MMA Meets Hip-Hop in ‘Iron Ring’
Scott Holmes Mar 18, 2008
Now that major broadcast networks have gotten involved, the mixed
martial arts television gold rush has officially begun. Network
execs are twirling their mustaches this very minute, counting the
dollars to be made on MMA.
With the sport bleeding into all facets of pop culture, hip-hop is no exception and BET will now be dipping its toe in the soon-to-be crowded pool.
The show is "Iron Ring." It debuts Tuesday on BET at 11 p.m. ET/PT
and is sort of an IFL meets "The Ultimate Fighter," as the MMA team
concept is pushed through with a reality TV angle of vying for
roster spots.
The premise is fairly simple: Just bring in plenty of young and marginally experienced MMA fighters and let them compete for a spot on a team. Once on a team, they'll be coached by MMA veterans and, in a twist, their teams are "owned" by some of today's biggest rappers.
The show doesn't skimp on star power. Big-time artists like Nelly, T.I., Lil Jon, Ludacris, Jim Jones and Juelz Santana have added their names along with boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. as team "owners." The line between owner and fighter gets a little blurry in the first episode when much time is spent on hearing the fight philosophies of the artists. To be clear, none of the rappers will be fighting on the show. Besides, it's not hard to figure out which coach would win that battle.
The first two episodes of "Iron Ring" focus on the selections of fighters from their respective team tryouts. Fighters are looking to make it onto "Money Mayweather Boys," "Team Luda," "Team Nelly," "Team Dipset (Santana/Jones)," "Team Grand Hustle (T.I.)" and Lil Jon's "Headbusters."
As with most of the coaches, the field of fighters seems to come mostly from the South. Filming of the series took place in Atlanta, and it stands to reason that most of the fighters would be from the vicinity.
The biggest gray area comes in the lack of MMA validity among the "experts" running the show and the talent level of the participants. Half of the coaches are traditional martial arts instructors with little to no viable MMA visibility. One of the experts, Novell G. Bell, gave his thoughts on the type of fighter he'd be looking for: "I'm looking for cats to knock cats out."
The show also features an arbitrator and some questionable attire for any referee in any sport.
The closest anyone comes to having an actual take on MMA is Lil Jon.
"You can kick, punch, grapple -- there's so many different ways of winning a fight and getting excitement for the audience. I think it could one day pass boxing," he said. "I gotta have some guys with some unique fighting skills. I want to see somebody that can be put in any situation and adapt."
The only current MMA fighters around the "Iron Ring" are Shonie Carter (Pictures) and Charles "Krazy Horse" Bennett, who coach for Lil Jon and Grand Hustle respectively. Yes, T.I.'s team coach is a fighter who claims to never train.
On the other hand, you have Carter, who by far has the most experience in and around the ring. But he skips the fight talk in lieu of introducing himself with his many monikers: "Mr. International," "Five-Time World Champion," "King of Bling," "Aikido in a Speedo" and most curiously, "H.R. Pimpinstacks."
One team that does raise eyebrows ironically is Floyd Mayweather's. Naturally the boxer's team is coached by a world-class Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor in Roberto Traven, and any pointers they can get from one of the greatest boxers of all time could be in their best interests.
Luckily for the show, it looks like most of the competitors know some MMA. There could be some new personalities who emerge, and most viewers will get a kick out of seeing those involved learn more about the sport as the show goes on.
One "Headbuster" heavyweight, Abongo Humphrey, was pleasantly surprised to hear that his owner, Lil Jon, knew his stuff.
"Surprisingly," Humphrey said, "he does have a lot of knowledge of MMA. He's a fan."
The first fight shown on "Iron Ring" features fighters that are just as technical or overmatched as any you might see on Spike's "The Ultimate Fighter," and since the show is another reality-based fight competition, there is sure to be some fun drama.
In fact, one highlight is when Cage Fury and Ring of Combat veteran Alex Aquino gets irritated when he isn't chosen to try out for a team. Aquino cries foul on not getting a shot and points to his superior record among the other hopefuls around him. Thanks to his outburst and hotheaded earnestness, he calls out another fighter for a second shot to make a team.
"Iron Ring" won't be the best MMA show on television, but it has a shot to be one of the more entertaining. If you are a no-nonsense fight purist, this might not be the program for you. However, if you want to see some guys get a shot that might not normally and also see them interact with your favorite rappers, you are in luck.
Humphrey put it best: "It's an amazing thing. I think this show really is going to bring another set of individuals into MMA that would not typically or traditionally been interested."
With the sport bleeding into all facets of pop culture, hip-hop is no exception and BET will now be dipping its toe in the soon-to-be crowded pool.
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The premise is fairly simple: Just bring in plenty of young and marginally experienced MMA fighters and let them compete for a spot on a team. Once on a team, they'll be coached by MMA veterans and, in a twist, their teams are "owned" by some of today's biggest rappers.
"Iron Ring" is the brainchild of former UFC players Campbell
McLaren and David Isaacs, the same guys who marketed the early UFCs
as a "two men enter, one man leaves" sort of affair. Now they are
getting back in the mix by marrying MMA with the bravado and hype
that comes naturally with being at the top of the rap game.
The show doesn't skimp on star power. Big-time artists like Nelly, T.I., Lil Jon, Ludacris, Jim Jones and Juelz Santana have added their names along with boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. as team "owners." The line between owner and fighter gets a little blurry in the first episode when much time is spent on hearing the fight philosophies of the artists. To be clear, none of the rappers will be fighting on the show. Besides, it's not hard to figure out which coach would win that battle.
The first two episodes of "Iron Ring" focus on the selections of fighters from their respective team tryouts. Fighters are looking to make it onto "Money Mayweather Boys," "Team Luda," "Team Nelly," "Team Dipset (Santana/Jones)," "Team Grand Hustle (T.I.)" and Lil Jon's "Headbusters."
As with most of the coaches, the field of fighters seems to come mostly from the South. Filming of the series took place in Atlanta, and it stands to reason that most of the fighters would be from the vicinity.
The biggest gray area comes in the lack of MMA validity among the "experts" running the show and the talent level of the participants. Half of the coaches are traditional martial arts instructors with little to no viable MMA visibility. One of the experts, Novell G. Bell, gave his thoughts on the type of fighter he'd be looking for: "I'm looking for cats to knock cats out."
The show also features an arbitrator and some questionable attire for any referee in any sport.
The closest anyone comes to having an actual take on MMA is Lil Jon.
"You can kick, punch, grapple -- there's so many different ways of winning a fight and getting excitement for the audience. I think it could one day pass boxing," he said. "I gotta have some guys with some unique fighting skills. I want to see somebody that can be put in any situation and adapt."
The only current MMA fighters around the "Iron Ring" are Shonie Carter (Pictures) and Charles "Krazy Horse" Bennett, who coach for Lil Jon and Grand Hustle respectively. Yes, T.I.'s team coach is a fighter who claims to never train.
On the other hand, you have Carter, who by far has the most experience in and around the ring. But he skips the fight talk in lieu of introducing himself with his many monikers: "Mr. International," "Five-Time World Champion," "King of Bling," "Aikido in a Speedo" and most curiously, "H.R. Pimpinstacks."
One team that does raise eyebrows ironically is Floyd Mayweather's. Naturally the boxer's team is coached by a world-class Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor in Roberto Traven, and any pointers they can get from one of the greatest boxers of all time could be in their best interests.
Luckily for the show, it looks like most of the competitors know some MMA. There could be some new personalities who emerge, and most viewers will get a kick out of seeing those involved learn more about the sport as the show goes on.
One "Headbuster" heavyweight, Abongo Humphrey, was pleasantly surprised to hear that his owner, Lil Jon, knew his stuff.
"Surprisingly," Humphrey said, "he does have a lot of knowledge of MMA. He's a fan."
The first fight shown on "Iron Ring" features fighters that are just as technical or overmatched as any you might see on Spike's "The Ultimate Fighter," and since the show is another reality-based fight competition, there is sure to be some fun drama.
In fact, one highlight is when Cage Fury and Ring of Combat veteran Alex Aquino gets irritated when he isn't chosen to try out for a team. Aquino cries foul on not getting a shot and points to his superior record among the other hopefuls around him. Thanks to his outburst and hotheaded earnestness, he calls out another fighter for a second shot to make a team.
"Iron Ring" won't be the best MMA show on television, but it has a shot to be one of the more entertaining. If you are a no-nonsense fight purist, this might not be the program for you. However, if you want to see some guys get a shot that might not normally and also see them interact with your favorite rappers, you are in luck.
Humphrey put it best: "It's an amazing thing. I think this show really is going to bring another set of individuals into MMA that would not typically or traditionally been interested."
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