EA Sports MMA drops next week, and while we eagerly anticipate getting our hands on this fighting game, we can’t help but wonder where to start. The game features a variety of fighters across the board, between lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions, and a mixture of both fresh and veteran faces. So, with that, we can’t help but wonder…where the hell do we start?!
Fortunately, we’ve compiled a list of fighters we want to play as in the game. Now, that doesn’t mean we’re not going to give the others a try, we’re just eager to see how these guys handle first. So don’t get your egos in an uproar or come over to our office and threaten to bust heads. (Maybe we should call security just in case…?) Here’s our rundown…
Fedor Emelianenko– This Russian born heavyweight fighter is currently the World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts Heavyweight Champion and the last holder of the Pride Heavyweight Championship. He’s also one of the key components to EA Sports MMA, as he’s not featured in THQ’s UFC Undisputed 2010 (unlike co-cover star Randy Couture, who we’ll get to). Many consider Fedor one of the best fighters in the world, and considering his win record across many championships and tournaments, we can’t find any reason to disagree. His presence in the game will be meaty and dominant, and we feel sorry for any poor sap that stands in his way. Even Couture. Speaking of…
Randy Couture- As you probably saw in UFC Undisputed 2010 earlier this year, Couture’s a monster. Not only is he great at MMA fighting, but he can also hold his own in the Greco/Roman wrestling department, so he’s great with clinches and ground-and-pounds. For years, he’s been involved in some of the best fights out there, and his presence in EA Sports MMA will no doubt heighten how serious the company is about fighting games. Plus, c’mon, the guy’s an Expendable! You can’t mess with an Expendable, can you?
Bob Sapp– When Bob Sapp first got his start in sports, it wasn’t as an MMA fighter, but rather a football player, starting out with the University of Washington before earning small gigs with the Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, Baltimore Ravens and Oakland Raiders. Since then, he transitioned to the South Korean WWA fighting district, where he earned the Heavyweight championship by defeating Lee Wang Pyo. He’s also spent some time in Pride and K-1, making him a humble veteran and a great addition to the EA Sports MMA roster. Plus, the dude is HUGE. Holy crap.
Vladimir Matyushenko– This Belarusian-born fighter has cleaned up as “The Janitor” for a few years now in the fighting ring, fighting in events across the now-collapsed International Fight League, Affliction and Ultimate Fighting Championship. Though he lost his most recent bout to Jon Jones this past August, he’s got a new deal where he’ll fighting in four new events for UFC, including an upcoming November pay-per-view bout against Jason Britz. He’s got an impeccable style that’s great to handle in the ring, all the more reason you should try him out in EA Sports MMA.
Ken Shamrock– Where hasn’t Ken Shamrock been over the past few years? He started out in Pancrase Hybrid Wrestling, worked his way through UFC for a few years, joined the WWE (back in its WWF days), fought in Pride Fighting Championship, appeared on The Ultimate Fighter…he’s done practically about everything you can do in a ring. Still, his no-quit attitude and prominent fighting style make him an ideal choice to use in EA Sports MMA’s octagon. Hmm, we wonder if he still goes by the “World’s Most Dangerous Man” moniker…
Bas Rutten– Hey, we love Bas. The guy is a great veteran of the fighting ring, and after he retired from the sport in 1999, he took up training in both Thai Boxing and Pancrase, certified by the MTBN to do both. He’s also appeared in movies and shows, guided several fighters to become better athletes (including Kimbo Slice), made a cameo appearance in Grand Theft Auto IV, and provided color commentary for Pride Fighting Championship events. He’s an all-around good guy, and we can’t wait to train as him (and take him to the ring) in the game. This one’s for you, Bas!
Herschel Walker– Oh, come on, the guy’s an NFL legend. Who wouldn’t want to see what he can do in a fighting ring? Walker isn’t part of the default crew in EA Sports MMA, but he is available as unlockable downloadable content, so you can easily add him to your roster and see how he fares. He’s only had one major fighting bout at this point, a January match where he handled Greg Nagy, but he’ll have another bout coming up soon, in December. Against who is beyond us, but we can’t wait to see what he does. For that matter, same goes for the game.
Jason “Mayhem” Miller– Finally, what kind of chumps would we be if we didn’t give Jason “Mayhem” Miller his due? Sure, the guy talks a lot of shit, and tends to get into trouble (does the Strikeforce: Nashville post-event brawl ring a bell?), but he knows his stuff when it comes to fighting in the league. He’s had a couple of impressive wins this year, with a TKO on Tim Stout and an arm-triangle choke on Kazushi Sakuraba. We’re eager to see what he does next. Is there an option in the game to make him say, “Where’s my rematch, bro?!”
