This article from MixedMartialArts.com is just one small part of a large effort to understand what works in martial arts. The focus is not on what happens in the arena, but rather what happens when martial arts are used on the streets. Or in this case, more accurately, in a casino. Check out more best of stories on:
•Martial Arts on The Street
•How To
•Dojo Storms
Physics is real. Momentum, the product of the mass of a particle and its velocity, is a thing. That is why precious few fighters can generate knockout power while backing up.
There’s Muhammad Ali; he could. But a generation of fighters tried to mimic his style, and failed.
There’s UFC Hall of Famer Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell, who so memorably kayoed Renato “Babalu” Sobral while moving backwards. The MMA world was already aware of the thunder in Liddell’s fists by the time the UFC reached event #62. However, few appreciated that The Iceman could send an opponent crashing to the mat from punches, while back-peddling from a high-pressure attack. In badly stunning the Brazilian Babalu off his back foot, and eventually finishing him, the MMA world found out that if you have superpower in your fists, it can be a threat even if the physics aren’t right.
And there’s Hany Sbat.
Today the Lebanese-Australian is a pro fighter in his 30s, and the highly-respected co-owner of the renowned Elite Fight Force gym in Sydney. You can follow the gym HERE, and follow the fighter HERE. However, on January 2, 2015, when he was a 23-year-old amateur MMA fighter, Sbat got into it with casino security, flattening one while backing up, before eventually being swarmed by twelve tuxedoed security guards.
MMA fighter shows off Chuck Liddell KO shot in casino brawl
The video opens with Sbat having been denied entry to the Crown Entertainment gaming floor in Melbourne. He appears irate, but as more guards approach, he starts to leave.
Suddenly from a new camera angle, the fighter is surrounded, and strikes out, attempting to flee. At this point, while striking, he pivots and sprints away full tilt, with a gaggle of guards in hot pursuit.
As Sbat sprint through an exit door he strikes a guard with an elbow, who drops and stays down throughout. The fighter is eventually pinned at the bottom of a pig pile.
The Aftermath
The guard suffered a broken nose and cheekbone. Mr. Sbat was arrested, charged, and eventually pled guilty in Melbourne Magistrates Court, to charges of recklessly causing injury and unlawful assault. Sbat’s attorney said his client had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, and was not proud of his conduct.
Judge John Doherty, who viewed video of the incident, found that whether the injury was serious or not, Sbat’s offending did not warrant a jail term but that a substantial fine was appropriate. Sbat was found guilty, and fined $2,500 (approximately US $1,850. Further, he has a lifetime ban from Crown casino.
