Lex McMahon, Ranger Up’s loved contributing writer, was interviewed recently, along with MC Hammer.

There may have been some gold thrown around.

Just saying.

MC Hammer Interview by Lex McMahon

by

Lex McMahon

Last night my band of brothers assembled for a night of holiday fellowship – Korean BBQ, cigars, and port. As great as the night was there was a void. One of our brothers, Cesar is currently deployed to Afghanistan for his second tour.

Most of my brothers are part of one gun club or another – Marines, Army, or law enforcement – it does not matter they’ve all been in harm’s way and fully understand the all too often taken for granted concepts of service and sacrifice.

As we sat around the proverbial campfire smoking our cigars the war stories invariably came out. We each recounted firefights, ambushes, and assorted near death experiences such as a RPG attacks while taking a shit.

During the course of our conversation my thoughts kept wandering back to Cesar. What was he doing? Had he been in any significant contact yet? How would he and his Marines celebrate Christmas?

After a great night of testosterone enhancement with my brothers and with Cesar still very much on my mind I headed home to the comfort, love, and safety of my family.

Before I went to bed I jumped online to send an email to Cesar to wish him a happy holiday and to let him know that our group of friends had gotten together for dinner and had saluted his sacrifice. Cesar happened to be online and promptly responded with this message:

“Yesterday was a bad day. Three medvacs, one double amputation…. I’m ok and so are my guys”

As I read Cesar’s email I was reminded that the amazing night I had just shared with friends and the holidays I was about to enjoy with family were a gift. A gift paid for by the service and sacrifice of Cesar and his Marines and the other members of our military.

Know this – as you enjoy your holidays with friends and family, you have been afforded this luxury by the service and sacrifice of others. Somewhere in Iraq and Afghanistan a Marine, Soldier, Sailor, or Airman is living in a dirt hole, has not eaten for days, has not bathed in weeks, and is fighting for his life and the life of his brothers-in-arms.

So as you listen to Christmas music, drink eggnog, eat too much food, open presents, and spend time with your loved ones – take a moment to pray for those that have given you the gift of freedom which allows you the opportunity to do all these amazing things. Pray for Cesar.

For those who don’t know, Marines have long celebrated our founding on November 10th 1775 at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia where a committee of the Continental Congress met to draft a resolution calling for two battalions of Marines able to fight for independence at sea and shore. Furthermore, Samuel Nicholas was appointed the first Commandant and Robert Mullan (owner of Tun Tavern) was commissioned as a Captain and the first recruiter – that’s right the guy selling the beer also sold potential recruits on the benefits of the Corps!

Throughout the years since our founding, Marines have celebrated the birthday of the Corps. In 1925 the first formal Birthday Ball was held in Philadelphia and many of the traditions now celebrated were instituted. However, given the nature of our jobs it not uncommon for Marines to celebrate down range and in harms way without the pageantry and gentile company that garrison life affords.

One such birthday celebration occurred on November 10th 2004, the Second Battle of Fallujah known as Operation Phantom Fury had started just three days prior as Marines stepped across the line of departure into a heavily defended urban hell that was Fallujah. As Marines engaged in some of the most ferocious close quarters combat in the history of the Corps, a surreal but very poignant moment played out. This same moment has repeated on countless battlefields throughout the years in places such as Tripoli, Belleau Wood, Iwo Jima, the Chosin Reservoir, Khe San, Mogadishu, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

In the midst of the din of battle as AK-47’s & RPG’s impacted all around a pinned down platoon of Marine grunts, a battle weary Sgt turned to his platoon and said with a wry grin: “hey devil dogs, it’s November 10th, Happy Birthday”! The Marines responded with a short sharp vigorous Marine Corps growl “ooh rah” and returned to the task at hand– killing haji!

A few hours passed and a lull in the fighting prompted a young private to ask: “Hey Sgt, where’s my birthday cake?” The resourceful Marine NCO rummaged through his kit and MRE where he found a packet of pound cake, peanut butter spread, and an unfiltered Marlboro. The Sgt used these ingredients to create a field expedient Marine Corps birthday cake complete with a candle (the Marlboro) that would have made Chesty Puller proud.

Next the Sgt called his platoon to gather around the cake where he stated: “we may be far from home, fighting for our lives in this godforsaken city with drug crazed haji’s all around us shouting Alakhbar. We may be low on ammunition, food, and water. We have neither slept nor bathed in a week. But do not despair Marines for we have our history and each other. The hippies sitting back at home may question our sanity for pausing in the middle of a battle to celebrate our Corps’ birthday – forgive them their ignorance for they do not know that our history, traditions and symbols are what gird us for battle and give us the strength to fight harder and longer than our enemy ever will”.

The Sgt. cut two piece’s of cake and gave them to the oldest and youngest Marines in the group, then as he passed the rest of pound cake amongst his Marines he said “I don’t know what the Commandant’s Birthday Message was, but I do know that our celebration of the Corps birthday on this day is what being a Marine is all about – Semper Fi Marines!”

No matter where you are today, whether it is in the ballroom of the Ritz Carlton (gotta be an officer’s ball) or in an LP/OP in some remote mountain pass in the Hindu Kush, take a moment to reflect on the history of our Corps and the brothers and sisters you call Marine, for these are truly the things worth celebrating.

During my first deployment to the Horn of Africa in 1992, I was stationed in the chaotic third world shit-hole that was Mogidishu, Somalia where living conditions were austere at best.  I lived in a dirt fighting hole, didn’t bathe for the first month, ate rancid camel meat,  battled a dizzying array of my arch nemesis – snakes, and got shot at regularly by skinny Somali’s wearing flip flops.

So you can imagine my surprise when during my second deployment to Africa in 1994 the MEU commander gave us orders to Mombassa, Kenya, a legendary liberty port full of opportunities for debauchery.  Even better was the news that we would be billeted in a five star beach resort, which by the way was a hot bed of beautiful European women on holiday.

Having befriended Umbutu, a local merchant in the hotel, I was perfectly positioned to meet my destiny.  Sitting in the lobby one afternoon an absolutely gorgeous Nordic blonde goddess walked out of the African savannah and into my life.  As soon as I laid eyes on this lovely lady I knew she would be mine. Oh yes, she would be mine!

Me: Wow, who is that?

Umbutu: You’ve got good taste my friend, her name is Pernilla Larson, she is a tour guide for the Europeans.  Would you like me to introduce you?

Pernilla Larson…sounds Swedish. I wonder if the stories about Swedish women being sexually free-spirited are true?  I’m damn well going to find out.

Me: Umbutu, you’re kidding right? You know her?

Lucky bastard!

Umbutu: Lex, don’t be silly my smitten friend. Of course I know her.  And you may want to wipe that drool off your chin before she notices.

Me: Damn skippy. Hook me up, brother!

A few days later I stopped by Umbutu’s shop, a trendy boutique serving the fashion needs of Mombasa’s social divas and European tourists alike, where I was greeted with the glorious news that he had invited a group of friends out for a night of drinks and clubbing.  Pernilla would be there and was looking forward to meeting me.

Holy shit! The hot Swedish girl wants to meet me.

On the appointed day I met up with Umbutu and his crew for a night on the town.  Pernilla looked absolutely stunning with full luscious lips, long firm legs, and a perfect set of tits that would make even Jenna Jameson jealous. Additionally. she had a warm and engaging personality that made conversation easy.  After several hours of dancing it was obvious that Pernilla was taken by my natural charm and Michael Jackson like dance moves (tough to beat the lawn mower and robot!)  As Pernilla leaned in for a kiss, I had a flash back to the wisdom of Bob Hodges, Robert Duvall’s character in the movie Colors:  “There’s two bulls standing on top of a mountain. The younger one says to the older one: “Hey pop, let’s say we run down there and fuck one of them cows”. The older one says: “No son. Lets walk down and fuck ‘em all.”

Ok Lex, play it cool. Kiss her on the cheek and tell her you’re interested in more than just her body, you want to get to know her first.

Pernilla looked at me and smiled.  I’m sure she was thinking wow what a gentlemen. Sure. And Michael Jackson was clearly hetero, he was just misunderstood.

A week later Pernilla and I went out for a romantic dinner.  I spared no expense trying to impress her.  First we went to a Belgian restaurant where we had champagne and wine.  Next we went to the club for some dancing.  And then to the beach for a walk under the full moon light as the warm water from the Indian Ocean washed over our feet.  It was a perfect night.

Sensing that the mood was right, it was now time to move the party up to my room, I did one of the cheesiest and most cliché things I had ever done; I invited her up to room so I could read her poetry.   Yep, that’s right, poetry.  About five lines into my poem, Pernilla looked at me and said the best thing a women has ever said to me (of course excluding when my lovely wife accepted my proposal):

“Lex, I’m Swedish, we’re going to have sex.”

Oh thank God!

Shit, I just blew a load.

I wonder if she is typically European and has hairy armpits, legs, and bush?  Fuck it, who am I kidding, she could have a Persian back rug and I’d still hump her.

At the time, the true meaning of what Pernilla was saying to me did not sink in.  Yes, we had marathon sex sessions that were worthy of a gold medal in the Sexual Olympics!  In fact we dated for nearly six months – it was incredible!  However, with a bit of age and wisdom came the realization that what Pernilla was really saying was “Dude, you’re gonna get laid, quit trying so hard. You’re embarrassing yourself and I’m becoming less attracted to you with every verse of your pathetic dribble!”  Damn you and your bulls Bob Hodges!

So the moral of the story kids is when a hot Swedish chick moves in to kiss you, don’t be a douche and pull the Don Juan crap. Ranger up and get the girl to bed as quickly as possible before she changes her mind.  Good things come to those who wait, but only the things left behind by those who hustled.

by

Lex McMahon

“Sir, no sir, this recruit does not think that Drill Instructor Staff Sergeant Carpenter is an asshole, Sir!” This phrase became my mantra for twelve long weeks in 1991. The Drill Instructor in Full Metal Jacket had nothing on the sadistic bastard who pounded sand up my ass and crushed my ego.But I’m getting carried away and starting to get an erection again.

Let’s start from the beginning.

When I joined the Corps I was 230 pounds of mostly muscle, I’d just completed my first season of college football.I was the easiest sell the recruiter ever had.I walked into his office and said,“Sign me up, I want to be a grunt. I can leave tomorrow if need be. I’m ready to go. I’m a big dude. I can handle it.”

My recruiter, Sergeant Mack, flashed a toothy grin across his demonic visage. During the month that I was waiting to ship to boot camp, Mack filled my head with delusions of grandeur. He assured me that with my gung ho attitude I’d surely be the next Chesty Puller or at least graduate as company honor man.

Emboldened by Mack’s assurances that I was destined for my own statue next to the Iwo Jima Memorial, I stepped off the bus at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego with an arrogant swagger and placed my feet upon the yellow footprints awaiting what was certain to be immediate recognition of how bad ass I really was. Of course the DI’s did not quite see it my way. Over the course of the first sleep deprived days, where it seemed that I could do nothing right, I began to question Mack’s motivation for praising my abilities.

By the time the receiving process ended and my platoon was finally formed, I no longer had the swagger and cockiness. The first few days had been rough, but I figured it couldn’t get any worse, right? And Bill Clinton did not have sexual relations with that woman, Monica Lewinsky, either.

It was time to meet the training cadre and the DI who would quickly become my nemesis, Drill Instructor Staff Sergeant Carpenter, a Force Recon Marine who I was convinced by looking at him could drink napalm and piss pure fire. He was the living incarnation of John Wayne.

On one of the first training days my platoon was taken to the PT field for an introduction to log drills, where a team of 5 or 6 recruits join together to conduct exercises using a 500-pound log. In the civilian world it would make sense to put teams together of people of similar size so as to spread the workload evenly. But this was the United States Marine Corps where adversity routinely dropped from the heavens so we could experience how to fuck it in the ass. I was placed on a log with the newest members of what the DI’s called the Midget Militia, not one of the recruits was over 5’4’’ tall and weighed more than 145 pounds. To add insult to injury, I was placed on the end of the log, which resulted in me having to do the lion’s share of the work. As I grunted out each repetition Drill Instructor Carpenter began hurling insults at me.

“Recruit Fat Body (that’s me), you’re not working hard enough, you’re letting the Midget Militia down, are you going to let your fellow Marines down in combat? I think so! You don’t deserve to join my beloved Corps!”

That’s when it happened. The words came out before I could stop them. Like the lead singer from the Dixie Chicks who bashed President Bush, I said something that would reverberate through my entire life and I instantly regretted. I looked Drill Instructor Carpenter square in his Charlie Manson gaze and said, “You’re an asshole!”

Oh. Dear. Lord.

The earth cracked open. People began falling into the deep chasm that threatened the very survival of the human race and yet, Carpenter and his minions felt the need to correct me instead of run for cover. In the midst of the hellish thrashing I endured (during which my ass nearly ignited spontaneously) several thoughts occurred to me:

1) Did I really just say that?

2) In a split second I’ve made my stay on the Depot infinitely harder.

3) I wonder what my friends back home are doing right now? I bet they are at Fat Burger.

4) I miss Fat Burger. Especially when the cheese melts over the sides of the bun and you have to pry it off the plate with a sharp knife because there ain’t no way in hell I’m not eating it.

5) Isn’t it elk season?

6) Someone just broke wind.

7) OK, snap out of it. It’s time to suck it up and prove that I deserve to be a Marine, despite my catastrophic loss of bearing.

It was in this moment of clarity that I resolved to never be broken again. I was determined to be the toughest son of a bitch in the valley!

At the conclusion of my epic thrashing, I thought, “Well that pretty much sucked, but it’s over, I’ve paid my penance and atoned for my sins.” Ah, to be young and naive again.

Drill Instructor Carpenter saw my insult as an opportunity to teach other recruits how not to be the shit bird that I was.

At the start of every class throughout the remaining twelve weeks of boot camp, Drill Instructor Carpenter would call me to attention in front of the rest of the platoon or company and ask if I thought he was still an asshole. My robotic response was always the same: “Sir, no sir, this recruit does not think that Drill Instructor Staff Sergeant Carpenter is an asshole, Sir!”

The payback did not stop with the public inquisitions. Every time I turned around there was Drill Instructor Carpenter, whispering in my ear that he was going to rip my eyes out and use my empty eye sockets as his personal spittoon. In the middle of the night, I would awake to find him hovering millimeters from my face ready to administer some “old Corps” remedial training.

Despite, or more likely, because of Drill Instructor Carpenter’s constant pressure, I graduated as honor man and was meritoriously promoted. On graduation day, basking in the euphoria of the moment with my family, Drill Instructor Carpenter approached with a grin and asked, “So Marine, am I still an asshole”? I thought for a moment and responded: “Yes Staff Sergeant. You are, but thank you. You made me the Marine I am today.” We shook hands and he walked away. I would never see Carpenter again, but I have thought of him often. The lessons he imparted helped me persevere and thrive when the bullets started flying in Somalia. Discipline will not only separate you from the long haired hippies who saunter through life with blinders on and not a care in the world, but it will also save your life.

Even if an asshole has to be the one to make you realize it.

Insightful Commentary On Difficult Issues Facing MMA: Steroids, Demise of Affliction, & Fedor’s Future

In the wake of a calamitous week for Affliction, MMA fans are left with more questions than answers as they sort through the rumors and try to make sense of the inexplicable series of events that have rocked the MMA world.  Are you asking yourself: “what’s Guy Mezger going to say that I don’t already know about this situation?”  Well, there’s a reason he is the mind behind HDNET Fights.  Guy Mezger, president of HDNET Fights, has agreed to help shed some light on what has been a tumultuous and potentially historic week for MMA.

Guy, it’s been a crazy week in MMA that has taken the fans on a roller coaster ride, let’s cut right to the chase, what impact will the collapse of Affliction as a fight promoter have on MMA?

There is no question that it is another setback for MMA.  It is important that there are multiple organizations that are successful.  The more successful organizations that there are, the greater the viewing opportunities for the fans and the more opportunities for fighters to break into the game and showcase their skills.  So, it’s a shame that the number of opportunities for quality fights for both fans and fighters have been reduced.

Yesterday I read one of your Twitter posts where you indicated that they had too much, too soon.  Can you expand on this?

Sure, simply stated, they bit off too much, too soon.  Affliction is great at their core business of making t-shirts.  However, this did not translate to their business of promoting MMA events.  They were not organized enough.  They did not have the financial resources in place for the long term.  They needed a five-year plan.  I don’t think they had the long-term vision required to be successful as an MMA promoter.  They should have built a foundation and grown the business over time.

Does the demise of Affliction as a promoter of fights open the door for HDNET Fights to promote fights or will you steer your organization away from the graveyard that is filled with the UFC’s competitors?

There is always a possibility that we will do shows, but for now it is much easier for us to help other organizations do shows.  We have the T.V. element.  We do T.V. very well.  We have a great team of producers, film crew, and on-air personalities.  However, down the road you never know what Mark (Cuban) may want to do, he might want to do some shows.  But for the time being we have no plans of doing any shows.

What lessons can other MMA promotions take from the failures of the IFL, Elite XC and Affliction?

Scott Coker and Strikeforce are the best example of how to promote shows and grow a business the right way.  Scott was smart; he started as a regional promotion first.  He focused on developing athletes and their brand such as Frank Shamrock who is still very popular with MMA fans.  It was not until the foundation was in place that Scott even thought about national expansion.

Also, a key lesson is to build and cultivate a rapport with MMA fans.  One of the things that killed the IFL was that their shows were not suited for the live audience.  The shows were painfully long and lacked entertainment value.  One of the things that the Japanese fight organizations such as DREAM and K-1 do very well is they entertain from start to finish.  The Japanese have great productions.  I’d like to see some of the American organizations pick up on this a bit.  Affliction tried, but there needs to be more.  Of course it will need to be geared to the American audience.  It will need to be shorter, but I really think improving the entertainment of the overall fight experience is important.

What impact does the shrinking competitive landscape have on fighter paydays?

It’s not good.  As it stands now most guys are fighting as part time work, because they just aren’t making the money yet.  It’s no different than boxing where 99% of the fighters make very little money and 1% makes almost all of the money.  I tell guys all the time to fight because they love to fight, not because they want to get rich.  If they go in with that mindset then they will be successful and the money will come.  In the early days I did not make a lot of money, I fought because I loved getting in the ring and testing myself.  It was not until later with organizations like PRIDE that I started making good money.

Also, in fairness to the UFC, I think they pay pretty well.  The UFC takes all the financial risk; they are running a business and need to make a profit.  I think this is one of the reasons Affliction failed, they paid too much money to too many fighters, and their business did not support that type of payroll.

There is a lot of speculation that Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko has either signed with the UFC or will do so in the coming days.  What would Fedor fighting for the UFC mean to MMA?

I just spoke with the folks at M-1, and they told me that Fedor has not signed with the UFC yet.  However, if Fedor does sign with the UFC it will answer a lot of questions about how good he really is.  Fedor will face stiff competition right off the bat.  I’m sure he’ll face Brock Lesnar and Randy Couture.  Both of these fights would be huge events and are clearly what the fans want to see.  From the business perspective, it will make it more difficult to grow because all the top talent will be in one organization.  But for the fans, it would be a great thing!

Dana White has already stated that if Fedor signs with the UFC his first fight will be against Brock Lesnar for the heavyweight title.  Who do you think wins that fight?

Brock Lesnar is a tough fighter.  He is a really good wrestler with good boxing.  Not to mention that come fight time he probably weighs 285 pounds.  But, I think Fedor can win.

As you’ve already stated, Brock Lesnar is a formidable opponent, he certainly is no Hong Man Choi, but he also does not have the experience or skill of Fedor.  If you where training Brock for his fight against Fedor what would your strategy be?

Brock Lesnar is a really good athlete, he is a decent boxer; he is a natural counter puncher with a really good chin.  So I’d tell him to keep the fight standing up and against the cage where he can use his striking, size, and power to get in some dirty boxing and punish Fedor.  Also, by keeping the fight standing up, Brock will mitigate his vulnerability to submissions.  This last point is vital; Fedor can lock in a submission from virtually any position, his submissions are great.

With the collapse of Affliction and the imminent possibility of the UFC signing Fedor, what are the next milestones for the UFC?

First, if the UFC does in fact sign Fedor that would be big for them.  But more important is maintaining interest in the growth of the sport.  Despite popular perception, MMA is still not a mainstream sport.  MMA will be mainstream when it has mainstream sponsors such as Nike, Addidas, Coke, etc.

The UFC is in the midst of a systematic campaign of global expansion.  The crown jewel of international fight markets is Japan.  What obstacles will the UFC face if they try to break into Japan?

They would need a Japanese partner in order to be successful.  However, there are so many organizations in Japan already that are very successful with a loyal following of fans that it may not make sense for the UFC to go to Japan now.  If I were advising the UFC I’d suggest they focus their energy on more fertile international markets such as Europe, Canada, and South America. The only reason to go into Japan at this time is for lack of a better term, ego, if they want to prove that they can promote shows wherever they want. But honestly, Japan may be more headache and energy than its worth.

Josh Barnett’s most recent positive test for steroids just days before Affliction: Trilogy was the final blow that brought tumbling down the house of cards that was Affliction’s efforts to promote fights.  Do you think that another organization will take a chance on Barnett or do you think his MMA career is over?

It’s too bad that this occurred for many reasons.  Josh is smart guy and a good guy, but he certainly has done some damage to his career. I’m sure he is kicking himself.  As it stands now, he will not be able to fight in the U.S. for a year.  However, Josh is very popular in Japan so he might be able to go back and fight there, but it will likely be for less money than he was making.  Also, he may need to shift gears entirely; he has a good thing going in Japan as a pro wrestler.  The bottom line is he needs to make some decisions about his life and career.  Hopefully it works out for him, because he really is a good guy.

Josh Barnett’s positive test for steroids raises the ugly specter of the use of performance enhancing drugs in MMA.  How widespread is the use of these substances in MMA and what should be done to address it?

It’s sad but true that most performance athletes use drugs of some sort to enhance their ability to compete and win.  This is true of everything from Olympic sports to MMA.  In a perfect world fighters would put it on the line with what they can do naturally, but it’s not a perfect world.  If you want to get steroids and other performance enhancing drugs out of sports, the punishment needs to be very harsh.  I think a year long suspension is harsh, but it might need to be harsher than that in order to get drugs out of sports.

However, in order for change to really occur, the attitude of instant gratification, excel at all costs, needs to be addressed.  In many respects the use of performance enhancing drugs is a cultural issue.  If society placed a greater emphasis on doing things the right way, even if it takes longer, then there would be less motivation for athletes to use these substances.

I know you are the defensive tactics instructor for the Dallas police Academy.  Do you any other work with law enforcement or the military?

Yeah, I do.  I got started by working with a friend who was a defensive tactics instructor for a police department in Florida; we totally revamped the rules of engagement for hand-to-hand combat in law enforcement in Florida.  Also, I’ve worked with the Army, Marines, FBI, and Border Patrol in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.  Previously I’ve focused on working with the specialty units such as SWAT.  However, now I’m working more the defensive tactics instructors of the various agencies.

Guy, thanks so much for taking the time to chat with me and helping to make sense out of all the craziness going on in the MMA world right now.

For more information on Guy Mezger please visit www.guymezger.com

INTERVIEW WITH MAK TAKANO by Lex McMahon

As combat sports such as MMA and K-1 continue to skyrocket in popularity and the availability of international fight organizations is expanded thanks to the internet and media outlets such as HDNET, I thought it would be worthwhile to learn more about the Japanese fight game.  After watching Jose Canseco get brutalized by freakishly tall Hong Man Choi for less than a minute, I can’t figure out why Japanese MMA isn’t more popular.

In the U.S., one of the foremost experts on Japanese combat sports, Mak Takano, aka Big Mak Attack!  Mak has trained and managed some of the top fighters in the world and has worked closely with the premiere Japanese fight organizations to promote truly epic fight cards.

How did you get involved with the Japanese fight organizations and which organization(s) are you currently working with?

I started out by training champion Karate fighters in Japan; I would work with them to improve their strength and overall fitness for competitions.  Also, I’m a fighter myself; I train in Kenpo, Shoto-kan Karate, Judo, Kickboxing, Jui-Jitsu, and Aikido.  As a result, I’ve developed some great relationships. One thing led to another and I got involved training fighters for K-1.  As my relationship with K-1 grew, I began to help them promote fights.  I’m now working with both K-1 and DREAM.  Training fighters and promoting fights led to managing fighters; it was sort of a natural progression.

Who have you managed and whom are you currently managing?

I’ve been truly fortunate and am humbled to have worked with some great fighters over the years, including: BJ Penn and Ralek Gracie.  Also, I am very excited about the current group of fighters I am working with which include: Gesias “JZ” Calvancante, Kazuyuki Miyata, Bibiano Fernandes, & Black Mamba.

Which professional fighters have you trained?

In one way or another I train most of the fighters I manage, so you can include their names on this list, but I’ve also trained some other amazing fighters such as the great boxing champion Oscar De La Hoya and Grand Sumo Champion Akebono for his fight against Royce Gracie.

As you know, I’m a huge Gesias “JZ” Calvancante fan.  There are lots of rumors that JZ wants a fight with Joachim Hansen.  Do you think that fight will happen, if so when?

JZ was set to fight Hansen last New Years Eve, but Joachim got medically disqualified the day before the fight.  World MMA Rankings currently ranks Hansen, #5 in the world, so there is no question that JZ wants to finish the fight with this top ranked contender.  However, JZ and I are currently trying to work out a deal to fight Eddie Alvarez, who is currently ranked #4 by World MMA Rankings and is one of the hottest fighters out there.  Either way, JZ is looking to fight the best fighters in the world and is scheduled to fight again in early October of this year.

Mak, I know you’ve promoted some amazing fights in the U.S., can you tell us about some of those events?  Will we see you promoting fights again in the future?

I have promoted a few fights such as K-1 Hawaii, which I promoted four times, with the most recent show being the best – that was the fight you came to for your bachelor party Gökhan Saki won the tournament with a series of vicious leg kicks and really launched his career as a K-1 fighter. (Editor’s note: Bachelor party – I’ve got no idea what Mak is talking about! The last thing I remember was eating some Kalua pig and drinking a Mai Tai.)

I’ve also promoted Rumble on the Rock with my friends BJ & JD Penn; we did several of these shows.  In fact at one of the Rumble on the Rock events, I had Anderson Silva fighting Yushin Okami – it was a great fight that unfortunately resulted in Silva getting disqualified for an illegal up-kick to a grounded opponent.

Additionally, I promoted K-1 Dynamite at the Los Angeles Coliseum – this was the biggest MMA fight to date in terms of capacity. You were at that fight, if you remember, it was Brock Lesnar’s first MMA fight.  It certainly is possible that I’ll promote more shows in the future, but I’ll most likely focus on MMA and not K-1.

As the overall popularity of MMA continues to grow, what role do you see for women in MMA – keeping mind that we are about one month away from the much-anticipated Gina Carano V. Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos super fight?

I am very happy that MMA and K-1 style fighting have evolved to a point where women can headline a show.  In Japan there are quite a few female fighters.  In fact, I think it is safe to say that Japanese women were the pioneers for women in combat sports.  There are all women cards in Japan that are televised on the networks, it’s not primetime, but it is still being aired on the networks.

OVERVIEW OF JAPANESE FIGHT GAME

Currently, what are the major Japanese fight organizations?

Fighting is very popular in Japan; as a result there are many organizations.  However, the top organizations are: Dream, Deep, GCM, Shooto, Pancrase and K-1.  K-1 is by far the biggest.  Also, K-1 is behind Dream – you can think of Dream as the MMA branch of   K-1, although they are separate organizations.

How does the Japanese tournament style of fighting help or hinder the progression of a fighter?

I like tournament style of fighting.  Tournaments leave no questions about who is the best fighter – the best man is the champion.  Also, another advantage is that it can take a relatively unknown fighter and put them on the map and make them a serious contender or a champion in a short period of time.  A great example of this is JZ Calvancante, I had to practically beg the powers that be to let him compete in the Heroes Tournament a few years ago – he totally dominated that tournament – won the whole thing and was crowned champion, it turned him into a superstar in Japan overnight.

In the U.S. only a handful of fighters are making really big money, while the majority of the fighters do not get paid very well.  How does fighter compensation compare in Japan vs. the US?

The main difference is that in the U.S. fighters are typically paid a split amount meaning they get paid one amount to show up for the fight and they get paid another amount if they win the fight.  For example, in a smaller show in the U.S. a fighter might get paid $3,000 to show and another $3,000 if he wins.  In Japan, fighters are paid one amount – win, lose, or draw.

Another point is that in Japan, the majority of fighters are established; they are champions in other organizations or countries.  So when they do make it to Japan, they are able to command higher salaries than many of their U.S. counterparts.  For example, when Chase Beebe came to Japan, he was already a champion with the WEC , so he was able to start making good money right away. Also, I’d say that the big stars in Japan make more than most of the big stars in the U.S., fighting is hugely popular in Japan, as a result fighters can make very good money.

What are the most significant differences in the rules of MMA in Japan?

The main difference is that in Japan there are no elbows allowed.  There are a few reasons for this rule, with the top two reasons being to prevent premature stoppage of fights due to cuts and fights are shown on network TV in Japan, so they generally try to make it more family friendly by minimizing the amount of blood.

Another key difference is that knees are allowed to a grounded opponent, which is ironic given how devastating a knee strike can be.

What tips can you provide a fighter who wants to break into the Japanese fight game?

Make a name for yourself, win some tournaments, and make yourself a top ranked fighter.  There really is no shortcut to getting in the Japanese fight game – you’ve got to be established, you’ve got to be a premiere fighter.  The only other way is to find someone like me who knows how to scout talent and persuade the major Japanese promotions that you will make it.  It has only happened a few times, once with JZ, and currently with Bibiano Fernandes.  The bottom line is you gotta pay your dues and make a name for yourself if you want to make it to the pinnacle of the fighting world.

What are the differences between K-1 and MMA?

K-1 is a form of kickboxing; it is dynamic striking action that is non-stop.  In contrast, as the name implies, MMA incorporates many forms of martial arts that transition from striking to the ground game in the blink of an eye.  However, in MMA the pace is not always as fast as K-1 style fighting.

I love the dynamic striking of K-1 rules fighting, why do you think K-1 is not more popular in America?

That is a really good question; it is something that we at K-1 have been trying to figure out for several years now.  K-1 is the top sport in Japan, but struggles in the States, it is puzzling, but it might be because many people think that K-1 is kickboxing, it’s not.  kickboxing is not mainstream, and many people mistake K-1 with kickboxing.  Also, because K-1 is all about striking, it most closely resembles boxing; boxing fans are somewhat resistant to the martial arts as being legitimate.  However, I think the landscape is changing with all the great work being done by organizations like the UFC and Strikeforce.  Also, the manner in which HDNET is covering K-1 is dramatically increasing awareness about the talented fighters and incredible fights taking place in Japan.

Of the current K-1 and DREAM fighters, who would have the best chance to make it the major American MMA organizations such as the UFC or Strikeforce?

There are many fighters that are fighting in Japan that could easily make the transition to fighting in the States for the UFC or other organizations. Some examples that come to mind are JZ Calvancante, Eddie Alvarez, Alistair Overheem, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, and Kazuyuki Miyata.In fact, Alvarez and Overheem are already competing in the States in-between their fights in Japan.

In Japan the fights are contested in a ring – what are the advantages and disadvantages of fighting in a ring as opposed to a cage?

Fighting in a ring is different than fighting in a cage because you can’t use the ropes to your advantage either defensively or offensively like you can the cage.  In Japan, if fighters get near the ropes, they are either pushed back into the ring or the referee will stop the action and restart in the center of the ring.  In contrast, fighters use the cage to leverage into a better position or to pin an opponent against the cage for some vicious ground and pound a la Tito Ortiz or Randy Couture!

Personally, I love the entertainment factor associated with Japanese fights, but I think a lot of people would like to know why the Japanese fight organizations place an emphasis on creating a spectacle?

In Japan, the fighters are also entertainers, fighting is the highest form of entertainment.  The pre-fight celebration is an important part of the Japanese fight experience, the fans expect it, and the fighters love it!

How popular are combat sports in Japan such as MMA and K-1?   And how does that compare with the US?

Combat sports in Japan are huge!  Fights have been shown on network T.V. in Japan since 1993, the whole family is involved in watching the fights – it cuts across all demographics.  In the U.S. a really popular fight for the UFC will sell at most 15,000 tickets.  In Japan, fights held at venues such as the Tokyo Superdome and Saitama Super Arena routinely sell out with 80,000 and 40,000 seats sold respectively.  Fighting is just huge in Japan, that’s the bottom line.

Organizations like the UFC, Affliction, & M-1 Global are clearly pushing to make MMA a truly global sport on par with soccer in terms of popularity – do you think that will happen?

Fighting sports are trending up in terms of their popularity; I really think we are at the beginning of something really big.  Fighting has grown so much in popularity in the last five years, thanks in large part to the efforts of the UFC; I think they have more than doubled their audience in the past five years.  MMA in particular and fighting in general have all the potential to be as popular as soccer on a global basis.

I know there are a lot of great fighters fighting in Japan, who do you think is going to be the next super star?

I think someone like Bibiano Fernandes , come early October when he is scheduled to fight Joe Warren at DREAM 11 which will be broadcast on HDNET to a huge international audience, will most likely be fighting for the featherweight championship and will become a huge star!  But there are also some other fighters that are putting on some great fights and making huge names for themselves such as Jason “Mayhem” Miller and Joe Warren, they could easily be the next super star.

In Japan, an environment where fight fans are both savvy and zealous – why are marginal fighters such as Bob “the Beast” Sapp & Hong Man Choi so popular?

It’s really no different than what the UFC did with Brock Lesnar and what Strikeforce or one of the other notable organizations is most likely going to do with Bobby Lashley.  Hong Man Choi was a Champion of Korean Sumo, he was hugely popular so we thought why not leverage his popularity.  Also, there is a bit of a novelty factor because Choi is truly a giant.  Sapp is no different.  Not to mention both of these fighters are great athletes, so we figured we could train them to be high quality fighters.

I know you’ve worked with fighters from many camps, what do you think are the best MMA camps to train with?

There are so many now, but I’d say that some of the best are: American Top Team, Revolution Fight Team  in Canada, Brazilian Top Team, Team Quest, Chute Boxe, and Jackson’s Submission Fighting.

How do you go about finding new fighters to manage or train?

Word of mouth mostly, but I do watch the smaller and regional shows to see who is hot.  I also watch amateur fights. I can spot talent, so it’s better to find them before anyone else does.

So what’s the real story on the use of performance enhancing drugs such as steroids and HGH by fighters in general and by fighters in Japanese fight organizations in particular?

There is no question that some fighters are using these substances, just look at some of their physiques, it’s obvious.  Unfortunately, performance-enhancing drugs are a part of the sport.  The testing currently being used is the IOC standard, which is not very effective at detecting HGH. I presume that fighters are using HGH as a result.

BIG MAK ATTACK & THE MILITARY

Over the years, I know you’ve supported the military, tell us about some of the ways you’ve supported the troops.

It has been an honor to support the troops.  Over the years, I’ve given as many free tickets  as possible to military personnel.  I’m sure the number of tickets given away is in the thousands.  The military has always helped me to promote my events, particularly in Hawaii.

As I understand the primary audience for “Ranger Up” is in the military, I wanted to take this time to honor all of you for keeping our country safe and free!

Through my friends like you, I have gotten to experience and see the close camaraderie which I had previously only experienced from my traditional martial arts background in Japan with the clear distinction of code, manners, honor and respect of ranks regardless of age, color or class in society.  I have not seen this code replicated in contemporary society until now, with the military.  I regard these characteristics to be very special in this day and age.

I want all of you in the military to know that you to have chosen to serve and fight for our country and that you are all very SPECIAL , thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Mak, thanks so much for taking the time to talk with me and share some of your insights about the Japanese fight game with the Ranger Up community.

MAK TAKANO

MMA Trainer, Manager, & Promoter. Mak can be reached through Lex McMahon at Ranger Up!

Email lex with any questions/thoughts: lex@rangerup.com

A GOOD ENTERTAINER BUT A GREAT MARINE -

The Legacy of Colonel Ed McMahon

How does a son say goodbye to his father?  While this is a profoundly painful question to ponder, in this instance, the answer is really very simple – by honoring my father’s request to be buried and celebrated as a great Marine.

To Ed’s millions of fans around the world, he was an entertainment icon who’s brilliant and colorful career spanned some 70 years and included work as a bingo caller in a traveling carnival – yes, that’s right, Ed spoke Carnie.  Ed also worked in radio, theater, movies, and of course television.  Ed was the quintessential pitchman – selling everything from the famous Morris Metric Slicer to Budweiser Beer and even some of Mr. Carson’s jokes that didn’t always work as planned.  In Ed’s words: “jokesters joke, actors act, entertainers entertain”.  Ed was a consummate entertainer.