The latest craze in combat sports is a heady fusion of mixed martial arts and gang violence, and we like it!
If you find yourself bored with conventional MMA, then 5 on 5 Team MMA may just provide the fix you need. The maiden event kicked of in Poznan, where an aptly named "Lech Poznan Hooligans" team decimated the rather diminutive Gothenburg "Wisemen". Here's the clip.
The event itself is a little busy with not much scope for grappling or submissions because as one fighter submits, it opens up the ability for the other team to double, triple and quadruple-team an opponent.
UFC commentator Joe Rogan believes that it's "fucking nuts".
"@MindHamster: @joerogan If this doesn't get me a retweet I Dont know what will http://t.co/RObJgzxVeo." Team fighting? That's fucking nuts
— Joe Rogan (@joerogan) April 7, 2014
Those of you who are thinking that the Polish outfit were just 5 Lech Poznan fans thrown into a ring are almost definitely correct.
We have come up with an few suggestions that we believe will satisfy the viewers lust for gang warfare, and our need for an organised tournament where the action lasts a little longer.
1. The team element is what makes this unique, but is there really a need for 5 on 5? Surely a 3 man team would make the viewing more enjoyable and less chaotic.
2. The matches are too short, mostly due to the ability to gang up on a submitting fighter. The last man standing element is great but there should only be handicap fighting while the fighters are standing, it should be 1 on 1 as soon as the fight goes to ground.
3. The Poznan team is almost definitely made up football hooligans.
Why not have a European tournament for them to vent their frustrations and sort out their differences; a sort of hooligans' Champions League. We quite like the idea of the best (or worst) of the League Of Ireland coming up against the likes of Wisla Krakow or Spartak Moscow, though this would probably be another tournament Irish teams wouldn't qualify for.
