Former UFC comentator, Jeff Blatnick, dies at 55..

[Kris P Lettus]

He was the first 'play by play' guy for UFC back in the SEG days.. He was most recently a judge for MMA matches.. He was also a Gold Medalist in wrestling for the USA..

I didn't really like him as a the play by play guy but now that I really think about it, it was most likely b/c back then no one really knew what they were watching when it came to BJJ and MMA in general..

RIP

[Kris P Lettus]

Mixed martial arts

From 1994 to 2001 for UFC 4 to UFC 32, Blatnick served as a commentator for the Ultimate Fighting Championship,[3] and was officially named as the commissioner of the UFC during UFC 17. During this time he was involved in the development of the modern rules of the sport.[3] Bob Meyrowitz, the original owner of the UFC, tasked Blatnick to push the sport forward. With help from referee John McCarthy and current UFC matchmaker Joe Silva, Blatnick created a manual of policies, procedures, codes of conduct and rules, many of which exist to this day. He traveled around the country, educating regulators and changing perceptions about a sport that was thought to be bloodthirsty and inhumane.[8]
By April 2000, Blatnick's movement had clearly made an impact.[9] California was set to become the first state in the U.S. to sign off on a set of codified rules that governed MMA.[10] Soon after, New Jersey adopted the language.[11] He sat cageside in Atlantic City months later, when UFC held its first event regulated under the unified rules, headlined fittingly by two outstanding wrestlers, Kevin Randleman and Blatnick's favorite fighter, Randy Couture.[12] Blatnick's contributions to the sport of mixed martial arts helped keep the sport alive during its darkest period and helped pave the way for the sport to flourish later in the decade.[2]
Blatnick has also been credited with giving the sport of mixed martial arts its name.[2][4] Nick Lembo, the man who runs the New Jersey athletic control board, wrote, "(Jeff) would urge people to stop calling the sport No Holds Barred, in order to help it grow and gain acceptance."[4] Dave Meltzer added, "No Holds Barred, (Blatnick) said, gave people a bad connotation of what it was, and felt it was a negative. Mixed Martial Arts, the idea of combining techniques from all the various martial arts forms with that of wrestling, was really what the sport was, he would say."[2]
Blatnick authored the Mixed Martial Arts Council Manual and was also licensed as a referee and judge with the New Jersey commission.
A petition was also started on the underground forum by UFC fighter Shane Carwin for Blatnick to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame for his contributions to the organization.[13]
[edit]Death and legacy

Blatnick died on October 24, 2012, as a result of complications from heart surgery. His death sent shock waves through two different sports, MMA and wrestling, and resulted in massive outpouring from fans and media in remembrance of Blatnick's life.[2] At the time of his death, Blatnick was a varsity wrestling coach at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School, and also worked as a motivational speaker. He lived with his wife, son and daughter in Clifton Park, New York.
Frank Shamrock called Blatnick "one of the original soldiers of MMA"[14]; longtime UFC referee John McCarthy said, "Jeff deserves so much credit for helping establish MMA. He gave his credibility to our sport we all owe him a debt of gratitude."[15]; MMA fighter and SiriusXM radio host R. J. Clifford wrote, "Jeff Blatnick was so genuine. Seconds after becoming the first US greco medalist, he spends his interview thanking others. Most importantly, (he was) a great human being. Secondly, (he was) one of the best guys to help fix MMA judging...What a loss to both wrestling and MMA."[16]

Nothing??