Aging out of MMA...

[Workaholic]

That's because everyone younger than 49 knows how to stream PPVs

 

[Paul Harvey]

My only wish is for the UFC to take it back up a notch, and allow knees on the ground, as well as Pride-style soccer kicks.

 

[Pancake Sprawl]

If you want a reality check, go back and watch UFC 1 & 2. You'll see some extremely shitting, one-note fighters.

Even Royce Gracie's BJJ sucked by today's standards.

I'm excited about watch today's crop of complete, well rounded fighters. Much more so than watching a fat, off-balance tank abbot swinging wildly for the fences, or dudes who've never actually been hit before being stunned and unable to compete after getting hit with their first real punch or kick.

so you'd rather watch Ngannou/Black Beast than Crocop/Nogueira in Pride? MMA's history definitely includes fat slobs and barroom brawlers but that doesn't encompass ALL of it's history.

 

[froggyluv]

Im 47 but still train and spar with these young guys so i still find UFC/MMA relevant. Guys I started training with back in the late 90's, while still admiring MMA skillset for what it is, find it hard to talk about anyone post Liddell/Couture (literally just had this conversation this morning with old high school buddy). Some of it is just the new hyper-information times we live in, some is UFC selling out for short sales at cost of long term legitimacy, some the frustrating cost to watch 15 minutes of wall/stall. Most of these guys no longer keep up with boxers either preferring Hagler/Hearns to Mayweather/Canelo but funny enough they all stay current on NBA/NFL/MLB for the most part.

 

[kuka45]

DJ, Khabib, Cormier, Whitaker, Holloway, Thug Rose, Nunes, Cyborg, etc, etc. Alot of champions to be excited about.

they are not exciting, I think only Whittaker is in this caregory, but he can fight 1/per year because of injuries, and he won't be any better because of this
DJ boring undeveloped division
Khabib, one top 5 win
Cormier was KO''d not even 1 year ago by his ultra rival Jon Jones
Holloway brain trauma, probably will move up to welteweight
Rose injured and asking her husband to talk with Conor (imagine Ronda doing something like that, lol)
Nunes boring division, nothing exviting about her
Cyborg can crusher no division, just freak

Welterweight division: shitshow
LHW division: shitshow
HW division: shitshow

I can see only two worthy champions: Whittaker and TJ Dillashaw, that's all, hopefully necktatoo will lose again.

 

[yougotabeeonyourhat]

If you want a reality check, go back and watch UFC 1 & 2. You'll see some extremely shitting, one-note fighters.

Even Royce Gracie's BJJ sucked by today's standards.

I'm excited about watch today's crop of complete, well rounded fighters. Much more so than watching a fat, off-balance tank abbot swinging wildly for the fences, or dudes who've never actually been hit before being stunned and unable to compete after getting hit with their first real punch or kick.

Whoa, I never said that "UFC 1-3 was the zenith of it's awesomeness"...It evolved into something great much later. And now it is devolving into a "who gets the most twitter likes" bullshit. Conor fucking McGregor, a guy who has never defended a title in his life...is talked about, sincerely, as a legit contender for GOAT. Lol, fuck you...and fuck your 2018 UFC <45>

 

[GBJohn]

I don't know a single person over the age of 40 that gives a shit about ufc. I only know a handful over 30 that watch it

My experience is exactly the opposite. Everyone that I talk MMA with is over forty, which probably has more to do with my age (50) than anything else. I know there are some younger fans where I work, but I don’t normally talk with them.
I also don’t cling to the older, “name” fighters, but that may come from seeing so many of my favorites from other sports retire. Turnover is part of sports.

 

[Kowboy Karl]

I don't know a single person over the age of 40 that gives a shit about ufc. I only know a handful over 30 that watch it

A handful of guys from jiu jitsu used to be pretty in to it

All the casuals who used to ask me stuff never ask anymore unless it’s conor or Ronda

 

[yougotabeeonyourhat]

That's because everyone younger than 49 knows how to stream PPVs

Oh don't get me wrong, I stream baby.

I stream hard

And I am part of the 40+ fan base that is either watching for free or tuning out . Therefore, confirming the subject of my thesis, that is saying fans emasse, are saying "f-you" to the UFC.

 

[BlackPanther]

I started watching MMA since 2003. Watched almost every event possible but recently I don't have that much drive to watch and enjoy MMA.

 

[D'z]

Sports Business Weekly reported a while back that the median age of UFC fans is 49 years old. As a fan who started watching on via UFC 1 2 & 3 on VHS tapes, I have to imagine that I am not alone in finding it hard to be as excited about the sport as I used to be.

I've tried to get into some of the more current popular fighters but they just fucking suck. The vast majority seem to be more bark than bite, or so morally repugnant that it's impossible to get behind them, unless you are semi-retarded and find silly smack-talk and contrived hooker photoshoots awesome. Or they get their hands on a title and run and hide.

I feel like the decline in UFC popularity (yes it is happening) is in large part due to what I've stated above. It's accepted business ideology that it's easier and more fiscally prudent to keep an existing customers base as it is to attract new customers. Of course an entertainment company needs to increase it viewership, but The UFC has chosen to do it at the expense of it's existing long-time fans. And the 35-40+ fans are the one's who were buying the PPVs because... #duh they have the money and aren't notorious streamers.

Anyway, The UFC is dying.

Flame away.



(Do kids still call it flaming? Oh who am I kidding? You're all over 40.)

They sold out just about every pioneer of the sport, selling out their hardcores isn't surprising.

 

[georgekillian]

I’m not saying he’s not good, just that I would never feel the need to see his fights, there’s just nothing interesting about him.

So you don't watch fights for fighters performance? you watch because they interest you? You sound gay honestly.

 

[XxanaxX]

I was on sherdog back when they had 20 second clips on fight-finder of each match that you could watch on real player.

Then I got hooked on hairy-girl, creampie porn.

 

[The Adder]

Glad to see more people realize that mma is dying. It was just a fad.

 

[pakimahi]

UFC's problem is, they don't build stars. They have established stars that end up taking L's from your "Joe Smith" with a 9-5 record on a saturday night. People lose interest, and no wonder. They should have legends/stars fight each other, and seldom have those guys have "pass the torch" fight with an up and commer. And then let the up and comers/contenders fight each other and slip one through to stardom if he can go on a long streak or something.

I made boxing my primary a while ago.

 

[Oj21]

So you don't watch fights for fighters performance? you watch because they interest you? You sound gay honestly.

I’m not gonna watch a guy that’s just a boring personality. That’s not to say I’m a fan of guys like Colby or mcgregor. Just don’t see much stock in this guy, nothing about him would make me want to watch.

 

[yougotabeeonyourhat]

Ever author a thread after having too much to drink? And then you come back the next day and have zero recollection of doing it? It's kind of like bring a time traveler. I'm looking at something I did but 'present' me wasn't involved in <45>

#boozeisbad

 

[Son of Sonnen]

People go through phases. There was a time I used to watch college hoops religiously and now It’s probably been a ear a decade since I have watched a game. Sunday used to be football, but think I watched 1 game last year and the Super Bowl. Doesn’t mean the sport is dying because your just not into it anymore.

 

[moreorless87]

A lot of it has to do with the belt situations for me. I’m still a fan but the Bisping and GSP MW debacle, now the WW shitshow, Conor not defending etc etc

MW in recent years I think definitely respects a massive missed opportunity, Dana and co getting behind "company man" Bisping who never really had much potential to be a star rather than guys like Romero or Rockhold.

A big issue MMA has with an aging/declining fanbase is IMHO the failure to really replace aging LHW and HW stars who drew in a lot of. The UFC LHW division just used to be a goldmine where non title fights could draw big interest and today its on life support.

Honestly as a UK UFC fan just past 40 I'm wondering if I'll bother to carry on watching when things move from BT sport, my interest has been declining for years and this might be the breaking point.

 

[Mike Hagger]

Meh, I got into it around 99, things have changed for sure.

I think some sherbros forget there's the majority of fans that don't care about every tweet, Instagram post, or all of the drama shit. They watch free fights on Fox and buy a PPV once or twice a year. Which always hold the sport back, the expense of PPV.

Another example is a BJJ gym I trained at, very few really watched every single UFC event or followed it closely maybe here and there. Too busy training themselves. But they were interested just not dedicated. Finally every fight I've been to had many people 35-45. At least I thought so.

It's a fringe sport and always will be, bringing Brock back only confirmed that notion. Entertainment first, sport second. I don't think it'll ever grow to be much more than what it is. Which is impressive really considering where it started. The UFC has literally changed the way people view martial arts and what's effective.