MMA is not about looks…
Way back in 2007, mixed martial arts was a completely different game. Before big promotions like the UFC knew how to harness star power, MMA was still in a wild West-like state.
Among many promotions at that time fighting for supremacy was Cage Rage. Regarding British promotions at that time, Cage Rage was by far the biggest. Housing future stars such as Anderson Silva, Vitor Belfort and Michael Bisping, Cage Rage was gathering serious steam.
Cage Rage
Although Cage Rage put on their last show in 2008, their six-year run featured some seriously fun fights. Perhaps most notable were Anderson Silva’s uppercut elbow KO of Tony Fryklund, and the war between Melvin Manhoef and Cyborg Santos.
The subject of today’s article was a blend of many factors that make MMA such a good watch. Featuring two heavyweight monsters, Cage Rage put on a fantastic show in London in 2007.
Butterbean vs. James Thompson
400-pound boxing champion Eric ‘Butterbean’ Esch is one of the most travelled fighters of our generation. Although he might not look it, Butterbean has hands of stone and serious knockout power.
During the intro for their fight, Thompson said of Butterbean:
“I know you’ve come a long way, so I’m going to make this quick, clean and relatively painful. Just lie back, close your eyes and think of MacDonalds. I will all be over quick.”
Skip to 1:31 for Thompson’s comments on Butterbean’s weight, or go to 3:44 for the fight:
The Age Old ‘Trash Talk Gone Wrong’
Although many would dispute the stoppage, this fight illustrates the danger of talking mad trash before a fight. Promoting the bout is great, but one can end up looking rather silly if you get finished quickly.
Unfortunately for ‘The Colossus’ Thompson, this was a regular trend with his fights in Pride FC too.
