Americana but then just controls the elbow.
A basic understanding of ground control completely neutralizes the drunk. Love it!