You gotta be kidding me...Rhadi cut from tuf 12...??

Q mystic

Q mystic

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Read this on sherdogs tuf forum...

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I personally attended the TUF 12 tryouts in Charllotte, NC, and here are some of the things that I saw:

Rhadi Ferguson - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rhadi Ferguson, a former olympian, attended the tryouts as a potential 205. I met him, and he was a very respectful man, calling me sir, and standing to shake my hand when I walked up to him. Knowing his qualifications, I told him he was a shoo-in. Immediately after this, Dana White walked past, and Rhadi introduced himself by full name to Dana. Dana didn't even seem to know who he was. Anyways, Rhadi's group was called in, and I fully expected him to be one of the guys selected for the interview. However, he wasn't even selected after the grappling to continue to the striking test. Apparently during the grappling (which started from the knees, go figure), his partner proceded to lay on him in the half guard, squeezing his head so that nothing could happen for the 2 minute duration. Rhadi Ferguson a black belt in BJJ and Judo, a former Olympian and ADCC competitor, was cut after the grappling portion. I was simply shocked. And anyone who has attended the tryouts will tell you that the grappling for the 205s was subpar at best.

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My god... Judo Olympian, BJJ black belt, ADCC competitor, cutting edge fitness guru, drops from 230 to 205 and has admitted to having bad knees...

Gets 2 minutes to demo his stuff by starting on his knees grappling???

LMFAO.

TUFs creds are resembling The Bachelors.


http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/5639/4034m.jpg
 
So your telling me a Judo Olympian, BJJ black belt, ADCC competitor, cutting edge fitness guru, who droped from 230 to 205 got held down and couldn't replace guard for 2 minutes against a subpar grappler?:icon_twis:icon_neut
 
In all honesty, he might have a lot of credentials and accomplishments. But if for your test you are held in side control for 2 minutes, well, it pretty much speaks for itself.
 
Title Fight Productions said:
So your telling me a Judo Olympian, BJJ black belt, ADCC competitor, cutting edge fitness guru, who droped from 230 to 205 got held down and couldn't replace guard for 2 minutes against a subpar grappler?:icon_twis:icon_neut
Click to expand...

Good point. Judo olympians with bjj blacks shouldnt be swimming with sharks.:D

Why the grappling for 2 mins from knees tho when they could have just arm wrestled.
 
HardEight said:
In all honesty, he might have a lot of credentials and accomplishments. But if for your test you are held in side control for 2 minutes, well, it pretty much speaks for itself.
Click to expand...

r-e-a-l-l-y???

...tell that to alot of the bjjers here on this forum pissed about judoka holding osaekomi so long.

Is it really a demo of ones skill?? Can't see it.
 
well, by the looks of it, they made an exhaustive effort to remove all grapplers, specifically jiu-jitsu guys, in this season. That way it will be nothing but slams and striking and a little ground and pound. No one will have to try to understand a guy working for a submission or trying to pass. Yeh!!!

Maybe this is part of their complete strategy to keep good grapplers out while trying to still look legit. Scout out Rhadi, realize he will run train on these guys on the ground and in the clinch, and then make his grappling test to survive a 2 minute hugfest from the knees--specifically avoiding his clinch game.

I'm not saying it's that way, but I wouldn't be shocked at all to hear of an ad lib filtering process to keep "boring" fighters out.
 
That's kind of silly that they didn't start the grappling on the feet. It's MMA, takedowns are very important, and needless to say Rhadi is very dynamic in that regard. Damn shame that they won't have him on the show. Hell, he could be a coach for most of the guys on there.
 
Q mystic said:
r-e-a-l-l-y???

...tell that to alot of the bjjers here on this forum pissed about judoka holding osaekomi so long.

Is it really a demo of ones skill?? Can't see it.
Click to expand...

Rhadi was on bottom, so he wasn't holding osaekomi.

Unless I'm misunderstanding the term.
 
My bro tried out for TUF with the same result. Starting on knees he actually was in top guard but the guy was able to continue replacing guard during pass attempts. He mentioned that other guys that made it through to the next were pretty much scrambling the whole time and did not show much control.

I told him if he ever tries again and ends up in the same spot he should just chase a leglock.

2 minutes (on knees no less) is not a really good indicator of what type of grappler you are depending on who you partner with.

Dana wants "excitement"....
 
^^^^
Gay.

Our sport is really going to die if this keeps on. Every time I read another thread about how GSP is "afraid" and "all he can do" is grapple...I shudder. I honestly don't know what people want. Well, I've got a guess:

They want tough man with tiny cool gloves, but also with some cool knees and kicks, occasionally a slam, ground and pound only if it is viscious and fight ending. Submissions only if they are brutal/flying. They'd like to see guys ricochet back up to their feet if nothing happens in ten seconds. Perhaps most of all, they'd like to believe that this is real fighting, this canned scenario which encourages "excitement".

The saddest thing to me is that these guys who feel this way, are so pathetic and have such a poor understanding and attention span, that if you show them to K-1 or professional boxing they'd rather see Leben/Quarry or something because when the standup becomes technical and clean, it is no longer "exciting".

I'm gonna vomit now.
 
What blows my mind is when I watch his trailer I'm like holy shit this guy is an animal and would plow through anyone...his throws are brutal and brings loads of excitement? Sounds to me like what Dana White wants in his show?
 
Two minutes is not enough time to show grappling abilities especially from the knees.
 
The Dragon777 said:
Two minutes is not enough time to show grappling abilities especially from the knees.
Click to expand...

Well given the sheer # of try outs it's probably the only feasible way to do it. I don't like it at all, but it's what they have to do.
 
I'm just pissed now. I shouldn't have read this thread...especially with all the GSP hate and animosity towards grapplers reaching a fever pitch lately.

I'd personally like to kick everyone in the nuts who thinks GSP has something to be "sorry" for and has to answer to his fans for not being "exciting". Every one of them should have to fight Dan Hardy, and be ridiculed if they don't stand and bang or have an "exciting" style.

Now this shit with Rhadi. Although I still like it, I'm beginning to understand why Rickson and other purists piss on MMA. It's as much about the terrible perception being created and BS politics, as it is the actual quality of fighting.
 
We should get this made a popular forum on the home page and get everyone to protest his decision, write in to the UFC and complain!!

Lets start a revolution!!

BTW when the UFC adapts smaller weight classes and I get cut from TUF I expect the same petition
 
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