‘Jean Claude Van Damme Vibes’: Slanted Ring MMA Promotion Brings ‘Bloodsport’ Nostalgia to Modern Fighting Fans

MMA commentator and BKFC fighter Ben Davis shared an old video of what appears to have been a match from the Dogfight Wild tournament from September earlier this year. It was a great fight to watch but the slanted shape of its fighting ground seems to have garnered more attention… primarily because it reminded people of Jean-Claude Van Damme’s 1988 martial arts classic, Bloodsport.

The movie revolves around Van Damme’s Frank Dux, a US army man participating in an underground martial arts tournament called the Kumite, in Hong Kong. It was apparently based on a real-life story and was the first film that allowed Van Damme to show his incredible potential as an action star in Hollywood.

Funnily enough, both the Kumite and this DWT tournament fight seemed to have adapted the concept of the slanted ring and upon seeing the video, fans were instantly transported back in time.

This fan seemed way too happy to see the matt being the way it was and said, “Oh it has the Bloodsport kumite raised ring, we are so fuckin back“. Another was just reminded of the Hollywood actor and claimed, “I’m having Jean Claude Van Damme vibes“. This man was just disappointed that so many people didn’t recognize the ring and said, “All the people not recognizing the Kumite are hugely disappointing me right now“.

There has been a serious rise in the number of mixed martial arts promotions across the world in the last few years. And while some of them are not that much to look so, they all do tend to improvise the rules with the shapes and sizes of the matts complimenting them.

And every now and then they stumble upon gems like this.

Flying triangle/armbar from Pitt Submission Series 8

A few months ago, this video of a jumping submission went viral, and for all the right reasons.

Do note, that this was a light-heavyweight fight between Matheus Costa and Daniel Sather. This is something that is typically seen in the flyweight class. Retired MMA legend Demetrious Johnson was known for these types of airborne movies.

Case in point, Johnson changing a suplex into an armbar midair- it’s not something anyone expects from lightweights, let alone the heavier weight categories.

But this was so cool, it looked like a choreographed move from a WWE PLE. Hopefully, MMA keeps coming up with these new innovations and keeps entertaining fans in any which way it can.