[quote]Cockney Blue wrote:
maverickbu wrote:
Cockney Blue wrote:
I agree, but as the sport matures I think we will see less and less 3-1 guys coming into the UFC and doing well.[/quote]
I certainly hope so. I think that’s one of the things that makes MMA seem like not-quite-a-pro-sport yet. If an athlete can walk in with a year or 2 experience (or less in some cases) and make waves in the top org in the world, how much skill does it actually take?
I think along with seeing less guys with little experience in the UFC you’re also gonna see less “upsets”. I use upsets in quotes since they happen so frequently anymore that I think the word is thrown around too much.
[quote]maverickbu wrote:
Cockney Blue wrote:
maverickbu wrote:
Cockney Blue wrote:
I agree, but as the sport matures I think we will see less and less 3-1 guys coming into the UFC and doing well.
I certainly hope so. I think that’s one of the things that makes MMA seem like not-quite-a-pro-sport yet. If an athlete can walk in with a year or 2 experience (or less in some cases) and make waves in the top org in the world, how much skill does it actually take?
I think along with seeing less guys with little experience in the UFC you’re also gonna see less “upsets”. I use upsets in quotes since they happen so frequently anymore that I think the word is thrown around too much. [/quote]
I feel that one of the resons we see so many upsets in MMA is that there are so many variables in an MMA fight. Just look at Damien Maia getting KOed a few fights back. Had he got it to the ground odds are he would have got an easy sub, instead he drops his hand for a second and bang.
I agree that more rounded better conditioned fighters should cause a decrease but I still think you will still see more upsets than in Boxing say.
[quote]Cockney Blue wrote:
maverickbu wrote:
Cockney Blue wrote:
maverickbu wrote:
Cockney Blue wrote:
I agree, but as the sport matures I think we will see less and less 3-1 guys coming into the UFC and doing well.
I certainly hope so. I think that’s one of the things that makes MMA seem like not-quite-a-pro-sport yet. If an athlete can walk in with a year or 2 experience (or less in some cases) and make waves in the top org in the world, how much skill does it actually take?
I think along with seeing less guys with little experience in the UFC you’re also gonna see less “upsets”. I use upsets in quotes since they happen so frequently anymore that I think the word is thrown around too much.
I feel that one of the resons we see so many upsets in MMA is that there are so many variables in an MMA fight. Just look at Damien Maia getting KOed a few fights back. Had he got it to the ground odds are he would have got an easy sub, instead he drops his hand for a second and bang.
I agree that more rounded better conditioned fighters should cause a decrease but I still think you will still see more upsets than in Boxing say.[/quote]
Absolutely, because of how many more variables there are, like you mentioned. What I think, though, is you will stop seeing guys like Maia for example whose standup is extremely lacking and eventually the sport will be filled more with fighters like GSP, AS, Fedor, and other fighters that are extremely well rounded and have a high level of proficiency in all necessary skills. Perhaps not of the caliber of those fighters I mentioend, but of that balanced skillset.
Absolutely, because of how many more variables there are, like you mentioned. What I think, though, is you will stop seeing guys like Maia for example whose standup is extremely lacking and eventually the sport will be filled more with fighters like GSP, AS, Fedor, and other fighters that are extremely well rounded and have a high level of proficiency in all necessary skills. Perhaps not of the caliber of those fighters I mentioend, but of that balanced skillset. [/quote]
Some excellent points have been made so far, but I thought I would chime in (briefly)-
MMA is still not a particularly popular sport, despite increasing popularity and mainstream acceptance. There’s also not a whole lot of money in it except for guys at the elite level. Money and Joe Schmoe watching it on regular TV are what makes a sport big.
Most of the guys “walking in” to the sport typically have some significant experience that crosses over well or freakish physical attributes, or both. Joe Warren is an MMA novice, but he very nearly went to the Olympics and can punch pretty hard for a little guy. Brett Rogers may have been busting tires at a Sam’s Club until recently, yes, but by all accounts one punch from either hand and you’ll be wondering why there’s a tooth in your nose.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m hard pressed to think of anyone who, with no real physical advantages or prior training in any sort of sport at all applicable to MMA, walked on in any organization and had a measure of success. It simply doesn’t happen.
As the sport grows, we will undoubtedly see a better talent pool emerge. That’s natural and in no way takes away from the greatness of today’s champions.
And it helps to remember that the merest “donkey” fighting for a pro MMA org would tear most anybody’s face off
Absolutely, because of how many more variables there are, like you mentioned. What I think, though, is you will stop seeing guys like Maia for example whose standup is extremely lacking and eventually the sport will be filled more with fighters like GSP, AS, Fedor, and other fighters that are extremely well rounded and have a high level of proficiency in all necessary skills. Perhaps not of the caliber of those fighters I mentioend, but of that balanced skillset.
The UFC is not currently on track for this. [/quote]
It doesn’t need to be. Smaller orgs will always exist and be the “feeder” orgs for the UFC. Until we start getting MMA in high school or college (which will likely never happen), this is the only way true MMA talent (not just cross-over talent) will be cultivated to the point where it creates worthy UFC competitors.
I get the sentiment to want the UFC to have “minor leagues” to let fighers grow, but the way I see it, the UFC as we see it now IS the minor leagues with a few standouts who are worthy of that major league status. And in the minor leagues is where all major sports tend to extend their scouting to smaller orgs and schools, which would be the equivalent of smaller orgs in MMA.
Another potential problem is maybe that the UFC just schedules too many events. They want the PPV revenue, and they need fighters to fill the cards. They would probably be better off with half the number of events, but twice the quality. However, their current method is making the big $$$$$, so they wouldn’t make such a change.
[quote]HG Thrower wrote:
Another potential problem is maybe that the UFC just schedules too many events. They want the PPV revenue, and they need fighters to fill the cards. They would probably be better off with half the number of events, but twice the quality. However, their current method is making the big $$$$$, so they wouldn’t make such a change.[/quote]
That’s how it used to be, but the fans were the ones asking for more events. In a perfect world we’d have less PPV fights and more fight nights on spike to showcase up and coming talent, but while Spike is great for increasing popularity, PPV is where the money is.
And ultimately, the more money the UFC has to pay fighters and remain profitable (Affliction having forgotten the second part of that), the more attractive the prospect of being a pro fighter becomes and the more top-tier athletes will make it their sport of choice. This will become especially true of athletes who are not of the size to compete in other sports (GSP for example), but are no less impressive with their ability.
[quote]maverickbu wrote:
HG Thrower wrote:
Another potential problem is maybe that the UFC just schedules too many events. They want the PPV revenue, and they need fighters to fill the cards. They would probably be better off with half the number of events, but twice the quality. However, their current method is making the big $$$$$, so they wouldn’t make such a change.
That’s how it used to be, but the fans were the ones asking for more events. In a perfect world we’d have less PPV fights and more fight nights on spike to showcase up and coming talent, but while Spike is great for increasing popularity, PPV is where the money is.
And ultimately, the more money the UFC has to pay fighters and remain profitable (Affliction having forgotten the second part of that), the more attractive the prospect of being a pro fighter becomes and the more top-tier athletes will make it their sport of choice. This will become especially true of athletes who are not of the size to compete in other sports (GSP for example), but are no less impressive with their ability.[/quote]
I think the UFC’s going to reach an upper bound on their PPV profits. Sooner or later, the law of dminishing returns applies, and adding more PPV events will not help, therefore the money the UFC can pay will also reach an upper bound. I think they may have already hit it.
There just needs to be more venues altogether for there to be more talent and more money.
