MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
No mercy
Bloody battles of epic proportions ensued at ICON Epic's mixed martial arts event on March 31
I've been covering the mixed martial arts events held at the Blaisdell Arena for a couple of years now. The fights on March 31 turned out to be some of the best I've seen, and photographed.
The fights run the gamut from quick 30-second knockdowns to epic four-round slugging matches. This kind of fighting is a whole different ball of wax compared to standard boxing.
Gloves are minimal, kicks are given the green light, and more often than not, one or both fighters are bleeding profusely by the end of the match.
Shooting this type of sport is always a challenge, as there are a number of factors involved in being able to get photos that will tell the story of each fight.
I'm given a seat ringside, which I can't leave. Thus, luck plays a big part in what shots I can come away with.
The fighters have to be at the right angle, in the right place in the ring, and I have to avoid getting the ropes in my pictures.
Of course, sitting ringside also means getting showered with a variety of bodily fluids when the fighters are right on top of me.
As one guy who was sitting next to me put it, "we need umbrellas."
RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
"Ruthless" Robbie Lawler, left, gets a hit on Frank "Twinkle Toes" Trigg during ICON Epic's main event at Blaisdell Arena. Lawler won the fight.
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RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
Lawler is pulled away by the referee who stopped the fight after Lawler beat Trigg into a corner in the fourth round.
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