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Thread: Football & MMA

  1. #16
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    Tim Tebow

    Now there's a big name...
    Tim Tebow Trains in Mixed Martial Arts with UFC Heavyweight Brendan Schaub: Fan's Reaction
    Yahoo! Contributor Network
    By Eric Holden | Yahoo! Contributor Network – Sat, Jul 7, 2012 12:02 PM EDT

    We're probably not going to see New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow testing his skills in a UFC octagon anytime soon, but Yahoo! Sports reports that he has been training in mixed martial arts with UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub at the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Training Center in California.

    Is Tebow A UFC Fan?

    I can't say this move really surprises me, as Tebow is a noted fan of the UFC. The Jets' quarterback posted two tweets to Schaub regarding his matchup against Ben Rothwell at UFC 145 in April.

    Tebow (@timtebow) tweeted "@BrendanSchaub I'm so proud of you brother...all of your hard work will pay off tonight. #FinishStrong."

    After Schaub lost, Tebow posted ""@BrendanSchaub life is not about when you get knocked down but about having the perseverance to get back up. Proud of you brother #Heart."

    College Football Ties

    His friendship with Schaub apparently stems from the UFC star's college football career with the Colorado Buffaloes, while Tebow was still playing college ball in Florida.

    Tebow was smart to dip into the tough waters of mixed martial arts, as the sport features some of the best-conditioned athletes in the world. MMA ties into football, as many of the same skills can be honed by training in the sport.

    There's a lot of hand-to-hand combat on the football field, and mixed martial arts training provides helpful skills like balance, leverage, coordination and quick lateral movement, which can be utilized in a football game.

    New York Jets cornerback Kyle Wilson, along with a slew of other notable NFL stars like Clay Matthews, Jared Allen, Shawne Merriman and Antonio Cromartie, train in mixed martial arts over the off-season, so it's really not that odd that Tebow jumped in on it.

    Kyle Wilson's Take

    "There's a lot of hand-to-hand action out there," Wilson said in an Inside MMA interview. "When the receivers try to block you, they're trying to get their hands on you. You have to try to get past those big lineman who are trying to get their hands on you."

    He added "Anything where someone is trying to get at you and block you, trying to get after the ball carrier, quarterback or whatever, [MMA training] teaches you ways to handle that."

    The only thing that's strange about Tebow training in MMA is that it's rare for a quarterback. In the past, it's been mostly defensive lineman and cornerbacks who trained in MMA over the offseason.

    Tebow, on the other hand, is closer to a tight end than a quarterback, so I can see why he would want to improve his hand-to-hand combat skills and lateral movement techniques.

    Good For The Sport?

    Perhaps the best thing to come of this situation is that it increases awareness of the UFC and the benefits of MMA training.

    The sport isn't even legal in New York, so having a well-known backer like Tim Tebow gives MMA a better image. Hopefully, having Tebow on our side will lead to the UFC eventually earning the privilege of putting on a show at Madison Square Garden.

    Eric Holden is a lifelong UFC fan and supporter of the New York Jets. Follow him on Twitter @ericholden.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
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  2. #17
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    Other Chargers of note

    Shawne Merriman and former all pro full back Lorenzo Neal both did MMA training in SD during the off season. Neal was also a collegiate wrestler at Fresno State. He even tried Sumo, there's a vid out there somewhere, when the Chargers played in Japan. They both trained with local Thai Boxing trainer, Mel Menor. Here's a couple of links.

    http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vau...3/17/index.htm

    Here's Mel's new gym:

    http://ao8training.com/

    By the way Tebow's a stud, I didn't care much for him in college but he's won me over in the pros. I had some Tebowmania to go with my Linsanity.
    "if its ok for shaolin wuseng to break his vow then its ok for me to sneak behind your house at 3 in the morning and bang your dog if buddha is in your heart then its ok"-Bawang

    "I get what you have said in the past, but we are not intuitive fighters. As instinctive fighters, we can chuck spears and claw and bite. We are not instinctively god at punching or kicking."-Drake

    "Princess? LMAO hammer you are such a pr^t"-Frost

  3. #18
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    Tennessee Titans’ Akeem Ayers

    More about football than MMA, but perhaps someday, if he succeeds, we'll return to this post.
    Tennessee Titans’ Akeem Ayers Helped by Martial Arts Workouts with Jacksonville Jaguars’ Marcedes Lewis
    December 29, 2012
    Written by Craig Peters

    Nashville, TN – When Tennessee Titans’ Akeem Ayers learned that coaches envisioned an expanded role for him as a pass rusher this season, the second-year linebacker sought to strengthen his hands and improve what he could do with them.

    Ayers returned to Los Angeles in the off season and incorporated Taekwondo and mixed martial arts workouts into his training with Jay Glazer. Although it might seem quite different, Ayers isn’t the only player who’s turned to the martial arts training and discovered benefits.

    Ayers frequently faced Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Marcedes Lewis in the sessions. Despite playing for AFC South rival teams, Ayers and Lewis are friends. Their college football careers did not overlap at UCLA, but they connected when Lewis revisited campus and wound up training at the same facility where Ayers was preparing for the 2011 NFL Draft. Ayers said Lewis, a seven–year pro, gave him very helpful information on what tight ends try to do against linebackers.

    “Since you had an actual tight end there, he kind of helped me, gave us the insight on what works against tight ends and what doesn’t work and just ways I can beat tight ends,” Ayers said. “Being in the atmosphere where I’m able to actually practice on someone and get insight from a tight end was a huge advantage. I pretty much worked on the things that he told me that work best.”

    Ayers will finish this season with more tackles, sacks, quarterback hits, tackles for loss and passes defensed than his rookie campaign. Ayers also recorded his first career interception this season in a win at the Miami Dolphins.

    The improvements have been impressive since they built on his rookie season in which he had 88 tackles, two sacks, seven quarterback hits and three tackles for loss in becoming the Titans’ first defensive rookie to start all 16 games since Tank Williams in 2002.

    “He was one of our most improved guys in the off season, and he followed that up by starting the season pretty much on fire,” Titans linebackers coach Frank Bush said. “He did all the things we asked him to do and played in about four or five different packages and was able to handle it.”

    Ayers has worn one helmet but many hats this season. He’s set the edge on rushing plays to keep containment, he’s dropped into coverage, and he’s rushed opposing passers as a defensive end or on linebacker blitzes.

    “We’re trying to take advantage of all the things that he’s capable of doing, as far as playing linebacker and being part of our nickel package and then also lining him up and letting him rush the quarterback,” Bush said. “We’ve got several different things that we try to do with him because the kid is talented and he can go make plays.”

    Bush said coaches initially threw a considerable amount on Ayers’ plate so they could fully evaluate his best strengths and how he could provide the most significant impact.

    “He handled most of it for the most part,” Bush said, “and we’re smart enough to say, ‘OK, these are the things that he’s really starting to excel in,’ so we backed off in some areas and kept pushing in other areas, and he’s responded. He’s done a good job, and we know at any moment he can make a play for us.”

    As the season progressed, Ayers’ role changed, especially on third down. Earlier this season Ayers shifted from strong side or “Sam” linebacker to weakside or “Will” linebacker when the Titans substituted their nickel package, but coaches have been able to put rookie Zach Brown in at weak side linebacker and utilize Ayers to apply pressure as a pass rusher on third downs and other situations where pass attempts are highly likely.

    “Zach Brown came along strong and is improving every week,” Ayers said. “That’s enabled me to go get in the rotation with the defensive ends. In the base defense, I’m still the Sam linebacker, standing up and doing all the things that linebackers do, but when it’s time to rush the quarterback on third downs, they’ve got me in the rotation. It’s a lot but once you get the practice in and keep practicing, you kind of get used to it.”

    Ayers said his shift into that role has been made smoother by the fact that he performed similar duties at UCLA. Ayers said the martial arts training has benefited his game at linebacker and as a pass rusher.

    “(Glazer) made it more relevant to football,” Ayers said, “so just using physical hands, getting the tight end’s hands off you but doing it in an aggressive, physical way, and once you get a lot of repetition at it, it becomes natural and you just keep doing it and it just really helps.”

    The training, however, didn’t prepare Ayers for what is perhaps his most important role. The 23-year-old became a father of twin daughters, Payton and Cassidy, five months ago. He said it’s been a “great experience.”

    “It’s a lot for a first-time parent to have two babies in the house at once, but as the months go on, it becomes easier, and it’s a good feeling, especially having two young girls that can grow with each other,” Ayers said. “It’s been a great experience to have them around the house and watch them grow every day and learn new things every day. It’s probably been one of the best experiences I’ll have. I have no complaints, you know, I love it.”

    Bush said he’s pleased with the way Ayers leads by example, by his work ethic and determination.

    “I think more than anything, he’s starting to understand that even though he’s not a team captain per se,” Bush said, “they do look at him as somewhat of a leader in the sense that they expect him to make plays when he’s out there and he steps up and tries to get that done.”

    “He hasn’t missed a practice, he works at it even on days he doesn’t feel up to par — he may have a nick here or there, but he somehow gets out here and practices,” Bush continued, “and once he’s out here, he works and I don’t think anybody questions his work ethic, and I think that’s part of his leadership.”
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
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  4. #19
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    'like a light bulb went off in his head'

    There's a vid if you follow the link. Also worthy of note here was the Superbowl XLVII connection of the Jones brothers.
    Retired NFL player teaching mixed martial arts football techniques
    Posted: Feb 03, 2013 9:49 PM PST Updated: Feb 03, 2013 9:56 PM PST
    By Adam Longo - email
    SCOTTSDALE, AZ (CBS5) -

    He says it was like a light bulb went off in his head.

    Former Arizona Cardinal and ASU lineman Scott Peters played seven years in the NFL.

    Sidelined for some of that time by an ankle injury, Peters began to cross-train in Brazilian jiu jitsu and mixed martial arts.

    It helped him to bounce back quicker, but it also gave him an idea. Now he is looking to upset the established method of doing business on the football field.

    "Guys are taught from an early age to lead with their face, their helmet," says Peters.

    Repeated head contact and sharp blows to the helmet are shortening players careers and causing problems for them after retirement.

    "The old-school method is still being taught, unfortunately. This is what guys are learning at the lowest levels on up to the NFL. That's what I did when I played, and that's lead with your forehead first," says Peters.

    Born out of Peters' mixed martial arts training, he has begun teaching and incorporating new techniques to players both young and old by fusing them into blocking moves. He finds these techniques are more effective. They reduce helmet-to-helmet contact.

    "This is the evolution of the game of football, especially in the tackle box," says Peters. "This is the great eliminator, the great equalizer."

    Peters' system is called "SAFE" football.

    "It's coming forward with your hips and your hands up," he explains. "It mitigates, if not eliminates the need for helmet contact within the tackle box, which could eliminate the majority of concussions."

    The University of Washington has hired Scott and brought him up to Seattle to train their players with the SAFE football techniques.

    "The explosive movements that he was demonstrating on my players was quite unique, and I was going, hmm. We ought to continue to research this even more," says University of Washington offensive line coach Dan Cozzetto.

    Peters says he doesn't see teaching SAFE football as a job but as a mission to help players at all levels reduce the number of hits to the head.

    "I'm looking at this as an obligation from the standpoint of helping a solution to the concussion crisis, and it is a crisis at this point," says Peters.

    His clients include a number of NFL players and the Penn State football program.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
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  5. #20
    Many football players wrestled too. I think it's a good base for a transition into MMA. Not ideal, but pretty good. They are already very physical, can take pain, work themselves till they drop. Better base than something like basketball where touching a guy is a foul. Unless the rules in mma change to avoiding getting hit for five minutes, lol.

    A good healthy strong linesman with real endurance and conditioning should do pretty well.

  6. #21
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    This begs the question...

    ...when will the NFL legalize guillotines?

    NFL pass-rushers turn to mixed martial arts tactics
    Posted on 06 January 2015.
    By Arnie Stapleton
    AP Pro Football Writer

    DENVER (AP) — Denver defensive end DeMarcus Ware considers himself a mixed martial artist on the football field.

    Ever since his rookie year in 2005, he’s spent as much time in the offseason working on his handwork with a second generation Bruce Lee student as he has working out at a traditional gym.

    Ware is part of a growing number of NFL pass rushers who have adopted the grappling and striking techniques of MMA. It helps them outmaneuver the ever-expanding 330-pound tackles and get to the ever-quicker quarterbacks before they can throw the football.

    Ware credits the moves he’s learned and refined under the tutelage of Valentin Espiricueta, owner and operator of AppliedMMA in Dallas, for helping him amass 127 sacks over his decade in the NFL.

    “If I didn’t learn martial arts, I’d be just a basic dip-and-rip guy just trying to go around the corner,” Ware said.

    Instead, Espiricueta’s star pupil and eight-time Pro Bowler uses swift swipes and whirlwind motions to set up and ultimately vanquish pass protectors. Like a fighter getting the best of his opponent in the octagon.

    Sparring or grappling with technical fighters and their trainers teaches NFL players to swat away and otherwise avoid punches from offensive linemen. It also aids their cardiovascular training, tenacity, and acumen.

    “What we’re doing, at least in the grappling aspect of our sport, is we’re manipulating another man’s body, putting it where we want it, whether that’s putting it on the ground or moving it to the left or right or off-balance,” said Matt “The Immortal” Brown, a 33-year-old welterweight UFC fighter from Columbus, Ohio. “So, to learn how to control another man’s body is surely going to be an important skill for them. Anytime it’s one-on-one, man against man, there’s going to be some correlation.”

    Packers pass rusher Datone Jones said MMA training helps his “hand-eye coordination, balance, body control, and just being able to strike, being able to endure more.” The ancillary benefit, he said, is greater flexibility, “so it’s working on more areas so you get stronger, flexible, faster, looser.”

    Vikings pass rusher Brian Robison said mastering MMA techniques and transferring them to the football field “allow you to rush the passer a little bit easier.”

    Ware was introduced to the martial arts aspect of pass rushing by Greg Ellis, a defensive end in the NFL from 1998 to 2009.

    Ellis learned of Espiricueta’s training methods from Randy White, who played for the Cowboys from 1975to 1988.

    “Greg Ellis told me, `You’re not going to have this speed forever. But you can have the quickness.’ So, one thing I learned when I did have a lot of ability, like Von Miller, was I would actually just beat guys from here,” Ware said, tapping his right temple, “instead of beating them just with athleticism.”

    Espiricueta combined the Filipino martial art known as Kali with the Bruce Lee style of Kungfu known as Jeet Kune Do, or JKD. Practitioners of JKD believe in smooth, minimal movements and with maximum effects and extreme speed. It is referred to as “the art of fighting without fighting.”

    Espiricueta, who studied under Bruce Lee student Dan Inosanto, has worked with numerous NFL players, but said Ware “took it to a different level.”

    He developed a training program customized for football players in response to the league’s rule change in 1978 that allowed offensive linemen to open their hands and leave their arms extended, rather than use the hit-and-recoil techniques like boxers.

    “It was all about the hands and how to get their hands off you,” he said.

    That rule change led to a transformation in the trenches as offensive linemen ballooned past 280, 290, and then 300 pounds, overpowering defenders by sheer size. Nowadays, they’re typically 330 pounds and outweigh most defensive ends by 75 pounds and linebackers by 100.

    So defenders either have to be fast enough to get around them or quick enough to swat away their hands when they punch.
    A dip-and-rip or jab step just doesn’t always do the trick anymore. But with martial arts techniques, “you figure out what’s the best leverage point and he can be 350 pounds and it doesn’t matter, you’re going to beat him,” Ware said.

    “The tackles now, they’re so big and they’re pretty quick,” Ware said. “And they use their hands to set you up or they use their arms for leverage because usually their arms are longer than a pass rusher’s. So, you have to figure out how to defend yourself from that, and with mixed martial arts, you sort of figure out how to set guys up and use certain moves so you dictate what they’re going to do.

    “If you do it so many times, eventually, you figure out the timing of when they’re going to punch — because eventually they have to punch.”

    And when they do, that’s when Ware will use his martial arts, maybe with something Espiricueta came up with called the “side scissor.” The pass rusher uses both hands to swipe away the punch to his chest and throw the tackle off-balance.

    “It’s like a chess match. You’ve got to be patient,” Ware said. “If you beat him just three times and have three sacks in that game, you had a monster game.” ■

    AP Pro Football Writers Dave Campbell and Rob Maaddi and AP Sports Writer Genaro C. Armas contributed.
    Gene Ching
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  7. #22
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    On the NFL site no less

    Mixing in martial arts to improve on-field performance
    By NFL UP! Ambassador NFL.com
    Published: Oct. 28, 2015 at 02:50 p.m.

    Football is commonly referred to as a combat sport, but combat skill is not trained throughout the year. Basketball players can shoot jump shots daily and find pick-up games whenever they choose. Football players, however, are limited in the offseasons to training for their sport. For this reason, players in the NFL have started to use boxing and various martial arts in the offseason to help them become better players. Martial arts provides football players a unique method to stay in shape while training their hands to improve on-field performance.

    Below are three ways that NFL players use combat training to improve during the offseason.

    Hand Combat Drills

    Hand combat training is designed to sharpen the player's "weapons for battle." This type of training requires a partner, who provides the athlete opportunities to focus on spacing, timing, accuracy and speed specific to their sport. The drills should be practiced in brief, focused and frequent sessions at least twice a week with workouts ranging from 10 to 60 minutes. As the athlete improves, speed and intensity can be added along with protective equipment (like Thai pads).

    Coach Ben Creamer of Ignition APG has specialized in hand combat training for more than 10 years and has been working with the Cincinnati Bengals, including one of NFL's current sack leaders for the season, Carlos Dunlap. Other NFL players who have used Creamer's hand combat program at Ignition include Connor Barwin of the Philadelphia Eagles and Luke Kuechly of the Carolina Panthers.

    "Hand combat training has grown quickly because players understand the importance of 'preparing their weapons' for battle," said Creamer. "For years, there was a gap in specific development outside of the team practice. So, players are now seeking this style of training during the offseason ... and continuing it throughout the year."

    "Using hand combat training has helped my reaction. My hands and pass rush moves are quicker and more reflexive when going against offensive tackles during a game," said Carlos Dunlap. Dunlap trains hand combat once a week outside of the work he gets in practice and also follows a pregame routine that warms his hands up prior to kickoff.

    Boxing

    Players traditionally use boxing in the offseason to develop skills that can be translated on the field. Boxing can be used to train hand-eye coordination as well as quickness and stamina. The cardiovascular endurance workout that an NFL player gets from a boxing workout is intense, yet low impact on the lower body. Within each workout, the player must learn how to breathe effectively and how to pace himself between punching combinations. Boxing teaches striking and how to evade a defender, which can translate into useful football movements.

    Grappling

    Grappling and martial arts activities - such as wrestling, judo and jiu-jitsu - are great ways to train balance, the push-pull relationship, body positioning, leverage, hip mobility and total body endurance. A takedown in wrestling is much like a tackle in football. In addition, there is a great deal of hand-to-hand combat during wrestling, judo and ju-jitsu matches. Another benefit that comes from grappling is learning how to properly "fall," absorb force and roll along the ground. This skill can reduce the amount of wrist, elbow and shoulder injuries that can occur anytime a player hits the ground in a game or practice. Any young player looking to gain an advantage during the offseason should consider grappling for these benefits.

    Some of the NFL's best linemen were wrestlers in high school. Super Bowl winning offensive lineman Josh Kline of the New England Patriots was a heavy weight champion in the state of Ohio in high school. During his time training with Ignition for the NFL Combine, Josh displayed great agility as well as the ability to bend at the hips and knees. Other NFL standouts that wrestled in high school were Ray Lewis, a state champion in Florida, and Roddy White, a champion in South Carolina.

    - Clif Marshall is the Performance Director at Ignition Athletics Performance Group. He also serves as a consultant to the Cincinnati Bengals Strength Staff. Since launching an NFL training business at Ignition in 2008, Marshall has trained hundreds of NFL athletes on all 32 rosters, including league MVPs and top-10 draft picks. Ignition has trained a number of players who hold all-time NFL Combine records.
    There's a vid too, if you follow the link.
    Gene Ching
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  8. #23
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    And now for a different take on the matter...

    Parity In The NFL May be Dying, But It Is Alive And Well In Mixed Martial Arts
    By David Golden on November 4, 2015 at 5:32 AM



    Parity. NFL fans across the country have been told over and over that parity exists in the NFL. Fans like myself rally around the idea that this year could be THE year, and “we” definitely have a chance. Even today, Seattle Seahawks fans still believe their beloved team is a contender, even if signs point to things possibly slipping away. The truth is, half the teams in the NFL are terrible, ten teams are ok, and five are good. As a friend of mine said to me recently, “Widespread mediocrity in the NFL is what keeps all of us believing that this year can be ‘our year.’” While football is near and dear to my heart, it has become increasingly more difficult to be a fan of my team. Maybe this is why I have leaned so heavily on my love of mixed martial arts over the last decade.

    If an MMA fighter is mediocre at the highest levels of the sport, his or her time there will not only be short, it will be painful. In the early days of MMA, a fighter with a great wrestling background and below average striking could be just as dangerous as a fighter with a dozen kickboxing titles. However, as the sport has progressed, the total summation of fighting skills required to be one of the best in the world seems to have increased, and the great fighters of years past have slowly faded away. Today’s fighters have spent most of their lives learning to be multi-disciplined and this has presented a more even playing field. Beyond that it has exposed those who would otherwise hover in the middle of the pack. This new breed of fighter has done as much for parity as it has for legacy. The modern day MMA champion is dominant. When we look at the UFC, we see dominant champions like Jose Aldo, Demetrious Johnson, Ronda Rousey, and Jon Jones (prior to being stripped of his title), who are some of the most dangerous fighters the sport has ever known. These fighters have been fixed atop their posts and have taken on challengers who are incredibly well prepared and determined to work past the middling fighters who are on the verge of being cut.

    While the best fighters have risen to the top and stayed there, it would seem that fighters across the sport have continued to play leapfrog in the rankings and jockey for position as they try to take gold away from the elite of the sport. This is where parity is more relevant. It can take a great deal of time for a fighter to get the call from a top organization like the UFC. Many up and coming fighters come to the UFC with eight or better fights under their belt and usually these fighters are the best from their local region. In some cases these fighters barely have a foot in the door before they are released. If these fighters fail to show great potential in the cage they won’t spend years on the roster, they will be sent packing with the option to get better or get out of the game. It’s the harsh reality of the business but it creates parity that is unmatched in any other professional sport.

    The sense of loyalty that comes from being a life-long fan of a team can never be replicated. That familial connection one can have with a team is unique, obsessive, and amazing. However, this connection is just as gut wrenching as it is incredible. Should you suffer year after year if a guy like Tom Brady doesn’t pilot your team? Of course not. So rather than buy into the lie that parity is alive and well in the NFL maybe tune into the next UFC event and find out what parity looks like, fist to fist.
    I don't really follow football. I should now because the Superbowl 50 is coming to our area. I even had a chance to work that, but I passed it by because it would have taken too much effort to make the cut for that crew, more than I could afford at this time. I might work some of the pre-game events. There's a Metallica show the day before, and I can surely get on that crew, plus it's more my speed.
    Gene Ching
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  9. #24
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    NFL'S KROY BIERMANN
    I'D TRY MMA
    ... If My Famous Wife Let Me

    7/26/2016 6:09 AM PDT BY TMZ STAFF
    EXCLUSIVE

    SHE'S THE BOSS TMZSports.com
    NFL linebacker Kroy Biermann says he'd be all the way down to try his hand in a real-life MMA fight ... if his famous wife, Kim Zolciak, would let him. So, we asked her!
    Kroy was co-hosting the "TMZ Sports" show on FS1 Monday night when he told us he's a huge MMA fan -- who happens to have a wrestling background.
    You gotta see what Kim says when we bring up the plan -- long story short, she shuts him down faster than Conor McGregor shut down Jose Aldo!
    BONUS -- we also ask Kroy -- who happens to be a free agent -- where he wants to play next season and if Kim has a say in where he signs. Check out the clip!
    There's a clip if you must see it.

    When I hear people say "I'd try MMA..." I just gotta give one of these

    There is no "try."
    Gene Ching
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  10. #25
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    Nick Chubb

    How Georgia Running Back Nick Chubb Fought to Reconstruct His Career
    By Barrett Sallee , SEC Football Lead Writer Sep 19, 2016


    Scott Cunningham/Getty Images
    Georgia RB Nick Chubb

    ATLANTA — Georgia running back Nick Chubb sprawled to keep his opponent from grabbing his legs and bringing him down. The 5'10", 228-pounder was doing his best MMA impression.

    But Chubb wasn't trying to avoid an SEC linebacker, and he wasn't running between the hedges. A mere five months after tearing three ligaments in his left knee, including his posterior cruciate ligament, he was in a martial arts studio, grappling with taekwondo black belt Sean Borders.

    "The movement and the different ranges of motion that the body is going through works the muscles and tendons in different ways," said Borders, who runs Borders Black Belt Academy just outside Athens with his twin brother, Cole. "Taekwondo involves stuff that they're typically not used to doing, and it strengthens the muscles that they might not during their typical weight training."

    A few months earlier, on Oct. 10, 2015, Nick Chubb was sitting on the training table on the Georgia sideline at Tennessee, a broken man.

    He had reeled off 13 straight 100-yard games in the run-heavy Georgia offense, but on his first carry against the Volunteers, Chubb took a hit while going out of bounds that ended his season and put his football future in doubt.

    "Everybody loves Nick Chubb. Everybody respects Nick Chubb. I am sure Bulldog Nation's heart sank when you see a guy like that on the sideline," said then-Bulldog head coach Mark Richt on the night of the injury. "He is a true warrior when it comes to playing football, and he is one of the finest people we have on this team."

    Ron Courson, director of sports medicine at Georgia, described the nature of the injury to ESPN's Olivia Harlan:

    Follow
    Olivia Harlan ✔ @Olivia_Harlan
    Think Todd Gurley & Nick Chubb both had "a knee injury"? Think again! Fascinating.. UGA AD of sports med Ron Courson
    4:32 PM - 8 Sep 2016
    52 52 Retweets 127 127 likes
    Eleven months later, Chubb carried the ball 32 times for 222 yards and two touchdowns against North Carolina in the 2016 season opener, capping off a miraculous rehabilitation effort, though he's struggled a bit in the two games since, gaining 143 yards on 39 carries.

    "I could have done two things, either laid down and never got up, or what I did, and pushed myself," Chubb said after the North Carolina game. "I had a lot of support from everyone around me, and this game, I wasn't out there by myself at all, there was all the other guys out there with me and allowed this type of performance."

    Those people who helped Chubb get back to 100 percent after such a devastating injury came from within the Georgia program and out.

    "You should give a lot of credit to Ron Courson and his staff," first-year head coach Kirby Smart said, "because they really pushed Nick. And then the second is Nick Chubb is a special person. He's got great humility, a great family, and he works so hard. Not many of you guys know what this kid went through."


    Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
    Georgia head coach Kirby Smart (left) and RB Nick Chubb

    Courson got creative with Chubb, which is how the star running back ended up on a mat learning mixed martial arts as part of his rehab.

    After an injury-riddled 2013 season that saw several Bulldogs go down with knee injuries, Courson tapped the resources of the Borders Black Belt Academy. In a group setting with several members of the football team, the twins taught taekwondo as several Bulldogs rehabbed various injuries. Among the students: Chris Conley (ankle), Malcolm Mitchell (knee) and Justin Scott-Wesley (knee).

    With Courson by his side, Chubb walked into the academy as Georgia began spring practice in March. Courson and the Borders brothers worked together to develop a routine that protected Chubb's knee, but also pushed him to the point of wincing at times.


    Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
    Georgia RB Nick Chubb after injuring his knee against Tennessee in 2015

    "The first few weeks were a feeling-out process," Cole Borders told Bleacher Report. "You could tell that we all began feeling more comfortable with each other, especially with Nick. Everybody was on alert making sure that we weren't pushing it too hard. Once we got to the second month, we started feeling more confident with his body and what it was capable of doing. By June, we were pretty much rocking it like we would with a typical person who isn't recovering."

    This unorthodox aspect to Chubb's rehab process went along with the territory for the first-year, first-time head coach of the Bulldogs.

    "I hadn't been a part of it," Smart said when asked if he'd ever had a player use martial arts as part of rehab. "I went and watched it a couple of times, and was really impressed with what he was doing."

    Part of the rehab included MMA-style training that put stress on Chubb's injured knee and got him used to the rigors of being hit repetitively again—as he would be soon by SEC defenses.

    "We're not trying to make anybody an MMA fighter," Cole Borders said. "Our main focus on it was to tailor his workouts to what he needs. We did a lot of individualized ground-fighting drills where he's on the floor working on range of motion with his knee. We worked on tightening the leg up, extending it all the way out, and manipulating it in a bunch of different positions."

    The Borders brothers taught Chubb the art of the sprawl—a technique used as a defense to attempted leg takedowns.

    "That's sort of like a controlled tackle," Sean Borders said, "which helped him get used to somebody coming in on him. He also did a lot of solo drills, like planting off his feet, hip thrusts, hip escapes and trips. All of that worked his knee in ways that he wasn't used to."

    Chubb also worked out with the Georgia track team, which wasn't as much of a jolt to his system.

    The Cedartown, Georgia, native competed in the state track and field championships during his senior season at Cedartown High School, which is where UGASports.com's Radi Nabulsi grabbed this ridiculous image:
    View image on Twitter
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    Radi Nabulsi ✔ @RadiNabulsi
    I was asked if #UGA RB Nick Chubb might be a bit stiff. No, he's not. Here he is showing that 40-inch vertical.
    12:08 PM - 13 May 2014
    1,176 1,176 Retweets 705 705 likes
    Smart credits Chubb's unusual rehab menu and his relentless work ethic as big factors in his ability to hit the ground running to start the 2016 season.

    "When you're going out and doing extra taekwondo at night, early mornings, there's a reason why he's in the shape he's in, and it's because of the way he works," Smart said.


    Scott Cunningham/Getty Images
    Georgia RB Nick Chubb against North Carolina in 2016

    The staff took the reins off of Chubb when Georgia opened fall camp on Aug. 1. Though they insisted at times that he not overdo it, Chubb says his rehab work gave him a sense of confidence that the injury was behind him.

    "I had already been through it in practice," Chubb said after the North Carolina game. "I've practiced hard, been tackled in scrimmages, so I was prepared. The coaching staff, training staff did a great job with just the whole team. It was a great outcome."

    An outcome that involved an innovative rehab and the heart of a champion.

    Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Statistics courtesy of CFBStats unless otherwise noted. All recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports. Odds provided by Odds Shark.

    Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and national college football video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on SiriusXM 83. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
    I could see the MMA conditioning, but TKD seems counter-intuitive for a knee injury.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
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  11. #26
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    Greg Hardy

    Report: Greg Hardy focusing on MMA career now
    Posted by Darin Gantt on October 11, 2016, 11:31 AM EDT


    Getty Images

    Greg Hardy couldn’t find anyone to let him play football in exchange for money.

    So he’s now looking for a way to make hitting people lucrative for a change.

    According to MMAFighting.com, the former Panthers and Cowboys defensive end “has decided to put his football career on hold to pursue” mixed martial arts.

    Of course, the NFL was actually the one who decided to put his career on hold, as no one is willing to touch him after he proved to be not worth the headache to the Cowboys last year. They gave him a second chance after his domestic violence arrest and subsequent year on the commissioner’s exempt list with the Panthers, and he played OK but also created a number of distractions which alienated coaches and teammates alike.

    The 28-year-old Hardy has apparently been training in the Dallas area.

    “I’m very focused and excited to start my MMA career,” Hardy said in a statement. “I’m going to do this the right way, I can assure you of that.”

    He said similar things prior to joining the Cowboys, and while he was trying to hustle up work this offseason, including a visit to Jacksonville.

    He was recently arrested on cocaine possession charges in Texas, though he said someone slipped the bag of drugs into his wallet while he was paying for a large group of people at a club the night before.
    Trading that helmet for gloves.
    Gene Ching
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  12. #27
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    More on Greg Hardy

    There's a vid, but the article pretty much covers it, I imagine.

    Focusing again on MMA training, Greg Hardy realizes NFL window is nearly closed
    Posted by Mike Florio on July 17, 2017, 8:37 AM EDT


    Getty Images

    Friday’s extended podcast interview with agent Drew Rosenhaus included questions about one of his more notorious clients: Former NFL pass rusher Greg Hardy.

    Last seen on a football field participating in the Spring League, Hardy (according to Rosenhaus) decided not to participate in the Spring League Showcase held over the weekend in California, focusing instead on his MMA training. Yes, Hardy continues to aspire to become a mixed-martial arts fighter.

    He also aspires to get another chance in the NFL, but Rosenhaus realizes the window is nearly closed for Hardy. If nothing happens over the next month or so, it’s likely over for Hardy, who turns 29 later this month.

    As to why Hardy continues to find no interest in the NFL after starting 12 games for the Cowboys in 2015, Rosenhaus attributes the situation to a confluence of factors, with the 2014 off-field incident that triggered a paid suspension for most of his franchise-tag year with the Panthers and a four-game unpaid suspension in 2015 and his issues while with the Cowboys coming together to keep the rest of the league from pursuing Hardy.

    Although the production has been there at time for Hardy, with an 11-sack season in 2012, a 15-sack season in 2013, and six sacks in 12 games after not playing for more than a year in 2015, Hardy isn’t regarded as being good enough to justify the potential distractions and P.R. problems that would flow from putting him on an NFL roster. A rash of injuries to pass rushers could change that, in theory. But it may take plenty of injuries to get down to Hardy’s name on the list of available veterans.
    Gene Ching
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  13. #28
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    Greg Hardy

    Former NFL DL Greg Hardy to face Joe Hawkins in first amateur fight on Nov. 4
    5:16 PM PT
    Brett Okamoto
    ESPN Staff Writer

    Former NFL defensive lineman Greg Hardy has booked his first amateur fight in mixed martial arts for Nov. 4 in south Florida.

    Hardy, 29, broke the news on social media. Representatives at First Round Management confirmed the bout to ESPN. Hardy will face Joe Hawkins inside Havert L. Finn Center in Fort Pierce, Florida.

    A controversial figure in the NFL, Hardy hasn't played football since 2015. He was arrested in 2014 after allegedly assaulting his ex-girlfriend. The domestic violence case was eventually dropped, and Hardy's record was expunged.


    Greg Hardy hasn't played football since 2015. AP Photo/Brandon Wade

    Hardy was arrested in September 2016 for possession of cocaine.

    In late 2016, Hardy revealed he had started training for MMA in south Florida and intended to pursue a professional career. Representatives told ESPN that Hardy's current focus is his amateur debut, and there is no set timeframe for booking a pro fight.

    For what it's worth, UFC president Dana White told TMZ last year that Hardy would need to "win some serious fights" before the UFC considered him. The UFC typically doesn't sign athletes with little to no background but has made several high-profile exceptions.

    In an interview with MMAFighting.com in 2016, Hardy said, "I have a lot of different issues that I'm definitely working through and working on. I would say [training MMA] helps me channel everything. It helps me just come back down to earth, be humble, because these are machines that I see every day. I get choked out, punched in the face and laid out on the mat daily, and that's not something that a guy my size and my stature with my history has ever come across."

    Hardy had six sacks in 12 games for the Dallas Cowboys in 2015. He was a Pro Bowl selection for the Carolina Panthers in 2013, when he registered a career-best 15 sacks.
    Busted for coke. Just what MMA needs...
    Gene Ching
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  14. #29
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    More on Hardy

    'farcical' <- good word nowadays. I should make more use of it.


    Greg Hardy Wins Farcical MMA Bout

    Tom Ley
    Yesterday 10:58am


    Photo credit: Brandon Wade/AP

    Former NFL player Greg Hardy is trying his hand at MMA, and won his debut fight in 32 seconds on Nov. 4. On Friday, he won his second fight in 96 seconds, and the video footage indicates that it was the dumbest fight in history:

    Brian Oswald
    @briancoswald
    Former Cowboy Greg Hardy (2-0) defeats Mississippi amateur debutant Kenneth Woods (0-1) in just 32 seconds by knockout at AKA: Rite Of Passage 2. Via @FloCombat
    8:47 PM - Dec 1, 2017
    48 48 Replies 102 102 Retweets 74 74 likes
    This fight was put on by American Kombat Alliance, a fight promotion that apparently thought it would be a good idea to pit a flabby amateur with no fights under his belt against a former NFL defensive end.

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Tom Ley
    Managing Editor
    You should follow the link to the fight. It'll take less than a minute of your time and put a smile on your face... or a smirk.
    Gene Ching
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  15. #30
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    Yet more on Hardy

    Will Hardy deserve his own indie thread soon? Perhaps...

    This ESPN article is funny when juxtaposed with the one above.

    Greg Hardy on track for February fight in Dallas for LFA promotion
    5:17 PM PT
    Brett Okamoto
    ESPN Staff Writer

    Former NFL defensive lineman Greg Hardy's next amateur mixed martial arts bout is likely to take place in Dallas, the city where his professional football career ended in 2015.

    Current plans are for Hardy, 29, to fight at a yet-to-be announced Legacy Fighting Alliance event in mid-February. Representatives for Hardy and LFA confirmed the plans to ESPN on Tuesday.

    Hardy began training in MMA late last year and is 2-0 as an amateur, with two first-round knockouts. He trains out of American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida.

    According to Hardy's representatives at First Round Management, the team is still focused on "bringing him along," and there is no timetable for his professional heavyweight debut. Barring unforeseen changes, February's amateur fight will mark Hardy's first appearance in the LFA promotion.

    LFA CEO Ed Soares told ESPN he's looking forward to Hardy's debut and would be "very interested" in promoting his first pro fight, whenever the time comes.

    It's worth noting LFA is considered one of the premier regional promotions in the U.S. and has a history of placing athletes in bigger shows.

    LFA has an especially strong relationship with the UFC. It was formed in 2016, following a merger of Legacy Fighting Championships and Resurrection Fighting Alliance. Former Legacy owner Mick Maynard is now a UFC matchmaker.

    Hardy has expressed a desire to eventually fight in the UFC. UFC president Dana White has not ruled it out, but said multiple times that Hardy's development has a long way to go.

    Hardy hasn't played football since 2015. He was arrested in 2014 after allegedly assaulting his ex-girlfriend. The domestic violence case against him was eventually dropped and expunged from his record.

    Hardy was also arrested in 2016 for possession of cocaine. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor drug charge and avoided jail time.

    Born in Tennessee, Hardy had six sacks in 12 games for the Dallas Cowboys in his final season. He made the Pro Bowl in 2013, as a member of the Carolina Panthers.
    Gene Ching
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