Shogun Rua-Lyoto Machida Preview: An Educational Message to MMA Fans

It was very hard for me to believe that any crowd of MMA fans would ever actually boo Anderson the Spider Silva after he had just won a fight.

I was shocked and dismayed to see and hear just that happen when Anderson beat Thales Leites.

The worst was yet to come, however, when UFC boss Dana White decided to give Anderson a thorough tongue-lashing later at the press conference.

Dana often claims that he is the biggest MMA fan of all, so essentially I am counting him with those I feel need to be educated about how to be proper MMA fans at any event, in or outside of the UFC.

Since I have an alcoholic in my family, I realize what a disgusting effect alcoholic beverages can have on any group of sports fans. As much as I have heard a drink costs at these events, I am dumbfounded that anyone can afford to buy enough booze to get a drunk on at a sports event, Yet I continue to see it occurring on a regular basis.

Perhaps I should be doing an article on "Can a Sports Event Exist Without Beer?"—because I am beginning to think it cannot.

To those who would argue that drinking beer makes people stupid, I would readily agree. But does it make MMA fans too stupid to appreciate a matchup involving a fighter who is a real technician and who fights with a style other than "boxing and bloodletting"?

More and more the crowds at events seem to think that only stand-up fights involving massive amounts of blood and a knock out have any kind of merit.

Yes, I remember that I too once maintained that Lyoto Machida's style of fighting was boring to watch—but I have since then been "educ ted" in his counter defensive style and have learned to appreciate his patience.

Skill has everything to do with Machida's style, yet his up coming opponent, Shogun Rua, has chosen to emphasize the word "patience" when asked how he will approach the fight with Lyoto.

Yes, patience is Rua's game plan. He insists that is the only way that Machida can be beaten.

Rushing Machida would risk a knee, kick, or strike that could instantly end the fight for Rua.

So not only will Rua have to use patience—he will have to pray that the crowd will also realize what he is risking by facing the Dragon in his lair, and award the men the patience to see whose strategy and tool set will prevail.

If there are constant choruses of booing and yells urging either fighter to toss out his game plan along with his common sense, then all hopes for a good technical chess match of a fight will be thrown out the window.

Surely by this time though, if I have been educated at my age that patience and appreciation of the fighters' technical skills is necessary to watching Machida fight, then the rest of the fans must also be aware of this as well.

Naturally, since I will not be drinking anything stronger than a root beer or a cherry coke, it may be easier to use my new skill than it will for the viewers who do drink. However, that is the purpose in writing this article.

For the sake of two brave and very talented fighters, please fans...be patient.

Do not boo the fighters. Yes, they are there for your entertainment, but should not have to risk their health and/or welfare for that reason.

Do not spill your beer and please, do not boo the fighters!

Show the MMA critics that there is more to our sport than blood and gore.

Please, for Grndma's sake?