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Decades before mixed martial arts became popular in the United States, events matching fighters of different fighting disciplines were very common in Japan. They weren\’t called \”mixed martial arts\” at the time, but that\’s essentially what they were.There\’s an entire history of pro wrestlers fighting specialists from other martial arts (particularly judo) that were leaving out, but during the\’70\’s Antonio Inoki began to put the concept of \”mixed martial arts\” on the map with his matches against fighters from other disciplines.

Before and after his matchup against Muhammad Ali, Inoki would frequently compete against other martial artists in what are widely accepted to be \”worked\” (ie: having a predetermined outcome) matches. Inoki fought boxer Chuck Wepner, judo Gold Medalist Wilhelm Ruska and world karate champion Willie Williams among others. His most famous match internationally, however, was against Ali.

There are differing accounts of how the best heavyweight boxer in history found himself in a ring in Tokyo\’s Budokan Arena against a pro wrestler. One thing is certain–it was viewed as an easy payday for Ali, who\’d lost a good chunk of his prime earning years to his controversial stance over the Vietnam war. That\’s what got him there in the first place, and that\’s what kept him there after the two sides began squabbling over the rules and the outcome of the fight. Some suggest that it was supposed to be a \”fair fight\” going in and once Ali saw Inoki spar he insisted on rules changes to tilt the fight in his favor. Another more likely version of the story suggests that Ali\’s handlers knew that the fight was supposed to be a \”work\” all along. They made the deal with Inoki\’s people based on this fact, and were all on board as to the outcome of the match and how it would \”finish\”. The \”original\” plan was to have Inoki win in a controversial manner that would keep his undefeated streak in \”MMA\” matches intact while allowing Ali to \”save face. The only person who wasn\’t aware of the game plan, however, was Ali himself. When informed that he was supposed to \”take a dive\”, even in a convoluted fashion, Ali refused. No agreement was reached between the two camps and at the last minute a legit fight transpired. The promoters were left with a sold out Budokan, a worldwide PPV audience and two fighters who despite every effort to the contrary would actually have to fight each other.

By the time the fight began, Ali\’s handlers had obtained a ridiculously one sided set of rules that prohibited Inkoi from using a closed fist, striking Ali in the head at all, using any chokes or submissions or even trying to take the fight to the ground. Were it not for the huge amount of money he\’d be leaving on the table, Inoki would have been justified in not fighting at all under these highly restrictive and one-sided conditions.

The result was an absolutely horrible fight. Neither man showed much interest in engaging the other, with Inoki spending most of the time on the ground doing what he could under the one sided rules. Inoki threw kicks at Ali\’s legs, Ali threw an occasional jab and tried to protect himself from his opponent\’s leg strikes. The fight ended a 74-74 draw, with the real losers being the fans.

The fight was officiated by former pro wrestler \”Judo\” Gene Labell, a legendary tough guy considered at the time to be the \’baddest man on the planet\’. He could have easily beaten up both men, possibly at the same time. That might have provided some much needed entertainment to liven up the tedious charade masquerading as a fight.

The fiasco didn\’t hurt Inoki\’s popularity in Japan whatsoever. Oddly, he became something of a hero for trying to take the fight to Ali despite the one sided rules. He would remain one of Japan\’s most popular pro wrestlers and later serve in the country\’s parliament. Inoki\’s fights against other martial artists remained wildly popular, and are often credited as being the forerunner of PRIDE, RINGS and the major MMA organizations in Japan today.

Ross Everett is a widely published freelance writer specializing in casino gambling, surfing and sports betting. He has appeared on a number of TV and radio programs offering strategies for successful NFL football betting. He lives in Northern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a pet llama. He is currently writing a biography of former NFL quarterback Jim Plunkett.

What do you feel when you see a street fight? Whether your fight is a result of a frequent domestic violence, or you are attacked by a killer, robber, or even some stranger, your blood will flow faster depending on these circumstances. Normally these kind of conflicts happen due to disputes, and you should act normal in this case because nobody looks for a fight instantly so they are just trying to rid of the negative energy that was raised. They will threaten you or make expressive gestures but if you back off then nothing else may happen.

Typically the mechanics of hand-to-hand fighting are the same, however a sport battle in a gymnasium differs drastically from the one that takes place out in the street. If you feel steady when fighting in a sports gymnasium and are not concerned about lethal injury, then you’ll at least experience very nervous when you engage your enemy out in the street. Your heart beats will be faster ten folds and you might even try to do anything for self defense.

It all depends on who starts the battle first commonly. If the other person starts the fight, then you have to prevent your enemy’s attack or take the lead over him. I advise you to not start any insignificant fight if you are able to prevent it from happening. If you cannot do that and know you will be assaulted eventually, you should then move quickly and even harshly to end the fight quick.

This is the main distinction with a street fight compared to a sparring match at a gym. When you condition in the sports gym, it’s not serious at all who will fire the blow first. Both fighters are ready to attack and defense which is unlike being in a street fight. Adversaries out in the street stand differently and are usually within hitting area of each other quite often. In essence, someone who starts his attack first has a great advantage. Their first attack can be most brutal and heavy.

It is important to think that when an enemy who initiates a confrontation with you is because they think they have an advantage in either power, friends following them, or they are equipped with something. Therefore, I strongly urge you to try and avoid any street fight at any cost because there really is no good benefit in the end.

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