Bao Li Gao - China's MMA hero.

[bailewen]

For those who haven't been following, Art of War has really taken off over the past few years. You can now watch MMA fights on national TV in China every Sunday afternoon. What's really cool is that it is big enough now to start attracting some serious Sanda talent, in particular, the biggest Sanda champion since Liu Hailong....Bao Li Gao（宝力高）.

Watch him just totally dominate this Jujitsu guy. Some sort of Indian BJJ champ. Can't quite make out specifically what arena. South Asian something something...

Anyways: http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_ce00XMjQwMTU2ODA=.html

Bao Li Gao beating a Korean "wrestler" (the term is ambiguous in Chinese) in a much more well matched fight from a couple weeks ago:

http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNTI4NjgzOTY=.html

I thought this match between much some far less famous names was also really exciting. Great Shuai Jiao from the Mongolian (of course). The fighter is named Zhang Tie Quan (张铁泉)and he is figinting some Swiss guy named "Malek".

These Chinese MMA fights are far more exciting, to me anyways, than most of the UFC stuff. I love all the Sanda influence. There's far more real throwing as opposed to the drag and grapple that tends to dominate American events. There's also a lot more spectacular kicking on average. I mainly just find stand up fighting so much more exciting but don't really like that aspect being encouraged/enforced by the rules. In the Chinese events there's more stand up because they are just better at it. Bao Li Gao is making for some really great shows. I think they are protecting him a bit by choosing somewhat lesser opponents but nevertheless he is defining a style and I expect to see more and more of his type down the road. Zhang Tie Quan is a great example. He's not nearly as good as Bao Li Gao but he has exciting throws and although competent on the ground, is really sweet to watch standing.

Zhang Tie Quan vs. Malek Arash Mawlayi: http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMzg0ODc0Njg=_rss.html

I notice the Chinese fighters are more technical in their stand up than the westerners. I think it really helps having all these professional Sanda camps around.

Enjoy.

[everything]

I got all excited reading your post to see some really technical standup but that first match was total crap. Didn't look like great sanda and the supposed bjj guy was awful with his head dives.

Second match was also mainly a lot of hugging and the other guy even lamely flopped to the ground. I see kicks to a downed opponent's head and stomps are allowed as in Pride but this is mostly the same mma as anywhere else.

I gave up and didn't watch the third.

I do want to see this same style you're talking about. It seems to be coming along slowly mainly from certain individuals.

[Areios]

art of war has some sloopy fights but also some good ones. There is a nothe korean org which has the pride rules and have some very good fighters. I don't have time to search on the net now, but it's worth to search on youtube or at yuku.

[Kurt Robbins]

Still promising.
If you have the format and the popularity the sport will (hopefully) improve.

[fuga]

and the supposed bjj guy was awful with his head dives.

QFT - He was giving his head as a present. Just about the only thing he forgot to do was to gift wrap it and tie a bow around it.

I agree it is still promising, but it's got a ways to go, and if they are going to bring in some foreign talent, they should make talent a higher priority or else it looks like they are just trying to promote the Chinese style as best.

[bailewen]

They're still in the educational phase, sure. I also said in my initial post that the first link was a mismatch and that the fight with the Korean guy was a better match.

Also, the Chinese guys are learning BJJ too. I've seen Bao Li Gao win by submission several times as the mongolian in the third link does but he's just so much more fun to watch, IMO, standing up. The whole event is only about what...maybe 6 or 7 years old? Come a long way from the first even which was basically just a handful of BJJ blue belts taking out one Chinese guy after another.

Meh, just because it isn't Pride doesn't mean it isn't fun as hell and, IMO, still a level up from most of the smaller events out in the states. I can't even find much to get excited about at all in UFC anymore.

[everything]

i'm gravitating to enjoying watching standup competitions more than mma. groundfighting can get too boring. if the guy on the bottom is attacking constantly it's one thing. otherwise, gnp or lay-n-pray just sucks. at least the kicks and stomps make things a lot more action-packed.

[bailewen]

Found that Art of War finally has their stuff up on Youtube so it should load faster for you guys stateside. I didn't even think they'd go youtube at all but I guess that A: they are not run by a corporate commercial asshole like certain other orgs and B: being in China, everything is online weather they like it or not so they may as well create the best source for their stuff which is still not on TV in any market but China (AFAIK) or C: lacking the "foreign" video broadcast, they are using youtube for promotion.

http://www.youtube.com/user/artofwarfc

I was thinking about it. Even though that Indian guy sucked, the event over all is still far more exciting, IMO, than the UFC. It may even just be the lack of obvious roid abuse or the fact that lacking a big stable of 250lb (or 100kg +) giants, the middle weights get more airtime. Most of the biggest fights seem to be around 80 - 85 kg. (170 - 180lbs?) Guys my own size.

Here's a highlight reel (with a lot of smaller guys in it): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB3imGN3 ... re=related

Also, from the desription, I wonder how this is affecting the style:

Art of War® FC is the ONLY MMA ORGANIZATION in the world which still allows elbows, stomps, knees to the head on the ground, and the ever popular 4-point attack!

[Fubo]

Nice highlight reel, but it's funny how the only multiple replay is of the Chinese guy decking the Wai Gwo Gwei Zi.