Through the Storm

The house sits at the end of a poorly kept dirt road in a neighborhood with no visible street signs. The gate is locked and I can hear several dogs barking behind it. It’s growing dark and I start to wonder if I am even in the right…

Old Wounds

The View From Ipanema “This is close to where Rickson Gracie had the famous fi ght with Hugo Duarte,” Master Ricardo Murgel tells me as we jog along Ipanema beach after a morning workout. Murgel is that rarest of creatures,…

American Ninja

The most common question I get from interviewers and fans is, “How or why did I get into MMA?” I believe MMA got into me, for there is no disturbing reason as to why my job is to beat people up. I didn’t have a tough…

New Blood

Mixed martial arts is the fastest growing sport in the world. It garners more attention and new fans daily. The emergence of so many new athletes sometimes makes it hard for fans to notice some of the fi ghters on the verge of making it to…

Evan Shoman

If you’ve ever seen one of his many MMA pencil portrait drawings, you’re likely to have had the same type of take-your-breathaway reaction countless others have had when viewing his artwork for the fi rst time. Evan…

Psychology of Victory

Most mixed martial artists are already familiar with the concept of pragmatism, even though they might not be aware of it. When they start training, they assume that they’ll apply the formula that promises to yield the best results.…

Renzo Gracie: Legacy

Gethin Aldous’ documentary about legendary Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor and MMA fi ghter Renzo Gracie debuted October 25 at the inaugural United States Film Festival at the Crown Music Theater in Philadelphia. While mainstream…

Into The Wild

September 3, 2008. Thirty-seven-yearold former UFC middleweight champion Evan Tanner loaded his camping gear onto his Kawasaki KLR 650 dirt bike outside his beachfront apartment in Oceanside, California, and embarked on his latest, greatest…

Times Have Changed

I’ve been in this business for about ten years, and damn have I seen it change. Before my fi rst fi ght - against a gi-clad “Gracie Jiu-Jitsu” expert – I was scared that his magic might destroy me before I stepped…