You guys should see the whining on the MMA forums. I just took a peak last night (I don't belong to any) and the lamenting was pathetic.
First, how can any true fight fan not love Matt Hughes. The guy is confident but not arrogant. Even if he is, he backs it up like no one else has even begun to do so. He doesn't have some cheesy nickname, but simply fights as "Matt Hughes". All these guys on the MMA forums were bitching about the guy when he represents everything the sport should be. I question whether such people are true fans, or just people that love seeing someone get hurt.
Second, Royce Gracie was always a dickhead, to an extent. I totally respect what Royce has done for the sport and acknowledge him as a great competitor that changed MMA, for the better, forever. I have just seen numerous fights where someone is tapping out and he puts additional pressure on the hold before letting go. I saw one piece of footage where it looked like Royce's opponent tapped and he went ahead and snapped the guy's arm. I have heard this complaint from two people I've met that have fought against guys trained in Brazil by the Gracie family. "Brazilians are dickheads" said one. Royce seems like a nice enough guy and the UFC would not be what it is today, but I just can't respect his poor sense of sportsmanship and in this day and age, I am pleased enough to see him lose.
Third, let's be honest about Royce Gracie and his accomplishments. They were great and changed the game forever, but they did not prove Gracie Ju-Jitsu to be superior to another other fighting method. They proved Ju-Jitsu to be superior to most any other martial arts discipline. Make no mistake about it, everyone Royce fought in the early days was very one-dimensional. Some were strikers and some would wrestlers, but everyone was fixed on their system. No one discipline will last against the well-rounded fighters of today. To me, Royce proved that ju-jitsu is probably the most important aspect to be trained in, but no one would make it today just by focusing on one thing.
I think Ortiz is to athletic for him, and a repeat is probably what will happen, although Shamrock seems pretty darn strong, a KO can go either way when they let their hands GO!
