About The Irish Whip Writers

Ben Zeidler: "My interest in MMA started recently as I happened upon some of the better pieces of video footage which have ever been recorded: specifically, the fight between Hughes and Trigg at UFC 52 and the famous Bas Rutten self-defense video. Since then, I made it a point to catch as many events as possible and started compiling a very respectable UFC DVD collection. I've since moved onto PRIDE shows (and anyone who knows where I can find a legit copy of Final Conflict 2003 should email me ASAP). The site, which started as a pet project with my good friend Drew Arnold, has since blossomed into one of the most respected MMA sites on the web. I've been able to parlay my experience with Irish Whip Fighting into two jobs: writing daily for the website martialbase.com and writing bi-monthly for FIGHT! Magazine."

Expert of: UFC 40-Present, fight card development, writing html code for the site

Doug MacEwan: "As the newest member of the Irish Whip team I plan on sharing my passion for MMA and Boxing with the masses. Living in gloomy Portland Oregon I am firmly planted in one the hotbeds of the American MMA scene and bring a distinct NW flavor to the group. When I am not leg kicking my roomates to offset their rent you can find me at the gym or online engaged in heated debates like who has the largest head in the UFC. At the ripe old age of 26 I am the senior citizen of the group but still manage to catch every MMA and boxing event out there (unless my hip and/or back is acting up). I have an eye for up-and-coming fighters so look for my articles on the hottest young MMA prospects that I plan on contributing in the very near future. If you have any questions or comments you can e-mail me at dougmacewan@gmail.com."

Expert of: new and young fighters, boxing, advertising

Jordan Arnold:Although I've been a writer here from the beginning, I'm a relatively new MMA fan. I get my love for fighting from wrestling...and I finally got tired of people saying how much WWE sucks and how MMA is awesome, so I checked it out. I watch as much MMA as I can (usually whatever is on tv for free). I basically live on wikipedia, sherdog, and Irish Whip Fighting due to the huge amount of content on each site (wikipedia is my homepage). I think I'm finally starting to get a good grasp on MMA, and I look forward to becoming further educated by the great articles written on Irish Whip Fighting.

Danny Acosta: Danny Acosta's love for combat sports precedes his love for literature and writing. Growing up, Julio Cesar Chavez was a name that brought excitement and pride to the native Californian. But boxing seemed to die for him when Mike Tyson ate its heart. Waiting in limbo--pushing through the boredom of school and adolescence--forced Acosta to develop a Chute Boxe attitude toward life. Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" was the catalyst. A love for the written word occupied the San Franciscan.

He spent the next few years balancing life as a roadie, social worker, and stand-up comedian in the Bay Area. In between toying with laughter, lugging drum sets, and balancing academia, he rediscovered a sport he formerly knew as spectacle: mixed martial arts. Since then, fighting--including a renewed passion for the Sweet Science--has matched his infatuation with writing.

Acosta's work has appeared on Sherdog.com, ESPN.com, and FIGHT! Magazine. He hopes to continue working in the MMA community in addition to training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. A return to stand-up comedy is also in the works. Acosta resides never too far from the Golden Gate.

Masson Liang: "Hello guys and gals. I'm the MMA/UFC specialist of the site, which is probably easily seen through my articles. I've been a follower of martial arts from way back, further than I care to dig out of my memory bank. I've been watching good ol' Hong Kong Kung-fu cinema, Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan films since I entered this world. As an early child I was always obsessed with ninjas, like all children are at some point of their lives and fascinated with any children programs with any aspect of marital arts behind it, such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and/or Power Rangers. That's right, I went there. Everything just progressed as the years went on I suppose. I trained in Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karate for four and a half years and picked up on some boxing and Muay-Thai, as a personal hobby. My liking, or obsession as it has evolved into, was inevitable and only natural. I was soon the owner of 90% of the MMA DVDs on the market, ranging from Pride FC, UFC, KOTC, Grappler's Quests, Cage Rage, and anything else I could get my hands on (Thanks Netflix!). I stopped training in Karate after I moved up to Gainesville for college, at the University of Florida, but continued my pursuit in martial arts through MMA at a local gym in Gainesville. In Miami, I train at the Freestyle Fighting Academy. If I'm not spending five hours Sherdogging, and browsing every MMA website/forum for the latest scoop on the sport, I am spending my time in the gym. I'm usually the man to come to when you want to know about fight results, previous fights, fighter records, and the latest MMA news. Enjoy my future articles, email me at massonl@gmail.com," and stay classy."

Expert of: MMA training, UFC and PRIDE history, obscure fighters and videos, MMA DVDs

Jagjit Sidhu:In all honesty, I can’t really say that I am a hardcore fan that has been there since the beginning. I am a relatively new fan, but ever since I first saw MMA it has pretty much turned into a everyday thing for me. My favorite fighters include GSP and Shogun, whom I'm very excited to see make his UFC debut. Ever since then, I have just been picking up more and more knowledge about MMA. I don’t consider myself an expert or anything however I do consider myself to know a whole hell of a lot.