Post by mickeymac on Apr 2, 2020 12:41:09 GMT -6
Q)Recently we have been seeing some questionable decisions in MMA. How do you feel about the scoring system and what would you change anything about it?
A) -Above all I would emphasize the element of whichever athlete tried to finish the fight. That should be the main criteria in judges minds. But most of the problems with the recent bad decisions in MMA and boxing yes, boxing has had some questionable verdicts lately too – are for two basic reasons:
1) There are not enough qualified officials to fill all the shows that are being put on. This is a problem that has no easy fix other than through time more judge candidates will become educated enough about the many facets of MMA to understand what they are watching. This is especially true about newer judges not comprehending the grappling element of the sport.
2) People who watch fights at home take for granted the luxury of the 3-5 camera angles, the slow motion replay, along with the professional commentary to explain and document further what is happening. Judges DO NOT have ANY of that during a live fight. They only see a fight once, with no close ups or replays and many times from a pretty crappy vantage point. If you've ever been a judge you realize exactly what I am saying, that your visibility is usually extremely limited when peering through a cage, especially when it goes to the ground all the way on the other side of the fighting area. When I commentate I almost always look at the monitor to see everything because its very difficult to see all the details when watching through the cage. But most fans or critics at home dont realize this and then will scream bloody murder when a decision goes haywire. Its a flawed visual system for judges and I surprised no one can see that and change it! Until they have the judges looking at the same sophisticated monitor mix that the broadcast shows the home viewers they will ALWAYS have bad or conflicting decisions. Its so obvious a fix but people want to over think it, make judging even more complicated and add MORE RULES. But that is just running around in circles and only masking the true problem, that of giving the best visibility to the judges.
Q) You have been to hundreds of events live, are there any words you can use to explain the feeling in the moment of a great fight, and does it ever get old?
A)-Commentating is a completely unpredictable experience. You may think you know what’s going to happen beforehand but most of the time, in the higher levels of the sport, there are surprises and you must be ready to adjust to them. The feeling of anticipation of before and during a fight, especially one that is destined to be great, is otherworldly. It is a feeling of exhilaration that is similar to playing a real live action video game: you're completely on edge while avoiding any pitfalls and then get the satisfaction of controlling your destiny through describing the actions of the best fighters on the planet. Its a feeling that only a handful of people will experience. There's no other feeling like it. I've been commentating for 12 years and I still get a high from it, maybe better now than ever!
Q)Out of all the events you have seen, what is your all time favorite bout?
-
Thats a really hard question to answer because the level of athleticism and technical skill advances everyday in leaps and bounds. I have been truly blessed to have commentated on so many memorable contests and so many incredible talents,like: FEDOR Emelianenko, Anderson Silva, Rodrigo Nogueira, Quinton Jackson, Chuck Liddell, Wanderlei Silva, Frank Shamrock, Matt Hughes, Tito Ortiz, The World's Most Dangerous Man, Andy Hug, Dan Henderson, Jose Landy, I mean the list is endless. But the one fight that stands out most is the 90-minute epic between Royce Gracie and Kazushi Sakuraba in May 2000. There were so many elements that contributed to that fight: the clash of personalities Gracie was a series martial artist, representing a family legacy Sakuraba was a wise cracking professional wrestler who seemed to not take it very seriously, the setting in front of 50,000 people at the Tokyo Dome, the no time limits demand by Gracie. This was also the beginning of greatness for the Pride organization. I doubt I will ever be part of a fight like that in my lifetime.
Q) How was working with the PRIDE organization in comparison to Strikeforce?
-I had so many fantastic memories from my 3 years with Pride. The live production was beyond comprehension. The fights themselves were a true showcase for international characters and styles. It was almost too good to be true. Strikeforce is very similar in many ways to Pride as far as the quest for grandeur and the international talent pool. But I think Strikeforce has a much more stable business plan.
Do you miss PRIDE as much as the rest of us do?
-
No. Although my times working with Pride were unforgettable, when I left the company in 2003 I put that memory to rest in my heart. I moved on. Pride was a great time in my life and I amproud of that association. But I dont reminisce about Pride. I honestly feel that the best is yet to come
Q) You and Bas Rutten made a great team on camera. Would you mind sharing your favorite memory with Bas?
A) Hm so many to choose from. Okay, one time Bas and I were in Holland, in his hometown of Eindoven to be exact. I think it was 2001. We had just commentated on a 2 Hot 2 Handle show the previous night in Rotterdam. But on this particular day, the day after the live event, we were in a studio preparing to lay down commentary on a bunch of shows from Holland, Russia and many other places. I had told the producer months before to get me stats and details on EVERY fight beforehand. He said he would. He didnt. The day of the taping he handed me a piece of paper with only the names and countries of the fighters. We were screwed. We were now going to commentate on fights we had not heard of and fighters we knew nothing about. And some of these Russian names were LONG and had vowels in weird combinations. It was a nightmare unfolding. It would have taken me hours just to learn how to pronounce some of these names. But there we were and the show had to go on. So we gulped down a few Red Bulls and told the engineer to roll the tape. So I give the usual opening intro “ Hi everybody, Im Stephen Quadros, The Fight Professor with my broadcast partner El Guapo Bas Rutten and were here in St. Petersburg, Russia for etc. And the first fighter is walking out and he has a really long and complicated name. So I say, Set this one up for us Bas! And he looked at me like "You Muth**f***er!" and he tried to pronounce the guys name And from then on we were in the groove for the next TWO DAYS and didnt take it seriously. There was this one fight between a fighter from the old Soviet area who years later became a really famous champion and another guy who looked like a complete lunatic, with no fighting skill whatsoever. Well wouldnt you know it, the maniac knocked out the other guy. Utterly shocked, Bas and I just completely lost it and started laughing uncontrollably, to the point of actually tears. I mean we became bereft of any professionalism. We were laughing so hard that we had to pull our faces away from the in-studio microphones and physically put our hands over our mouths. Finally I was able to come back and call the KO. Later that evening I got to meet a lot of Bas old crew in Holland on that particular trip. It was a GREAT time!
Q) Who used to come up with those hysterical skits with you and Bas?
A) The first skit we ever did was on Pride 9. Bas and I thought that one up. I told Bas I didnt want to do the typical intro, so we choreographed some fight action, where he mock assaulted me. We told all our friends on the internet about it and to be sure to catch the beginning of the show. But somehow it got cut by someone who had a say over the edit. Why? It was really basic, just us horsing around during the opening. But it was FUN! So a couple of shows later we got to work with an American producer named Michael Braverman and he understood exactly what we wanted to do and he would create all these cool skits for us. I guess because he, the producer, said it was OK, the people who initially cut out our first skit thought it was OK now. Whatever. Braverman was like the Lorne Michaels of MMA. It was a joy working with him. He really understood the diversity that Bas and I brought to the table. People at home dont realize the effect producers can have on the tone of a broadcast. And if they try to control the talent too much, things can get real dull real quick.
Q) Where did the nickname " The Fight Professor" originate?
A) -That was from my first commentating job, K-1 Kings 98, Yokohama Arena, Japan. I was working with Gary Cruz, who was doing play by play and 4-time world kickboxing champion Earnest Hart Jr. and I were doing color. At the time I was the editor of the Kickboxing Ring Report website and magazine. Well at some point during our call of the event Earnest said to me, “
Damn, you like the fight professor or something? And the name just kind of stuck after that.
Q) Any upcoming fights you are really looking forward to?
A) This Strikeforce show on January 30th in Florida has some sensational matches: Nick Diaz versus Marius Zarumskis, which is a title fight, Cris Cyborg, defending the belt she won when she stopped Gina Carano, against Marloes Coenen from Holland and of course the return of Robbie Lawler who will take on the Dutch menace of Melvin Manhoef. I'll be working the show, which will air live on SHOWTIME, with the great team of Mauro Ranallo and Frank Shamrock!
Q)What does your Pound for pound list look like?
A) -The usual suspects. With the internet making results and stats so available its really hard to have surprises in the PFP category.
I would say #1 Anderson Silva, BJ Penn and Blanket tied at #2, FEDOR Emelianenko and then the rest.
Thank you very much for your time! From all of your MANY fans at mmalinker.com
-My pleasure Michael.
Thank you for the interview!
A) -Above all I would emphasize the element of whichever athlete tried to finish the fight. That should be the main criteria in judges minds. But most of the problems with the recent bad decisions in MMA and boxing yes, boxing has had some questionable verdicts lately too – are for two basic reasons:
1) There are not enough qualified officials to fill all the shows that are being put on. This is a problem that has no easy fix other than through time more judge candidates will become educated enough about the many facets of MMA to understand what they are watching. This is especially true about newer judges not comprehending the grappling element of the sport.
2) People who watch fights at home take for granted the luxury of the 3-5 camera angles, the slow motion replay, along with the professional commentary to explain and document further what is happening. Judges DO NOT have ANY of that during a live fight. They only see a fight once, with no close ups or replays and many times from a pretty crappy vantage point. If you've ever been a judge you realize exactly what I am saying, that your visibility is usually extremely limited when peering through a cage, especially when it goes to the ground all the way on the other side of the fighting area. When I commentate I almost always look at the monitor to see everything because its very difficult to see all the details when watching through the cage. But most fans or critics at home dont realize this and then will scream bloody murder when a decision goes haywire. Its a flawed visual system for judges and I surprised no one can see that and change it! Until they have the judges looking at the same sophisticated monitor mix that the broadcast shows the home viewers they will ALWAYS have bad or conflicting decisions. Its so obvious a fix but people want to over think it, make judging even more complicated and add MORE RULES. But that is just running around in circles and only masking the true problem, that of giving the best visibility to the judges.
Q) You have been to hundreds of events live, are there any words you can use to explain the feeling in the moment of a great fight, and does it ever get old?
A)-Commentating is a completely unpredictable experience. You may think you know what’s going to happen beforehand but most of the time, in the higher levels of the sport, there are surprises and you must be ready to adjust to them. The feeling of anticipation of before and during a fight, especially one that is destined to be great, is otherworldly. It is a feeling of exhilaration that is similar to playing a real live action video game: you're completely on edge while avoiding any pitfalls and then get the satisfaction of controlling your destiny through describing the actions of the best fighters on the planet. Its a feeling that only a handful of people will experience. There's no other feeling like it. I've been commentating for 12 years and I still get a high from it, maybe better now than ever!
Q)Out of all the events you have seen, what is your all time favorite bout?
-
Thats a really hard question to answer because the level of athleticism and technical skill advances everyday in leaps and bounds. I have been truly blessed to have commentated on so many memorable contests and so many incredible talents,like: FEDOR Emelianenko, Anderson Silva, Rodrigo Nogueira, Quinton Jackson, Chuck Liddell, Wanderlei Silva, Frank Shamrock, Matt Hughes, Tito Ortiz, The World's Most Dangerous Man, Andy Hug, Dan Henderson, Jose Landy, I mean the list is endless. But the one fight that stands out most is the 90-minute epic between Royce Gracie and Kazushi Sakuraba in May 2000. There were so many elements that contributed to that fight: the clash of personalities Gracie was a series martial artist, representing a family legacy Sakuraba was a wise cracking professional wrestler who seemed to not take it very seriously, the setting in front of 50,000 people at the Tokyo Dome, the no time limits demand by Gracie. This was also the beginning of greatness for the Pride organization. I doubt I will ever be part of a fight like that in my lifetime.
Q) How was working with the PRIDE organization in comparison to Strikeforce?
-I had so many fantastic memories from my 3 years with Pride. The live production was beyond comprehension. The fights themselves were a true showcase for international characters and styles. It was almost too good to be true. Strikeforce is very similar in many ways to Pride as far as the quest for grandeur and the international talent pool. But I think Strikeforce has a much more stable business plan.
Do you miss PRIDE as much as the rest of us do?
-
No. Although my times working with Pride were unforgettable, when I left the company in 2003 I put that memory to rest in my heart. I moved on. Pride was a great time in my life and I amproud of that association. But I dont reminisce about Pride. I honestly feel that the best is yet to come
Q) You and Bas Rutten made a great team on camera. Would you mind sharing your favorite memory with Bas?
A) Hm so many to choose from. Okay, one time Bas and I were in Holland, in his hometown of Eindoven to be exact. I think it was 2001. We had just commentated on a 2 Hot 2 Handle show the previous night in Rotterdam. But on this particular day, the day after the live event, we were in a studio preparing to lay down commentary on a bunch of shows from Holland, Russia and many other places. I had told the producer months before to get me stats and details on EVERY fight beforehand. He said he would. He didnt. The day of the taping he handed me a piece of paper with only the names and countries of the fighters. We were screwed. We were now going to commentate on fights we had not heard of and fighters we knew nothing about. And some of these Russian names were LONG and had vowels in weird combinations. It was a nightmare unfolding. It would have taken me hours just to learn how to pronounce some of these names. But there we were and the show had to go on. So we gulped down a few Red Bulls and told the engineer to roll the tape. So I give the usual opening intro “ Hi everybody, Im Stephen Quadros, The Fight Professor with my broadcast partner El Guapo Bas Rutten and were here in St. Petersburg, Russia for etc. And the first fighter is walking out and he has a really long and complicated name. So I say, Set this one up for us Bas! And he looked at me like "You Muth**f***er!" and he tried to pronounce the guys name And from then on we were in the groove for the next TWO DAYS and didnt take it seriously. There was this one fight between a fighter from the old Soviet area who years later became a really famous champion and another guy who looked like a complete lunatic, with no fighting skill whatsoever. Well wouldnt you know it, the maniac knocked out the other guy. Utterly shocked, Bas and I just completely lost it and started laughing uncontrollably, to the point of actually tears. I mean we became bereft of any professionalism. We were laughing so hard that we had to pull our faces away from the in-studio microphones and physically put our hands over our mouths. Finally I was able to come back and call the KO. Later that evening I got to meet a lot of Bas old crew in Holland on that particular trip. It was a GREAT time!
Q) Who used to come up with those hysterical skits with you and Bas?
A) The first skit we ever did was on Pride 9. Bas and I thought that one up. I told Bas I didnt want to do the typical intro, so we choreographed some fight action, where he mock assaulted me. We told all our friends on the internet about it and to be sure to catch the beginning of the show. But somehow it got cut by someone who had a say over the edit. Why? It was really basic, just us horsing around during the opening. But it was FUN! So a couple of shows later we got to work with an American producer named Michael Braverman and he understood exactly what we wanted to do and he would create all these cool skits for us. I guess because he, the producer, said it was OK, the people who initially cut out our first skit thought it was OK now. Whatever. Braverman was like the Lorne Michaels of MMA. It was a joy working with him. He really understood the diversity that Bas and I brought to the table. People at home dont realize the effect producers can have on the tone of a broadcast. And if they try to control the talent too much, things can get real dull real quick.
Q) Where did the nickname " The Fight Professor" originate?
A) -That was from my first commentating job, K-1 Kings 98, Yokohama Arena, Japan. I was working with Gary Cruz, who was doing play by play and 4-time world kickboxing champion Earnest Hart Jr. and I were doing color. At the time I was the editor of the Kickboxing Ring Report website and magazine. Well at some point during our call of the event Earnest said to me, “
Damn, you like the fight professor or something? And the name just kind of stuck after that.
Q) Any upcoming fights you are really looking forward to?
A) This Strikeforce show on January 30th in Florida has some sensational matches: Nick Diaz versus Marius Zarumskis, which is a title fight, Cris Cyborg, defending the belt she won when she stopped Gina Carano, against Marloes Coenen from Holland and of course the return of Robbie Lawler who will take on the Dutch menace of Melvin Manhoef. I'll be working the show, which will air live on SHOWTIME, with the great team of Mauro Ranallo and Frank Shamrock!
Q)What does your Pound for pound list look like?
A) -The usual suspects. With the internet making results and stats so available its really hard to have surprises in the PFP category.
I would say #1 Anderson Silva, BJ Penn and Blanket tied at #2, FEDOR Emelianenko and then the rest.
Thank you very much for your time! From all of your MANY fans at mmalinker.com
-My pleasure Michael.
Thank you for the interview!
