The following piece was written for a leading MMA magazine but, for
various reasons, never made it into print.
The Outsiders
German MMA meets gangsta rap
The atmosphere in the Essigfabrik club is at fever pitch. There are no
seats in the place and the crowd are crushed up against the fence. In
the cage stand three imposing figures. The joint is being torn down by
Xatar.
The front man is a genuine heavyweight. Clad in a black overcoat and
matching beanie- he growls out his tale of street life: “Baba Allier
Babas” (Daddy of All Daddies). He punctuates the rap with punches and
kicks that shake the fence- mirroring the violent struggle described in
the lyrics. The fans respond- bouncing and chanting. A Kurdish flag is
proudly unfurled. A sea of hands arise. Some flash V signs. Others
extend their index fingers to create a pistol shape. The thorough body
search on the way in means that no one is packing the real thing.
Whistles and dog howls fill the air as the performance ends. Two sharp
suited MCs enter the cage. One takes the hand of the rapper and raises
it above his head. The audience roar their acclaim as he exits in
triumph. The next action is announced. It’s fight time.
“Outsider Club: Rap meets Cage Fight” was the last MMA event to be held
in Cologne. Putting on fights in unconventional surroundings is nothing
new for promoter Bodo Elsberg. Last Summer, a crane dropped his cage
into the middle of the Hells Angels’ Hannover run at midnight. He
explains the philosophy behind his promotion:
“The name Outsider is symbolic. Today, the strong and proud character is
always an outsider and cannot be truly free in the general society.
Everywhere subcultures like those of the bikers, musicians or the
religious develop. What the Harley means to the bikers, MMA means to the
Outsiders.”
“In the first years, we had to fight in the underground (closed door
tournaments). There were political parties that demanded that MMA should
banned by the Ordnungsamt (Office for Public Order), which must provide
permission for all public events. Later the conditions became better and
we started with larger open MMA events.”
Peter Angerer is another pioneer of the sport. As well as fighting on
major shows across Europe and in Japan, he is the driving force behind
German Top Team. Angerer is well aware of the problems related to
putting together events in his homeland:
“It is very difficult because we don`t have a big lobby for the sport.
We are still taking our first steps here in Germany and the promoters
have a huge responsibility. Without any sponsorships, no media coverage
worth mentioning and no regular event circuit; it is almost impossible
to run good professional shows.”
The next MMA show in Cologne will be on a scale never before seen in
Germany. Ten minutes walk away from Essigfabrik is the Lanxess Arena. It
may as well be on another planet. The 20,000 seat auditorium boasts a
Wembley style arch that dominates the skyline on the West bank of the
Rhine. On June 13th, it will be the venue for UFC 99.
Even though the crowd are 95% Hip Hop heads, they all stick around for
the fights. Germany’s creative approach to the prohibition of smoking
helps. The ban covers all public spaces, but bars can get exemptions by
declaring themselves “raucher clubs” (smoker clubs- free membership
available on the door). With no need to brave the driving rain outside
for a fag or spliff, the air in the club is thick with fog.
Promoter/Referee Bodo takes the mic and explains the rules of Free Fight
(the German name for MMA). As the hooter sounds, the throng around the
cage are more curious than engaged. The fighters hit the deck. The lad
on the bottom begins to loosen his guard and sneaks his legs up his
opponent’s back. After a neat pop and push; the leg is behind the neck
and triangle is on. There is no reaction from the crowd. The tap follows
quickly and Bodo waves the fight off. All around, people are asking
“what happened there?” and being answered by shrugging shoulders. A
smattering of polite applause greets the official decision. Bodo then
explains what happened to a sea of non the wiser expressions.
On paper, the case for bringing the UFC to Germany is solid. The nation
has an ingrained boxing culture. Way back when, Germany ground to a halt
to listen to Max Schmeling’s fights with Joe Louis and the exploits of
IBF Light Heavyweight titlist Henry Maske united Easterners and
Westerners in the 1990s. Today, stars like “King” Arthur Abraham, Felix
Sturm and the Klitschko brothers pack arenas and draw huge viewing
figures on terrestrial TV. The big fights clock up a high celebrity
count and no expense is spared on razzmatazz. Vitali Klitschko’s
comeback match against Sam Peter at the 02 in Berlin was preceded by
speeches from giant holograms of former heavyweight champs and an in
ring performance by the Pussycat Dolls.
Pro-wrestling also has a massive fan base in Germany. The WWE put on the
exactly the same show, with the lame pantomime feuds played out in
hillbilly English, and the locals lap it up.
So you’ve got a market that loves fight sports and spectacular arena
shows. Surely a slam dunk for the UFC.
On the flipside, there are fears that Germany lacks the base to build on
UFC 99. As Bobo Elsberg explains:
“The UFC coming to Germany is a great thing, but I wish we were more
advanced. Now, with UFC, we are starting with the biggest show when we
have just small, local shows here. In the UK, MMA was already more well
known when the UFC came. I hope it’s not too early.”
It’s hard to over emphasise how insignificant MMA is in Germany at the
moment. Brock Lesnar aside, the megastars of the UFC could walk down any
street in Germany without any fear of being asked for an autograph.
Specialist magazines were non existent until Fighters Only came to the
rescue in April and the mainstream press have shown little interest in
the sport. Recently, leading newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
ran the now predictable story about the growth of a dangerous new craze
called “ultimate fighting”. Small world isn’t it?
As has been the case everywhere, a hardy group of online sources have
sprung up to spread the word. The superb groundandpound.deprovides the
German speaking world with comprehensive coverage of the domestic and
worldwide scene.
For any sport hoping to widen its audience, television exposure is
essential. In March, Deutsches Sportfernsehen (DSF) made room in its
heady mix of football, quizzes, random erotica and more football to air
a hefty chunk of UFC programming. Whether a late onslaught of UFC
Unleashed episodes will be enough to turn the casual viewers into rabid
MMA fans is debatable. In the UK, this process took years rather than
months. Many channel hoppers would stumble upon Bravo’s apparently
constant UFC output and curiosity got the better of them. Gradually,
they would be drawn in by the repeats and start to get a grasp of who
was who before graduating to the 24 hour delayed screenings of the
current UFCs. Others were snared by The Ultimate Fighter- the TV sport
equivalent of crack cocaine. In bitesize chunks, they push you two
fighter’s life stories and their annoying personal habits- all rounded
off with a fight that will define the rest of their careers.
The only previous attempt at an MMA programme on German TV was TUF knock
off “Martial Arts X-treme” which proved to be rather less addictive. The
homegrown offering limped through its run in 2006, losing viewers every
week along the way.
All night, the punters have been trying to get into the fights, but the
knowledge gap has been defeating them. They go crazy for the take downs
but are puzzled by the ground work. No matter how many explanations they
get- the concept of the triangle choke is not computing. So far the
crowd have been picking their favourite by the jukebox jury method.
Anyone entering the cage to a rap tune has been getting the nod from the
nodding to the beat heads.
The final fight has some extra spice. The two most experienced guys on
show: homeboy Alex Wiebe and Raymond Jarmanof the famous Mike’s Gym,
Amsterdam. Germany v Holland. The DJ is giving it some hype on the mic
and the boys in the sharp suits are Buffering the best they can.
Early on, Wiebe launches a spinning back kick to widespread acclaim. The
grins break out and the eyes are peeled. This is more like it. Raymond
literally stamps out the wave of nationalistic fervour before it has
time to take hold. A neat takedown and a stomp to the ribs ends the
contest. The Dutchman scales the cage and his corner crew celebrate. The
Germans roll their eyes.
When the UFC rolled into Manchester for UFC 70, they had a bona fide
home grown hero on board. Michael Bisping wasn’t a household name, but
his successful stint on The Ultimate Fighter 3 meant he was at least as
big an attraction as Cro Cop for many ticket buyers. Since then, the
affable Lancastrian has been a key weapon in the invasion of Britain. A
high percentage of spreads in the mainstream press are accompanied by a
snap of “The Count”.
Bisping is not alone. A dozen other native sons have been signed up,
generating a stack of local newspaper, radio and TV stories about this
new fangled ultimate fighting lark.
Peter Angerer acknowledges the significance of indigenous talent:
“It is very important for the Germans that they can identify with an
athlete. Think about tennis, boxing and Formula 1. They became
mainstream in Germany after the big triumphs of Boris Becker, Steffi
Graf, Henry Maske and Michael Schumacher. MMA needs a German champion to
become a household name in our country. That is natural, as people
always look for somebody to follow. If this person is one of your own,
you will identify with that person - an idol is born.”
The only German to ply his trade in the UFC is Outsider Club graduate
Dennis Siver. Away from the biggest stage, a triumvirate comprising
Angerer, ace grappler Danny Weichel and Mario Stapel have been flying
the flag on the European circuit in recent years.
Huge expectation rests on the shoulders of Peter Sobotta. Tipped by
those in the know as a potential future superstar, the exciting young
all-rounder from Balingen cut his teeth with the Free Fight Championship
(FFC) before clocking his first international win at Konfrontacja Sztuk
Walki (KSW)in Poland. At UFC 99, Sobotta makes his Octagon debut against
Paul Taylor. The marketing department will be praying for a home win.
The Eastward trajectory of Sobotta’s career to date reveals a truth
about MMA in Germany. The former East Germany is home to the Leipzig
based FFC and La Onde in Magdeburg. Drawing crowds of up to two
thousand, the promotions dwarf those based in the West of the country.
These two islands of passion in an ocean of apathy are both a short hop
away from Berlin. So why is the big show is heading to Cologne- the
breadth of the nation away?
Cologne has a lot going for it. It’s an affluent media centre with great
nightlife and excellent transportation links. The last feature may be
the one that clinched the deal. The UFC already have a number of quality
French fighters (and French speaking Superman GSP) on the books and a
French show in the pipeline. The Netherlands is a genuine martial arts
hotbed. On top of their love for K-1 and Muay Thai- the Dutch can claim
to be an MMA superpower: producing world class performers such as
Alistair Overeem and Gegard Mousasi. Cologne is closer to both Paris and
Amsterdam than it is to Berlin. Some cynics believe that UFC 99 is
merely establishing a bridgehead for the real assault on Europe. MMA is
freshly legal in France and the Dutch are famously elbow averse. By
staging an MMA extravaganza on their doorstep- the UFC are putting on a
demonstration for the benefit of their actual targets. If they plant a
seed in the host nation- that’s a bonus.
Whatever the motivation behind UFC 99 is- those on the ground are
unanimous in their support for the event. Ulrich Huppertz, editor of
groundandpound.de, sums up the feelings of the small band who have
slogged away trying to build the sport in Germany.
“It’s a great thing. They (UFC) have finally come here and the masses
will see it and they should appreciate and cheer it. I really hope it is
a big success and becomes established.”
Peter Angerer agrees: “Our sport lacks popularity and with the UFC comes
a lot of media coverage which will help to introduce our sport to many
more people. This will help to build up a stronger fan-base and a bigger
community with an industry involved in it.”
The main event is in full flow. Automatikk move round the cage with an
understated swagger. They shun the hackneyed baggy look in favour of
tight designer sweaters. With success comes self confidence. Sales breed
sureness. The duo drop the lyrics of their biggest tune- a scalpel sharp
testament to their own legend:
Ist alles kein Ding für mich ist es wie Lego spielen
Oder wie ein Job in Disneyland für ein Pedofiel'n
This life is easy for me, it’s like a kid playing with playing with Lego
Or like a job in Disneyland for a paedophile.
Gold chains are being swung in salute. Security haul down the
over-enthusiastic fans who are scaling the fence. As one- the clubbers
wallow in the chorus
Ich bin der Schatten dieser Stadt
mir egal mit wem du bist du hast zum keine Kraft
Du vergeudest dein Talent
auf die knie
Ich bin der Ghetto Präsident
I am the shadow of this city
To me you’re all the same, you have no strength
You’re wasting your talent
On your knees
I'm the ghetto president
The ghetto-talking president, Dana White, is fond of saying that the
fights presented by the UFC have a universal appeal and may one day
overtake soccer as the world’s premier sport.
Seven years ago, the UFC put on a show at the Albert Hall in London. UFC
38 barely made an impression on the UK consciousness. After honing their
product in the US; they returned with a concerted campaign of events.
Now, the UFC is gradually edging into the UK mainstream.
It seems that the tide has turned. Trial and error have taught the UFC
what people want and they feel ready to test the international waters.
If he can win the hearts and minds of a virgin territory like Germany on
the back of one show- Dana can start picking out the curtains for his
undersea headquarters. World domination must be just around the corner.
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