Jose Canseco CRUSHED In Mixed Martial Arts Debut (PHOTOS)

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AP article, Huffington Post slideshow

YOKOHAMA, Japan — Jose Canseco came out swinging but didn't last long in his debut in mixed martial arts.

The former Oakland A's slugger was defeated by South Korean super heavyweight Hong Man Choi by a knockout just 1 minute, 17 seconds into the first round at Yokohama Arena.

The referee stopped the fight when the 7-foot-2, 330-pound Choi knocked Canseco to the mat and started punching his head.

"That's a big man," Canseco said after the fight. "I ran into one of his left jabs and that almost knocked me out. You have no idea how scary it was facing a man that big."

Canseco did land the first blow with a right to the upper body of Choi but that was all the damage he could inflict on the Korean giant.

Shortly into the fight, Canseco hurt his right knee and was unable to do much after that.

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"I hurt my knee back home real bad but I didn't want to disappoint the fans," Canseco said. "I knew that at some point during the fight my knee was going to give out and once I was down I knew I wasn't going to get up. He's just too heavy to move."

Canseco came into the arena to "Wild Thing" with a baseball bat on his shoulder. The way things turned out, he probably should have kept the bat.

He took a few swings of the bat after the fight was over and was helped out of the ring by his girlfriend, Heidi Northcott.

Canseco, who hit 462 home runs over 17 seasons in the major leagues, has had several fights inside the ring since leaving baseball but has never taken on professional fighters like Choi, who improved to 2-2 in MMA.

He boxed Danny Bonaduce, a former "Partridge Family" child star, to a draw in a celebrity match in January. The 1988 AL MVP, who named alleged steroid abusers like himself in his two books, lost to former Philadelphia Eagle Vai Sikahema in his first foray into celebrity boxing.

By his acknowledgment, the baseball outcast needs the money. It's one reason why Canseco has accepted a wide variety of offbeat jobs to make ends meet.

He said he will work on getting his knee back in shape before taking on any more fights.

"I have no idea if I'll do this again," Canseco said. "I've gotta get my knee better before I commit to anything like this."

PHOTOS:

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Comments

[dennissinned]

A few alternatives for Jose: Raging Stallion Studios, Colt Studios, Hot House, Titan Media. :-)

[blackhole2008]

Jose uses a bad knee excuse as if people would believe that he actually had a chance.

[PresidentRobertBooth]

If you can't even beat Danny Bonaduce, then MMA is probably not a wise choice.

[dennissinned]

Exactly!

[thisoldbroad]

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

[joybe2006]

the things people will do for money is amazing!

[HazerX]

No.

[taotedali]

He didn't actually get knocked out. If you watch the fight he fell over and the 7 foot Goliath jumped on top of him. Granted he wouldn't have been able to get back up, but it's noteworthy.

[BitterClinger15301]

Canseco is an insufferable jerk who richly deserves all of the bad things that have happened to him. It serves him right to be publically humiliated like this.

[Balzac]

It was generous of Choi to agree to fight Canseco. It's fun to watch Choi fight because he's really big and pretty quick for his size. I would not fight Choi. If I were going to hit Choi, I'd run away immediately afterward. In fact, I'd start by running away and try to hit him with a parting shot.

[hermitlife]

HF should embed the Youtube video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrPykCHPW50

[Chilito]

You are right. Cut the guy some slack. Here's what I think:

The world is about where the Roman Empire was at the beginning of its decline and the subsequent rise of barbarism. Recall the citizenry's lust for blood "sports" in the coliseum.

Why not let all professional athletes take whatever performance enhancing drugs they want? That way couch potato viewers all over the world could be treated to the daily spectacle of monstrous men and women doing absolutely extraordinary feats of brute strength. Think of the possibilities.

Baseball and cricket might actually become exciting if the ball could be propelled at lethal speeds. Football would probably produce a broken bone per play. Boxing, with its pillow-like gloves, and "professional wrestling," with its scripted ballets, would finally die. And the MMA would become the dominant blood sport of choice. Can you just imagine the mayhem of someone the size of Tim Sylvia on steroids?

Let's stop pretending any of these "sports" is fair or even reasonably regulated. Bring on the HGH. Let these guys bulk up to freakish proportions and just turn them loose on each other. They could make enormous sums of money and live their short lives in carnal splendor. They world's over population would have no trouble sustaining a steady supply of willing replacements basically indefinitely.

Wow Jose, you may be just the beginning of a great trend.

[sviolette]

You people are all forgetting that Jose was right about the steroid users in his book. Give him a break.

[HazerX]

Ummm, NO.

[local21]

My suggestion to Jose would be to start with a small opponent like 3'5" 75 pounds and then gradually work your way up towards the 7'2' 330 pounder.

[nothingmusic42]

you got knocked the f*** out.
-Smokey
"Friday"

[MadxAsxHell]

I wonder if Canseco actually trains in karate and judo. He is awfully old to be starting out in MMA. It's a young man's game. Matt Hughes, once the most dominant welterweight is already past his prime, as is Rich "Ace" Franklin and Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell. And I think even NOW any of these three would knock or tap out Canseco in the first round. Yeah, he's big. Yeah, he's strong. But he's older than these guys and they have been fighting MMA for YEARS. Also, all 3 are very smart.

[BustMyChops]

He doesn't. He just needs the dough.

[taotedali]

I wouldn't be too sure that he doesn't train. That is a textbook roundhouse kick in that picture. Very good form.

[babyjupiter24]

I wonder how long any of the critics would last against Canseco, in that same ring? Or how any of you would do on a baseball field, even if given steroids to compete? Would any of you be able to hit a 95 an hour fast ball over the right field wall? Or perhaps steal 40 bases? Would you be able to play for 162 games in a single season? Maybe you would all be able to last the the 1 minute and 17 seconds against the 7 ft, 300 lbs, skilled fighter, if given steroids or not? I think not!

I'm not saying you have to like the man. And I'm not saying he's lived an "exemplary life." What ever that is... But the harsh attack on a person, who, at least had the courage to attempt something that NONE of you or I have ever tried, or would ever dare to, seems more than hypocritical. In fact your attacks of him, seem to mirror the very people most criticize, on this blog, for being chicken hawks.