22:
70:. However, freak show fights remain particularly associated in popular culture to Japanese promotions, where they are still occasionally hosted. Those bouts are usually a source of controversy among pundits, as they are perceived to elevate spectacle over true competition, but they retain a measure of acceptance among wide audiences due to their entertainment value.
61:
for a bout featuring a deep disparity in skill, experience or weight between the fighters. This kind of matchup was common in the early period of mixed martial arts history, but it has become increasingly rare due to the regulation of
148:, who also competed at Pride. Freak show fighters usually drew large TV ratings in Japan, with a special match pitting Sapp against Akebono breaking historical records.
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are acknowledged to have featured recurrent freak show fights, with the most famous being possibly the fight between 200lbs
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in a mixed martial arts bout despite not having any mixed martial arts experience, being quickly submitted. UFC president
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Early MMA promotions usually held little to no control over ability and weight, which resulted in heavily unbalanced
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embraced the concept, initiating the custom of creating matchups based on the idea of "technique vs. size" or "
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102:. The promotion itself would not completely close itself against them until the end of the 1990s.
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171:(a promotion successor to Pride) has been criticized by its abundance of freak show fights.
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criticized the match, calling it a freak show fight. Also, after her debut in 2015,
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358:
Fighting Words: In-Depth
Interviews with the Biggest Names in Mixed Martial Arts
164:
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from the opposite side. This trend was adopted by
Japanese kickboxing promotion
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52:
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136:, pushing the fighting careers of highly publicized superheavyweights like
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756:
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114:
25:
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683:
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807:
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377:
994:
659:
58:
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133:
199:"The 15 most INSANE freak show fights in MMA history"
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552:
415:
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273:"Top 10 Freakshow Fights in MMA and UFC History"
105:Around the same time, in turn, Japanese company
125:fighters of diverse backgrounds, as did 400lbs
151:In 2010, due to a series of challenges, boxer
393:
8:
297:Snowden, Jonathan; Shields, Kendall (2010).
238:"5 Biggest freak show fights in MMA history"
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400:
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258:
20:
322:
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271:Snowden, Jonathan (November 28, 2012).
231:
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219:
180:
155:fought former UFC Heavyweight champion
192:
190:
188:
186:
184:
16:Type of mixed martial art competition
7:
331:Total Mma: Inside Ultimate Fighting
197:Caldwell, George (April 12, 2018).
121:became a usual participant against
66:and the implementation of official
236:Payne, Johny (February 23, 2017).
14:
84:Ultimate Fighting Championship
82:matchups. The first events of
1:
1549:Mixed martial arts mass media
107:Pride Fighting Championships
1565:
327:Snowden, Jonathan (2010).
169:Rizin Fighting Federation
1534:Martial arts terminology
1539:Kickboxing terminology
39:
460:Shoot-style wrestling
127:professional wrestler
24:
684:Rousey vs. Carmouche
356:Mike Straka (2011).
300:The MMA Encyclopedia
203:Mixedmartialarts.com
64:athletic commissions
972:Major organizations
803:Brazilian jiu-jitsu
732:Lineal championship
690:Khabib vs. McGregor
672:Sakuraba vs. Gracie
1544:Mixed martial arts
1508:TKO Group Holdings
1456:Attendance records
678:Griffin vs. Bonnar
660:Gracie vs. Gordeau
409:Mixed martial arts
100:Emmanuel Yarbrough
48:mixed martial arts
40:
1521:
1520:
1444:
1443:
666:Gracie vs. Takada
648:Kimura vs. Gracie
562:Current champions
111:David vs. Goliath
1556:
1513:World MMA Awards
1498:UFC Hall of Fame
1493:Freak show fight
1165:
472:Gracie Challenge
402:
395:
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253:
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123:superheavyweight
38:
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1563:
1559:
1558:
1557:
1555:
1554:
1553:
1524:
1523:
1522:
1517:
1440:
1359:By organization
1354:
1154:
966:
960:Southpaw stance
955:Orthodox stance
786:
772:Corner stoppage
727:Pound for pound
703:
634:
548:
411:
406:
376:
375:
368:
355:
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281:
279:
277:Bleacher Report
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32:
17:
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1015:Combate Global
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828:See all styles
825:
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792:
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787:
785:
784:
779:
777:Below the belt
774:
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642:
640:Notable fights
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584:Weight classes
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179:
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167:'s career for
119:Ikuhisa Minowa
75:
72:
68:weight classes
15:
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10:
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1449:Miscellaneous
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1381:Cage Warriors
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1038:
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1010:Cage Warriors
1008:
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986:
983:
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978:
977:
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904:
903:Bob and weave
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664:
661:
658:
655:
654:Ali vs. Inoki
652:
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497:
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492:
490:
487:
485:
482:
481:
480:
477:
473:
470:
469:
468:
467:Gracie family
465:
461:
458:
456:
453:
451:
448:
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443:
442:
441:
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436:
433:
429:
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384:
383:
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369:
367:9781617495311
363:
359:
352:
349:
344:
342:9781554903375
338:
335:. ECW Press.
333:
332:
323:
321:
317:
312:
310:9781554908448
306:
303:. ECW Press.
302:
301:
293:
290:
278:
274:
267:
265:
263:
261:
259:
255:
243:
239:
232:
230:
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220:
216:
204:
200:
193:
191:
189:
187:
185:
181:
174:
172:
170:
166:
162:
158:
157:Randy Couture
154:
149:
147:
146:Choi Hong-Man
143:
139:
135:
131:
128:
124:
120:
116:
112:
108:
103:
101:
97:
93:
92:Keith Hackney
89:
85:
81:
73:
71:
69:
65:
60:
56:
54:
49:
45:
36:
31:
30:Florian Pavic
27:
23:
19:
1492:
1406:Kunlun Fight
1065:Kunlun Fight
1050:Jungle Fight
934:
897:
863:
834:
797:
722:Weight class
717:The distance
695:
610:
593:
566:
543:Jeet Kune Do
534:Martial arts
530:
478:
439:
357:
351:
330:
299:
292:
280:. Retrieved
276:
245:. Retrieved
241:
206:. Retrieved
202:
150:
104:
77:
51:
41:
18:
1431:Strikeforce
1150:Wu Lin Feng
1120:Strikeforce
526:Women's MMA
360:. Triumph.
282:January 20,
247:January 20,
242:Sportskeeda
208:January 20,
165:Gabi Garcia
153:James Toney
130:Giant Silva
94:and 600lbs
33: [
1528:Categories
1488:Fatalities
1473:Black belt
1391:Invicta FC
1090:RESPECT.FC
1045:Invicta FC
928:Check kick
813:Kickboxing
791:Techniques
762:Submission
752:Tomato can
747:Journeyman
742:Gatekeeper
479:By country
450:Pankration
440:Precursors
175:References
161:Dana White
113:." Former
80:openweight
53:freak show
44:kickboxing
913:Head fake
857:Positions
836:Grappling
823:Wrestling
818:Muay Thai
767:Decisions
699:Rivalries
696:See also:
539:Bruce Lee
531:See also:
484:Australia
455:Vale tudo
98:wrestler
1483:TV shows
1461:Clothing
1416:Pancrase
1376:Bellator
1130:Titan FC
1075:Pancrase
1025:Eagle FC
1000:Bellator
950:Footwork
918:Slipping
891:Headbutt
865:Striking
842:Takedown
782:Outpoint
757:Knockout
618:Bellator
594:Rankings
567:Fighters
428:timeline
138:Bob Sapp
117:fighter
115:Pancrase
90:fighter
57:" is an
50:(MMA), "
26:Bob Sapp
1168:By year
1110:Road FC
1030:EliteXC
908:Bobbing
898:Defense
612:Records
445:Lei tai
423:History
416:General
142:Akebono
74:History
28:facing
1466:gloves
1160:Events
1115:Shooto
1070:MMA GP
945:Stance
940:Clinch
923:Sprawl
808:Boxing
798:Styles
737:Cutman
692:(2018)
686:(2013)
680:(2005)
674:(2000)
668:(1997)
662:(1993)
656:(1976)
650:(1951)
577:Female
509:Russia
504:Mexico
494:Canada
489:Brazil
364:
339:
307:
1503:IMMAF
1478:Films
1426:PRIDE
1371:BAMMA
1105:Rizin
1100:RINGS
1085:PRIDE
1005:BRAVE
995:BAMMA
935:Other
881:Elbow
871:Punch
852:Guard
709:Terms
589:Camps
554:Lists
499:Japan
435:Rules
88:kenpo
59:idiom
55:fight
37:]
1396:KOTC
1386:Deep
1350:2024
1345:2023
1340:2022
1335:2021
1330:2020
1325:2019
1320:2018
1315:2017
1310:2016
1305:2015
1300:2014
1295:2013
1290:2012
1285:2011
1280:2010
1275:2009
1270:2008
1265:2007
1260:2006
1255:2005
1250:2004
1245:2003
1240:2002
1235:2001
1230:2000
1225:1999
1220:1998
1215:1997
1210:1996
1205:1995
1200:1994
1195:1993
1190:1992
1185:1991
1180:1990
1175:1989
1060:KOTC
1020:Deep
886:Knee
876:Kick
847:Hold
572:Male
362:ISBN
337:ISBN
305:ISBN
284:2020
249:2020
210:2020
144:and
96:sumo
46:and
1436:UFC
1421:PFL
1411:ONE
1401:KSW
1366:ACA
1145:WFA
1140:WEC
1135:UFC
1125:SFL
1095:ONE
1080:PFL
1055:KSW
1040:IFL
1035:FFC
990:AFC
985:AMC
980:ACA
628:UFC
623:ONE
604:UFC
599:ONE
134:K-1
42:In
1530::
519:US
514:UK
319:^
275:.
257:^
240:.
218:^
201:.
183:^
140:,
35:de
545:)
541:(
401:e
394:t
387:v
370:.
345:.
313:.
286:.
251:.
212:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.