Legends of the Cage – MMA News
By Dave Madden
Oversaturation fills our worlds on a daily basis: social media, news, T.V., internet-click, click, click. The here and now meets us head-on, and then dissipates into the shadows, forgotten. The same is true of mixed martial artists; athletes who brought us entertainment and excitement soon meet their days of retired life and fall off the grid, only to reappear in highlight reels or passing references. Legends of the Cage (LOTC), created by Brian Moore and Gary Goodridge, are putting these former MMA stars, more accurately referred to as legends, back in the limelight.
Moore appeared as a special guest on The Sports Cage, and discussed the purpose of LOTC. Beginning on May 25, 2015, The Sports Cage will feature a segment specifically designed for LOTC and their legends to disperse more information about their movement. In Moore’s words, LOTC is,
“All we are is an organization of fighters: former fighters, retired or injured. We’re basically taking care of our own. There are a lot of guys out there who need help, and there are a lot of people out there who want to help. It’s just getting everyone together, and that’s what we do”
Without a history, how can we determine MMA’s level of success in the present, or know the best direction for its future? Moore presented the importance of MMA’s icons,
“If it weren’t for guys like the legends, we wouldn’t have UFC, Bellator, Ronda Rousey, you know.”
Not every combatant from yesteryear has jumped on board, at least not yet. During the interview, Moore rattled off the legends who once graced the cage and are now joining forces with LOTC to support their comrades,
“Gary Goodridge, he’s the co-creator; this all started with me and him. We’ve got Mark Coleman, Don Frye, Enson Inoue. We’ve got Chris Leben, Tom Erikson, and Paul Varelans. We’re grabbing people by the day. It’s real exciting.”
These former fighters and champions invested a great deal of themselves to making a mark on the sport that they nurtured with innumerable clashes; much of the abuse they endured has taken a toll, and these legends are finding themselves in need of some extra supports, which coordinates perfectly with the efforts of LOTC. Moore expressed the struggles these men face following the piques of their career,
“Mark [Coleman] is going through a lot; he recently had a hip replacement surgery. After the surgery, they discovered he had an infection in his hips, and they had to take them out and replace them with plastic hips. Now, they are getting ready to go back in for what will be his third surgery. His medical bills are piling up. He and other former UFC veterans need our help right now, like Brian Johnson. He [Johnson] recently had some medical issues due to the stroke he had.”
Moore’s gratitude to the fans was transmitted across the airwaves because he recalled anecdotes of fans reaching deep into their pockets. When he spoke of how many athletes, coaches, and teams were joining the LOTC’s movement, the audience sensed that something big is brewing,
“It started off with Danny Martinez. Danny Martinez hit me up on Twitter and offered us a shirt, and it grew from there. Next thing we know, we have AKA [American Kickboxing Academy] gym, who are just awesome, sending out some shirts signed by all the guys: DC [Daniel Cormier], Cain [Velasquez], Luke Rockhold, all of them. I have to give Javier Mendez a shout out; it was because of him that that happened. Now we’ve got tons of fighter support: Charmaine Tweet, Ed Herman, Luke Zachrich. They are just coming out of the woodwork.”
LOTC is all about surrounding fighters with support who necessitate it, so it’s powerful to witness so many fighters rally around LOTC. It’s difficult to truly name the hardest worker in any business, but Moore may come second to a select few. When he says he is available twenty-four hours a day, he stands firmly behind that contract. Proving his point, he gave his phone number, 937-765-2748, out live on the air for anyone who may be able to help to reach out. The best conclusion to the introduction of the terrific work being done at LOTC should be with the words of its creator,
“Some guys are in need of help in different ways. We are one hundred percent about giving back to these guys. That’s what we’re all about!”
Follow Legends of the Cage on Twitter at @TrueMMAHOF
Follow Brian Moore on Twitter at @mooreroofing1
Follow Gary Goodridge on Twitter at garyhgoodridge
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