Mixed Martial Arts: The Most Exciting, Yet the Most Bloodied Combat Sport in the World

            During the first days of this blog, I've written a bit about combat sport, as I explain on how I became a Pro Wrestling fan. But to be honest, Professional Wrestling is part combat sport, part soap opera. At first, I wasn't aware of the existence of this particular combat sport until 2012. Up until that point, the only sport I watched was Boxing, but I found that a bit boring at times. And once I watched it for the first time, my heart was dead set on one thing: mixed martial arts (MMA) is the most exciting combat sport in the world. As of the time of writing, I've been following MMA sporadically for the past seven years, and we are only three days away from another scheduled UFC event, dubbed UFC 253, which features Nigerian-New Zealander Israel Adesanya versus Brazilian Paulo Costa for the promotion's Middleweight Championship. 

 

            It's been believed that the history of MMA can be traced back to the Ancient Greece. The sport, then named Pankration, was featured as one of the programs at the Ancient Olympic Games. First introduced at the XXXIII Olympiad (648 BCE), the rules of the sport pretty much resembled the modern Unified Rules of MMA, but with only biting and gouging that were recognized as forms of foul. At the time, the only way to decide a winner is by knocking his opponent unconscious. In 393 CE, however, Emperor Theodosius I of Rome banned the Olympic Games, which was also the end of Pankration. The fighting style later resurfaced in 20th-Century Brazil, instigated by brothers Carlos and Hélio Gracie, naming itself as vale tudo (anything goes). The brothers would issue challenges in local newspapers, saying that they welcomed all types of fighters. The sport of MMA was finally brought the attention of the masses in 1993, with the first event dubbed The Ultimate Fighting Championship (subsequently known as UFC 1, the first event by the promotion). The main idea was to put every fighters of different martial arts and make them compete in a tournament. In a nutshell, they pitted a boxer against a wrestler, a taekwondo fighter versus a kung fu practitioner, and so on. The rules were the same as its ancient counterpart, no biting and eye gouging. In this event, another Gracie, Royce, won the inaugural tournament utilizing his family's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu style, which emphasis on ground fighting and submitting their opponents rather than going with striking power. Few events were marketed as a "No rules event", but with the times changing, the sport has to evolve. In 2001, the weight classes, rounds, time limits and a revamped set of rules were introduced to make the sport safer. In 2013, the UFC held their first event to feature Women's MMA as their main event. UFC 157 featured Ronda Rousey taking on Liz Carmouche for the Women's Bantamweight Championship. Rousey submitted Carmouche with an armbar in the first round. 

 

            The rules at the time of UFC 1 were pretty simple. There was (almost) no rules. Fighters can either knock their opponents out cold (the referee also has the power to stop the fight if a fighter was taking excessive amount of damage to the point that they cannot intelligently defend themselves, a significant injury like broken bones or laceration or if he/she appeared to lost consciousness while being struck) or submit them (The submitted party can initiate a tap on the mat or the opponent or signaling the referee with groans of pain) with chokes or manipulation of limbs and joints with the intention of inflicting serious injury. Under the Unified Rules, aside from those two mentioned above, if the fight goes the distance, a panel of judges (usually three judges) will determine the winner using a 10-point must score system used in boxing. Since there were no weight classes, a combatant could be placed inside the cage with either a bigger size opponent or smaller sized ones. Only in 2001 that the weight classes rules were put into place. As of 2020, the UFC recognizes 9 weight classes. Those nine are: Strawweight (women only) (115lbs/52kg), Flyweight (men and women)(125lbs/57kg), Bantamweight (men and women) (135lbs/61kg), Featherweight (men and women) (145lbs/66kg), Lightweight (155lbs/70kg), Welterweight (170lbs/77kg), Middleweight (185lbs/84kg), Light Heavyweight (205lbs/93kg) and Heavyweight (265lbs/120kg) (men only). Fighter attire was also regulated, with fighters must wear padded fingerless gloves, but with no shoes or headgear. The fighters then placed in either a ring or a cage. Under the Unified Rules of MMA, an MMA bout would last for 3 rounds, each round lasts 5 minutes, with one-minute rest period between each round. In a championship setting however, there are two extra rounds, making said fight a five-rounder. The fighters can either punch, kick, use their elbows and knees, grapple with one another, and initiate a takedown. The only thing that differentiate this sport with other combat sports, is that those strikes can be launched either from a standing position or from the ground. A fighter can be reprimanded, penalized or disqualified if he/she headbutting their opponents, biting, gouging, fish hooking, hair pulling, kicking or kneeing a grounded opponent in the head, launched a downward elbow strike (also known as 12 to 6 elbow), strikes targeting the throat, spine, and the back of the head, and initiate a small joint manipulation (twisting fingers). 

 

            Even though MMA nowadays can be pretty much in equal terms with other combat sports discipline, In the early days, it was viewed as the most brutal sport in the world. Hell, even the late Senator John McCain (RIP) once called the sport as "human cockfighting", due to the fighting surface being an eight-sided cage. Despite the bloody nature of the sport, there are only sixteen recorded deaths, seven of them came from injuries sustained from a sanctioned MMA bout. None of those 16 deaths ever occurred in the UFC. In comparison, there are over 500 fatalities that resulted from injuries sustained after a boxing match ever since the Marquees of Queensberry rules were introduced in 1884.

 

            When it comes to exposure, Let's face it. For me personally, I know more MMA fighters than boxing legends. Sure, I know some legendary boxers either currently active or already retired, like Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Sr and Floyd Mayweather Jr, Tyson Fury, Amir Khan and Anthony Joshua, but names like legendary fighters Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell, Royce Gracie, Tito Ortiz, Chael Sonnen, Anderson Silva, Frankie Edgar, Fedor Emelianenko, Melvin Manhoef, and modern fighters like The Notorious Irishman Conor McGregor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, the recently retired Daniel Cormier, The Diaz Brothers, Nick and Nate, Tony Ferguson, Henry Cejudo, and even Brock Lesnar (The dude was the UFC Heavyweight Champion at some point before returning to WWE) are just some of the MMA fighters known today. 

 

            Mixed Martial Arts in essence is basically a hybrid of various fighting styles. Someone can be considered a mixed martial artist if that person masters two or more different combat disciplines. Sure, the first events were as bloody and as violent as it can be, but the sport continues to evolve to be the sport we know and love today. After this, I'm going to treat myself in three days to UFC 253. In the meantime, I can also watch past fights and highlights of my favorite fighters on various streaming platforms. And as always, I want to end this by constantly reminding you all to always adhere to medical protocols. Wear the mask, wash your hands, and always two meters apart at all times.

Indonesian Food: Beloved and Renowned

 Well, this is it. After months of inactivity, I finally write again. But this time, the pandemic still rages on, I've got a new hobby (assembling Lego cars) to go with that, and some other work-related business I've had to attend. I've been tested twice for the coronavirus (rapid blood testing and PCR), both came back negative (phew!). Ushering the New Normal era means that we can go back to our normal activities, albeit still have to adhere to medical protocols (masks, two meters distance policy, and washing the hands frequently). But back when we still under quarantine (well, partial quarantine in Indonesia to be honest), I've walked down memory lane with older rock and metal songs, watching old YouTube videos, and watching cooking shows, especially if the host is the one Gordon Ramsay. 

 

            If you are wondering where this piece is going to go, calm down. This would still have the correlation with the topic, which is about the local Indonesian culinary scene. As you all know, when it comes to Indonesian cuisine, there is only one thing that can be associate with the 18.000+ island nation: spice. It has influences from the Chinese, The Middle East, Indians, and Malay. When Gordon Ramsay's latest show Uncharted, airing on National Geographic channel broadcasted the Indonesian episode, I was head over heels excited, because I'm about to watch an iconic British (Scottish to be exact) chef visiting Indonesia for the first time and try the colorful dishes this country has to offer. Aside from his job as a celebrity chef, Ramsay, who is also known for his short temper and explosive personality in the kitchen, likes to travel the world to sample the best food that he could possibly find. And in Indonesia, he chose the province of West Sumatera as his destination, which means one thing: the dish known as Rendang. Yes. The one that once voted as the most delicious dish by CNN in 2017, edging out Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Style Fried Rice), another Indonesian staple. 

 

            In the aftermath of that episode, He released two more Indonesia-related videos on his YouTube channel, one where he incorporated the Rendang paste into his duck egg omelet, and the other where he attempted to make Nasi Goreng with a deliciously good result. Hell, one channel in particular, run by a UK-based comedian Nigel Ng, under his persona Uncle Roger, reviewed this particular video with nothing but praise and compliments. All jokes aside, I think Chef Ramsay nailed this one, because of two reasons. One, he knows his ingredients. Nasi Goreng typically uses leftover rice, although some of us can also go with freshly cooked rice at some point. Leftover rice is better at absorbing flavors being thrown inside the cooking surface (in this case a wok), while freshly cooked rice might have some moisture in it, so it can be a little soggy at times (sorry Hersha Patel, but you just don't wash the freaking rice after cooking it). In his recipe, Chef Ramsay uses sambal paste AND the rendang paste to enhance the spiciness, aside from the fact that he also uses galangal, and fresh chili as the base (sorry Jamie Oliver, but putting chili jam in your fried rice is just wrong). Two, he knows the right tools. If you watch that video in question, I swear to God, that was one of the most entertaining cooks I've ever watched. The dude even uses two woks! The previous two videos featured normal cooking pan as the cooking surface, which has flat base instead of a curved one that Chef Ramsay used. As one of roughly 248 million Indonesian residents, I give my stamp of approval to Chef Gordon Ramsay for this one.

 

            On another side, I must say, while this dish is a fairly simple dish, it can be deceiving. Why? You asked. Because it's all about NOT overcomplicating the cooking process itself. Yes, fried rice in general doesn't have a fixed recipe, but that doesn't mean that everything can be thrown into a fried rice. Some ingredients might work on other setting, but not necessarily fit into most demographics. You can use pork-based products into the dish, but that means Muslims can't eat it. The other thing is finding the balance. A good fried rice should be balanced on spiciness, saltiness, smokiness, and the overall flavor of the rice itself. I've learned through many attempts that aside from those factors above, there is one thing that can easily be overlooked while cooking this particular dish: the amount of oil being put inside during the cooking process. A greasy fried rice is something you absolutely hate to see after such a quick, fast-paced cook. Over-seasoning or under-seasoning a fried rice can be fixed, but a greasy fried rice? nope, throw it out, start a new one. 

 

            But Indonesian cuisine is not just about Rendang or Nasi Goreng. With the latter, if you swap out the rice with noodles, you got Mie Goreng, in other regions, different cultures mean different cuisines. In my home province of North Sulawesi, seafood is the frontrunner of the local food scene. Since Manado is a coastline city, you can easily find restaurants that specializes in Ikan Bakar, or Grilled Fish. They mostly do catch of the day, which means whatever the fish that were caught the night before, is cooked the following day. Going up in the mountains, towards the Minahasa Regency, wild game is more commonly known. Since this province is a Christian-majority region, you can find many unusual dishes made with the most unusual of ingredients, like Paniki, which was made from bats, or snake-based dishes, and even Rentek Wu'uk, which is made from (unfortunately) dog meat. One thing is for sure, when it comes to spice tolerance, Manadonese in general are notorious for having iron stomach, because of their fairly high tolerance for spices. There is a saying in Manado, that goes, "If there is no chili on your plate, then you are not living your life". Other instances of different cultural background influencing their cuisine is The Island of The Gods, Bali. Being a Hindu majority, pork-based dishes is more prevalent in this island, albeit some of them still enjoys Beef. When it comes to its signature dish, you must mention the Betutu, made from either chicken or duck. This dish is more like a set-it-and-forget-it type of dish, as the cooking process takes roughly 7-8 hours. The Javanese are known to be on the sweet side of the culinary spectrum. One dish that resonates to me the most is obviously Gudeg, found in the Special Region of Jogjakarta. This dish uses unripe jackfruit submerged and stewed in sugar, served with rehydrated spicy cow skin, chicken or beef, and coconut rice. The Sundanese in West Java, where I'm currently living nowadays, are more into the spice game than the Javanese. Case in point, seblak. This soup-based dish is known to be spicy and can be adjusted to whoever is eating it. It contains meat products like chicken, fish balls, meatballs, beef, hard-boiled eggs, noodles, soggy crackers, and various vegetables, with adjustable heat levels, usually level 1 for really mild, to level 5 for scorching hot, like when you are being thrown to the deepest parts of Hell. They are also known to feature raw vegetables in their dish. On the eastern part of the country, like the Maluku Islands and Papua, they have an alternative to rice called Papeda. Made from sago, Papeda is usually eaten as the substitute to rice, often accompanied by Yellow Broth Fish Soup. The texture is kind of a jelly, but starchy. If you want to taste extreme food without having to torture yourself with dog met, just hop over to Makassar, the southern tip of the Sulawesi Island. The dish, Coto Makassar is mainly made using every part of a cow, like the meat, tongue, gizzard, colon, longue, and other parts, drenched in peanut-based broth, with a sprinkle of salt, sambal, and lemon juice, enjoyed with ketupat rice cakes. 

 

            Indonesian cuisine is really colorful, and depending on which province you currently live, it can be either spicy, sweet, or something in between. Many would say that in order to enjoy a country, you must first enjoy its food, and as an Indonesian myself, I'm proud to say that Indonesian food is finally being recognized all over the world. When this pandemic finally over, I can promise you who would like to spend some time in this country, that you will enjoy this country, its beautiful scenery, and most importantly, the food. Until then, stay safe, keep washing your hands, keep wearing that mask, and always 2 meters apart at all times.