What if there were no more belts...

[Arrrrgh]

and instead we crowned a champion at the end of a season like football or other sports?

To be eligible you would have to fight say 3-4 times during the "season" or calendar year or whatever. The champions of each weight class could be crowned by taking the top 4 in each weight class and putting them in a 4 man tournament at the end of each year/season. You could even stagger the season's so the tournaments are spread out throughout the year. For instance, FW in Jan-Feb, BW in Feb-Mar, LW in Apr-Jun, etc. And it means no more lost main events. Main events and 5 round fights are for tournament fights. The rest of the card is fights from other weight classes.

Pros:
No more interim belts.
No one fighter can hold up a division for years.
A fighter is eligible for any championship in any weight class but only if they meet the minimum # of fights and ranking requirements.
More fights from top ranked fighters.
Less issues with main event's falling through (it'll be rankings based so alternates are determined by the rankings).
Main events more relevant.
Encourages fighters to fight more frequently.

Cons:
Still subject to shit judging decisions.
Rankings/voters play a bigger role in who gets to fight for the championship.
Potential for less exciting fights when match-making takes a back seat to rankings.
Fewer championship fights (Only one per division per year).
Potentially an undefeated Champion (or even all of the top 5 of a division) could be left out of the tourney if he is injured during the year and unable to fight 3-4 times. (to which I would counter that if you can't fight how can you be the best fighter?!)

Thoughts?
This isn't really well thought out, just an idea I'm hashing out if you don't like it try to keep it constructive.

TLDR;
I am basically suggesting moving to a tournament format to crown a champion each year instead of a matchmaking/belt system where the title is on the line every time the champion fights.

 

[kflo]

It’s easy if you try.

 

[jojoRed]

I propose something aswell.

Lets have 30 fighters in a cage, have the last one standing & conscious, crowned the winner. Call it "Rumble in the Octagon" or "Royal Rumble" if you will.

 

[blaseblah]

One title fight per division a year? No Thanks. We need more title fights not less.

 

[GOATER]

Injuries would fuck things up.


Imagine somebody winning the tournament because they are durable and not truly the best fighter.

However, a points system will be much better.....Kind of like motorsports.


Fighters fight all year....depending on who/how you beat em...In the end of the year, you could qualify to fight for the championship against somebody.

 

[screaminleeman]

Nah mon, this is the USA. We have pussed down all contact sports to an almost unbearable level.

We need to have roses given to all contestants, and equal sized trophies for both the winners and losers of each fight. You don't want MMA fighters to feel bad about themselves.

 

[Brock Tober]

People will still bitch no matter what.

 

[Arrrrgh]

Injuries would fuck things up.


Imagine somebody winning the tournament because they are durable and not truly the best fighter.

However, a points system will be much better.....Kind of like motorsports.


Fighters fight all year....depending on who/how you beat em...In the end of the year, you could qualify to fight for the championship against somebody.

That is more or less what I am suggesting, just expanding it to a 4 man tourney for the belt instead of 2. I think with just one fight you would run into the same problems college football ran into -- picking the two who go is too subjective.

 

[Guy LeDouche]

I think both could work,

Have belts and divisional champs. It would still allow title fights
And once a year throughout have fighters sign up for a multi weight tourneys which at the end there could be a large cash prize as incentive and the title of being the tourney winner of the year.
I think we could we can have the best of both worlds.
I mean I know it's cheesy but a large building event per year would fun instead of the standard fight card.

 

[Arrrrgh]

One title fight per division a year? No Thanks. We need more title fights not less.

Well it would mean less title fights but it would mean the best fighters would fight more often.

 

[Kung Fu bb]

Belts are fine, I really like watching champions defending their belts.

But they need to stop with the ridiculous undeserved immediate rematches (Garbrandt) or giving fighters a TS coming off a loss (Gus).

 

[Guy LeDouche]

However, a points system will be much better.....Kind of like motorsports.

Hmm that's an interesting take on it, never thought about that.

 

[Arrrrgh]

I think both could work,

Have belts and divisional champs. It would still allow title fights
And once a year throughout have fighters sign up for a multi weight tourneys which at the end there could be a large cash prize as incentive and the title of being the tourney winner of the year.
I think we could we can have the best of both worlds.
I mean I know it's cheesy but a large building event per year would fun instead of the standard fight card.

I considered that but one would cheapen the other and vise versa.

 

[MisterHappy]

www.pflmma.com

They are doing something similar, at least to start with.

 

[Guy LeDouche]

I considered that but one would cheapen the other and vise versa.

I could understand that.
I feel like divisional belt champs would prove best at the weightclass and champion.
I am more suggesting that the tourney be just regarded as the tourney champ per year and not nesscarily the best in the division. Like an accolade that buffer can announce before the fight

 

[trident]

I propose something aswell.

Lets have 30 fighters in a cage, have the last one standing & conscious, crowned the winner. Call it "Rumble in the Octagon" or "Royal Rumble" if you will.

Interesting names because Rumble would probably win something like that.

 

[Mondo Freaks]

then pants would be warming ankles everywhere and the #metoo movement will have a lot of ammo.

 

[Arrrrgh]

I could understand that.
I feel like divisional belt champs would prove best at the weightclass and champion.
I am more suggesting that the tourney be just regarded as the tourney champ per year and not nesscarily the best in the division. Like an accolade that buffer can announce before the fight

Well part of the reason I suggest doing it this way is that often the champion isn't the best in the division, they are just the one that had opportunity and matchmaking on their side on the road to get there. This would force people to fight the best available fighter.
We could make it more frequent. 2 tournaments a year in each weight class to give more opportunities to win the championship.

I think a tournament actually opens up the championship to the best fighters by encouraging more fights. Its a lot easier to judge how good a fighter is by seeing him in 4 fights than seeing him against 1-2 guys.

I'm trying to find a way to encourage top ranked fighters to be more active and have more on the line each time they fight.

 

[POWER2]

and instead we crowned a champion at the end of a season like football or other sports?

To be eligible you would have to fight say 3-4 times during the "season" or calendar year or whatever. The champions of each weight class could be crowned by taking the top 4 in each weight class and putting them in a 4 man tournament at the end of each year/season. You could even stagger the season's so the tournaments are spread out throughout the year. For instance, FW in Jan-Feb, BW in Feb-Mar, LW in Apr-Jun, etc. And it means no more lost main events. Main events and 5 round fights are for tournament fights. The rest of the card is fights from other weight classes.

Pros:
No more interim belts.
No one fighter can hold up a division for years.
A fighter is eligible for any championship in any weight class but only if they meet the minimum # of fights and ranking requirements.
More fights from top ranked fighters.
Less issues with main event's falling through (it'll be rankings based so alternates are determined by the rankings).
Main events more relevant.
Encourages fighters to fight more frequently.

Cons:
Still subject to shit judging decisions.
Rankings/voters play a bigger role in who gets to fight for the championship.
Potential for less exciting fights when match-making takes a back seat to rankings.
Fewer championship fights (Only one per division per year).
Potentially an undefeated Champion (or even all of the top 5 of a division) could be left out of the tourney if he is injured during the year and unable to fight 3-4 times. (to which I would counter that if you can't fight how can you be the best fighter?!)

Thoughts?
This isn't really well thought out, just an idea I'm hashing out if you don't like it try to keep it constructive.

TLDR;
I am basically suggesting moving to a tournament format to crown a champion each year instead of a matchmaking/belt system where the title is on the line every time the champion fights.

jesus christ. Tournaments are never coming back. Ever.

 

[Adjutant]

It’s easy it you try.

I get what you’re doing. John Lennon thanks you