BY JACOB KLENSIN

There is something immediately nostalgic about stepping out of the climate controlled comfort of air travel and into that uniquely tropical night time heat. It unites locations all over the world within a given distance to the equator. In my own experience it makes Bangkok reminiscent of Ghana which brought back memories of Venezuela. I’m no stranger to travel, and to be coy, I’ve done some crazy shit.

But I’m not here to talk about my two-week camel trek in Niger, or the time I got lost for four days in Burkina Faso, or my run-ins with the law in South America. I’ve moved beyond these things and I am now a documentary photographer, focused on capturing combat sports, who just landed in Thailand on a mission to begin capturing the true root and essence of Muay Thai. But as grown up as that sounds, I’m still a late twenty’s guy who lives in Philly and works as a bicycle mechanic to supplement the frequently un-lucrative career as a photographer, in Thailand for a month. So lets not get the impression that its all business. And even though I do plan to stay as busy and productive as I can, theres always the little things, the intricate details of a combat sports photographer traveling in south east Asia, that most won’t see in my hopefully glorious images showing true Muay Thai.

Oh, and I’ll be training too, which I’m sure will provide a number of entertaining anecdotes considering the training will most likely be years beyond my level of skill, experience and athleticism. You see I’ve never been much of an athlete and certainly not a fighter for that matter, but became curious about training once I began photographing fighters. I only began training Muay Thai regularly about seven months ago, so I can’t wait to tell as many people as I can about getting my ass kicked in training or throwing up half way through a run. I’m terrible at running.

So I’ve linked up with The Fight Nerd to bring you some of the gory details. Some will be fight related to varying degrees, others might be what I ate, (that is if I’m able to figure out what it was), but they will all be the reflections and stories of a fight photographer in Thailand. By the way, my name is Jacob Klensin, and my project is called “The Figure of Fighting”, and this will be the side of it that few have yet to see.

So where was I? Oh yeah, the heat, it’s hot here. And its that kind of heat that just doesn’t exist even on the hottest day in the northeast. Its that still, calm heat, that makes your clothes feel like you’ve been sweating in them for days before even putting them on. I certainly hope I’m not the only one who’s clothes feel that way in this kind of heat. I realize how gross it sounds as I write it and acknowledge that it would be a poor way to introduce myself to a new audience.

But I was told to keep it casual, so I will assume you all know the feeling. Bangkok isn’t what I expected in a few ways. The drive from the airport to hotel at midnight reminded me a lot of Mexico City. I think theres something, other than the weather, that unites well developed cities in otherwise fairly poor and underdeveloped countries. The smallest details seem similar, down to the constructions of basic infrastructure that one might not notice until its seen repeatedly in otherwise disconnected cities throughout the world. Or if your an observational photographer frequently obsessed with and overwhelmed by human infrastructure, which i’m aware most people are not.

By day I was well aware that I was a good bit further from the American border and considered the possibility that the similarities may have been somewhat credited to the twenty-four hour trip and twelve hour time difference. But Bangkok still wasn’t what I expected, and I realized quickly that I really should have known better. I was told by a friend who has lived in Thailand for a number of years now that Bangkok is as crazy or as not crazy as you want it to be. The seedy underworld frequently highlighted in films seems to be just that, an underworld.

On the surface its much like many other major cities, and if anything its remarkably clean, especially considering I can never find a trash can. There are lots of stray animals, but they are generally cute and too exhausted from the heat to be anything but. There are a lot more of two things here than I thought there would be, white people and 7-11′s. There are a lot of both, and maybe I should be focused on other things considering its my first time on this side of the world, but I continuously find it intriguing. I guess who wouldn’t want a slurpee in weather like this?

As clean, well developed, and accessible by public transport as this city is, there are always those little reminders that you are in Thailand. Its those little details like the never ending unrecognizable street food, or the fact that I don’t normally communicate mainly through pantomime, or maybe when your taxi doesn’t slow down for the elephant crossing the road. Oh yeah, two nights ago my taxi barely even slowed down for the elephant crossing the road, and I’m still in the city. So despite being contrary to certain expectations, or reminding me of other parts of the world in light of jet lagged delirium, there is no denying that I am here in Thailand. And its been moving fast.

It’s been less than a week and I’ve already photographed and trained at Fairtex in Bangplee. I think they were going easy on me, cause even though my entire body hurts to move, I can still move. I’ve seen fights twice already. Once outdoors in front of a mall, one of the very fancy ones in fact right in the center of downtown. Imagine that MMA fans back home. The others were at the legendary Lumpini stadium, which with the exception of the overwhelming presence of tourist, was everything I had hoped and expected. Not arena sized by any means, but as energetic as any sold out 20,000 seater, cooled only by fans and with the top level separated by the rest by an eight foot high fence housing the bulk of the gambling.

The ground level was the ringside level and access there allowed you full entry to the backstage area where the fighters had their hands wrapped, were massaged with liniment oil and warmed up. It was also an area frequently mobbed with sight seers posing for photos with the fighters like they were in a super hero costume in front of the chinese theater in Hollywood. Although I really am in no place to speak too poorly of the tourist visiting the stadium considering I’m almost as white as most of them, just as western and had about 10 pouches on my belt each full of various camera gear. But hey, thats what I do.

Tomorrow I head about six hours north of the city to an area that most people who know the country raise their eyebrows and say that I’m about to see some “real” Thailand, if not Cambodia, which it borders. I have only suspicions as to what that means, but I’m looking forward to finding out. I’ll let you all know as soon as I do. So this is just the start, an introduction of sorts.

I’ve barely begun to scratch the surface during these first few days here, and especially in this brief writing. Trust me, theres a lot more to come. So check back, let us know what you think, and I’ve already had one fighter request video of me eating the weirdest things I can find, and being that I’m a sucker for challenges, lets keep those to a minimum. I want to thank the Fight Nerd for collaborating with me on this, and you all for reading it.

Stay posted, more of the miscellaneous adventures of a combat sports photographer in Thailand coming soon! You can learn more about Jacob on his website as well!

The Fight Nerd spoke with Dr. Paul Bowman of Cardiff University to discuss his extremely fascinating book, “Theorizing Bruce Lee: Film-Fantasy-Fighting-Philosophy” . Dr. Bowman also appears prominently in the new documentary film by Pete McCormack, “I am Bruce Lee.”

We spoke about the cultural importance of Bruce Lee from the 70′s to today and why he remains so relevant and important, as well as breaking down where many of Bruce’s philosophies on martial arts stemmed from and just what they actually mean. This is a truly unique interview on this site and one that all students of Martial Arts philosophy should listen to!

Welcome back to another edition of Fight Nerd Cinema! This time, we take a look at a documentary from 1999 called “Southpaw”, with no relation to the upcoming film starring Eminem of the same name. Since this is a documentary and not a three-act structured movie, I will bypass the typical format of reviews as well as a rating system, and just stick to the facts and content.

Directed by Liam McGrath, “Southpaw” documents three years in the life of an amateur boxer in Ireland named Francis Barrett from 1995 to 1998. Francis is part of the Travellers of Hillside, a trailer-park in the town of Galway. Think the nomadic “Pikey’s” from “Snatch”, and there you have it. Francis trains in a trailer with a make-shift sandbag hanging from the ceiling and a wooden board to jump rope on when we first meet him, mostly training outside the caravans with his three brothers.

His trainer is Chick Gillen AKA Chick the Barber, a kindly old man with an Irish accent as thick as a snow tire. Chick runs “The Olympic boxing club”, which some in the community felt was for “tinkers and knackers”, an impolite Irish term for the Travellers. Francis is a scrappy boxer and after seeing Michael Carruth win the welterweight gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics, decides he wants to do that next, and this is where the story begins.

Hit the jump for the full review!

Just to give you a bit more of the background on the story, Francis earned his spot in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, and was chosen to hold the flag during the opening ceremonies. While being met with accolades from the American boxing fans, Irish press still lamented the fact that there country was being represented by a Traveller. The heart of this documentary is about Francis rising above the reputation that his people have in Ireland.

As Francis comes up in the world, he never leaves behind Hillside, specifically in the form of Chick. Even though Chick does not go with him to the Olympics in Atlanta, he gets a call from Francis immediately after his bouts. Chick is the father-figure in this film, since we never really hear from Francis’ real-life dad. He is quick with a word of wisdom and encouragement, but still calm and at times cold, never one to show much emotion.

Without going too much deeper into details, this story is not a documentary about boxing in Ireland, but the tale of a person fighting for respect as well as personal growth. Francis is soft-spoken and earnest, vulnerable for the cameras in spite of his tough exterior. The same can be said for Chick, which is why those two get along so well.

This was director Liam McGrath’s first full-length documentary, clocking at around 80 minutes total, and was his follow-up to 1993′s documentary short “Boys for Rent”, about the gay life and male prostitution in Ireland. McGrath has a hard nose for truth and does not shine away from exposing a side of the nation that is typically hid under a rock. He succeeds in making an intimate look at a tight-knit society that is treated as undesirable vagabonds, and humanizes them to give them the respect every human being deserves.

It’s a no-frills documentary, more along the lines of a journalistic piece. No fancy shots, just traditional storytelling and filmmaking techniques. McGrath did not become his own star through his cinematography, but let the cast of characters speak for themselves.

Coming into this documentary, I was not sure what to expect from this, and was surprised at how connected I felt to the characters by the end. Beyond respect, this documentary is about personal growth and change. For Chick, it is watching his second son come up in the world without him, and hoping he lives the right way.

This is a modest documentary for a modest group of people that starts as one thing and evolves into another. I really enjoyed this piece, although if you are not a fan of thick accents from the UK and do not enjoy reading sub-titles, you might have some problems adjusting in the beginning. By the end of it, you will be speaking with an accent of your own and boxing along with Francis.

DUring the film, boxing trainer Nicholas Cruz says to Francis, “Be the same person at the end of the road.” This is the message for the film, which reminds everyone that no matter how successful or big you become, remember how you got there and who you were when you started your journey. I highly recommend this movie for everyone, and lucky for you, you can watch it streaming instantly on Netflix. You can also grab a copy of “Southpaw” on DVD from Amazon for very cheap, so support a good indy film that went under the radar when it was released over a decade ago!

The much awaited product of matchmaking scrambles that is UFC 143 will headline Carlos Condit’s bout against Nick Diaz for the interim welterweight title tomorrow evening. And, with each time the men step into the arena, other men can callously break down their performance for money.

Below is a bettor’s analysis of the main card of UFC 143, evaluating the risks and rewards of the individual fights as well recommendations for spreading wagers over the card as a whole. All money lines referenced are aggregate numbers and may vary slightly between books.

Carlos Condit (+170) vs. Nick Diaz (-210)- Looking at the kind of bouts that both Condit and Diaz fight, they are an incredibly similar breed. Both natural pocket strikers, neither man ever shows signs of fatigue, even in the most hard-fought bouts. Coming off a more recent victory and with a lot of buzz behind him, Diaz is understandably the favorite. In fact, he’s a little too much of a favorite.

There’s no particular point of engagement that this fight could feasibly go to which Diaz has a clear advantage. Condit is the first opponent that Diaz will face in years that has an equal reach, which will neutralize much of Diaz’s on-paper superiority. Further, neither Condit nor Diaz can list takedowns amongst their strong point and neither of them has ever turned down an invitation to a stand-up fire fight. So, grappling skills will enter minimally into this contest.

Both men have been shaken up on the feet and came back to win against similar quality competition and both men are a similar finishing threat. If you want to pick a winner, flip a coin. The chances for victory by either Diaz or Condit are dead even.

This would not be a bout to bet on if the money was also even, as that would be tantamount to betting on a dice roll. But, Condit’s underdog status makes him a very attractive bet. Put 20% of the total amount bet on The Natural Born Killer. There’s simply more to win than there is to lose.

Roy Nelson (+125) vs. Fabricio Werdum (-155)- For as fun as this bout will likely be, as all of Roy Nelson’s bouts have been in some way fun for the spectator, it’s just a bad one to bet on. Given their past experience, it’s highly unlikely that either man will be able to submit the other or even come out at the end with clear dominance based solely on position work. Both Werdum and Nelson have illustrated that they are very capable of working strikes off the cage wall, though Werdum better than Nelson in that regard.

Werdum is more likely to eek out the decision, but Nelson is enough of a finishing threat that Werdum is only worth it at even money. If you can find an outlet that has Werdum priced at -105 or better, take him for a small amount. But, the official recommendation based on odds available is to steer clear of this bout.

Mike Pierce (+200) vs. Josh Koshcheck (-245)- Josh Koscheck is coming in as a heavy favorite with good reason. For all of Mike Pierce’s skills, the trouble that he had with Jon Fitch and more recently Johnny Hendricks indicates clearly that Koscheck is his stylistic kryptonite. Bet the farm on Koscheck, to the tune of 60% of the total. It’s as safe a bet as can be made.

Scott Jorgensen (+200) vs Rennen Barao (-240)- With a 27-1 record, Barao is just a hard man to bet against. Even steering clear of the always-faulty MMA math, Barao is way ahead by real numbers. He has dominated their mutual competition. He enjoys a significant reach advantage on Jorgensen, whose only shot to win is on the feet. Even at -240, Barao is a good buy. There simply aren’t too many ways he can conceivably lose this one. Whatever is left goes to Barao as the last solid bet on the card.

Cliffard Starks (+240) vs Ed Herman (-300)- The bottom of the main card is another bad one to bet on. While Starks is a hot up and comer, the amount of professional matches and the quality of competition that he has under his belt makes it so there is simply not enough information to adequately determine how he will perform in the big leagues. Based on the skills he’s shown off against lesser competition, he may seem to be underpriced. But without an opponent of similar quality to Ed Herman as a bench mark, a bet on Starks would be based on intuition. And betting on intuition is how people lose money.

Each month, Dr. Shapiro will be answering reader questions submitted to The Fight Nerd about sports medicine and it’s place in treating athletes.

M. from New York writes:

People I know recovering from spinal injuries using physical therapy and non-surgical methods always say that, even when they feel better, they never feel quite as sturdy as they used to. Athletes that you performed surgery on reported feeling good as new. Are you more likely to recommend spinal surgery to performance athletes who can’t afford to feel slightly off than you are to people with less physically intensive work?

Dr. Shapiro: Athletes are treated in the same manner as any patient. It is important to perform physical therapy and non-surgical methods as they can help you achieve 100% recovery. Athletes who undergo surgery often perform very rigorous physical therapy routines both pre-operatively and post-operatively. The athlete patient is used to a high intensity physical lifestyle.

B. from Philadelphia writes:

What are some common treatments for a herniated disk? Is it often too dangerous to operate?

Dr. Shapiro: Any patient who has a disc problem should have a thorough evaluation from a physician who specializes in spine surgery. All patient should undergo conservative care including physical therapy, chiropractic care, rest, ice , and heat. Conservative alternative methods include acupuncture, yoga, Pilates, and massage therapy. Surgery is reserved for the patient who has failed extensive conservative management and has spinal pathology that would be amenable to surgical treatment and yield a good outcome.

G. from Brooklyn writes:

How has the technology behind surgery changed between the time you worked with Nate Quarry and the recent surgery on Philipe Nover?

Dr. Shapiro: Nate and Phillipe had two completely different surgeries done. Nate underwent a lumbar fusion surgery (low back) performed in a minimally invasive manner and Phillipe had cervical (neck) disc replacement surgery.

To submit a question to Dr. Shapiro, please send an e-mail with a subject line “Ask Dr. Shapiro” to Matt (at) thefightnerd (dot) com, or leave a comment here.

All information provided is intended for general information purposes only and is provided with the understanding that Dr. Michael B. Shapiro, MD is not rendering surgical or medical advice or recommendations to those who read it. Further, use of this site does not establish a doctor-patient relationship between the user and Dr. Shapiro. This information should not be considered a substitute for evaluation by a board certified orthopedic surgeon to address individual medical or orthopedic needs. Individual facts and circumstances will determine the treatment that is most appropriate.

Filmmaker Bobby Razak, who you may remember created the Georges St. Pierre documentary “The Striking Truth,” is gearing up to release a new documentary, this one all about the evolution of MMA.

“Underdogs: The History of MMA” features a candid look behind-the-scenes of the earliest days of the sport, and gives viewers an inside look at MMA around the world from its most raw incarnations. With interviews from some of the legends in the sport, as well as contemporary fighters and the next wave of athletes, this documentary will surely be a very informative piece for both new and hardcore fans. I missed a chance to see a preview screening of the first cut of this film, but I will not miss it again, and you should not either!

Hit the jump for a few more clips from this documentary, including an interview with UFC 2 veteran, Fred Ettish (yes, that Fred Ettish)!

By Trevor Dueck, courtesy of MMA Sucka

After rumors persisted about Chicago native and WWE superstar CM Punk walking down to the Octagon with Chael Sonnen at UFC on FOX 2 this Saturday night, it made me wonder if the UFC and WWE can work together and crossover. When talking to MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani, Chael Sonnen made an interesting point about why he wanted “The Voice of the Voiceless” to walk out to the cage with him.

One… we’re friends, two… I really like him, three… it’s his hometown, four… he’s a big UFC fan and five… there is major crossover. A number of years ago I think we all thought we had to compete with each other. That boxing, MMA and wrestling thought that we were going to have to have our own fans but what we have learned with time is that it’s not true. People are crossover fans and just all around fans, especially when you’re talking about CM Punk here in Chicago. That guy is royalty around here and I think it would have been fun for both of us.

Chael touched on an interesting point that I have been saying for years. How is professional wrestling, which is sports entertainment, in direct competition with the UFC? They don’t compete directly with PPVs nor do they compete directly on cable television. Show me how the UFC or the WWE have suffered in pay-per-view revenue because of one another?

You can read the rest of this piece on MMASucka.com!

Our last bit of coverage from this weekend’s UFC on Fox 2 event in Chicago is this video from the post-fight press conference. Featuring Rashad Evans, Phil Davis, Chael Sonnen, Michael Bisping, Lavar Johnson, and Mike Russow, Fight Nerd reporter Hiroko Yamamura snuck in a few questions during this event to rep the site the right way. So, enjoy this 40-minute long uncut and uncensored video and hear what these warriors had to say about their performances and future in the company!

From Rockingham Park in Salem, New Hampshire, on January 27, 2012:

John Ortolani vs Don Carlo Clauss
Clauss wins via TKO, Round 2

Ray Shawdee vs Brandon Cyr
Shawdee wins via KO, Round 1

Perry ‘Filthy’ Filkins vs Louis Taylor
Filkins wins via TKO, Round 2

Walter Smith Cotito vs Josh Lange
Lange wins via Unanimous Decision

Peggy Morgan vs Fernanda Aurajo
Morgan wins via Submission, Arm Bar, Round 2

David Spero vs Nick Berube
Spero wins via Split Decision

Hassan Mahmood vs Jared Cuomo
Cuomo wins via Submission, D’Arce Choke, Round 2

Ahsan Abdullah vs Cody Anderson
Anderson wins via TKO, Round 1

Mike Materkowski vs Derek Shorey
Materkowski wins via Submission, Rear Naked Choke, Round 2

Cleon Hoggard vs Lloyd Fernandes
Fernandes wins via unanimous decision

Tim Lightfoot vs Jay Parrin
Light wins via unanimous decision

Results courtesy of NE MMA News. Photos by Cathlin Daley. Check out more photos after the jump!

If you are a fighter in one of these pics and want to see more or buy some shots for yourself, visit Cathlin Daley’s Facebook page to contact her.

All fighters made weight for the UFC on Fox 2 event, and are set to go later today for this much bigger show that will give America a (hopefully) better taste of what MMA is all about beyond a 64 second knockout. Fight Nerd reporter Hiroko Yamamura was on hand to snap photos of the weigh-ins, while Salvador Hernandez filmed the video you see above.

Staredowns are posted towards the end of the vid, with the fighters hitting the scales first. Hit the jump for the official weights!

Here are the official weights below:

Main Card (FOX):
Phil Davis (205) vs. Rashad Evans (205)
Michael Bisping (185) vs. Chael Sonnen (185)
Demian Maia (186) vs. Chris Weidman (185)

Prelim Card (FUEL TV):
Evan Dunham (155) vs. Nik Lentz (155)
Michael Johnson (156) vs. Shane Roller (156)
Jon Olav Einemo (253) vs. Mike Russow (251)
George Roop (145) vs. Cub Swanson (145)
Charles Oliveira (144) vs. Eric Wisely (145)
Joey Beltran (228) vs. Lavar Johnson (252)

Prelim Card (Facebook):
Chris Camozzi (185) vs. Dustin Jacoby (185)