IRON RING REVIEW: IT'S NOT TUF, BUT IT'S WORTH A VIEW

Over the weekend, I had an opportunity to get a sneak peek at the first two episodes of BET's new mixed martial arts series Iron Ring. Like most of you, I was somewhat skeptical. The idea of mixing celebrities and fighters on reality TV...well...for some reason, I just can't seem to shake the image of Screech going toe-to-toe with Horshack on Fox's Celebrity Boxing. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Iron Ring was nothing like that short-lived reality show and, dare I say, it was actually pretty good.

* SPOILERS ARE CONTAINED WITHIN *

First and foremost...the concept! Some of the biggest names in hip-hop and sports have gotten together to form a fighting league where teams, made up of three fighters in three weight classes (lightweight, middlewieght and heavyweight), compete for a grand prize of $100,000. Each teams is owned and managed by celebrities, including Ludacris, Nelly, Floyd Mayweather Jr., T.I., Lil Jon and Dipset (Juelz Santana & Jim Jones), while the actual coaching is handled by veteran MMA trainers that have been paired with the celebrities.

Surprisingly, most of the celebrity owners actually showed a genuine interest in mixed martial arts. Lil John, Nelly and Ludacris, in particular, exhibited a great deal of respect for the fighters and the sport in general. "What I like about mixed martial arts is there's nothing off limits," stated hip-hop star Nelly. "Theres no specific way that a guys is planning to attack. You know, when it's boxing, you pretty much know it's all hands, it's all gloves, but when you're watching mixed martial arts, the plan of attack is basically infinite."

While they may not all be experts, they certainly are big fans of the sport and they do have an understanding of the skill and technique involved in mixed martial arts competition. "I always wanted to just be at the UFCs, the PRIDE fighting, to sit there and sit back and watch," explained Juelz Santana as he discussed his participation in the show. "Me creating my own team here, this is like I got my own UFC; I got my own PRIDE."

Truth be told, I think the only celebrity that I was somewhat disappointed with was Floyd Mayweather. One of the biggest complaints from MMA fans was that the show might focus more on the flashy lifestyle of the celebrity rappers decked out in their bling. Ironically, the only celebrity to do any flossin' was Mayweather. "Yo, get that big rock on the TV...400 grand," Mayweather would proudly boast in one scene as he showed off a ginormous diamond ring (and he wonders why he has hand problems). In fact, while most of the celebrity owners talked about their teams and the type of fighters they were looking for, Floyd seemed to be more interested in talking about himself:

"I'm the host, the one and only Floyd Mayweather, A.K.A. Floyd Money Mayweather, A.K.A. Money Mayweather, A.K.A. PBF, A.K.A. Pretty Boy, A.K.A. Young Flashy, A.K.A. I'm Gettin It. Everybody know I'm the 100 million dollar boy. When I can't get nothing else, I can get some money. I'm the top dog. When you at the top, you ain't trying to look bad. I do numbers so good, I could sit at home on my ass and I get million dollar checks sent to me in the mail. When you talk about fighting, the first name that always comes up is Floyd Mayweather. You could be in London, you could be in Cuba, you could be in Tokyo, you could be in LA, you could be in Las Vegas, I don't care where you at. When you talkin' about who the top dog is, you talkin' Floyd Mayweather. Hands down! I was once told the Truth will set you free...real talk man!"

Ummmm...okay?! Granted, it was just the first two episodes and that scene was the only time we really saw much of Floyd. Coming from a fighting background, I really think he has the most advice to offer some of these fighters so hopefully, he won't be acting like that too much. Outside of that, there really wasn't very much flossin' going on from any of the celebrities as they all seemed genuinely interested in finding the best and most skilled fighters to represent their teams.

As previously mentioned, each owner is assisted by a veteran mixed martial artist who handles the coaching duties. While they've all had varying levels of success in the sport, each coach brings a degree of experience that can certainly help the fighters. In addition, each team has brought in a staff of trainers and experts from each discipline to help hone their skills. Fighters from all over the world - black, hispanic, asian and yes, caucasian too - were put through a rigorous tryout before being handpicked by each coach to move on to the second round, where the celebrities have the final say on who makes the cut by matching the fighters in elimination bouts.

The one fight that I did get an opportunity to see was like a scene straight out of Diggstown...dark room, concrete walls and a sparse crowd in attendance. In a one-round, five-minute elimination bout, middleweight Jamie Yager was matched against Antonio Hunter inside of a ring. Although the bout didn't last long, both fighters exhibited striking, grappling and submission skills on par with the average TUF competitor. Wasting no time in getting the action started, Yager landed a leg kick that knocked Hunter off balance, forcing him to fall to the canvas. As Hunter attempted to get up, Yager would land another kick that could be heard smacking Hunter square on the jaw. After eating a knee to the side of the head, Hunter was eventually able to get back to his feet and reverse the tide as he took Yager down and attempted a guillotine choke. Fortunately for Yager, he had side control and Hunter was unable to lock it in and was forced to release the hold. Yager was then able to get full mount, causing Hunter to quickly give up his back. Siezing the opportunity, Yager got the hooks in and sunk in a rear naked choke for the tap and the win. Upon releasing the hold, Hunter could be heard gasping loudly for air. For the most part, it was a pretty decent little scrap.

All-in-all, so far, the show is actually somewhat intriguing and fairly entertaining. Although at times, the production seems a little low budget, the action in the fights themselves, or at least the one fight that I did get to watch, seems to be on par with any other MMA event as the fighters give 100%, leaving it all in the ring in hopes of entertaining the crowd on hand. As far as fights and fighters go, I couldn't really ask for anything more. Is it The Ultimate Fighter? No! Of course not...but it is another avenue for up-and-coming fighters to display their talents in hopes of furthering their careers. More importantly, the show is another way to introduce mixed martial arts to a diverse audience, bringing in even more fans to the sport and helping it grow in popularity. That, my friends, is a good thing!

So before you're too quick to judge, give it a shot. Tune in tonight at 11PM ET/10PM CT and judge for yourself. Is everyone going to like it? Probably not as the mere mention of "rappers" or "BET" causes certain people to have unwarranted stereotypes. HOWEVER, if you're a fan of blood, cuts and knockouts and you truly appreciate what fighters go through to try and make it in this growing sport, I really don't think you'll be disappointed. A fight is a fight!

Below is a breakdown of each team, including the owner, the coach as well as the final fighters selected to represent each team:


MONEY MAYWEATHER BOYS
Owner: Floyd Mayweather (assisted by Rick Ross)
Coach: Roberto "Spider" Tavern
Roberto is a well known Brazilian fighter who was the prestigious Abu Dhabi Open Class (no weight limit) Champion in 1999. He's a 2-time World Jiu-Jitsu Champion and a 5th degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Traven was one of the early UFC competitors, fighting in UFC 11 vs. Dave Berry and in UFC 34 vs. Frank Mir. He holds a professional MMA record of 6-3-1.

• Lightweight Fighter: Andy Robers
  An All-American wrestler in college, Andy is a freestyle fighter who trains in kickboxing and jiu-jitsu.
• Middleweight Fighter: Dymond Jones
  Dymond specializes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, Muay Thai and wrestling. He holds a B.S. in Sports Management from Kennesaw State University where he played football. Dymond got into MMA after he graduated and was looking for a competitive outlet.
• Heavyweight Fighter: Abdelaziz "Aziz" Essafoui
  Aziz was an Olympic Greco Roman wrestler in Atlanta in 1996 and is now looking to compete at the highest levels of MMA. He is extremely strong, used to tough competition and considers himself to be a big threat.

• Lightweight Fighter: Joe Comacho
  Joe has a strong wrestling background and his strength and conditioning is fully on display both during his workouts and inside the ring.
• Middleweight Fighter: John "The Bullet" Fields
  Bullet is a tough former gang banger turned Muslim, has been in street fights and shot - thus his "in your face" moniker. He's a tough character both in and out of the ring.
• Middleweight Alternate Fighter: Franz Mendez
  A talented middleweight fighter, Franz possesses a good wrestling "base", calm demeanor in the ring and nice overall technique. His MMA record does not match his talent because of his willingness to take fights against more experienced opponents.
• Heavyweight Fighter: Joe "Cujo" McCall
  A corrections officer, Joe stands 6'3" and weighs 260 lbs. He was brought to IRON RING by Coach Abdul Mutakabbir because he trained with both he and Bullet. Joe's a former pro boxer with a 2-0 MMA record and his quiet demeanor is no indication of his raw aggression in the ring.

• Lightweight Fighter: Eric Marriott
  Eric has a strong wrestling background and started fighting a couple of years ago. He has a quiet demeanor, but fights hard in the ring. Although Eric is a natural at it, he is very disciplined and trains every day.
• Middleweight Fighter: Darryl Cobb
  Darryl is a heavy machine operator from the 'hood. Surrounded by violence his whole life, he uses fighting to keep him disciplined and humble. He's considered to be his team's "secret weapon" and definitely a fighter that has strong potential to rise throught the MMA ranks.
• Heavyweigh Fighter: Mike Cook
  Mike was called in to fight after another competitor was injured during training. With a 4-1 professional MMA record, he is definitely a rising star with a strict training regimen. Mike's supported by a team of top coaches, including former UFC champion Frank Shamrock, Jeff Quinlan and Tony DeMaria.

• Lightweight Fighter: Josh Gaskins
  At 6 feet tall and 155 lbs., Josh trains out of Los Angeles with Juanito Ibarra, trainer of UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. He has the credentials to back his skill, including multiple wrestling, Golden Gloves and Jiu-Jitsu titles.
• Middleweight Fighter: Primus Moore
  A forklift operator, Primus is a father of two with another on the way. With a hard-nosed fighitng style, he is tired of living paycheck to paycheck and is training to become an MMA fighter so he can provide a better life for his family.
• Middleweight Alternate Fighter: Jamie Yager
  Jamies has a lot of confidence inside and outside the ring and calls himself "The Chosen One". He views his career in fighting as just another facet of the entertainment business and is known for his signature afro and sunglasses.
• Heavyweight Fighter: Joe Thomas
  A 22-year-old, 240 lbs. fighter, Joe got into mixed martial arts by accident when a friend was injured during a fight and he agreed to cover for him. He started his training in MMA with Jiu-Jitsu and Thai boxing.

• Lightweight Fighter: Josh Key
  Josh doesn't consider himself to be a skilled fighter - he fights for survival. He's hungry, will do anything to get out of the 'hood and conveys a lot of dedication and passion.
• Middleweight Fighter: Daniel Akinyemi
  Daniel comes from a family of fighters, including both his grandfater and father. Despite his appearance, he's known for not giving up no matter what his opponent brings to him.
• Heavyweight Fighter: Carlos Moreno
  Carlos is a tough-looking heavyweight with a shaved head and tattoos. He is known as a knockout artist (his father is a former Golden Glove champion) and he entered Iron Ring looking to prove that he's earned that reputation.

• Lightweight Fighter: Marcus Brimmage
  Marcus is a handsome, likeable fighter with a "baby face". He doesn't look tough, but in the ring, he suprises his opponents with his skill and endurance.
• Middleweight Fighter: Brian "The Predator" Rodgers
  Brian trains with John "The Bullet" Fields, is an MMA instructor and is in graduate school. A light heavyweight when he got to tryouts, Brian worked hard and cut weight so he could compete as a middleweight.
• Heavyweight Fighter: Abongo Humphrey
  A 235 lbs., well-educated fighter, Abongo doesn't look like the serious and experienced fighter that he is. He provides a great counterpoint to fighters with different backgrounds. His story includes a 2-year sabbatical from fighting to do relief work in Ghana.

[ Follow Ben Thompson on Twitter @fighthype ]

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