An excuse to write about Mixed Martial Arts on a video game website? Maybe.
But also an opportunity to talk about all the wild shit that regularly occurs in the insane world of Mixed Martial Arts.
Because the most exciting thing about MMA is the clash of styles. MMA can truly feel like a real life Street Fighter 2 where specific fighters have different strengths or signature moves. And much like competitive gaming, the meta is constantly transforming. MMA isn’t boxing. Boxing has been the same for the last 50 years, but MMA will always provide its audience with ‘what the fuck just happened’ moments, because MMA is constantly evolving. People are constantly finding new ways to fight.
(Pro-tip: now is a good time to start watching MMA because the meta is leaning towards traditional martial artists who throw crazy kicks.)
In conclusion, this is a list. A for from comprehensive list of all the times when MMA threw up mental, video game like moments.
Please enjoy…
1. When Two Guys Decided To Button Mash
Meet Don Frye. Don Frye in his prime looked like someone injected Freddie Mercury with the serum they used to transform Steve Rogers into Captain America. Basically he looks like someone drew him. Like he didn’t belong in real life. He’s just too… fucking manly. Like he represents masculinity in its weirdest, rawest form. Like someone turned a moustache into a human being. That’s Don Frye.
Don Frye liked to punch people. So did Yoshihiro Takayama. One day in Pride they decided to have the greatest fight of all time. A real life version of that fight scene in They Live.
It was some wild-ass shit.
2. When Edson Barboza Hit The Perfect Wheel Kick
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This is the kick you imagine throwing when someone really annoyed you at work and you fantasise in the shower about kicking them really hard. “Oh yeah Steve, maybe YOU need to refill the paper in the photocopier?”
[WHEEL KICK TO THE FACE]
Real life shouldn’t be like this.
3. When Lando Vannata Did The Exact Same Thing
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Barboza’s kick was pretty cool. Then 2016 rookie of the year Lando Vannata did the exact same thing.
(Arguably he set it up better, but the kick itself wasn’t quite as fast or as cool as Barboza’s.)
4. When Kevin Randleman Zangief’d Fedor
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For context, Fedor Emelianenko is the greatest heavyweight of all time and Kevin Randleman wasn’t supposed to be able to do this. He did it anyway.
Insanely, he lost the fight just seconds later after Fedor transitioned from having his head DRIVEN INTO THE GROUND FROM A TREMENDOUS HEIGHT and submitted Kevin Randleman with a Kimura hold.
5. When Anderson Silva Did Stuff
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Most fighters don’t do anything extraordinary. A select few have single moments of brilliance.
Anderson Silva is different. Anderson Silva does spectacular things every single time he steps in the cage.
Like this:
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And this:
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But really his fight against Forrest Griffin was his masterpiece. After dominating his own division for years, Silva moved up 20 pounds in weight to fight an ex-LHW champion and put in one of the greatest fighting performances of all time.
Later Forrest Griffin talked about the fight. “I was very confused,” he said. “I tried to punch him and he literally moved his head out of the way and looked at me like I was stupid for doing it.”
6. When Cowboy Cerrone Landed The Best Combo Ever
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I’m putting this heavily stylised version of Cerrone’s combo because this is literally how I remember this going down.
This is what happened. This is fact.
7. Basically Any Time Yair Rodriguez Fights
Yair Rodriguez literally fights like he is in a video game. He lives up to that stereotype. His kicks don’t make sense. Gravity is like a thing he just decides to fuck with. He never throws a punch when a tornado bicycle kick will do.
You have to respect that.
Yair Rodriguez fights like he has zero respect for the laws of physics.
8. When Rose Namajunas Hit A Flying Armbar And Went Beserk
There’s probably been more technical submissions in MMA, but nothing as spectacular as Rose Namajunas’ flying armbar submission.
Even better is her reaction to the win.
Off the chain.
9. When Anthony Pettis Jumped Off The Cage Like A Ninja
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I can’t foresee a future where anything cooler will ever happen in an MMA fight. I just can’t imagine it.
The idea, the execution, the result. Even the stage: the main event of WEC’s final event before being absorbed into the UFC. It was just a sporting miracle. If it happened in a video game you’d say it was stupid, but it happened in real life.
Unbelievable.
Comments
11 responses to “9 MMA Moments That Were Straight Out Of A Video Game”
This article goes into the @serrels GOAT vault
In terms of submissions to challenge Rose Namajunas – what about Ryo Chonan’s flying scissor heel hook on Anderson!?
Also – Kevin Randleman Monsterplex. outstanding. Rampage Jacksons Powerbomb on Arona? Surely that gets a run as Zangiefs special.
I was thinking about Chonan’s heel hook. I almost just segued into it, but thought I’ll save it for part 2!
Mighty Mouse needs to get a mention here, his after fight celebrations are normally straight out of video games lol. Plus, prior to the Reebok deal, he used to show up to the ring in Xbox gear too
Theres going to be a part 2? +1 to you!
That Chonan heel hook remains the most bonkers thing I’ve ever seen in any fight, ever.
From a gaming perspective…wouldn’t it have made more sense with a Tekken image??
Tekken or DoA make much more sense than SF for this.
Will never forget number one, it’s what got my brother & I into PrideFC, K-1 (man how I miss Masato and his K-1 Max reign) & UFC. A great list either way.
BJ Penn apparently fighting with a ping in the 400s.
Conor McGregor proving he’d be a shitty X-Com player by reloading for a no-consequence do-over after he got killed by Diaz.
Frankie Edgar being tougher to put down than your average Fallout 3 child.
Lenard Garcia spamming his entire career.
straight out of a video game in the opposite sense to everything else in this article;
Anderson Silva’s downfall against Chris Weidman
Serrels I cannot believe that you missed the Dark Souls roll!!
Jordan Mein vs Thiago Alves:
http://giant.gfycat.com/VioletSecretEwe.gif