The sport of MMA is a relatively new one, and there are newer fighters entering the sport each day. It has almost (if not already) reached all parts of the world, and fighters are working their way up to fight at the highest levels of competition. In the African-American community, there are a handful of fighters who are already making waves both in and out of the cage.
The winner of the second season of the Ultimate Fighter, Rashad Evans, has been moving up the ranks for years since that win, and he eventually won the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship from season one Ultimate Fighter winner Forrest Griffin. He was a coach on the last season of the show, and from that show you could see a fighter that wants to help other fighters become better skilled athletes.
Save for a post-fight outburst with Rampage Jackson following Jackson's victory over Keith Jardine, Evans was a gracious Champion. Even when he lost the belt to Lyoto Machida you heard nothing but praise for his opponent and a hard work ethic of getting back into the gym and improving his game. He helps his teammates at Greg Jackson’s camp, and as evident from the show, is learning how to become a better coach, so when his fighting days are behind him, expect Evans to be giving back to MMA experience and knowledge to the next crop of fighters coming up behind him.
Rampage Jackson has been a star on the MMA scene for the past seven or so years, both here and in Japan. In fact, Jackson was a featured attraction with Pride while in Japan, and has been quoted that he felt he was “the only black man in Japan.” The attention he garnered over there was close to the level of Bob Sapp in his prime, and while he has often been brash (and sometimes rude), both Japanese and American fans have loved his attitude.
When he finally got the chance to showcase his skills to an American crowd, he didn’t disappoint. In his second UFC fight, he knocked out MMA legend Chuck Liddell to win the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. He held the belt for little over a year, and during that time he was everywhere. He appeared on an episode of Sports Science, the sitcom King of Queens and these days he can be seen in a national Nike ad.
Though as a coach on the last season of the Ultimate Fighter (alongside Rashad Evans) he left a lot to be desired, and left a bad taste in peoples mouths with his attitude on the show, Rampage was still a commodity. After completing the show, he went on to act in a theatrical remake of the television show “The A-Team”, where he’ll play the role of B.A. Baracus. With the movie and an upcoming fight against Evans, it’s highly unlikely that Rampage is going to go away, either in or out of the cage.
A fighter that is modeling himself in different, yet similar, ways to the previous two is “King Mo” Muhammed Lawal. Having made his name over in Japan, King Mo has become somewhat of an underground sensation. His credentials include being a NCAA collegiate wrestling champion with Central Oklahoma in Division II and Oklahoma State in Division I, a finalist for the 2008 Olympic team and a star in Japan.
He has only fought six times, yet he has made a name for himself by promoting himself every step of the way. With friends like Jason “Mayhem” Miller, its no surprise that he has been able to parlay his fighting career (albeit a short one thus far) to success. Many people do not like his cockiness or brashness, but those same attributes are what have garnered him fans. He has the skill and pedigree to become a great fighter, and will have a chance to win his first title in April for Strikeforce against Gegard Mousasi.
Where these fighters end up when their fighting career is over is up to them, but in closing, they have become the Gary Goodridge’s, the Bob Sapp’s, and the Maurice Smith’s of the future in MMA. Looking at the range of fighters, from Evans’s coaching and his graciousness, to Rampage and King Mo’s over the top personalities, the future of African-American’s in MMA is in no doubt steadfast and solidified by this group of fighters.
[Rashad Evans art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
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