My picks in bold.

TIM SYLVIA Vs. RODRIGO NOGUEIRA
Nog will sub him. Tim is a huge guy and gives fits in the stand up, but Nog is a great boxer and should be able to close the distance and take him down.

FRANK MIR Vs. BROCK LESNAR
Mir has to end it in the first, he'll gas after that and Lesnar will out work him, but I think Mir can do it in the 1st.

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J. M. - Baptist - Ontario, Canada - Feileadh Mor

"Nothing is more seductive for man than his freedom of conscience. But nothing is a greater cause of suffering."
The Brothers Karamazov

I'm gonna go with Lesnar. That guy is a beast.

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Caleb
Trinity Baptist Church
Spokane, WA

Yes he is a beast.

Nice picks JM!

Did you guys see this? I watched it last night but don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it.

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http://www.myspace.com/aleavelle
"Speak wisdom to a fool and he'll think you have no sense at all"

I saw the results, and watched a video clip of the Mir vs. Lesnar fight.

UFC® : Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Post fight comments.

I don't mean to be a spoilsport.... but I've held my tongue longer than I can anymore. Is this kind of "sport" God-honoring and is the "entertainment value" worth it? I've asked the same thing about shows like American Idol, which live on character assassination and the promotion of individualistic glory seeking of the worst kind. This is simple brutality being watched for the purposes of entertainment. How is this something worth your time, in a Biblical sense to take in? Can you honestly as Christian brothers reconcile this with Philippians 4:8?

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Todd K. Pedlar
member, First Congregational Church, (CCCC) Cresco, IA
http://semperubi.rtrc.net

"Many men, after a long conversion, see more of the workings of sin in their hearts than ever they did before or at their first conversion. Now, such men have not an increase of sin, but an increase of illumination and light" (Christopher Love)

We've had this discussion before. I don't think the UFC is as "violent" as it's made out to be. The new rules, ref stoppages, etc. has added a lot of safety to it. I think it's a legit sport.

The more one knows about martial arts, and the skills and techniques involved, one is better able to fully appreciate what is going on in MMA. Its not like its just two guys beating each other up. To think of it in such terms is to totally miss the point, and shows a lack of knowledge with respect to the sport.

You folks might like this link: Fight Science: Mixed Martial Arts, Special Ops, National Geographic Channel

Let's see, images of one guy straddling another guy at the waist, restraining one of the downed guys arms, and beating the stuffing out of his head until he gives up or is knocked out.

This isn't "just" violence? You aren't talking to someone who's never seen this stuff. What skill and technique is there in getting a guy to submit by bashing his brains in?

Please do instruct... I'm willing to learn.

Made out to be or not, what I've seen of it is more violent than anything else I've seen - it's not boxing, nor is it judo, nor is it karate - the later two of which I would judge to be closer to the line of legitimacy. If a ref's stoppage is merely to stop a guy from blacking out because of blows to the head, then the fact that it may be "safer" doesn't add any legitimacy to the activity.. it merely makes a violent activity somewhat less injurious.

MMA is a mental and physical science and not everyone is able to take part. As Fight Science shows, the MMA fighter is physically different due to their training, and this enables them to compete. They can handle the stress of pro MMA fighting.

A person who competes in MMA takes less punches then a boxer does during a pro fight. The guy on the ground often rolls with the punches causing them to glance, they don't land flush, if they do the fight is normally over quickly. Understanding the strategies might help.

Mixed martial arts - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I'm not going to debate how mentally and physically tough MMA fighters are and how well they can handle the stress. That's COMPLETELY irrelevant when it comes to looking seriously at the worth of watching such a "sport".

What do you mean by "worth of watching?"

Whether it is something worthwhile to watch. Contests of that sort. You obviously do, despite the violence, and have sought to defend it as a "science", which quite honestly is rather amusing. I haven't heard anyone actually defend the fact that so many matches end up with bloodied and/or nearly unconscious men, begging for the fight to be stopped because they're being physically mauled so bad. But I guess that's in some eyes God-glorifying "entertainment".

, how glib. Did you get a chance to view the links I posted?

If one feels it is unedifying to watch UFC then they should not go against their conscience. If one feels they have the liberty to watch it then to their own master they stand and fall, not to any man's opinion.

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Ryan Barnhart - Pastor of OGBC
Husband to a beautiful wife, Father to two beautiful girls
"But by the grace of God I am what I am." I Corinthians 15:10

"I confess to you, that if I can but live and die serving the Lord Jesus, it will make no difference to me whether I am eaten by Cannibals or by worms. And in the Great Day my Resurrection body will rise as fair as yours in the likeness of our risen Redeemer." - John Paton

I'm not sure what positive I'm supposed to gain from those... it certainly doesn't change impressions I've gotten from actually watching UFC.

No, its not "just" violence. Getting into a mount position usually takes a good amount of skill, if the opponent being mounted has a good ground game. Usually passing the guard or something to that effect. Besides, how "violent" is a choke? You make it sound like all fights end in a knockout. If you *personally* find it unedifying to watch, then don't watch it.

Most injuries in such fights are superficial and look much worse than they actually are. The fighters are trained to know when they are in trouble and can in most cases easily tap out before serious injury can occur. It's much safer than boxing. I enjoy it and appreciate the skill it takes to compete. I especially appreciate Randy Couture, he's awesome.

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Dan McPherson
Creekside, PA
Faith OPC - Indiana, PA

“The ultimate destiny of every individual is decided by the will of God, and blessed it is that such be the case. If it were left to our wills, the ultimate destination of us all would be the lake of fire.” -- A. W. Pink

It brings up an interesting subject, where do we draw the line with the Romans 14/ Christian liberty issue? I've heard some people use Romans 14 to justify 'laughing revivals' and other Charismatic excesses in worship, and here someone using it to justify a sport that is, at best, questionable, and at worse, barbaric. I just want to make sure we are applying the principal of Christian liberty in the way that God intended it to be applied.

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Andrew Clerebout
Joy Baptist Church, IFB (Westland, MI)

"Let us never forget that truth, distorted and exaggerated, can become the mother of the most dangerous heresies." - J.C. Ryle, Holiness

Christian youth, to frame the sport as "at best questionable, and at worse, barbaric", is itself at best questionable, and at worse, wrong. Being that that is what is under discussion, that needs to be argued for.

That's true, Cheshire. That wasn't the best way to phrase that, and it obviously reveals my bias on the issue, so I apologize.

I'm wondering. however. Can we assess this from a biblical standpoint and come to a conclusion about the expediency of watching UFC for all Christians, or can we come to a conclusion about this only for ourselves?

Mr. Pedlar, I’d like to apologize to you for stating that your comments were glib. I grew up around martial arts so my view of the time, discipline and science behind the MA’s is obviously going to be very different then someone who is outside looking in. With 20 years experience [I’m only 30] training in various disciplines including boxing, full contact karate, judo and wrestling I can understand the movements and find worth in a perfectly accomplish technique. It’s not my intention to change your mind. You not a governing commission and I’m not a promoter, the battle to legalize MMA [mixed martial arts] has already been fought in many places and won.

We will just have to agree to disagree and prayer we will be united on this issue one day.

Mr. Leavelle, I wrote up my post before seeing your comment and do agree that I have been too quick to judge and I would also like to state that it’s not to me to change any ones mind on the subject. I posted a few links as a jump off point and I hope they will be viewed.

Back to the op.

Rich wrote the following in a thread about boxing: Do you suppose Paul used so many references to athletes who were training their bodies for no reason? I have had to do a number of things I didn't want to do but knew I had to overcome fear to do and discipline myself to do. It has a steeling effect upon the body and the mind. That kind of mental toughness is required in this world. [end quote]

I have to agree and apply these statements to MMA in general. Did anyone hear Lesnar’s comments after the fight? The man has been humbled. Brock had to cut down to 265lbs to fight Mir and Mir still beat him! He used technique over brawn; he put his time in training and worked out a strategy based on finesse.

Peace,

j