Why has the HW division been so dead for years?

[Fraz]

Because athletes all the way from A - F are busy playing real sports

 

[Final Say]

Because big athletic guys can make way more money elsewhere ?

lol?

where?

 

[Taric]

He had zero grappling back then though, so he's a better mma fighter today. But not a better kickboxer as he was in his younger days.

Royce Gracie is a more refined and experienced grappler today than he was when he was younger... That doesn't make him better now.
Athleticism is far too important in all sports.

 

[Taric]

lol?

where?

An offensive lineman sitting on the bench in the NFL makes more money than every UFC HW on the roster.

 

[hot carl]

There are a few reasons.

Fighter pay is a huge problem, no doubt, but even before that, the cost of training to become elite is expensive.

College wrestlers have a chance to get an education and do something with their lives to earn decent pay and not get puched in the face.

They can opt to pursue their chosen vocation and live decent lifestyle, or invest copious time and money to try to become a pro fighter for a 10/10 contract.

Another issue is that big dudes hit hard. A heavyweight prospect can have career derailed by one loss, and that one loss can be as simple as another big dude landing a low percentage haymaker.

I also think fans are part of the problem. We expect big dudes to trade or land bombs and so they are pressured (rightly or wrongly) to land big knock out bombs to be exciting, get hype and attention, become a draw, get paid, get sponsors and so on.

 

[tehShuffle]

The UFC is pretty weak right now. 155 and 170 are their strongest divisions atm. Even 205 which was the strongest division for years is really lacking. It's a mix of not keeping some fighters they should have and others retiring. The UFC will let guys go after only a few losses, even if they show a lot of promise and I think it's a huge mistake.

Also, they seem to pay people based on how many viewers they can pull and not on skill level. This has gotten a bit better but a lot of the fighters are not being paid what they should be.

 

[Organic Damage]

An offensive lineman sitting on the bench in the NFL makes more money than every UFC HW on the roster.

While true, this has always been the case.

I think people are asking -- and rightly so -- why the HW division has seemingly shrunk numbers and skill wise since the Pride and arguably Strikeforce days.

I guess it might have been a blip... but still, the fact that a guy as green as Ngannou will likely fight for the title next year boggles the mind.

 

[Final Say]

An offensive lineman sitting on the bench in the NFL makes more money than every UFC HW on the roster.

not only is that false (450k NFL minimum, 150k less than Stipe's per fight purse), but only about 1% of all NCAA football players make it to the NFL. which means there are a vast, vast amount of NCAA football players who never make it in professional sports, 99% of them.

so no, there isnt much money in being athletic or big period.

 

[JBJISGOAT]

Anyone that believe Mark Hunt is an improved fighter at the age of 43 doesn't understand how the human body works.

Ask Hunt to attempt this today and he'd break his hip.

Cool gif but doesn't just mean physical…hunto has improved fight in, actually trains a bit now, nutrition, doesn't party, etc. you are welcome!

 

[joeyjoejoe]

lol?

where?

I think almost every other professional sport(the big ones) lol and even if they don't at least they're not getting punched in the head for a living.

 

[Final Say]

While true, this has always been the case.

I think people are asking -- and rightly so -- why the HW division has seemingly shrunk numbers and skill wise since the Pride and arguably Strikeforce days.

I guess it might have been a blip... but still, the fact that a guy as green as Ngannou will likely fight for the title next year boggles the mind.

its actually not true. overeem is not even champ and makes double the nfl minimum salary per fight, which isnt guaranteed and can be pulled at any time throughout a season.

 

[Final Say]

I think almost every other professional sport lol

almost none of these 'athletic, big guys' become pro athletes. truly, nearly none of them.

 

[NotoriousMillions]

We still have top 10 guys from the pre-Fedor era like Mark Hunt, Overeem, and Werdum. This was not the case back in 2005! There were tons of awesome HW prospects. And MMA is even bigger now than it was back then. And it seems like the HWs back then were even more athletic than today.

Every other weight class has more top fighters. All new guys. You don't get guys that were at the top 5 years ago, let alone guys from 2000 - 2005! And guys at every weight class are younger and more physically fit than ever before.

Are there great HWs out there? Does the UFC just not have the best fighters anymore?
What's going on?

HW sucked even worse back then.

 

[Philtard]

Because a level athletes that size go into stuff that pays much better.

 

[NotoriousMillions]

Anyone that believe Mark Hunt is an improved fighter at the age of 43 doesn't understand how the human body works.

Ask Hunt to attempt this today and he'd break his hip.

What a fucking moronic statement. You obviously don't know how martial arts work.

 

[Squall10]

Hunt, Overeem, and Werdum will continue to rule the heavyweight division long after Cain retires on into 2020. The only thing better is to see Crocop forgiven, reinstated, and resurgent into the top ten.

 

[Sosua]

Because the UFC would rather manufacture stars than pay for them.

There are quite a few good HWs outside the UFC... they just won't pony up any money to pay for them.


They need to get guys like Vitaly Minakov, Blagoi Ivanov, Kharitonov, Caoi Alencar, etc. But they won't pay for any established HWs really.

Unfortunately good HWs like Kharitonov are in Bellator getting KOd in 16 seconds...

I just think it's slim pickings and anyone can get taken out at anytime so it's pretty hard to build momentum when you all have knockout power.

 

[Organic Damage]

its actually not true. overeem is not even champ and makes double the nfl minimum salary per fight, which isnt guaranteed and can be pulled at any time throughout a season.

Are you suggesting Overeem's salary is average among HWs? Cause that NFL linebacker sitting on the bench is making an average level salary...

If you want to talk minimum salaries, NFL slaughters MMA. And since most guys will never get to the Overeem level of success, for purely financial reasons doesn't that make football a smarter move than MMA?

 

[CasterMard]

If you're big it's better to be in sports with no weight classes. If there were no weight classes in MMA, guys like Rothwell or Struve would murder GSP, Conor, Silva.. yet the smaller guys get all the fame and money here.

In NBA or NFL, big guys take everything.

 

[wufabufa]

lol?

where?

Basketball, baseball, and american football as well as coaching in said sports if they're experienced enough. I'm not even talking about making it to a major league like the NBA, MLB, or NFL. If you aren't good enough to make it in the NBA you can head over to China or Europe and make a couple hundred thousand per year....far more than your average HW in MMA. Same thing with baseball. Minor league guys can still make a comfortable living without the brain damage. Even if you're on an NFL practice team you're balling way harder than Stipe.