SPORTS MMA Blowin' up in Africa

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[y]yAr6Qox6YxE[/y]

In a report written by Rose Skelton of the bbc.co.uk she outlines a traditional form of combat sports in Africa that has been going on for hundreds of years.
The report outlines the history of this bare knuckle Mixed Martial arts display where the participants can earn up to 200,000 per fight and will fight infront of a crowd of up to 80,000 people.

The video featured in this article is an example of the matches put on in Africa.

The report reads as follows:

The young men who make it up the ranks can look forward to winning up to $200,000 per fight. Where the average annual income is $980, this will make them part of the country's financial elite and national heroes to the millions of men and women who follow the game.

Senegalese wrestling, or 'Laamb' in Wolof, began in the villages, when farmers who only worked during the fertile rainy season would pass the time with this sport that has been practised across the continent for hundreds of years.During the dry seasons, the farmers would come to the cities looking for work. There they found an audience of people keen to watch and bet on the matches.

As the sport gained in popularity, it began to take on elements of martial arts, incorporating boxing, judo and karate, as well as the traditional elements of African wrestling.

In the 1990s, Gaston Mbengue, a Senegalese sports promoter, started to stage matches that allowed bare-fisted fighting. This modern twist revolutionised the sport and turned it into a multi-million dollar game - one match can attract up to 80,000 people. It now attracts more fans than any other sport, including soccer.

While Senegal failed to qualify for both the World Cup and the African Cup of Nations in the last two years, the audiences have flocked to wrestling and left football out in the cold.

"Wrestling has been able to reduce crime and delinquency in the suburbs," says Aboubacry Ba, one of the country's best-known sports journalists."Young people now train hard and they can earn money from their work. Before, they didn't have any work, they were in the suburbs getting into drugs and fighting. But now, with wrestling, they have a healthy occupation. It's a job which has really been able to turn the youth around, reduce unemployment and crime."

http://www.bjpenn.com/profiles/blogs/african-mma-pays-up-to-200k

 

[$lacker]

I saw some of those matches live on TV when I was in India... it's def interesting

 

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I saw some of those matches live on TV when I was in India... it's def interesting

It's the first time I've seen it. If it's been around for hundreds of years, they probably have some talent, but if the best are making $200,000, I doubt they'd ever join the UFC for a few grand.

 

[IS300_TRD]

Interesting

 

[FlyingNun]

never heard of this....watching more of these matches on youtube

 

[FlyingNun]

[y]so43Gndfegk[/y]

 

[TigreTek]

fucking

 

[$lacker]

It's the first time I've seen it. If it's been around for hundreds of years, they probably have some talent, but if the best are making $200,000, I doubt they'd ever join the UFC for a few grand.

They didn't seem very versatile as fighters, but I suppose I was expected that monkey dude from Bloodsport
I can't imagine they're making 200k USD/fight... maybe 200k of some shitty African currency

 

[machine]

They didn't seem very versatile as fighters, but I suppose I was expected that monkey dude from Bloodsport
I can't imagine they're making 200k USD/fight... maybe 200k of some shitty African currency

yea that doesn't sound right. although the article does state the annual income is $980, which indicates the article is talking about USD.

I'm gonna go ahead and assume the reporter is a retard and used local currency for the fight purse, and USD for nominal GDP per capita. $200,000 XOF is about $500, which is still half of what most people make in a year.

 

[momentum]

The UFC should send Brock over there to challenge for the lion cloth

 

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The UFC should send Brock over there to challenge for the lion cloth

UFC doesn't co-promote.

 

[edward_cullen]

I'm surprised it's not fight till the death considering the country's lawlessness.

 

[SubOptimal]

I'm surprised it's not fight till the death considering the country's lawlessness.

Africa is actually a continent.

 

[machine]

Africa is actually a continent.

Senegal is a country.

 

[Beepsandbuzzes]

Those dude look like beasts. Would be great to see some of them get funding to train MMA, imagine the desperation with which they'd fight for the payouts you get in any decent MMA org.

 

[kit99bar]

looked like a heavyweight vs a 185er

 

[Poppa Large]

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/africa/100819/senegal-laamb-wrestling-sports

This link says they make 100k in USD. Seems a bit on par with what headliners in the UFC make, but the UFC makes a lot more money since they also have PPV revenue and most likely higher ticket prices.

 

[GreatDeceiver]

[y]so43Gndfegk[/y]

Those guys are all built like trees

 

[adrenalin112]

fucking

hi. long time homes.

 

[TigreTek]

hi. long time homes.

sup broly?

 

[momentum]

Question: Did that one fighter Zulu the one who got knocked out by Fedor in 30 seconds ever do this shit?

 

[adrenalin112]

sup broly?

still training krav in florida?

 

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Question: Did that one fighter Zulu the one who got knocked out by Fedor in 30 seconds ever do this shit?

No mention of it on his wiki. I guess he just did vale tudo and MMA.

https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Zuluzinho

 

[TigreTek]

still training krav in florida?

took a break and got really fat. starting back up next month.

 

[momentum]

No mention of it on his wiki. I guess he just did vale tudo and MMA.

https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Zuluzinho

yeah, I looked it up and he's from Brazil so no on that one, he would do good thou if he tried that