Combat Sports & Strength Sports Greatest Moments
Personally i’ve always been obsessed by two questions: “Who is the best fighter in the world?” and “Who is the strongest man in the world?” Traditional combat sports and strength sports couldn’t answer my question till two competitions were create specially to find out who is the REAL best fighter in the world and who is the REAL strongest man in the world. Without further due, those are my all time favorite tournament and competition to find out is the best at fighting and brute strength.
UFC 1: The Beginning / The Ultimate Fighting Championship
Friday November 12, 1993 – Denver, Colorado
The original idea was to put world champions from eight fighting sports. But the so-called world champions, way out of their confort zone, weren’t too keen into participating into that kind of event. The event was a eight man/discipline, one night, single-elimination bouts, $50,000 winner take all, tournament. No Holds Barred, no rules, no time limit, no judges, no rounds, no weight classes, no weight limits, no mandatory safety equipment, in an eight-sided cage, The Octagon. It was anything goes fighting to the finish. The only way to win being knockout, submission, or death. It was great, it was legalized street fighting, it was the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Quarter-finals: defeated Art Jimmerson by submission in 2:18.
Semi-finals: defeated Ken Shamrock by submission in 0:57.
Final: defeated Gerard Gordeau by submission in 1:44 to become the first ever UFC champion.
2002 Arnold Classic Strongman Competition
22, 23 February 2002 – Columbus, Ohio
The original plan was to invite eight competitors (the two leading weightlifters, the two leading powerlifters, and the two leading Strongman competitors, and two other people outstanding in two or more of the disciplines) to compete in three or four events (Three test of brute strength were indispensables for the competition – Clean and Jerk, Farmer’s Walk, and the most basic test of brute strength in the iron game, the Deadlift. They decide to involve their major sponsor with the fourth and final event, the deflated tires Hummer Push). A 30 seconds time-limit was imposed on all events involving continuous effort.
In weightlifting, the first choice was Saed Jaber and the second choice was Andrei Chemerkin. The third man invited was Ronnie Weller, who also declined. So the fourth choice was Raimonds Bergmanis. In powerlifting, Brad Gillingham who accepted, was the first choice. The second choice, Gary Frank, declined. The third choice was Andy Bolton, who accepted. In the Strongman world, the first choice was Svend Karlsen, who accepted. The second was Magnus Samuelson. In the fourth category of participants, those who distinguished themselves in two of the three strength disciplines. The first choice was Mark Philippi, who accepted. The second choice was Shane Hannan, who declined. The third choice was 6’4″, 380 lbs bodybuilder Greg Kovacs. As Mark Philippi, Mark Henry earned his invitation in a strength demonstration. three or four event all three disciplines of strength – weightlifting, powerlifting, and strongman event.
For the three major test of strength. They decide to put competitors of each strength disciplines out of their confort zone. The clean and jerk was done with the Apollon’s Wheels – who was only lifted overhead by three men in the last hundred years. The Farmer’s Walk became the Timber’s Walk. The Deadlift was supposed to be a car or truck deadlift with a normal bar-in-front-of-the-shin grip. But the small stage didn’t allow that kind of apparitus. They decide to involve their major sponsor with the fourth and final event, the deflated tires Hummer Push.
The Prize for the competitors were: 1th: Hummer + $10,000; 2th: $15,000; 3th: $10,000; 4th: $5,000; 5th: $3,5000; 5th (ex-aequo): $3,500; 7th: $2,000; 8th: $1,000.
366-lb, 1.93″ thick bar Apollon’s Wheels: 1th position (3 clean and jerk)
Deadlift: 2th position (885 lbs x 2 reps)
40′ deflated tires Hummer Push: 5th position (20.59 seconds)
820-lb Timber’s Walk on 45′:
Final results: 25 points
