Is Herschel Walker good for MMA?
We’re still a week away from Herschel Walker’s MMA debut but I can’t escape the biggest question that surrounds that card: Is Walker good for MMA?
His debut is certainly getting plenty of exposure, which is always good for the sport. He’s been in front of just about every camera and talking with anyone holding a notebook, whether they are a reporter or not. It seems like he's appeared on every show ESPN has and, just as important, he’s been saying the right things all along.
He’s not treating this as a joke, he’s bringing new eyes to the sport and he’s been a good spokesman for the sport. Common sports fans respect Walker and when he says this new thing (MMA) is legit, people will believe him. And he’s not another Kimbo Slice, as Slice was a circus act even before his MMA debut. Walker is a world-class athlete.
At the same time, it is still sort of a circus act. Age 47 is not when you make your debut in something as serious as MMA. If you want to pick up a set of golf clubs at 47, fine. But to start fighting at age 47 and fight in one of the top organizations in the U.S.? Not a great idea.
I’m not entirely sure what needs to happen in that fight for the sport to look good. If Walker wins, the casual fan will see this as a sport that any athlete well past his prime can pick up and have success right off the bat. If he loses (a likely possibility, if he follows the pattern set by other past players trying to break into the sport), it keeps MMA relegated as a sideshow.
I don’t think the sport needs fights like this, not anymore. I think it’s starting to gain acceptance among sports fans and there are a small handful of fighters who are making names for themselves for the right reasons. I can tolerate a Brock Lesnar, who is a big name from another profession but who is also young enough to compete at the highest level in the sport. Walker isn’t exactly going to be gearing up for a title run anytime soon.
I’m clearly going into this card as a skeptic. Plenty of athletes excel late in their 40s, but most don’t do it picking up a completely new sport. That being said, I’m willing to give Walker a shot.
I just hope it doesn’t set a precedent. I don’t want to see Strikeforce promoting a fight with Shaquille O’Neal in three years or trying to ride the coattails of another athlete past his prime. Walker sounds serious about his fight and he better be, because if he isn’t, all the extra eyeballs he brings to the sport will just make it look foolish.
Kevin Richardson has been a fan of mixed martial arts competition ever since UFC 3, when 600-pound sumo wrestler Emmanuel Yarborough was beaten by Keith Hackney. Kevin will cover the world of MMA — in Baltimore, nationally and internationally. He plans to take readers into the locker rooms and MMA schools, where they'll hear from local fighters and trainers. If you have a news tip or suggestions for the blog, please 
Comments
Why do you guys still hate on Kimbo? He was a street fighter, like many other MMA fighters, before turning Pro, and training with the best in the business right now. He went on TUF, got everybody's respect, and afterwards defeated a UFC fighter in his debut. What more does he have to do to be considered a true MMA fighter????
Posted by: Mark | January 22, 2010 12:06 PM
But...let's consider men 40 or over that were CHAMPS! Not just a competitor in the sport, but pro's! Although comparing football to MMA can be like apples to oranges, we must consider they have both similar and very different demands. Besides, it only takes one punch...or one kick...or one move, and lights out--regardless of the age. A 60 year old man in decent shape can do that...especially if such a man hits a guy with a chin like Arlovski's!
Posted by: Johnny | January 22, 2010 12:59 PM
Oh, and one more thing--reasearch does confirm that there are men that are built or gifted for a certain "job" or sport, i.e., shorter achilles heel, broader shoulders, stronger legs, etc., that contribute to speed or strength. A 47 year old man that is in solid shape with some skill and built to go the distance or one more round, may very well be the last man standing!
Herschel Walker--prove me right, mang!
Thanks for the space.
Johnny
Posted by: Johnny | January 22, 2010 1:09 PM
Johnny,
You're right about one good shot against a weak chin (a stiff breeze may knock out Arlovski these days) but the potential for embarrassment is much higher than the potential for a quick KO.
I hope you're right about Walker. I'll be pulling for him too.
Mark- It's not really hating on Kimbo anymore. Most people, myself included, were upset with how Elite XC (ed note- confused Affliction with another failed MMA promotion, EliteXC) marketed him and everything he did there was a joke.
I don't blame Kimbo. He did what anyone would do in his situation and he is taking the sport seriously now, although he's treated with kid gloves. He's had plenty of advantages other rookies don't get.
Posted by: Mark Chalifoux | January 22, 2010 1:21 PM
You'll 'tolerate' Brock Lesnar? He has wins over 2 former heavyweight champions...and you'll 'tolerate' him. Where do you get off? He is a world class wrestler, a giant and was tossed right into the mix with no excuses. And he was young.
Herschel Walker is 47 with NO background and 3 months training. Yet you will more than 'tolerate' him.
Weak.
Posted by: Chris | January 22, 2010 11:06 PM
Calm down Chris. When I say I tolerate Brock Lesnar, it means I tolerated the fact he got a title shot after going 1-1 in the UFC. No one else gets a title shot after defeating Heath Herring. That is simply not happening.
I've got nothing against Lesnar now and you're clearly missing the point if you think that's what I was trying to say.
I even clearly said in that post that I'm skeptical about Walker because he doesn't have a background in the sport and because he's so old and I also said I was OK with the Lesnar decision because he's young and because he can compete at the highest level possible (something Walker cannot do).
Your reading comprehension is weak
Posted by: Mark Chalifoux | January 23, 2010 12:45 AM
Mark Chalifoux,
I think you meant to say that you are upset with how EliteXC (not Affliction) marketed Kimbo and everything he did there (EliteXC) was a joke.
Posted by: Hugh | January 23, 2010 1:26 AM
Mark,
I disagree with your comment "I'm skeptical about Walker because he doesn't have a background in the sport". This guy is a sixth-degree black belt in tae kwon do. Last time I read about Lyoto Machida, his early background was karate. Are you referring too the fact that he's not a wrestler or a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. If he plans to make it to the UFC, he would need tohave a more well rounded background in MMA. But for the guy he's fighting, a sixth-degree black belt is pretty good. By the way here are some of the top Karate MMA fighters. Chuck Liddell, Bas Rutten, Georges St. Pierre, Takanori Gomi, Semmy Schilt, Guy Mezger, Taiei Kin and Jeff ‘the Inferno’ Joslin. Knowing karate isn't bad.
Posted by: Kevin R | January 24, 2010 2:51 PM