USA Today Piece on the UFC

USA Today recently did a piece on the UFC.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2006-12-04-ultimate-fighting_x.htm?POE=LIFISVA

 

Wonderful.
Another "holy shyte, real people actually like this stuff article."
It couldn't be more similar to NASCAR in that respect ... when NASCAR started its upswing, every metro stick-and-ball columnist had to pen a "I can't believe how popular this watching cars go around in circles thing is."
Great.
<sigh>

And, as has been pointed out in various other threads here, Dana White -- while instrumental in reviving the UFC -- did not "immediately instituted rules, including no groin attacks, no kneeing and no throwing an opponent out of the Octagon, that have allowed UFC bouts to be sanctioned in two dozen states, reviving its fortunes."
You can still knee (re: Anderson Silva v. Rich Franklin). And you were never allowed to attack the groin or throw somebody out of the Octagon -- which considering the height of the cage and the difficulty of lifting an opponent is a ridiculous concept.

 

The New Jersey State Athletic commission have actually started writing to reporters who write stories on the UFC pointing out that the unified rules were passed in New Jersey prior to Zuffa buying the UFC.

 

Heavyweight champion Tim "The Maine-iac" Sylvia is 6-8 and the cage is only six feet tall. I'm pretty sure he could lift somone over his head and throw them out of the cage if he wanted to.

 

Maybe.
Unless you consider that (a) the other person will probably be somewhere between 6 and 6-8 OR (b) weigh anywhere from 230 pounds and up AND (c) are doing everything in their power to prevent takedowns and slams, I find it very difficult to believe anybody gets thrown out of the cage.
Possible?
Yes.
Likely?
Not even remotely.

 

You can't possibly serious ... if another heavyweight was so far out of it that Sylvia was actually able to pick him up and hurl him out of the octagon without resistance, they would have long since stopped the fight.