Well, I'm not trying to set up a straw man argument per se. I know MMA is a ring craft - which is exactly what it's designed for, and it does this very well.

But I personally equate all training with the street, as that's the only thing that interests me. I have no interest in contact sports (except for the odd Boxing match). And unless there is something that we can use form them, and apply it to what we do. Hence, the whole boxing mechanics, etc.

So in turn MMA has little interest for me.

The MMA approach is pretty broad as you say, to it's still has the confines of a ring (which is what it's meant to be for). And good luck to them - but it's not for me.

Well MMA training in general is no more confined than the Animal day stuff which I presume you are a fan of, except that good MMA guys would be of a much higher standard in general (that's not to take away from the fact that Animal Day was quite innovative at the time). In general I think that is one takes 'mma' training, takes out the sporting talk, adds 'street' talk instead and suddenly a whole different crowd of people are interested in what is essentially the same thing.

Probably better to say I'm unimpressed with the concept. I don't like the concept, and don't find it interesting. It's a bit like maths for me - Sure I'll need to add things, but I 'aint ever going to use a quadratic equation. Therefore, from my own personal perceptive, it's pointless to learn it.

Am I impressed by the individual skills? Yep.
Am I impressed with some aspects of the training? Yep.
Am I impressed with MMA from a technical aspect? Yep, but do I like watching it or find it slightly interesting? Not really... Not enough blunt force trauma for my liking - far too much rolling around the floor.

I like Paul Bonner, as an artist - but I hate Picasso. See?

I had an MMA match at the weekend, which I should be uploaded to the show's site soon enough hopefully. I'll post the link when I get it.

Good stuff - hope it went well for you.

Yep, in and out of the cage without too much delay!

Very cool mate...

I was at Armageddon on Saturday night with Lee and Jon. Some great fights!

I'd say there was alright. Good Muay Thai is great to watch.

That was my first time ever seeing a MT fight. The atmosphere was electric. There were two girls fighting also, they were every bit as brutal as the men.

I've so much respect for guys that get into a ring and take that type of pounding.

I really liked the MT ritual before the fight - very cool indeed. Made me want to get back into it. I was training with Paddy for a while, but he moved out to walkinstown which is too far from me.

Tim, do you get scared before you enter the ring, and if so how do you cope with it?

I don’t get scared to be honest, but I do get quiet nervous. I suppose the fact that I competed for years in TKD and kickboxing means that I am used to the idea of competing so MMA was nothing new in that sense. Pre-fight rituals and all that don’t really change that much.
The actual thought of getting in and fighting isn’t really scary to me, although I can why it would be probably to most. I don’t mean this in an ‘I’m a hard man’ sort of way, but I guess the fact is that if you do something regularly enough it becomes normal. Another thing is, that for the most part, the chances of serious injury in a MMA fight are small enough (although not insignificant), plus in a lot of fights you end up not taking a lot of abuse. In my last two fights I’ve come out without a scratch.
That’s how I rationalise it anyway! But there is no doubt that the show thing, the weighins, the waiting, the fight itself is quite stressful. The dressing rooms beforehand are a tense place to be for the most part.

That said, I'd imagine I'd be a whole lot more stressed if I was getting into a Thai boxing ring and not a MMA cage!