Quality and interesting MMA interviews, and articles

[Fizzy]

Note from Guy:

This thread is solely meant for interviews and articles. Stuff like news stories still goes in the News and Tidbits thread. Thanks.

Oh, and spam rules of course still apply. If you post a story, give a reason why you're sharing it.

This thread is for good quality interviews that don't deserve their own thread, but that you found interesting, or that had something interesting in it. Any kind of interviews or reports that you found should be posted here. To start:

The fans in the audience at the Crown Coliseum thought it was a gunshot.

Corey Hill didn't know it had happened until he planted his right leg and had it collapse under him. Those of us watching on TV didn't believe our eyes at first. It was only on the replay that we clearly saw what had happened -- a devastating compound fracture of Hill's tibia and fibula.
"The pain was unbelievable," Hill recalls.

The long lanky fighter from “The Ultimate Fighter 5” had fired a low kick at Dale Hartt midway through their December 2008 UFC bout in Fayetteville, N.C. Hartt raised his left leg to defend, catching Hill's shin just below his knee. At the moment of contact both of the bones in Hill's lower leg snapped and his foot and ankle flipped laterally at a gruesome angle.

Many of us with medical backgrounds who saw the injury assumed Hill would never fight again. We were wrong: He's fighting former WEC champion Rob McCullough on Thursday at Tachi Palace Fights 6, looking to take his post-injury record to 3-1.

The medicine, physics and psychology behind Hill's injury and recovery are fascinating. Leg strikers generally target three areas: the calf complex including the gastrocnemius muscle and soleus muscle, the knee itself and the hamstring complex, a group of four muscles allowing flexion of the knee and extension of the hip. As the muscles are struck they fill with blood and stiffen up; this is known as "corking" in the parlance of sports medicine.

Striking the lateral portion of the knee, where Hill seems to have been targeting his kick, can contuse the peroneal nerve and cause foot drop. These injuries rarely cause long-term damage, but they weaken the muscle tremendously for days. A corked calf can't flex the foot, and a corked hamstring can't flex the knee -- both movements are vital for walking or stepping into a punch.

The best defense to leg kicks is evasion or a leg check. In a properly executed leg check, the oncoming blow is caught on the raised externally rotated tibia; this can be terribly painful but protects the muscles and nerves from injury. Hartt used a textbook leg check against Hill, and biomechanically the fight was over.

The anatomy of the tibia is such that the thickest, broadest portion of the bone is proximal, immediately below the knee, at the tibial tuberosity. The bone then tapers downward before flaring at the bottom to join the talus at the ankle. The thinnest part of Hill's tibia contacted the thickest part of Hartt's. Hill's long frame accentuated the mismatch in bone thickness. Newton's Second Law is unyielding: The force of attack is exactly equal to the force of opposition. The thinner bone broke. Once the tibia broke, the fibula -- a far smaller bone -- snapped milliseconds later.

Hill lay on the mat. Behind the stoic face his mind raced: "I thought, ‘That's it. End of everything. Why me?’ Self pity -- the whole thing."

Hill went to the hospital immediately; surgery was scheduled the next morning. He endured a long nightmare night staring at his mangled leg knowing everything he had worked for in his life was gone.



"Only the pain let me know it wasn't a dream," Hill says.

Some fractures are managed with a simple cast, but a compound fracture of this complexity required internal fixation, placement of rods and pins to bind the broken bones together. If the injury had been worse, if the skin had been torn open or the fracture had been comminuted -- shattered into a multitude of gravel like fragments -- it's possible no repair could have been undertaken. Rather than talk about rehab there would have been serious discussions regarding the advisability of amputation.

After surgery Hill asked his doctor what he could expect for the future. The answer was simple: You'll walk with a limp forever and never fight again. He got a second opinion. And a third. And a fourth.

"These were educated people, professionals with degrees, telling me only a fool would clear me to fight,” Hill says, “that I needed to find another career."

His faith sustained him, and his wife spurred him on. The sixth doctor they spoke to offered some hope: "He pulled the pins out at six months and told me if I could endure the pain of rehab, I might be able to fight."

Rehab was arduous. “I'd be running and crying because of the pain,” Hill says. “But after three or four months, I stopped feeling helpless."

One day in rehab he met a double amputee, his leg stumps hidden beneath an Afghan.

"He was smiling and had this great attitude. I thought, 'Why am I complaining? It could be so much worse.'"

From that point on he never looked back. Rehab and training weren't any easier, but Hill's experience had made him re-evaluate his life and recommit to professional MMA.

"I would go the gym and kind of prop myself against the wall and ask guys to come on and spar with me,” he says. “Half my family thought I was crazy to stick with MMA, but I knew God had a plan for me."

Beyond fighting, Hill says much of his life is better after the injury.

"It taught me humility,” he explains. “I'm a better father and a better husband. I know [MMA] can all just go away, and when it does it'll be my family that is still there for me."

In the end, Hill says the doctors were half right: "I still limp, but I can fight."

A medical condition known as "drop toe" affects his gait, but while fighting Hill shows no signs of residual injury. In fact, he may be a better fighter now than before his injury.

Fighters are not defined by their bones and muscles -- those are merely the tools of the trade. It is the warrior spirit -- tempered by the fire of adversity -- that elevates fighters like Hill.

"God has sustained me,” he says. “I owe it all to Him. Now every time I walk in the ring I know I'm acting out my destiny."

I was never a huge fan of Corey Hill, but this article really made me a big fan of him. The guys heart and determination to succeed in what he loves doing is remarkable. After being told by five doctors he won't fight again he never lost hope or gave up. His attitude, and look on life, and whats important in it is really special, and I really became a fan of his after reading this. Many people would hang em up after being told that so many times, and it is really a miracle that he is fighting again. Very good guy who I would really like to see succeed in the sport.

 

[Fizzy]

Theodore Roosevelt may have been the last of the presidential bad-asses: Our 26th leader was quite fond of judo, boxing and wrestling, and even scolded states looking to ban pugilism to stop being a bunch of nannies. (There is anecdotal evidence Barack Obama is an MMA fan, but he probably couldn’t nail a double-leg: bet Teddy could.)

While politicians are too ramrod-straight to consider such endorsements today, there is one exception: Independent Senate candidate Mike Spears, who this week challenged incumbent Senator David Vitter to a mixed martial arts cage match to settle their differences.

According to Spears, he’s seeking a “modern-day duel” stemming from Vitter’s admission to being involved in a prostitution ring in 2007, an act that “insulted the honor” of their state. Spears says he intends to compete in a cage match regardless of Vitter’s response.

Is this a publicity stunt? Duh: Vitter is flirting with 50 and probably doesn’t incorporate shark tank drills and tire flips into his regular exercise routine. We get the joke, but Louisiana probably isn’t laughing: Spears does himself few favors by appearing to be one chromosome away from a rabid animal. Is this the guy you want heading up a pretzel stand? Sure. A major political seat? Teddy just did a forward roll in his grave.

First of all.. Lol... I think people would watch this just to laugh at it. Two politicians actually fighting it out in the octagon is something I would watch just for sheer entertainment. I have heard of both of these men, but don't know if either have any type of combat sports, but it's good to see that any type of senators or anything are actually fans of MMA, and big enough fans to actually challenge another. It will be rather hilarious to watch two old men swinging at eachother. Now if we could only get that goddamn Bob Reilly in there.

 

[Buffalo Dave]

MMAjunkie:

AUSTIN, Texas – Prior to his now legendary UFC 117 clash with Anderson Silva, UFC middleweight contender Chael Sonnen launched a months-long verbal assault of epic proportions.

While an official date has yet to be announced for the forthcoming rematch, Sonnen is already up to his old tricks.

And while it's Silva on whom the challenger is most focused, he's got some kind words for "a French-Canadian Minnie Mouse," the UFC's heavyweight champion with a "$5 haircut and a knife tattooed on [his] chest," and a certain "Axe Murderer" who Sonnen says "used to be a fighter."

"I'm ready to go,' Sonnen said at Tuesday's special Q&A session at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas. "Is Anderson here somewhere? I'll kick his ass from Austin all the way to San Antonio.

"People keep saying, 'Chael, you're hyping the fight.' No I'm not. Hyping a fight is when I tell you guys, 'This is going to be a great fight.' I did just the opposite (before the first fight), and I'm going to do just the opposite now. This is not going to be a great fight. This is going to be him getting beat up for 25 minutes or until he gives up."

Sonnen appeared well on his way to victory in the pair's August meeting after dominating the champion through nearly four-and-a-half rounds. But the fight took an unpredictable turn in the fifth and final frame when Silva latched onto a desperation triangle choke and elicited the tap from Sonnen.

Sonnen predicts it will be different this time around, and he was less-than-complimentary of Silva's vaunted standup attack even after witnessing it first hand.

"I think [Silva] is a great fighter, but he's not as good as me," Sonnen said. "He's not as good as Yushin Okami, either. He's not the best guy in the world, and he never has been. He's a sham.

"He's one of these guys that throws leg kicks. So what if you get get kicked in your leg? What a bunch of [crying]. Getting kicked in the leg and admitting that hurts is like admitting you're scared in the dark. It may be true, but if you say it, you're a real wimp."

Sonnen said he's not discounting the danger that Silva presents in the rematch. Nevertheless, he believes the belt will be wrapped firmly around his waist after the second meeting, and he's already considering a few superfights afterward.

Sonnen said he'd be willing to move down a bit and face welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre in a catchweight contest or jump up a class and challenge current light heavyweight title holder Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.

"'GSP' had better pray to heaven above that 'Shogun' accepts my challenge because one of those two is getting beat up," Sonnen said.

When called on his bluff by a fan in regards to a potential matchup with St-Pierre, Sonnen immediately launched into one of his patented tirades while insisting he was more than serious.

'If GSP said he wanted to fight me, the first thing I would say is the same thing I say every time I hear GSP talk: 'Dang it that guy sounds like a French-Canadian Minnie Mouse,'" Sonnen said. "That's the first thing I'd say. Then I'd say, 'Hey, GSP, let me ask you a serious question – do you have a designated driver? Do you have someone to get you home safely? Because clearly you are intoxicated.

"'GSP, do you have a hankering for pain? GSP, did you lose a bet with God? GSP, bring your $3,000 suit, bring your $3 date and get the three-cent tan knocked off your socialist back.' If you see GSP, give him that message for me."

Sonnen didn't limit his challenges to fighters outside his own division. There were brief mentions of Michael Bisping ("I don't think I'm going to help his career") and Wanderlei Silva ("used to be a fighter"), for instance.

But as testament to his belief that it's simply not possible to bite off more than he can chew, Sonnen took his challenges all the way to the top – UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar.

"If Brock Lesnar was here right now, I'd take my boot off and throw it at him, and he'd better polish it up before he brings it back to me," Sonnen said. "Talking about he's the baddest guy in the UFC? Brock, quit eating so many raw eggs and doing push-ups because it's affecting your realm of reality. Are you kidding me? I'd slap you in your face, and you wouldn't do anything.

"'I'm Brock Lesnar. I've got this $5 haircut and a knife tattooed on my chest.' I'll shove it up your face if you get in Chael Sonnen's way."

So with another shot at the UFC's middleweight title on the horizon, Sonnen's trash-talking range once again knows no limits. And in an effort to step up his game from the awe-inspiring levels of his UFC 117 clash with Silva, Sonnen has now taken to operating with completely different mediums.

With that in mind, Sonnen debuted a poem-in-progress, currently titled "Anderson, who you gonna send?"

"Anderson, who you gonna send?"

Anderson, think it through.
There's still a few months before they lock the cage door behind me and you.
Last time, they raised your hand, but it was plain to see
I took a lot more about of you than you took out of me.
I broke the mirror, and I blew away the smoke.
It was me who tapped, but it was you who broke.

-Chael Sonnen

The things that come out of this man's mouth get funnier and funnier. I legit lol'd when I read the GSP comments. The comments about Brock were pretty funny as well. I would love to see him smack Brock in the face and watch him do nothing, that might just happen!! That poem was pretty dead on as well, especially that last line It was me who tapped, but it was you who broke. so very true. At least Chael can talk as much shit as he wants because we all know he backs it up!! However I hope he stays at Middleweight, if he loses the rematch with Silva, I would love to see him destroy Bisping. Although a fight with GSP is intriguing, I would rather see Shields vs. GSP first.

 

[Fizzy]

I believe Sonnen knows he is to big for GSP, and knows GSP won't come up in weight right now to fight him. If however GSP put on the weight properly, and got to Sonnens size then I believe Sonnen would be in trouble. As for the comments on Lesnar. Lol is all I can say. No way in hell Chael would act like that to his face. No man in their right mind would. Sonnen would be mauled. It's hilarious how the guy talks shit when he lost, and to a guy two weight classes separate from him. It also seems he is a bit jealous because he talks so much shit about all champions. GSP at his size would be the favorite in a good fight, but Shogun would destroy him, and Lesnar wouldn't even be fair considering how big he is. It's all just funny.