Oshkosh, WI area UFC meetup

I am probably going to start a meetup group in mid-May to get people to share the cost of PPVs with me. I have a new 42" Olevia HDTV, and I plan to get DirecTV or something similar. With DTV I can order the PPVs at $55 in HD. If I can get 3 other people, that's less than $15 a person to watch the UFC in HD. I realize The Bar usually has the matches, but I like to hear what Joe Rogan has to say, it helps me learn about the sport and I can get more into the action that way. Out in public there's too much else to worry about to really enjoy it.

Also, I would like to look into getting tickets for local events. I believe there is MMA in Green Bay, and it would be fun to head up there a few times a year to see some action in person.

It doesn't need to end with live events. I'd like to meet a couple other times to meet new people and discuss MMA with other enthusiasts. Maybe we could even have a "favorite matches" night, where we get a copy of everybody's favorite match and watch through them.

Here's my background:

I am 30 years old, and going to ITT Tech in Green Bay for an Associate's in software programming, and likely will be pursuing a degree in video game design after that. I have no experience in any martial arts, and I've never been in a physical fight in my life.

As far as UFC is concerned, I first watched it when I was in college at Stevens Point (where I studied opera, of all things!). Somebody had a VHS tape with the first 4 events and I began to watch to see if anyone could defeat Royce Gracie. At the time, I couldn't stand his style - I thought it was boring - but seeing it now, I really can appreciate it.

At that time my favorite fighters were Kimo, Ken Shamrock, and Dan Severn to some extent. A part of me misses the old style of UFC, where it was a tournament, the matches went as long as they needed to, and there were fewer rules. Also, it was easier to tell the difference between the martial arts styles that everyone uses. Now, it is all more uniform, but I still think the action is great.

I didn't watch too much after that, until a couple of years ago, I started renting some UFC Knockouts and other highlights tapes. I found them interesting again, and started renting the full events, I believe I started with UFC 49? I was watching them all the way through, without fast forwarding, and I really started to appreciate the ground game. After being a casual WWE mark for several years, I really enjoyed the respect that the fighters had for each other. Which makes sense - UFC fighters are some of the most disciplined people in the world. It irks me, though, what Tito Ortiz was doing, like with Ken Shamrock, riling him up. If he was just being himself, just trying to create some fun for the fans, that's fine, but it makes me worried that UFC may be headed slightly in the direction of the WWE, or worse, professional boxing. I have already heard rumors that the championship matches are pure competition, but the bouts leading up to the championships are rigged. I don't need that kind of entertainment to enjoy a good fight.

Anyway, my favorite fighter is Andrei Arlovsky, though he doesn't fight that often. Chuck Liddell is a close second, and hasn't disappointed me yet. I've always enjoyed watching GSP as well, and who doesn't like Randy Couture? What really got me excited about UFC was Hughes-Trigg III. I watched the DVD and that match got me so jacked up. It was unbelievable. When Hughes picked up Trigg, carried him across the ring, and slammed him down, I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Then to wiggle out of a rear naked choke, and apply one of his own later to win the match, especially considering their history, I thought it was a great match and one of the most entertaining things I've seen in a while. Another match I really enjoyed was Ortiz vs. Griffin. Even though Griffin didn't win (and probably rightly so), he displayed the drive of a real-life Rocky Balboa that night.

So, watch for the new meetup, I'll start it as soon as I get PPV access. We'll watch PPVs, maybe some shows on Spike, catch some live events close to home, and discuss MMA in general.

Hope to see you around.
-Adam Grr