Yahoo sports - UFC discredits the sport.

[BrainLeakage]

That is indeed what the UFC is doing.

You should cut people based on results in the octagon only. It should never be a popularity contest. The UFCs recent moves gives weight to the people saying UFC and MMA is not legitimate.

 

[MMA]

I'll add: Okami may be RANKED in the top 10 but at NO POINT was he truly one of the ten best fighters in the UFC MW division.

there are plenty of fighters in the UFC MW division who aren't ranked top 10 who'd beat him. Even the guys he beats, while solid, aren't top 10. And when he wins, it's by decision unless he's fighting guys like Tanner, Linhares, and Buddy Roberts.

He's just not nearly as good as some people thought, and he never was. He's got no offensive skills, mediocre defense and a style that's built on making as little happen as possible and doing just a little bit more.

He's a solid guy, don't get me wrong, but he's getting paid as much as 3 entry-level guys who deserve a shot to make something of themselves. Okami did OK but not well enough.

There is just no way of looking at this where this was a bad move. Okami will never be that guy the UFC says "wish we didn't cut him." NEVER.

 

[Joseph Budden]

When doesn't kevin Iole try to rag on the UFC though? Seriously I never go to Yahoo anymore because NUMEROUS times he has printed stupid shit that Dana has had to shut him up about.

The fact is, Okami is in the same spot Fitch was in. They don't wanna pay them a lot of money when these guys are boring, bottom tier top 10 (if that) when there are plenty of other young, exciting fighters they can build up.

Iole is the worst man.

 

[kflo]

Sorry, but your point of view is retarded in any way you see it.

Yes, a team can fire up a talented guy if he is a problem for the team.
but a League (which is what the UFC pretends to be) cannot setup the championship based only on viewers and revenue.

Imagine if the NBA would cut NJ Nets, or the Spurs because "they are boring" or do not have enough fans!

The Playoffs would be only between Lakers and Celtics because of their history and grudge!
Maybe the semi-finals would also sport Miami Heat & Cleveland Cavaliers because of LeBron James.

Exactly. the NBA doesn't take "boring teams" away.

Neither does the Swimming team or soccer team. (mexico beat Brazil on the finals at Olympics... heck! if this was the UFC, the finals would be Spain against Brazil!!! And I can hear Dana saying "what??? They also speak spannish you idiots!!!")

SMH

the nba represents the franchises. they have seasons. stop using franchise sports as a reference point. it's dumb. the heat don't put their title on the line every game they play.

the franchise owners own the nba. the nba works for them.

 

[Xaa]

The only points i will make are Okami is younger than Fitch at 32, ranked higher by the UFC at 6, and although Fitch could have been argued to be borderline top 10, because of recent record, Okami was 3-1 and there is no argument there.

UFC has pulled a lot of shit, but cutting a top 10 fighter, is ridiculous in the world of sport.

Cutting one ranked 6th, by your own website is hilariously stupid.

Im just going to leave this here too.



I urge everyone to play Okamis walk in music one more time, however they feel about this story.

You thinking that the UFC has ever been anything but sport based entertainment is hilariously stupid. It's the same in all combat sports except the UFC has contracts and thus the notion of being cut. If Okami were a boxer, he just wouldn't get promoted for the best fights. That's what being cut by the UFC is, not being promoted by them any more.

The UFC title has only the relevancy the public gives to it. So far that is more than any other MMA title in existence. Cutting Okami and Fitch isn't going to change that over the short term.

Sorry one of your favorites is looking for work, but he'll find it and you'll be able to see him fight. If you give that org more credibility because of his presence that is your perogative.

 

[Shaddows]

Okami lost his last fight and is not even close to a titleshot.

your point?

he is a top 10 athlete by UFC's own rankings.

If they want to cut under performers, then they need to cut at the bottom, not the top 10.

 

[JudontknowMMA]

I can't believe this "journalist" would be so bold as to claim "it's not like a money starved NFL team who cuts a highly paid veteran" (iirc) without having knowledge of the UFC's books and whats on them. The UFC have a massive debt due in the next two years, and rest assured they are going to continue to trim the fat. Why is it just like when a team cuts a highly paid vet? Because sometimes that vet ends up resigning with that same team for lower wages - and that's something that happens with returning ufc fighters all the time.

/thread

 

[Shaddows]

the nba represents the franchises. they have seasons. stop using franchise sports as a reference point. it's dumb. the heat don't put their title on the line every game they play.

the franchise owners own the nba. the nba works for them.

can't really agree with you, since...you know... UFC wants to be like NBA or NFL...

Bottom line you seem to miss is that there's a HUGE conflict of interest in being a BUSINESS and owning a SPORT.

UFC wants to OWN a sport, but conduct it like BUSINESS.

they are not the same thing.

 

[Travillione]

This journalist should try to get the UFC's side of the story instead of talking out of his ass.

 

[Dionysian]

I'll add: Okami may be RANKED in the top 10 but at NO POINT was he truly one of the ten best fighters in the UFC MW division.

There is just no way of looking at this where this was a bad move.

One of the most obvious Zuffa-PR-accounts on Sherdog. Imagine the chances of this guy saying this when Okami was fighting Silva for the belt haha. 0.000% chance.

Literally %100 post-rate geared solely towards PR-damage-control.

 

[jjjjjjjjjjohnny]

Agree 100%

 

[justblaze717]

your point?

he is a top 10 athlete by UFC's own rankings.

If they want to cut under performers, then they need to cut at the bottom, not the top 10.

Since when does being a top 10 athlete mean that you can't be cut?

Mir and Overeem are both top 10 and the loser will be cut next fight.

 

[RyanRAW]

I'll add: Okami may be RANKED in the top 10 but at NO POINT was he truly one of the ten best fighters in the UFC MW division.

Ahhh.... Yes he was top ten for a long time, and still was before the UFC cut him.

How the hell can you say a man that has multiple top ten ranked wins in his career at NO POINT was a top ten ranked fighter?

Your post is an eyesore nay reading your clear hateful bias is damaging for the brain as well.

 

[kflo]

can't really agree with you, since...you know... UFC wants to be like NBA or NFL...

Bottom line you seem to miss is that there's a HUGE conflict of interest in being a BUSINESS and owning a SPORT.

UFC wants to OWN a sport, but conduct it like BUSINESS.

they are not the same thing.

the ufc doesn't want to be a seasonal sports league like the nba or the nfl. of course.

the ufc wants to own the ufc. they can't own the sport and they obviously don't want to. they want to be the leader in the sport. they are.

there will always be reasons why the ufc doesn't have every single top fighter in the world. they don't own the sport.

 

[MrKilroyT]

Ridiculous counter point.

What has happened here isnt akin to a team releasing a player.

Its akin to the NFL releasing the Philadelphia Eagles.

Kindly take your own advice, and stop posting absolute bullshit as commentary.

The world of sport has been around a lot longer and is a lot bigger than the UFC, and Dana just showed that whole world his ass.

I can see you are happy to join him as a laughing stock.

That's the dumbest analogy I've seen yet. If you wanna make that analogy it's more akin to the Baltimore Colts moving to Indianapolis. The Colts weren't making money in Baltimore (Okami isn't making the UFC any money) so they moved to Indy (the UFC moved Okami off their roster to be replaced by a fighter that might actually generate revenue).

 

[Rizzo]

The UFC might as well change their name to the UEC (Ultimate Entertainment Championship) now and save themselves the trouble in the near future when the few people out there who are still blinded by their intentions finally realize who they really are.

This article is fantastic and hopefully more mainstream media picks up on this and follows suit. I love how uncle dana once again slams his customers (who keeps him in business) and calls us all idiots and that hes "been doing this for 13 years". News flash Dana, the sport is older then 13 years and I for one have been following the sport much longer than 13 years. Whos the idiot?

Okami is not a very marketable fighter in the US but he is however in Japan. Cutting a perennial challenger that you are already way underpaying makes no sense business wise when Okami is one of the very FEW Japanese fighters in a market that the UFC desperately wants to get.

The UFC claims to be the premiere MMA organization but they do not even know what the word MMA even means. Okami is a MMA fighter in its truest form, MMA is not all highlight reels as it encompasses all martial arts and not just boxing and kickboxing to which the UFC is only seemingly interested in.

Giving title shots to people who are skilled at talking trash (Diaz, Sonnen) on losing streaks and cutting fighters who actually win their fights is blasphemy. As long as Dana and company are running things, we can expect to see the UFC fall from the top a lot sooner than later. And its a shame too, for those of us who remember the dark days it seemed like the UFC was prime to finally make MMA one of the the mainstream sports but alas greed has gotten in the way and it seems it will be all for nothing in the end.

 

[XgenTapOut]

I was headed here to post this and got pwned by TS. Great job!

This is a great article and is exactly why I have the UFC and Sherdog links in my browser under "Entertainment" and MLB and NFL under "Sports."

Dana wants to be bigger than these two competitors but has never said he wanted the UFC version of MMA to be a legitimate sport. He runs the company like a sports promotion and constantly blurs the lines. Most of the time I can stomach what the UFC does but too much keeps me from being a diehard anymore and buying PPV's. Things like killing every legitimate competing organization and release good fighters or not solving the weight cutting issue just continue to drive me away and back to real traditional sports.

 

[chaosclown17]

Inb4

Yahoo is for fucking idiots.

I agree though. With Yahoo that is.

 

[Shaddows]

Since when does being a top 10 athlete mean that you can't be cut?

Mir and Overeem are both top 10 and the loser will be cut next fight.

LOL
yeah, but are they 3-1 in their last 4 fights???

Let me help you out. Here:

 

[kflo]

it's fine to think that it's not a smart business decision to cut okami. i don't like it myself. but just understand that the ufc as a business will always need to make business decisions they feel are in their interests, and understand you won't agree with them all. there will be good fighters that aren't employed by the ufc.