EviLore said:
To needlessly bump this thread:
So I just watched the 1997 World Vale Tudo Championships (3). First, I'm glad to see how the sport has progressed since then (well, in most organizations). I really don't want to watch repeated headbutts or groin shots exchanged between fighters, or half of them breaking their hands on each other's faces.
That said, I only recognized two fighters from the tournament, Pedro Rizzo and Mark Kerr. IIRC this is the tourney that Biff wanted to see the young Kerr in? I guess the video's kinda rare. Anyhow, Kerr did pretty well, but was very dependent on headbutts in one match, and while he did come off as a strong competitor, I don't really think he got all that much of a chance to shine (opponents falling out of the ring, staying in guard for entire fights, etc.).
Thanks for alerting me about this. I just went to get it.
I think the sport has progressed quite a bit too, for obvious reasons. I feel mixed about my thoughts to if headbutts should be allowed. Like elbows, headbutts can in certain cases cause cuts quick, but wouldn't
really stop a fight.
A good heabutt is devastating though, a vicious weapon if you use it right. When I grew up there was a street fighter in the neighborhood who would just finish his fights by always breaking the other guys nose or bones in his face with a head butt. It was sick. Likewise, I've heard stories from family/friends who have made good use of headbutts. I myself have been butted a few times hard, and its very jarring. And, those weren't even strong headbutts.
I remember seeing Igor Vov use a headbutt to end an ultra brutal fight with Nick Nutter (If you don't have this fight, get it). It was in some shitty promotion, and these guys went to total war. It was extremely bloody. Nutter was a hammer house wrestler, and Vov was still young and raw. The fight went back and forth, with Igor seemingly tapping out from repeated knees to the head when he was trapped against the cage. The ref didn't see it though, and let the fight go on. While Nutter was mounted on Igor, Igor got enough room to get his head close and bam! A vicious headbutt that really busted the guys face up and he immediately tapped out. On a sidenote, they'd rematch later on, and Igor KOed him in about 3 seconds off a beautiful knee when Nutter went fpor the takedown.
Its probably best they are disallowed, because fights would be excessively bloody and unneedlessy stop in certain cases. At the same time, its leaving out a pretty devastating and realistic tool for a fight that is supposed to be as close as to real as it gets.
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