This might be my single favorite mma photo that I ever took. It makes up for all of the shots I didn't get, and there were plenty. Shot on film with manual settings and manual focus. It's a softer and more organic result somehow than most modern digital images. The foreground shows a soft texture of the cage. The crowd and background can be seen and are soft and appropriately lit. Subjects are in focus, speed of the shot is high enough to freeze the shot, but not so fast as to freeze the moment entirely, a little blur in Baroni's fist and Menne's face is present showing motion. both subjects are shown entirely with plenty of breathing room on all sides. Subjects are not centered. Fairtex Gear, the sponsor who I got credentialed under for this event is prominently shown (shout out to James Wong). Josh Hedges is cleanly in frame shooting from above the rim, focused on the action, bringing more importance to what is going on. UFC branding can be seen and the cage and its angles are unmistakable. Both faces are visible and expressive. Referee's hand suggests he is running in to stop the fight (he is). Shot at a low angle which makes the action more epic (standard cageside seating). And then of course the moment, Baroni scores what's still considered to be one of the flashiest and most brutal barrage punching KOs. This is the peak of any Baroni highlight video. This was the punch that cleaned Menne's clock. I remember the anticipation of picking up the many rolls of film from the photo guys a day or so after the event and looking through all of the photos. I enjoyed it more than any birthday or Christmas, in some ways. I have very fond memories of the UFCs and most of the mma shows I attended.
Great shot, I remember that like it was yesterday!
Love the breakdown man.
ABCTT_sakurabas ear -Damn! All three pics posted are absolutely amazing! Ain't no three man squad I'd pick over Jens, Pat and Matt. That's a bad night for anyone who fucked with them!
Maybe the pic of the Chute Boxe team walking down the street with their shirts off? (No Homo) A prime Wand, Shogun, Anderson, etc.
That would be a violent street scrap between the two teams.
Everyone is dressed so terribly.
Rest In Peace Shane Del Rosario
Two legends fighting it out at UFC 39. Love both of these guys, beasts. Who do you think won this fight?
Jump Kick -touch -Jump Kick -Look at these killers. Their teammate Tim Sylvia took home the heavyweight strap that night too. Maybe the baddest crew ever. Certainly one of the most formidable and accomplished at the time.
I'll be adding some pics from my days photographing MMA, circa 2001-2016. Hopefully they will evoke some emotions from fans of old and new. I'd love to hear your comments and memories.
How badass was this crew?
I remember reading a chapter of Timmy's book where he said that Hughes and that whole team were complete dicks to him.
I vaguely remember Tim and Jens beefing or not getting along. Almost as if Jens hazed Tim back when Tim joined the squad. Can you imagine Jens Pulver successfully hazing Tim Sylvia in the gym/locker room?
I actually can. I've seen little guys bully big guys WAY more often than big on little in the gym. It's usually smaller guys with status being way too aggressive with big guys. It's really weird. Maybe it starts in good spirits - this is my big little brother - but I know a lot of big guys who leave the gym feeling weird about we get treated.
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At UFC 32, Josh Barnett dominated a game Semmy Schilt who was coming off of an impressive liver kick KO of Mark-the-Hammer-Coleman-slayer Pete Williams.
I’ve got to go on about this one again. I think it’s my favourite mma photo ever.
Back at UFC 35, I was working as a photographer for Ultimate Athlete Magazine. I was set to shoot my second cageside event and was super excited. Then days before ufc 35, Ultimate Athlete has a fighting show Ultimate Athlete Fighting and this was too close for comfort and the UFC sued them and my credential was pulled.
Devastated, I showed up to the UFC fan meet and greet at Hooters near Times Square the day or so prior where Tito was parading around with his belt and Dana was there as well. both very friendly and not too many fans in attendance. Anyhow I spoke to Dana and told him I'm a huge fan and that I was dying to shoot the show and to please credential me and I would not give my pics to Ultimate Athlete. He said he'd hook me up, gave me his business card with handwritten cellphone number and told me to call him if I had any problems. Long story short, I got my photo pass but was relegated to the skybox.
I still appreciate this regardless of where I ended up. I was the only person up there until the main event so I set up dead center with the ring and have some cool shots from that evening. BJ Penn was on a meteoric rise and was fighting Jens Pulver for the belt. BJ armbarred Jens at the closing moments of one of the rounds and Jens was literally saved by the bell. After a close fight, BJ lost the decision.
I packed up my shit in the skybox and headed to the post fight press conference or backstage area where I was denied entry because of the secondary status of my credential but snuck in anyway. I made my way to the fighter area where BJ was sitting alone behind some curtain, clearly dejected. If I had taken a photo it would have been a classic one but I just felt bad about doing it at such a low and personal moment.
BJ asked me if I thought he had won and honestly I did and commiserated with him about how the armbar was in and everything was so close. This was his first professional loss and he was not taking it well, very sad. I don't know where his coaches or team were but we shared a few minutes of conversation before the press conference started. This expression on his face at the presser pretty much sums up how he looked and felt when I encountered him. One I'll never forget. I don't give a shit what's going on in his life right now, I'm rooting for BJ and I'll always be a huge fan. War BJ.
Red Stuff -Jump Kick -
At UFC 32, Josh Barnett dominated a game Semmy Schilt who was coming off of an impressive liver kick KO of Mark-the-Hammer-Coleman-slayer Pete Williams.
I’ve got to go on about this one again. I think it’s my favourite mma photo ever.
Thanks man, really means a lot to me.
Wes “Cabbage” Correira was too damn tough to go down to Tim “the Mainiac” Sylvia and his corner had to throw in the towel signaling Kipp Kollar to run in and stop the fight. I know towels have been thrown before but don’t remember one ever stopping the fight like this one at the UFC.
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Holy fuck. That’s Mark Cuban in the terrible old school bidnass pants.
Hand out of your pockets, Mark, I’m out for that reason.
Barbasol -2 pics in 15 years of photography, hard to make a living that way
always one twat
Target_the_Gash -Jump Kick -Caption this pic:
Ubereem handing out e-tabs from his private stash
Even his phone smells like ass
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