Yep, you read that correctly! Our favorite “FunSize” fighter Zach Makovsky made it, or should we say his butt made it, on to the New York Times website. BabyFightGear, one of his supporters was lucky enough to be right in the shot, a little blurry – but whatever we will take it. I can honestly say this is the first time I have been happy to see another mans butt. Here is a link to the article – http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/17/business/media/cage-fightings-popularity-has-media-giants-in-a-slugfest.html?smid=tw-share&_r=2& and below is a screenshot.

We are very happy to announce we are now carrying a special and exclusive Baby/Toddler design from the very popular Go Hard Brand! Check them out at http://shopgohardbrand.com/ and check out their design in our store HERE!

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It’s no surprise that people who don’t know UFC ask the difference between pro-wrestling and MMA. Both involve very large, intimidating men applying skilled fighting moves that would render the average person in the confines of their local ICU. In pro-wrestling, the fight isn’t nearly as important as the storyline and hype that gets you to that moment. In UFC, it’s about who is the better fighter, who trained harder, who wants the win more, and sometimes, who sees the right opportunity to put one on their opponent’s chin. UFC isn’t nearly about the hype and buildup, MMA fighters will wait to say what needs to be said when the bell rings.

Well… Most of the time…

Chael Sonnen is the exception to that rule. One of the greatest fighters in his division, Sonnen is one of those people that can make a fight interesting, no matter who he steps into the cage with. Not only can he talk the talk, Chael P. Sonnen can walk the walk.

Slated to have his second fight against Anderson Silva at UFC 148 in Las Vegas (quite possibly the most anticipated rematch in UFC history), and preparing for his new book, “The Voice of Reason: A V.I.P. Pass to Enlightenment” to be released this week, and the name behind the babyfightgear.com signature “Like Father, Like Sonnen” shirt, Sonnen keeps his dance card pretty full, but always has a moment to share what’s on his mind, and remind everyone that he is the “Smartest Man in the UFC”.

There is never a dull moment with Chael, and I learned that first hand this week. Walking into an interview is not an issue for me. I’m a writer, it’s part of my job. The only thing I have to do is be prepared with questions in hand. What I wasn’t prepared for was Chael Sonnen’s answers, but I’m not sure that anyone is or could be. Needless to say, I did my best, and I walked away with only a few bumps and bruises. I did learn who controls an interview with the number one contender for the UFC Middleweight Title…

(It should be noted, due to scheduling conflicts the Q&A below was done over an email exchange, so while we would have loved to follow up on a couple of Chael answers, we unfortunately were unable – enjoy!)

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear): What advice would you give to a blog writer, say for babyfightgear.com, that is mildly intimidated both mentally and physically by you, that is preparing to interview you? (Of course, I’m not referring to me. I’m an Eagle. I took this interview like Chael P. Sonnen would take a fight, but just to hypothetical interviewers, in general.)

Chael Sonnen: I would advise any neophyte interviewer who was intimidated to interview yours truly that I am a much nicer guy and I give better interviews if I am given five thousand dollars in cash a few minutes before they start asking questions.

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear): How is Mr. Danger Waffles holding up through all the training?

Chael Sonnen: That’s a boring question. That’s a little more advice for ya.

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear): Your new book, “The Voice of Reason: A V.I.P. Pass to Enlightenment” is scheduled to be released on May 15th at Amazon.com. What should we expect while reading the next “Great American Masterpiece”?

Chael Sonnen: If it’s the “Great American Masterpiece” then I guess you should expect the book to be Mediocre and French.

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear): What is more fun for you, building up the fight, or actually fighting?

Chael Sonnen: Fighting the Buildup

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear): A recent collaboration of interviews with UFC fighters on YouTube call for a Sonnen Victory in July. Is there anything you will do differently compared to the last time you fought Anderson Silva at UFC 117?

Chael Sonnen: Will be doing it in a different place at a different point in time. My next fight is currently in the future. My past fight is not only currently in the past, but in the future, it will still be in the past, just further into the past, or perhaps simply in ‘stasis’, with every other past event, more like a flat tapestry than a road stretching back into infinity.

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear): What will be your first meal with the title in your hand?

Chael Sonnen: Whatever is in Anderson Silva’s lunch-box

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear): How do you feel about the fight being moved back a month (UFC 148), and relocated to Las Vegas?

Chael Sonnen: I will miss fighting in front of my millions of devoted fans in my second home, Brazil. But I will be counting on the good wishes of all my Brazilian fans, and will bring the belt down there as soon as I take it from that stumblebum phony Brazilian Anderson.

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear): When you were supposed to fight Silva in Brazil, did you think at some point there would have been a moment like Rocky 4, where everybody turns table and starts chanting “Sonnen! Sonnen!”? After you defeat Silva, did you plan on doing a speech similar to Rocky Balboa’s after beating Ivan Drago?

Chael Sonnen: Put that question in your “I wish I hadn’t asked that question because it made me look like a dope” file, and watch better films than “Rocky 4″. May I recommend “Drive”, “Valhalla Rising”, and “Jacob’s Ladder” over the next few days, bubbeleh?

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear): It has been noted that your Mother (Claudia) said that she initially didn’t approve of fighting at all, and has since become a fight fan, but would rather see anyone else in the octagon besides you, and prefers not to watch you fight. Will Ms. Claudia Sonnen be watching her son’s title fight in July?

Chael Sonnen: I will ask my mother while we spar tonight. I’ll drop the ol’ coot with a body-shot so she has a few minutes to roll around on the floor thinkin’ up a smartass answer.

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear): You refer to yourself as “The Most Intelligent Man In the UFC”, is there anyone that comes close to you mentally?

Chael Sonnen: Wile E. Coyote, Super Genius

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear): Some of your quotes have become a staple in the UFC. For instance, “I’ll put Silva on his back faster than a porn star with a mortgage”. Are these statements ALL from the brilliant mind of Chael P. Sonnen, and ONLY you?

Chael Sonnen: Define “only” and “all”. And make it fast. I have a few books to finish writing; “Tropic of Cancer”, under one of my aliases, Henry Miller, “Gravity’s Rainbow”, as Thomas Pynchon, and “Moby Dick; or, The Whale”, as Herman Melville.

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear): It’s been said that Randy Couture, besides yourself, is your favorite fighter in UFC, and we know you never back away from a fight. Hypothetically speaking, we could see you and Randy in the octagon together, would you do it, and how would you go about promoting it?

Chael Sonnen: What exactly are you proposing we DO in the Octagon together? Fight? Or does it include your mom, a ball-gag, and a “safe” word? Cause then me and the Natch might be interested…

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear): You’re not scared to fight any four people in the world. You’re not scared to say what is on your mind. You’re not even afraid to call a whole team of professional Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighters out in public. Is there anything that scares you at all?

Chael Sonnen: Yes.

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear): We know you’re a Republican, and there is an upcoming election this year. In a true American’s opinion, what do you think Mitt Romney’s chances are in this race against incumbent President Barack Obama?

Chael Sonnen: Nixon/Goldwater 2012

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear): Do you think that if you were ever interviewed by Barbara Walters, she would be able to draw out a more soft side of Chael Sonnen?

Chael Sonnen: Maybe Ol’ CP would draw out a more soft side of Baba Wawa, guy. Y’never know.

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear): I’ve seen you in interviews stating that you have never had a drop of alcohol. Your friend, (WWE wrestler) CM Punk claims the same thing, but makes his reasons known to the public. Other than keeping the temple in shape, is this just a personal conviction, or are you just waiting for your reign in professional sports to end before you crack that first beer?

Chael Sonnen: I don’t take liquor for many reasons. It makes the methadone on my tonsils curdle.

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear): You’re 35 years young. You’ve stated before that you don’t plan on fighting forever, just long enough to let everyone view the best. You’ve also said you don’t know what you’re going to do after your fighting career is over. Of the following list (made up by fans of Babyfightgear.com), which one would you lean more towards at this point? 1-Another Political Run, 2-WWE wrestler, 3-Filling in the gap that Jimmy Hart left when he slowed down from the WWE, 4-Fight Analyst/commentator for the UFC, 5-Radio/TV talk show host, 6-UFC Trainer

Chael Sonnen: 7) Javelin Catcher

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear): If you did join the WWE as a pro wrestler, what would be your signature finishing move?

Chael Sonnen: I would continue to be an innovator by employing my finishing move at the beginning of my matches, then working backward to the end.

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear): What do you think about Brock Lesnar leaving the UFC, and going back to the WWE?

Chael Sonnen: I didn’t care about that coward when he was in the UFC. What makes you think I care about him, or what he does, now?

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear): If you could clone yourself, what would your clone do while you were training? Would you ever trade places with him?

Chael Sonnen: My clone would be looking at your list of questions shaking his head in bored disgust.

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear): As you know, we promote the “Like Father, Like Sonnen” line of T-shirts here at babyfightgear.com. Is there a chance we’ll see a “Chael Jr.” sporting one someday?

Chael Sonnen: I am more certain that I will have a child than that you will remain in business, but both are less than guaranteed.

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear): Who would win in a fight between Dana White and Joe Rogan?

Chael Sonnen: My clone and one of your t-shirts would beat them both in a “Texas Strap Tag-Team” match

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear): At the end of the day, when the sun is setting on the life of Chael P. Sonnen, what do you want the world to remember?

Chael Sonnen: Not to let the sun set on Chael P. Sonnen. Donate your organs now so I have a “farm team” of body parts that I can replace indefinitely and torment bad fighters and boring writers for centuries to come.

Now leave $5,000 on the kitchen table and GET OUT!

Though you don’t need it, we here at babyfightgear.com wish you the best of luck against Anderson Silva at UFC 148, and we can’t wait until SonneNation sees you holding the title up in front of them for the first time.

Do you have an idea for the next BFG blog? Feel free to email Jimmy Robbins at jimmyr@babyfightgear.com or follow him on Twitter (He follows back) @JimmyRobbins, and don’t forget to follow, @babyfightgear for updates, specials, and contests!

Zach “Fun Size” Makovsky is the current Bellator Fighting Championships Bantamweight titleholder. Zach is scheduled to defend that title this Friday at Bellator 65 (on MTV2 and spike.com) against Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas. Not only that, but he is also a friend of the BFG team, and the name behind the “Fun Size” line of clothes that are featured on babyfightgear.com.
On October 14th, 2010 Zach won the first ever Bantamweight title belt at Bellator. One would think that all of that notoriety would go to a fighter’s head, but not Zach. Makovsky is one of the most humble, respectful, and laid back people I have ever met. Don’t mistake the niceness for weakness, Zach is a “Fun Size” force to be reckoned with in Bellator Fighting Championships.

Though Zach wouldn’t predict the outcome of Friday night’s fight, we here at babyfightgear.com know he’s going to walk out victorious (See his answer to the question about the hardest thing he has had to overcome), and we will be sitting on the edge of the chair for every second of the fight.
I’d like to thank the BFG crew for allowing me to chat with Zach, and Zach for taking the time to chat with me, as well.

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear) – How has training been going for your upcoming fight with Eduardo Dantas?

Zack Makovsky - Not too different from my normal training, I just up a bit of conditioning and do some more specific work for the opponent, everything went good had a couple little nagging bumps and bruises in the beginning but the last couple weeks started to feel really good, so looking forward to it.

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear) – What motivates you in fighting to stay on top of your game?

Zack Makovsky - I think it’s just how much I love and have a passion for martial arts. You know it’s like every day I wake up and the thing I look forward to the most is going to the gym and training and learning an continuing to develop, that’s what I focus on and that’s really all I need, I like pushing myself to my limits and it’s really about seeing what I’m capable of.

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear) – Where is your head at going in to this upcoming fight at Bellator 65

Zack Makovsky - I’m excited I think I have a very talented opponent from a phenomenal team and he’s pretty well rounded, he’s good everywhere, black belt in jiu-jitsu there is no easy way around this fight, should be a good battle but I’m ready, I’m excited to fight people at this caliber it’s more about challenging myself and seeing what I’m capable of, so these kind of fights that are tough are the ones that I’m really looking forward to.

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear) – Excellent! Any predictions going in to this fight?

Zack Makovsky - Its so hard to give predictions, I mean in MMA there is so many things you can do, so many ways you can win, and so many ways you can lose, it’s hard to say. Realistically because he is so well rounded he’s going to be difficult to finish, but I plan on trying to control every aspect of the fight, and if I see a submission or a chance to capitalize or hurt him and can finish him with strikes, and if I see a submission I’ll take it, but I don’t know, who knows.

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear) – Any thoughts to the rest of the fight card scheduled for Friday?

Zack Makovsky - It’s a pretty stacked card, they have the last two quarter finals in the bantamweight tournament that I am excited for and a featherweight semi final to see whose fighting Marlon Sandro for the tournament championship. Plus a pretty stacked undercard a lot of really talented local fighters from around here fighting on it, should be a great show

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear) – Do you have any messages for your fans tuning in?

Zack Makovsky - Just enjoy the show, have fun watching I will be having fun in it!

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear) - Let’s take a step back to Oct 14, 2010 becoming the first bantamweight champion, what did that mean to you?

Zack Makovsky - It was a great feeling and I am glad I won the tournament, and won the title….it was just a little bit of validation for all the work I had been putting in, you know it wasn’t like a specific goal, I take it as a great step and a great point in my career, but you know I try not to define my career with wins and losses, and really just focus on my overall development as a fighter, as an athlete, as a person, and making sure I am continuing to learn and continuing to have fun. But it was a great day, a shining point in my career so far, but in my view just another step along the way

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear) - What does the future hold for you in your career?

Zack Makovsky - Hard to say, I have a bunch of fights left on my contract with Bellator, I am sure I will be fighting with them for a couple more fights regardless of the outcome, I just look forward to this upcoming fight for the experience, learning and growing from it and continuing to develop and continuing to have exciting fights. I feel like I am living the dream being able to train and fight and do what I love for a living so I am trying to enjoy it for as long as it lasts.

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear) - What’s the toughest thing you have had to deal with, as a fighter.

Zack Makovsky - I don’t know, something that really changed me, was early in my career, high school and college, early on I really didn’t know how to handle losing, it is something I viewed as unacceptable and something must have gone wrong and I wasn’t doing enough. It wasn’t until after my first loss that I really started to be able to accept that losing is as much a part of the sport as winning, and that its not the end of the world, and what matters is the experience and you continue to grow and learn. That was a really hard hump for me to get over, I just didn’t get it. Maybe just from my wrestling background, wrestling maybe more than other sports preaches that losing is unacceptable, I have had coaches literally say wining is life, losing is death and stuff like that, maybe it was just kind of in my head from all my years wrestling, I don’t know maybe its just a whole western sports culture thing , but I think getting over that hump and being able to accept losing and understanding that losing doesn’t mean failure was a big step to get over and once I got over that step I started to feel a lot less pressure when I competed and started to have a lot more success and competed at a higher level anyway. Kind of ironic there.

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear) - Yeah pretty cool thing to learn, and definitely helps in all aspects of life. What would you be doing if you weren’t fighting?

Zack Makovsky - Its hard hard to say you know, I have a degree in biology from Drexel University, but I never wanted to be a researcher or do a lot of lab work so I got in to more of the physical end of it with kinesiology as a conditioning coach for a while and really enjoyed that, really liked coaching people in any endeavor that they chose and I would probably be a coach in some aspect, wresting or strength and conditioning.

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear) -Are there any downsides to winning the championship?

Zack Makovsky - Nothing that I wouldn’t trade to have the championship belt, I maybe don’t get to fight quite as often as I would like. I’ve only fought twice since 2010 when I won the title. So I’ve been fighting less frequently but I get a bigger stage and more challenging opponents so that is OK. I guess if I had the choice I would fight a little more often, but I think Bellator is working on that too, they’re a young company and are putting on more tournaments each season so you can defend the title or just get more fights in, in a shorter amount of time.

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear) -When you won the title how long did it take you to quit taking the belt in to bed with you?

Zack Makovsky - Haha, I didn’t take it to bed at all, I took it home showed it to friends and family and then put it where I thought it belonged and put it in our gym, with all the other awards from all the other fighters who fight out of our gym have gotten and received. You know I won the belt but I feel like it is a testament to my whole team and everyone who supported me getting there, so I like to keep it there so everyone can see it because it is really an accomplishment of our whole team.

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear) - We would love to see you and Dominic Cruz match up, if you had an opportunity to fight him, would you take that fight and what do you think would happen?

Zack Makovsky - I would definitely take that fight, I would be honored to have the opportunity to fight the guy who is pretty much considered the best 135er in the world, it would be a very difficult fight no question about it but, I don’t know I would like to see how I do. I think I have some ideas, you know you can’t stand there and wait for him to come in and let him move around and control the movement, I think you have to press him and make him, or force him, to move where he may not want to. And you know I think if he does have a weakness it is on his back but there has been no one that has been able to keep him there, there have been people to take him down but they can’t hold him there. It would be a difficult challenge but I would love an opportunity like that.

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear) -What inspires you?

Zack Makovsky - People around me inspire me in a lot of different ways, someone I look up to and have a ton of respect for is the owner of Philadelphia Fight Factory, Stephen Haigh. He is a phenomenal fighter and trainer but beyond that, a very wise person and understands a lot about life and philosophy and has been a good friend and trainer for almost 10 years now and even lived with him for a little over a year, he is someone who really inspires me to keep going and keep learning and not be complacent or satisfied with where things are, like he says “you shouldn’t go through life, you should grow through life.” And I really try to learn as much as I can from him.

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear) -How do you feel about letting kids in the cage under 18 to compete?

Zack Makovsky - I don’t know hard question, I don’t know if its so much the age, the number that matters or as the maturity or understanding of what they are doing you know, I think what matters more than just age, is maturity and level of training. Young kids will come in to our gym 16 – 18 years old with absolutely zero training in any martial arts and they will talk about how they want to fight in a couple months and we are like…no, that is not how it works you train because you like to train and learn, and if it leads to some type of competition then that is great, and if you do, good-great, but you don’t come in and decide I have never trained a day in my life and want to be the next UFC champion, you know it is good to have goals, but you should be doing it because you love it not because you want some kind of accolade or award out of it

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear) - What do you do outside of fighting? What kind of guy is Zach Makovsky?

Zack Makovsky - Laid back, normal, try-to-be-funny-guy, I like comedy, I read, I read a lot of philosophy and science I am in to astronomy and physics at a very admittedly basic level but a lot of that stuff interests me, I like relaxing and enjoying time with my friends and girlfriend.

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear) -Of course you read the BabyFightGear.com blog every week right?

Zack Makovsky - Ha, haven’t yet, but I will start.

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear) - If you could see any two people in history fight who would you see?

Zack Makovsky - ..hmmm I don’t know may require more thought I think – I will tweet you when I come up with it. (@ZachFunSize on Twitter)

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear) – Couple rapid fire questions from our fans, some are silly

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear) – Muhammad Ali vs. Rocky Marciano

Zack Makovsky - Ali

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear) – Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather

Zack Makovsky – Pacquiao

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear) – Tupac – Biggie

Zack Makovsky - Biggie

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear) – Night club or TV on a Saturday night

Zack Makovsky - TV, to the dismay of my girlfriend

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear) – Sports car or big truck

Zack Makovsky - Sports car

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear) – Chinese – Mexican

Zack Makovsky - both

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear) – Baseball – Football

Zack Makovsky - watch football but play baseball

Jimmy R. (BabyFightGear) – If you had a superpower – fly or invisible

Zack Makovsky - FLY!

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Go get ‘em, Champ! You should be hearing us cheering for you tomorrow night from our living rooms!

BabyFightGear.com is a proud sponsor of Zach Makovsky and partner with the “FunSize” childrens clothing line.

I thought I would post a little exciting news as well, since  the blog got a touch serious this week.

A few things to update you all:

#1-Thanks to you, the readers, babyfightgear.com has offered me a permanent home to post my articles. I am now an official part of the BFG team, and I don’t know about them, but I couldn’t be more excited!

That being said, I have a contest for you all! Since I am now part of the BFG team, I need a good name for the blog. Initially, it was going to be “Round 6 With Jimmy Robbins”, then my good buddy Moose suggested “The Cradlegon” (which is the one I like now). I wanted to open it up to you all, though.

So, leave a comment with your idea for the title of my blog. I’ll pick my favorite, and will (you guessed it) buy you a shirt or onesie of your choosing. This contest will go on for 3 weeks, and I will announce the winner by posting that weeks blog under the new title!

#2-If you didn’t know, BFG worked with Chael Sonnen, #1 contender for the Middleweight title, and future opponent of Anderson Silva (UFC 147-June 2012-Brazil) during a “Chael Sonnen / MiddleEasy.com contest which produced this lovely design . I am hoping to be conducting an interview with Chael via telephone soon, and was wondering what you would like to have me ask him. Feel free to comment, or tweet your questions to me @JimmyRobbins, and I’ll discuss it with the BFG crew, and ask the best ones.

#3-What else do you want to hear about? I’m open for suggestions! Anybody have something you would like me to discuss? Something you would like me to weigh in on? Let me know! Again, you can tweet it to me (@JimmyRobbins) or just comment on the blog. Either way, I’d love to write about what you want. After all, I write for you, not me! I’m at your service!

After I posted my blog last week, I received a comment that propelled my mind into outer space. Here is what it said:

“Ok Mr. Robbins, you asked for the comment. NOBODY should be fighting. Martial Arts promotes self defense NOT fighting. It teaches discipline and honor. . . .almost a composure of integrity. Only when confronted does a warrior kick some butt. But to stand by for the fun of it and just whip on another human being. Sorry, it’s just wrong. I don’t care what protective gear or arena it’s in. What’s wrong with our society is that things like this become so complacent that we turn around and teach our children. It used to be wrong to hit your sibling, your fellow student. Will it become ok then to hit your parent, your co-worker, your minister?? Just because it’s cool?? Each of us leaves a footprint on this earth. It’s defined by the life we live. What kind of footprint will you leave for your children? Something they will be proud to follow in. Or just cleaning up after your mess?? You can change this direction now or pay the consequences later on. What goes around does come around!” -Angeli

I’d like to thank Angeli for this comment. It really means a lot that a.) Someone supports my writing, even if they don’t approve of what I’m writing about. and b.) Someone is brave enough to post a comment on a fight-related site, regarding their disapproval of fighting. First of all, thank you Angeli. It’s truly appreciated that you support my article. Secondly, I admire you sticking to your guns, and not being afraid to say what you think, even if everyone else that frequents this site disagrees with you.

After Angeli posted the comment, I wrote a response. Here is a (bit) shorter version of my response:

“Fighting has been around since the dawn of time. In the early biblical days, we read in Genesis that Cain and Abel fought. Theirs, of course, was out of rage and jealousy, but it has been around since the second generation of human existance (that is, of course, if you believe in the Bible). Greek wrestling has been dated all the way back to 700 B.C. (If you don’t believe in the Bible).

Humans, as creatures, are naturally competitive, just like any other animal on earth. We are born and bred to try to out do one another. Whether it is work, video games, track and field, or eating (which is my personal talent), people want to win against the other. Fighting is no different. What the difference is, is that people shouldn’t fight for recreation, as opposed to other types of competitions.People not only like to compete, they also enjoy watching competition. Ask any person in a sports bar during Monday night football.

MMA is something that takes decades of practice to become a professional. When one becomes good at something, what do they do? They show it off, right? So, you see someone that is really good at what they are doing, but you have also been practicing your own forms of Martial Arts, and you wonder who’s practice has paid off more, which one is better. How do you decide? You compete. How do you compete? You fight.

What a lot of people see in fighting is steroid-ridden muscle heads with a bad attitude. What they are not seeing is that most of these people are the most peaceful people in the world, if you met them face-to-face. They are well-disciplined and mild-mannered outside the ring. These people are often parents trying to raise their kids, as well. Most of these fighters are just average people whose office is surrounded by chain-link fence.

Here’s some stats for you that you may find surprising:

Every year, there are about 2600 pro football players that show up to training camp. By the end of a normal football season, on average, 420.25 people end up injured by some point and time. If I did my math right, that is about 16% of the original 2600 people that started out healthy, and at some point, ended up hurt. 37% of the 420.25 were considered “Serious”, meaning they physically took players out of commission, where they missed multiple games. 9% (or roughly 40) of the 420.25 will require some sort of surgery.

In major league baseball, there are 1,200 (30 teams x 40 players per team) players on the roster every year. On average, three players are out for more than 15 days per season from injuries, per team. (30 teams x 3 injuries) causing 90 people per year that are hurt for more than 15 days. So, 13% are hurt per year. Baseball doesn’t keep stats regarding how many surgeries are had per year. I have to imagine that, especially including pitchers, that number is high.

The UFC at any time has 250 fighters on contract. Per year, on average, 7.5 or 3% of them will face “serious” injury that will require them to have surgery (I’m counting training for fights as well, not just in the ring.) Now, a lot of people walk away with mild injuries, but rarely is it considered “serious”.

So, statistically speaking, both baseball and football are far more dangerous than MMA.

Now, I will agree with the fact that hitting someone just for the sake of hitting them is wrong. Fighting should be done in a cage. People shouldn’t run around hitting each other.

Finally, if one of my kids want to be a fighter when they turn 18, I’ll buy them their first set of gloves. It will be hard to watch, but I’ll support him/her. I will leave the world a better place for my kids, I have no doubt. They already have it better than I did, but I don’t believe teaching my kids fighting is going to be what determines the world I leave behind for them. Mainly because I will teach them responsibility and respect first. I will introduce them to Martial Arts, and I will support whatever decision they make from there.”

Of course, I meant everything I said, and would stand by it.

Now, it’s hard to find good, solid stats on any sport, and truthfully, UFC is the easiest place to pull stats regarding injuries, believe it or not. The hardest, is Baseball (the MLB does not carry any type of injury statistics, so most are random statistics that I just had to believe).

When I used to compete in tournaments, the worst thing that ever happened to me was taking a front kick to the gut, knocking the wind out of me. Playing football, I had knee injuries, shoulder injuries, a foot injury, and walked off the field with some serious headaches from time to time.

I don’t think fighting is any worse than any other sport. I don’t think that fighting makes us look like barbarians. As a matter of fact, I think fighting takes more skill and discipline than any other sport. I also think fighting is a lot more of an art that requires a lot more quick thinking than any other professional sport, and I like thinkers.

I know we have a lot of fight fans reading this, but we also have a lot of Mommies and Daddies that are reading this, as well. What do you think? Think about last week’s blog “Should Kids Be Allowed To Fight In the Cage?”, as well. (Keep in mind that I do have the power to delete dumbass comments. Truth be told, I am (kindof) a writer, I have a way with words. If you post something dumb or rude, I will make you look stupid and then delete your comment. This isn’t a threat or a challenge, it is a fact. Plus, babyfightgear.com has a partnership with Chael Sonnen, the best trash talker in the UFC. If I run out of things to say, I’m sure he’d be happy to help.)

It has been way too long, we know – so without further delay, here are three new designs available today!

Down for the count, available in Onesie and Tees

Down for the count!

Teething Sucks - do we really need to say more?

Teething Sucks!

and last but certainly not least, our contest winner and the newest addition to the Zach Makovsky Fun Size line,

Don’t let the Fun Size fool ya!

Don't let the Fun Size fool ya!

Before UFC was just a glimmer in Dana White’s eye, heck, before Dana White was a glimmer in his Mama’s eye (no disrespect, Dana), boxing was king. Muhammad Ali was the self-proclaimed “Greatest” of all time. As a lot of people people would agree with him, my Grandpa sure wouldn’t. Grandpa was a firm believer that Rocky Marciano would have wiped the floor with “That loudmouthed Cassius Clay”.

We now have the technology to show who could win a fight. We all saw an example of this in “Rocky Balboa” when Rocky was in a computer generated match against Mason “The Line” Dixon. It does really exist, and the program does calculate fighting style, strength, and endurance, it doesn’t account for heart, which is a big factor in fighting.

Marciano’s record was 49-0 with 43 knockouts; Ali’s was 56-5 with 37 knockouts. Ali carried a huge height and weight advantage (6’3”, 215 lbs.) over Marciano (5’11”, 178-192 lbs). Some will argue that boxing was more advanced when Ali fought, making his opponents more difficult to overtake. Some will say Marciano had a heart that wouldn’t allow 3 fighters at once to beat him. Truth be told, unless there is boxing in Heaven (which I really hope there is), we will never know. Something tells me that if there is, my Grandpa is sitting in Marciano’s locker room right now, taping his gloves up, and waiting for Ali to get to there.

Enough about my Grandpa’s dream fight.

What is my dream fight?

I really don’t know.

Currently, in the boxing ring, I’d love to see Manny Pacquiao end Floyd Mayweather’s perfect record, but that’s not my dream fight. In MMA, I’m really hoping the Chael Sonnen vs. Anderson Silva rematch happens, or a Jon Jones vs Anderson Silva meet would be amazing if one would switch up weight classes. I honestly can’t tell you who (in history) I’d like to see fight, and feel comfortable about my answer.

So, what would be a fight you’d like to see? Boxing, MMA, Wrestling, doesn’t matter. I’ll even take “non-fighter” fights (i.e. Winston Churchill vs. Mark Twain). Just give me a fight that you’d like to see.

Post your answer below and I’ll pick a random winner. The winner will receive a t-shirt or onesie of their choosing from babyfightgear.com for their favorite little fighter, courtesy of your favorite MMA Blogger (that’s me, smarty-pants), as well as a signed letter of thanks for participating (who knows, it could be worth something one day).

I’m really excited to see your answers!!!

Do you live in the St. Louis area? Are you an aspiring martial artist? Or maybe you are looking for a place to get a great workout,  that is also a family friendly environment so your little monsters can run around in a supervised child care area while you get your sweat on.  ATTEvolution in St. Louis, MO is THE place to train in St. Louis. Check them out at http://www.attevolution.com and make it a point to get over and check out the gym yourself, after all it is the work of the hometown Strikeforce beast – Tyron Woodley.

From Muay Thai to Boxing, Stretching to Bootcamps, Adults and kids this place has classes and space for all.

(Quick Preface by Admin: We happily welcome our first Guest Blogger, Jimmy R.. Jimmy is a die hard MMA fan, and friend of the Baby Fight Gear crew, he will be posting his thoughts regularly on this site, and please let him know your thoughts in the comments section)

We’ve all heard it before: “Look at that guy in the Tapout shirt, what a tool”. Replace tool with whatever word you like, it’s usually the same story.

So, does supporting your favorite sport make you look uncool?

Well, there are two trains of thought that could be considered in this matter, one for, and one against the argument.

First of all, you can look at it from the supporter’s perspective: “I’m wearing a Couture shirt, he’s a good fighter. I support his team. What’s the difference between wearing a Couture shirt and wearing a Saint Louis Cardinals jersey?” (I’ll say Cardinals because although I’m an avid supporter of MMA, I’m a Saint Louisan, and in this town we all have one sport in common: baseball.)

This is a reasonable argument, and is quite justified. The only problem is that you aren’t seeing it from an outsider’s perspective.

The original fans (and founding members) of MMA were what? The acceptable answers would be: Hard-asses, Tough Guys, Street Fighters, and Brawlers. These are also the people that helped put MMA on the map, but “Joe Family Man” doesn’t realize that. HE thinks that Chuck Liddell is the Babe Ruth of the sport, and that it’s in its infancy.

When “Joe” saw the first fans in Tapout shirts, he saw guys that he would normally cross the street to avoid. You can’t blame Joe, though.

Joe doesn’t want any trouble, he has a family, he’s been in 2 fights in his life, and one of them was with his older sister. As the old adage goes, “If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck.”

The general consensus for the unknowing public now is that only the people you don’t want to mix with wear MMA shirts. But here’s hope for you fans, and you should think about this:

In the 1950′s, greasers were the scum of the earth. They were known for fighting, stealing, etc. Since then, Grease is one of the best-selling musicals of all time, everybody watched as a young Ralph Macchio told Ponyboy to “Stay Gold” in “The Outsiders”, and “The Fonz” is an American Icon.

Tattoos were at one time considered a destruction of one’s body, and if you had one, you had a complete lack of respect for yourself, and you were gross. Now John Mayer, the lady’s choice, and notably one of the world’s softest people in the world, has two sleeves.

Here’s the point: It’s a new thing. People are always freaked out by change, and if you look different, you’re wrong (until you’re right)… Don’t worry about it. People will jump onboard. By now, you’ve already seen a few people that don’t look like they can fight their way out of a cotton candy store wearing an MMA shirt.