look somone is going to knee him in his face, then try to pound him out, after they attempt the rear naked choke and realize they cant keep there hooks in. only befor they try to attempt an armbar, OH WAIT THATS RITE YOU CANT ARM BAR THIS GUY, or key lock him or kimora him. Maybe a knee bar! OH YEA thats rite you cant do that eaither!.. SHIT THEN SOMONE IS GOING TO get pissed and pick HIM UP AND THROW HIM LIKE A SMALL CHILD. to bad there are no pride rules in USA, he would be in deep shit.

Someone needs to help this guy accept reality before he gets himself hurt. Can't even understand how an athletic commission could allow this. Wow.

Well said! The very few rules that are in this forum of MMA actually make for an interesting problem in his opponants striking game. Forget about arm bars, leg locks. etc... Also throw in the fact that he consists of muscle and bone, and can strike, even if only six inches away.

I just youtubed him and saw several clips from the news about him. he even said that when he wrestled, ppl took advantage of him by keeping their arm out and pushing his head back. also, he can't stand! they showed a clip of him playing football and he was crawling on all fours...and pretty slow i might add. he really shouldn't be doing MMA. He can't submit anyone, he can't strike....he should stick to wrestling. the WWE would be better....at least that's scripted so at least he'd get a chance at actually winning.

Go Kyle! I'm not into MMA or any of that stuff. I just read an article about this
young man on AOL. I truly respect and admire any person that has the gumption,
dreams, and wants to challenge him/her self to do things that others say they
can't do because of their 'handicap'.
Kyle deserves the respect of any and everybody for doing this. It is his dream
to do this. He should be able to do this whether he wins or loses, it's another
conquest for him.
Kyle, I'm behind you all the way. The very best of luck to you in this venture
this weekend. And all the best in the days and years to come.

IT'S NOT LIKE HE WILL END UP DISABLED IF HE GETS HURT. HE ALREADY IS YOU DUMB FUCKS!

Obviously one of our concerns should be the safety of Maynard as a disabled person. But what about the capability of whoever his opponent is to win? In a street fight, sure, soccer kick the guy. But in a MMA officially sanctioned bout? How could one execute an armbar or a heel hook against him? What about hand fighting or the clinch? Should the opponents' gym be expected to provide him with a similarly handicapped fighter so that he can train properly?
Who would actually want to fight this guy?

His heart and tenacity should be respected. But he has absolutely no place in the ring, not possessing the normal appendages that most humans are born with. Just as I have no place on a NASA spacecraft, being too tall and too heavy.

One Hundredth! I cannot be stopped! I am the Centurion!

Maynard vs "Lionheart" Blevins I probably would pay to see but for all the wrong reasons

Hey Mikey, you ignorant fuck, if you think he can't do it, you go fight him.

To all you tools who dont think he has a chance, go kick his ass yourself.

Hey guys, did you ever think maybe he is fighting Zac Cowen or something? You know, the one legged WWE kid? No?

Yeah, me either, I had to google him to remember his name. But it is entirely possible they have an opponent with some less drastic handicap.


Hey guys, just because they aren't telling US who he is fighting, doesn't mean that Kyle doesn't know. The promotion just doesn't want the poor guy he is fighting to get 50,000 hate email every hour until the fight. You do realize you guys are absolutely vicious when it comes to talking shit anonymously, don't you? You would have this guys shitting his pants and commiting suicide come fight time. No way the promotion wants that, it was hard enough to find someone with low enough self-esteem to fight the guy as it is.

I'm not gonna lie. I'm looking forward to seeing this fight specifically because of what it is...a fu*kin freakshow MMA bout of the highest caliber. He wants to fight? Let him fight. But how are you gonna set rules that don't create an unfair bias for the guy who has all his limbs?

When Maynard eventually gets pummeled into a coma or breaks his neck after getting dropped/slammed/thrown on his head (and it will happen if he actually fights someone who is a skilled fighter & has no problem truly attacking him despite his differences) it's gonna set the sport back a great deal. Mark my words, this ain't WWE people.

It's not exploitive or ridiculous and ironically, those that are are saying it is are being the politically correct ass clowns. The dude doesn't need your sympathy and he can make his own decisions.

Just shut up and cry/cheer/laugh at the youtube clip on Monday.

This is ridiculous. I commend him for his hard work, courage, and inspiration. HOWEVER, he's going to get killed in there. I'm sorry, but let's be realistic with eachother here. Yes, he's considered a downed opponent, and yes you cant kick him. HOWEVER, we do have a thing called a spine, which is a flexible base of your back that allows you to BEND OVER. If a trained fighter bend over, and started swinging wild uppercuts at this guy, what do you think is gonna happen? This isn't wrestling.......i'm sorry, but again, this is ridiculous. Good luck to him though, i just dont want to see him get hurt.

Scott "The Lionheart" Blevin is gonna be in for one hell of a beating that night.

I dont feel sorry for this guy at all, he really needs to fuck off and find a sport suitable for him. He can be the rock in curling

If he fought Sean Sherk he'd have a reach advantage.

What do you call a guy with no arms and no legs that wrestles?
-Matt
Seriously, this guy is inspirational in many ways but would get destroyed and this "fight" needs to never take place.
I'd like to see some ground d from him on his back...pulling guard? wrist control? oh and don't forget about his dangerous upkicks!

@ Saltyalmounds

First off, Michael Vick was wrong, If you watched the Tyson Documentry, He had some pretty good reasons for biting that dead beat dads ears, and GWB was a good president, you commie mother fucker. But, it is wrong to have this freak show you fucking bitch.

"Hey guys!, Im putting on a quote "MMA" show where this guy with no arms and no legs is gonna fight against a guy with arms and legs. Wanna pay me to see it?"... If under any circumstance you can answer this question "yes". You are a deranged human being. You probalby think that Micheal Vick didn't do anything wrong, it was ok for Mike Tyson to bite Holyfield's ears off, and that George W. Bush was a successful president.

You should probably seek treatment for delusions you are suffering. Maybe overdose on morphine... but at the very least, you should kill yourself.

*by a guy...

"You're wrong though. There was a one-armed olympic distance swimmer who also competed in the paralympics. The reason wheelchair basketball players can't play with regular basketball players is because wheelchairs aren't allowed in basketball. If there was a person with no legs who could effectively play basketball without a wheelchair, there would be nothing stopping them."


Blade Runner: Oscar Pistorius's blade-shaped prosthetics were the focus of much debate. The International Association of Athletics Federations ruled him inelgible to compete in the Olympics, claiming his false limbs were an unfair advantage. In May, the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned the ruling, though Pistorius's time trials eventually failed to win him a spot on the South African team.
It’s about time. After an excruciating and absurd debate, double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius will be allowed to compete in the Olympics. Pistorius won his appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport today which immediately overturned an asinine ruling by the International Association of Athletics Federations which stated Pistorius gained an unfair advantage from his prosthetics.
"I am ecstatic," Pistorius told reporters in Milan, Italy. "When I found out, I cried. It is a battle that has been going on for far too long. It's a great day for sport. I think this day is going to go down in history for the equality of disabled people."
Two days of testing in January at the German Sport University's Institute of Biomechanics at Cologne yielded data showing that to run at a given speed, Pistorius required 25% less energy expenditure than his able bodied peers. It further quantified Pistorius's prostheses as 30% more efficient than a human ankle.

By the way... he failed to qualify. They let him try, but he failed. Great. He got his shot. But his running alone in a lane is a bit different than getting punched in the face who's got a 22"reach advantage.

I'm bored with this topic. He's gonna fight. He's gonna lose. I hope he doesn't get hurt and moves on. Imagine him covered with vaseline....

dosnt seem fair for the people he is fighting. u basically cant do any type of arm bar or ankle locks, stand up is out of the question, and the only way u would legally be able to kick him is if you pick em up and punt him accross the ring. sure hes got a ton of heart but he dosnt have any hands to put gloves on.

what im wondering is can he get kicked in the head?
theres usually rules against kicks to the head of a grounded opponent, and hes kinda always on the ground
inspirational and everything but i dont even see him standing a chance unless it somehow goes to the ground real fast, i just cant see him getting enough leverage on his strikes , hes gota submit

You can't kick or knee this guy in the face -- he is always downed! FREAKSHOW

fineazell1 Says:
Wed, 04/22/2009 - 09:26

"so I am assuming he will try to stay on all fours forcing his opponent to either punch from up high or engage in a grappling match."

Brilliant assumption.. what the fuck else would he do? Balance on his head?

@Juan Blanco

My boss is out today :p

What do you call a man with no arms and no legs who hangs on a wall?
Art.

What do you call a man with no arms and no legs who floats in pool?
Bob.

What do you call a man with no arms and no legs who competes in MMA?
Kyle.

(Alt punchline for the last one: A guy with bigger stones than I'll ever have)

K, you are one blogging mofo!

@xocgx

That's correct and stated in the interview. If I was his opponent, I wouldn't want to be known beforehand either.

@Jay

Lol.

You're wrong though. There was a one-armed olympic distance swimmer who also competed in the paralympics. The reason wheelchair basketball players can't play with regular basketball players is because wheelchairs aren't allowed in basketball. If there was a person with no legs who could effectively play basketball without a wheelchair, there would be nothing stopping them.

I think the opponent is a mystery to the public, not to him...they likly didn't want this guy getting more attention than Maynard....negative attention.

"What im saying is that sparing and being sparingly successful does not translate to success in an actual fight."

Perfectly true. I never said otherwise. I said just because he can't hold a glass doesn't mean he can't fight, but I'll get to that in a moment. I thought you were relating the glass->fighting to pool->ocean, not pool->ocean to sparring->fighting. If this wasn't the case, then I misinterpreted what you said and I apologize for that.

"Wrestling and submissions are two aspects of fighting, but the sum of the parts are not equal to the whole. Striking totally transforms wrestling and submissions. That's why you see so many, BBJ Masters struggle in the ring. The same applies to Wrestlers who come in with the lay and pray and can't finish or get knocked out because there (ironically enough) striking isn't up to par."

All perfectly true, and part of the reason I think Maynard will never be a world champion. However, several one dimensional fighter have success at this level (and higher). That is undeniable. Maynard is at least two dimensional. (He's not at an elite level in either discipline, like some of the 1-2d fighters in the UFC, but he won't be fighting elite competition either.)

"so next time you go to the gym, try escaping a body lock with outgrabbing anything... possible, but not probable. then let the same guy hit you in the face and see how long before you try to grab his arms to stop him from hitting you. I would venture to say about 5 seconds."

Funny you should say this, as I routinely train this. It's a reflex to grab the arms but in BJJ that's a quick way to get your ass subbed in no time. It's only effective in MMA against against people who aren't good at submissions. Blocking one side of your face with your arm, and escaping to that side (picking the correct side if the person has a bodylock is key) is more effective against both submissions and grappling. When new guys start training, we have to pound these reflexes out of their head. Try and grab a leg with your hand, especially with smaller/flexible guys, to escape a body lock, and they trap it like BJ Penn always does.

There is an arm bar you can get by controlling an arm of someone on your back, but it's extremely difficult to get in no gi and requires the person on the back to make a rookie mistake. Usually it's something you see when you have a brown belt matched up with a blue belt or something similar.

I will concede that it is easier to hold the arms of someone on your back in MMA than in no gi because of the gloves, and that's an option Maynard won't have available to him.

"Try going for a kimura with out grabbing an arm. try defending a take down against the cage with out grabbing an arm or shoulder."

I will also concede this, (but at the same time, no one can kimura him; and he doesn't have the legs that are routinely attacked for takedowns). Don't get me wrong, he obviously has disadvantages. He has no freaking limbs! His submission offense is extremely limited. Almost all fighters go into fights with certain disadvantages and certain advantages (strength, reach, skill, etc).

However, just the fact that I can argue logically that he can fight effectively should be proof enough that he should have the opportunity to prove himself.

@ jay LOL! You sound pretty aggrivated there buddy.

Hey fuckers, do they let people with disabilities compete with the athletes without in other sports? No, they have the special olympics, and basketball for people in wheelchairs, and fuckin hill rollin. I hate this stupid shit, and "K" wrap your ignorant mind around these nuts! As a matter of fact, you and "saltyalmonds" get these salty almonds. You sound foolish!

Another thing, the rules may not be that adjusted for him, but you can throw out every submission exept a choke on this one. No arm bars, leg locks, heel locks, nothing. I guess you could always just stomp the shit out of him.

>Maynard may get beat up on Saturday night.
>That’s a possibility, given that this is a fight he’s going into.
>But isn’t that his choice to make?

So a former UFC HW champ fighting a washed up old braindead boxer is too dangerous for the professional MMA fighter but here we play the 'its his choice' card?

Nice.

If you had any spine, this would be surprising.

And not to burst you bubble but that clown Sapp fought, has a better real wrestling pedigree than Cock Lesnar.

I've just always thought of mma as civilized fighting. The rules are there to keep it civil.

However kyle is using loophole in the rules (grounded fighter), and it just feels like a disgrace to the spirit of the sport.

Normal people use these loopholes too ("octagon control") aka Sean Sherk laying on people for 5 rounds, and it really detracts from the spirit of finding "the best fighter"

this poor guy is gonna get his faced pounded in since his his deformity wont allow him to properly defend himself (as opposed to wrestling where he almost has an advantage). If he fights mma will end up looking real bad in the end. Someone who cares about both him and the sport need to step in and stop this

This is fuckin ridiculous! All you mutha fuckin "Go Rudy" type fuckers need to shut the fuck up. This stump doesn't belong in MMA. Get real! Bens, you guys don't really believe this is a good idea do you?

My analogy is not flawed. it is exactly what you said it was. The same thing on two different levels. This dude had to train for this fight. so he had to spar. which means that he has, at the very least, fought in a very limited, protected , and controlled environment. I would assume that he had to be somewhat successful for him to think this is the next (logical) step, an actual fight. What im saying is that sparing and being sparingly successful does not translate to success in an actual fight. I am, in fact, saying that the same thing on two different levels, while seemingly the same thing, are not.

Wrestling and submissions are two aspects of fighting, but the sum of the parts are not equal to the whole. Striking totally transforms wrestling and submissions. That's why you see so many, BBJ Masters struggle in the ring. The same applies to Wrestlers who come in with the lay and pray and can't finish or get knocked out because there (ironically enough) striking isn't up to par.

and now, my first assumption.. I assume with the knowledge you seem to have regarding BJJ, you train somewhere. so next time you go to the gym, try escaping a body lock with outgrabbing anything... possible, but not probable. then let the same guy hit you in the face and see how long before you try to grab his arms to stop him from hitting you. I would venture to say about 5 seconds.

Finally, grabbing a glass is very much related to grabbing in a fight. That's why the gloves are fingerless. so that fighters can grab, unlike in a boxing or kick boxing match. Try going for a kimura with out grabbing an arm. try defending a take down against the cage with out grabbing an arm or shoulder. try doing just about anything in a sparring session when striking is an option while grappling.

@Alehandro

With his wrestling and submission background I'd bet on him in a street fight (assuming no weapons) against someone his own weight. Average Joe can't throw knees or kicks to save his life. You have a high standard deviation when you take into account things like biting and headbutts and groin strikes, but Average Joe doesn't know anything about these either.

He wrestled at 103. How many 103 lb people do you know who can defend themselves in a real fight?

If the ref ever breaks up the action, he should lose by dq for not following the refs order to stand. I know people think this is inspirational and all, but should this guy win the match it proves just how far away american mma rules are to a real fight.

People bitched when lieties flopped during the fight agaisnt anderson, Imagine what they'd say if he walked on his hands and feet towards anderson thus not allowing anderson to kick/knee him.

@Juan Blanco

135, which is really the most worrisome thing I can think of, because he wrestled at 103. It will be interesting to see if he can keep his cardio/speed/relative power at 30lbs above his wrestling weight.

@saltyalmonds

Your analogy is flawed. Being in a pool and being in an ocean are the same basic thing except on different levels. You're right, I wouldn't throw someone who couldn't swim in a pool into an ocean.

Most everyday activities have absolutely no relation to fighting. They certainly aren't the same basic thing on different levels. I wouldn't expect someone who can't hold a glass to hold a glass on a tight rope. However, the holding a glass example has nothing to do with one's ability to fight. That's like saying, oh a deaf person can't hear, so he can't type. Both are everyday activities, but they're unrelated. Or oh, a deaf person can't hear so he can't fight. Fighting is certainly more demanding than hearing. Matt Hamill, anyone?

Fighting involves striking, wrestling, submissions (and defense of these three aspects). He's already proven knowledge of two of these disciplines, and that's more than some fighters who get into the UFC.

Furthermore on the bodylock example, by breaking it with your body and not your hands, you can defend yourself from strikes while breaking it. I'd say in MMA it is even MORE important not to try and break it with your hands because then you leave yourself vulnerable to not only the choke, but punches as well.

I am debating on going to this, I am about 5 minutes from the place where its going down, its a outside arena. But, i have to admit, if I do go, its for the freak show. I know nothing about the card. Normally when they do this they have flyers up all over town, but I have not seen any this year. Boy, the guy who fights him is in a no-win situation. He loses, he got beat by a guy with no arms and legs, his dad dis-owns him. He win's....well you know.

How much does he weigh??? Is he fighting in the 90 pound division????

i heard his oponent will be fedor.

And here's the gloves issue I was wondering about:

AH: I recently spoke to the promoter of the event, David Oblas, and he told me that you still hadn't figured out how you will wear the MMA gloves. Has that issue been resolved now?

KM: Yeah, I've got it figured out now. I just had to modify the way they go in and tape the gloves. I've got to train with them, so I am pretty confident that it's not going to be a concern.

@k Being able to do normal everyday things does matter since, in a fight, you are asking yourself to do things that go far and above normal everyday things. If you can't keep your head above water in a 3 foot pool, then it doesn't make since for me to throw you in the middle of the ocean.

You said he wouldn't take the fight if he didn't think he could avoid kicks and knees. This is not "The little engine that could" where "I think I can, I think I can..." means you can. Everyday, fully equipped, able-bodied guys go into rings thinking they can, and end up getting knocked out or leaving on stretchers. And in one case dying.

Knowing that, how is it possible to justify a guy with half arms and half legs stepping in a ring, because HE thinks he can. If a guy thinks he can fly because everytime he jumps and flaps his arms he stays in the air for 1 second, I shouldn't take him to the top of the empire state building and let him jump.

And as far as your 'you use your body not your hands' to break a body lock. Sure you do in BBJ, but when someone is hitting you in the face, all the conventional BJJ stuff goes out the window. You will need to use your hands.... hands this dude doesn't have.

Mystery Opponent, you say?

"...and now entering the ring to challenfe Maynard, give it up for former TUF alum and complete loser....WAR MACHINE!"

My prediction: Maynard beats WarMachine via ground-and-pound.

@saltyalmonds

Ha! I didn't even bother to read the interview. Levi did and I was correct. He is ALWAYS a grounded opponent. Thus knees/kicks to his head will NEVER be allowed in the fight.

my favorite part of the interview:

AH: Will there be any special rules in place for this fight?

KM: No, other than I will be considered a grounded opponent so there won't be any kicks or knees to my head, but that's it.

"No, no special rules except for this one where I get to be considered a grounded opponent for the whole fight and am in no danger of getting my head kicked in which every other fighter has to worry about... nope. No special rules for me."

Not directed at anyone in particular:

Before UFC 1, virtually no in the world would have thought a wiry little Brazilian who could barely punch to save his own life could be the most effective fighter in the world.

Don't assume this guy can't fight just because you can't wrap your ignorant mind around the logistics.

@LAS

It's exploitative the same way using any athlete who came back from a major injury or disease after being told they could never compete again is exploitative. It's exploitative the same way a movie made about Matt Hamill is exploitative. They're exploiting an inspirational story. They're giving him recognition and fans. I find nothing degrading about it.

Even the biggest a-hole on the CP isn't going to deny this guy is motivated and sure... should be able to chase his dream. But logistically? C'mon... seriously.

This is what's known in TV land as "jumping the shark". Next, we'll have celebrity MMA [which Ken Shamrock would neither qualify for, nor win if he did.]

CAGEPOTATO! DUE US ALL A HUGE FAVOR AND POST THIS VIDEO UP THE SECOND IT HITS ONLINE! I GOT TO SEE IT TO BELIEVE IT!

"saltyalmonds Says:"
"Are you fucking serious?! Wrestling, or any non-striking event is no where near the same as getting punched in the face. I don't care how much he benches, if you can't extend your arms then you can't strike. If you can't cover your face, because your arms are too short, then you can't defend getting hit in the face. If you standing height is less than 4 feet, then you are probably getting kicked in the head, while not being able to cover your face, at the other guys leisure. I am a HUGE fan of MMA, but how can cagepotato defend this type of event going on................

"
totally agree, looks like Cagepotato has fallen into the PC world as well..;;;.how pathetic

I respect this guys will, and courage but sometimes the phrase "you can do whatever you want in life, just put your mind to it" needs to be taken with some salt...unfortunatley, because of his disabilities he shouldnt be fighting a mma fight

The ref should immediately disqualify him for refusing to stand.

@Puncher 9000

Breaking a body lock (from someone on your back) with your limbs would be a last resort because it leaves you wide open to an RNC. It'd be too difficult for me to explain the BJJ aspects of it without a visual aid, but suffice to say, you use your body, not your hands.

@Dapper

Good question about the elbow. If it is an elbow, he wouldn't have to wear gloves, but a lot of local MMA organizations don't allow elbows to the head of a grounded opponent, which would severely limit his striking and chances of finishing a fight.

1 - DO NOT feel sorry for this guy, he was born that way. He just wants to be recognized as an equal. (Human to Human terms)

2 - He was a monster wrestler and very difficult to deal with. All leverage is very different for him and his opponents against him.

3- I have a hard time picturing anything other than an opponent bent over with their hand on his head (semi sprawled) punching him in the head repeatedly while they circle/backpedal/etc. (Almost like the movies where the tall guy holds the short guys head and he cant reach...) If he goes to the ground what would he do to someone who bodylocked him?

4 - part of me in actually interested in seeing this because he might bring a whole new idea of LnP to MMA...Look out Guida!

balls! this guy has no arms and legs, but he's got a pair of balls for sure. good luck.

dude wants to prove himself, and you gotta respect that.

@Anonymous

Actually, the best defense to an RNC involves the exact part of the arm that he has. (You block off one side of your neck by covering it with your arm.) Defending with your hand is only appropriate once the choke is already "sunk" in, at which point you're likely to get choked out anyway. I think I've seen Rampage survive a choke like that and was incredibly impressed. Some people can stop a choke defending with their hands, but it's more of a strength move than a technique move and will get you killed in grappling tournaments if that's the only way you defend.

From an inability to defend point of view, the submission setup he's probably most vulnerable to is a guillotine, however, it's probably extremely difficult to pull guard and keep him there to finish it. He's vulnerable to giving up his back, which means he's vulnerable to the position necessary for an RNC, but he's only out the "last ditch effort" using his hands to defend it.

What gloves will he wear? He doesnt have fists and people dont have to cover their elbows for strikes. Does he wear any? I think 99% of the crowd will be going for this guy. He's never going to be in the UFC, but it is inspirational and prob a hell of a workout for this guy.

Wow, great question

WTF does a butterfly press have to do with striking?

@saltyalmonds

1) I don't assume he won't "stand up". He legs stop before where he would have knees. By the very definition of grounded opponent, as far as MMA is concerned, he is physically incapable of standing up.

2) Unless stated otherwise, it's pretty much a given that MMA in the US doesn't allow knees/kicks to the head of a grounded opponent. Obviously it would be retarded for him to fight assuming that, and I'm sure he knows the rules. In fact, I'm sure that even if knees/kicks to the head WERE allowed, he'd have a way of defending/avoiding them (or else he wouldn't take the fight). The only reason I brought up my assumption in the first place was that other people were ASSUMING that he COULD be kicked in the face. My guess is much more likely to be true than the alternative.

3) Holding a glass is not a requirement for being able to defend yourself.

I never said he was helping the sport. But he's not hurting it either. He will never be an MMA world champion, just like he will never be a world champion no gi grappler. (Becoming one involves intimate knowledge of gaining the back and applying RNC's, of which he his not very capable, and very vulnerable to.) That doesn't mean he shouldn't be allowed to compete if he's capable of doing so. And to assume he's not is simply ignorant.

k Says:
I'm just curious what sort of "gloves" he has to wear.
====================

Ever seen a thimble? They should just take the tassels off a couple Shriners' hats and tape them on stumps.

Appropriate that the event is in Alabama... he'll be one of the least deformed people in attendance. I've you've ever wondered what it would be like to see a guy get smacked in the face by a dolphin's flipper, git on down to 'Bama this weekend.

Back on track...cleared out absoluetely everything and the page loads fine now...not that anybody cares, but thanks Anonymous for the heads up.

By the way - good for this guy. Who are any of us to tell him he can't go try something? He's clearly mentally prepared and as physically prepared as he can possibly be (have you seen his wrestling footage? - wow). There's only one real way for any of us to tell if he's not capable of performing in the sport, and that is to let him try it.

Um, anyone considered a RNC, the defense kind of requires the use of at least one hand, and guys with two usually have a hard time defending. Just a thought, seems like he might be very vulnerable.

I agree with Goog, props to maynard, with his wrestling he's acheived something incredible but mma is probably a step too far. I wouldn't be entirely comfortable fighting someone with his disability because i wouldnt want to tee off on someone who couldn't protect themselves fully. On the other hand, subing him would be nigh on impossible not to mention the advantage he has in weight.

However, with all that aside, if there are mma fighters out there that wanna take this kid on, i'd say, in immortal words of big John Mc Carthy "let's get it on!" cos after all like the CP says it is Maynard's choice

And on a side note:
The Auburn Fight Night is held at the "covered arena". The same place they hold bull fights LOL.

Last time I was there the 17th floor was performing after the fights and they were the hilight of the night.

Right on, G Funk. It's going to turn into a wrestling match, anyway. There's absolutely no way this guy can defend getting punch in the head. He'll keep charging for takedowns, but dude... you're not a striker. I'm all for giving someone their chance to live up to their potential, but you have to be realistic.

I don't think it's fair to EITHER guy in this fight. His opponent is stripped of 95% of the possible ways to finish. You can't tie up his arms or legs or sink hooks in, so choking him will be like trying to drag your dog into the tub. There's no guard to be in or pull. It's just too weird. Good for him for being inspirational and all, but this just isn't necessary. I'm sure there's a legally blind kid somewhere who's dream is to be in NASCAR. He needs to call Maynard's people.

so in other words, he shouldn't be allowed to fight bc someone will profit from the ticket sales?? You're missing the entire point. YOU'RE calling him a freakshow. Everyone else is calling him a fighter.

@k #1) you assume this guy won't ever, and I use this term loosely, "stand up"
#2) You assume pride rules won't be used. This is being held in a state where there is no athletic comission, so the rules are made by those holding the event, not a legal sactioning body.
Those are two very consequential assumptions to be made. Assumption is the mother of all fuck ups.
#3) Bringing up the point that this guy is always a "downed opponent" only further solitifies the fact that this is the pinnacle of freak show-ness. This guy doesn't have two feet to stand on, and people want to see him in a effectively avoiding punishment? This dude can't grab a glass with one appendage, yet you find him capable of defending himself? He can't grab his own dick to piss, but he can fight?...

This is retarded. MMA is trying to become a major sporting event across the country, but then dumbasses come along and throw an armless, legless dude in a ring and think they are doing something to help the sport. And even worse people come out and publically defend it. This shit is stupid.

Just because this guy from the Montgomery Advertiser is a total tool-bag doesn't mean he isn't right about this being a totally fucked up idea.

Good for him! Just one question if he jabs is that really counted as an elbow? Sorry but had to ask. Hope he does well.

You are overlooking the fact that somebody is using this kid to sell tickets to an event which they intend to profit from, which fully qualifies this as a freakshow. I'm all for sport and equal opportunity, but this is professional athletics, not amateur wrestling. For fucks sake, the guy is making his "amateur debut," and a photo emphasizing him is pretty much the largest graphic on the poster for the event. You don't find that to be degrading or exploitive?

You know, while I feel for him and think his spirit is something we could all learn from, I must say I have mixed feelings about him competing in the sport. I just don't see how he could pose a striking or submission threat. I see fighters trying to submit him while he flops around like 150 pound fish. And, since he can't really stand, what if somebody just punts his head. Is that illegal, or is it a head kick? I wouldn't want to fight this opponent were I a fighter.

He should fight Tyson Griffin. He would be guaranteed to go the distance at least.. I'm sure Tyson couldn't finish him either...

Tried it...didn't work. It's weird, because it only started happening 2 days ago..I've never had an issue before, and I look at this site multiple times a day...and I'm not having troubles with any others. Oh well - thanks for trying.

This is nuts. How the hell can this dude finish a fight?

There are ways to protect one's self from strikes even without full length arms.

His arms are perfectly long enough to protect his chin. Try it yourself. Instead of protecting your chin with your hands, do it with your elbows.

Furthermore he is perfectly capable of tucking his chin behind his shoulder.

that columnists email is "bzimanek@gannett.com." I implore everybody to write him an email to let him know of your disappointment in his views. DON'T curse him out, DON'T do anything stupid like threaten him. Just tell him he's 100% wrong and he could learn a thing or two by going and watching Kyle Maynard's performance this weekend, win or lose.
Now, let's flood his inbox (that sounds dirty)

With all this "He is incapable of striking" talk I thought the thread was about Gray Maynard, albeit before his last fight.

He going to be fighting ROSS CLIFTON!!!!.

Good on the kid for trainin n all dat shit but he shouldnt be fighting men with arms and legs they should put him against other athletes like himself like in the paralympics

@saltyalmonds

For the 2345789th time, he's a grounded opponent (always on his knees). Assuming that the event doesn't have "Pride rules", he can't be kicked in the head.

He should be able to strike just fine on the ground.

I'm having the same computer-HIV problem you are....been that way the past couple of days.

I'm calling the win for the mystery opponent by heel hook.

IDK man, I applaud this kid for what he has done but MMA is too much! Stick to grappling tounaments, its not like he has just run through all grappling competitions and needs more of a challenge!

I guess he has a point to prove... I just kinda feel sorry for him

@fineazell1

You also can't knee/kick a person with even one "knee" on the ground (in most MMA). To me that says he is always grounded even without the 3 points rule.

Are you fucking serious?! Wrestling, or any non-striking event is no where near the same as getting punched in the face. I don't care how much he benches, if you can't extend your arms then you can't strike. If you can't cover your face, because your arms are too short, then you can't defend getting hit in the face. If you standing height is less than 4 feet, then you are probably getting kicked in the head, while not being able to cover your face, at the other guys leisure. I am a HUGE fan of MMA, but how can cagepotato defend this type of event going on. Bob Sapp is a 400 pound gorrilla fighting other fully equipped humans. A guy missing half his legs and half his arms is in no way comparable to the 'freak shows' bob sapp takes part in. This is beyond freak show. This is like strapping a guy to train track with a train barreling down on him and hoping he can get himself free before the train runs him over. Sure he might do it, but what if he doesn't?... This guy is literally and figuratively in over his head. No one should be encouraging this crap.

@ Criminally Negligent...


EXACTLY WHAT I'M SAYING!!!

Spank Mir... clear cookies, temp int files, reload website.

A secret til the weigh-ins?!

Who's he fighting Corky from Life Goes On? I was completely saying more power to him until I read that we don't know who his opponent is. It's a local show, so I doubt we'd know the fighter anyways, but how can you do that to yourself?

UNFAIR!!! He can't be arm-barred.

This another good reason why that state needs an athletic commission so someone impartial can determine whether he is qualified to compete relative to his opponent... not knowing who he is fighting until the weigh-in is garbage.

I've got no problem with this guy wanting to step into the ring, give 'em hell!

I had the opportunity to watch this guy at Casca Grossa in Atlanta in 07 and again at NAGA in 07. He is tremendously hard to submit and a lot more active than you would think for a guy with no arms or legs. MMA? I'm not sure but I damn sure won't count him out. The problem is the kick to the face rule. If 3 points are touching the mat you can't kick to the face so I am assuming he will try to stay on all fours forcing his opponent to either punch from up high or engage in a grappling match. The only way I can see him winning this fight is on the cards. Don't look for him to be submitted or win by submission.

One thing to remember is he is going to be much stronger than everyone in his weight class.

And he's a downed opponent. It's pretty damn hard to effectively strike someone who's on their knees when you can't kick/knee them.

I know I wouldn't want to fight this guy without a genius behind my gameplan.

do your thang boi!!!!!!!!!1

Good for him! Thats awesome.

Word.

I'm just curious what sort of "gloves" he has to wear.

Well said. Good luck to this kid.

Is anyone else having issues with the pages on this site showing up correctly lately, or does my computer have the HIV?