Anyone go from hardcore to casual fan?

[Breakage]

I'm more casual but far from a casual fan. I still very rarely miss a card and try my bet to catch as many of the fights on a card as I can.

 

[Lowercase p]

Nope, I'm still a pretty hardcore fan. I watch every show and all of the Prelims (I sometimes miss the Facebook Prelims though).

 

[Primebeatz]

I havent ordered a PPV for a while now. I dont give a shit if I miss events anymore, and dont really watch TUF at all (for several seasons now). Been watching since the mid-90s, but my interest is waning anymore.

Luckily, I have boxing (which is fantastic lately) to take satisfy my combat sports bloodlust.

I was gonna say this and add that boxing has always been fantastic.
I still really get excited/upset about the old pride guys fighting though.

 

[SirMezmo]

I was a mixed martial artists addict, now I am recovering. My wife and I had a baby, we gave up cable for Netflix and HULU and I am slammed with work. I used to get many of the PPVs until events were happening twice a month. So now I catch old TUF episodes on HULU, I am on Sherdog a few times a week, and I read the play by play on Sherdog for events I wish I was buying. So I am a casual fan with hard core roots. I don't recognize the names of non-past or present champs and title contenders. When I ready play by play, I skip down to names I recognize. Been watching Fightmaster on HULU, I like that show. I like the UFC pressers and youtube behind the scene stuff but unfortunately I miss most of the live events. I'm ok with it though. I buy PPV if Anderson is on or if someone else in my house wants it which is rare.

edit: LOL just take a look at my Avatar from when he was champ!

 

[Mazdak]

That's funny -- I definitely went from a hardcore fan to a casual fan much like you described. Honestly, I don't know what it is. Maybe less exciting fights, maybe it was just a phase; I'm not sure.

 

[nightfx]

Yes

 

[God of Thunder]

jones vs gus
barao vs wineland
khabib vs healy
carmont vs phillipou

if you think that's a watered down card, you need to jump off a fucking bridge.

Jones is the only name I recognize. Who are the other guys?

 

[Fujita]

I don't find it as exciting as I used too, the best days for me was 2001-2009..

I still follow the sport but I will miss a card sometimes, a lot of weak cards the past year.

A lot of my favourites are retired now, Chuck, Fedor, Hughes, Shogun, Wand, Nog are way past their primes..

I enjoy a few of the new breed like Pettis and Jones.

 

[The Judas Pig]

No. Now theyte televising all the preliminary card I couldn't be more obsessed.

 

[Wand4Life]

My passion for it fairly accurately followed the Japanese scene.
I still watch most UFC's, every Bellator..etc, but everything since has just sort of become re-hashed fodder of watered-down content and automated commercialism/hype.

3am, smoking joints, watching live from Saitama Super Arena... best it will ever be.

 

[opie]

yeah. i used to be really hardcore. now i'm generally apathetic

i mainly just watch boxing now. the skill level difference is huge (speed/timing/footwork/head movement)

if you watch boxing, then watch mma, it seems like the mma guys are punching in slow motion

 

[Fujita]

jones vs gus
barao vs wineland
khabib vs healy
carmont vs phillipou

if you think that's a watered down card, you need to jump off a fucking bridge.

Looks it to me.

 

[opie]

I was gonna say this and add that boxing has always been fantastic.
I still really get excited/upset about the old pride guys fighting though.

same here

 

[Ryocale]

I don't find it as exciting as I used too, the best days for me was 2001-2009..

I still follow the sport but I will miss a card sometimes, a lot of weak cards the past year.

A lot of my favourites are retired now, Chuck, Fedor, Hughes, Shogun, Wand, Nog are way past their primes..

I enjoy a few of the new breed like Pettis and Jones.

My story as well, except I was a just bleed type of fan during 01-03.

 

[chaosclown17]

I pray that they are taken down and dominated by someone at some point.

But please, keep going.

As for the actual subject, nah. I have become more hardcore. I've started paying more attention to Bellator (looks like I might have missed the boat on that one), fights on AXS, and I keep appraised of the bigger foreign leagues as of this year.

I don't know all the fighters on the Bellator roster, or the UFC for that matter, but I never miss a card.

 

[Sturm]

I used to watch all things mma for a few years, now if I record a free card I end up skipping half the pre lims and sometimes even a main card fight or two

 

[Trybz]

I kinda bounce around follow it pretty good over the summer but once football basketball get going I don't watch quite as much still a fan though year round

 

[rerard]

3am, smoking joints, watching live from Saitama Super Arena... best it will ever be.

Wish I could have been part of that.

I agree with TS mostly, I don't even know anyone who orders cards on a regular basis anymore. I guess technically I'm still watching as many cards as before, but there are so many more now.

 

[SWATCOP]

I no longer follow UFC/MMA like I used to. I still enjoy the sport, and I follow the champs, but I'm completely out of the loop regarding many up and coming contenders. I look at fight card results and many names I don't recognize at all. Used to be I knew something about everyone on the main card at least. I'm not bashing the sport or declaring it ruined by this or that...just wondering if anyone else has experienced the same thing.

I know what you mean. I think maybe, ironically enough, that it was the more casual fans that actually made me back off the sport a bit. Listening to the drunken idiots that all act as though they're experts talk shit, the death of Pride FC (I know, get over it, already),the wannabe tough guy douchebags with the spray-on tans and stupid tats that always seem to infest all the events, etc....I know this sounds really elitist, but is there anyone else out there that used to wear Tapout shit back in the day, but refuse to wear it now, because douchebags have ruined it? Remember when a Tapout shirt indicated the wearer probably knew a lot about the sport, and possibly even trained on some level? Now 13 year-old fat kids wear the shit. I still love the sport itself, though boxing is my first love, and I prefer it, but maybe it's just some of the latest generation of fans (a guy the other day at the gym didnt even know who Crocop was!) that have turned me off.

 

[Little Mac]

I still love MMA in general and still consider myself a pretty knowledgeable fan been watching since 93 as a kid with the Old UFC's ,Vale Tudo Japan and Pride. Do I still watch the UFC Fights when they come on??? Yes if I'm able to catch them. I will admit however I really do not like watching the fights where the fighters are just using Stalling and LnP tactics to win the fight.


However I did enjoy the Main Card on the Brazil UFC event on Fox, I really loved the BJJ and Grappling clinic that Rafel "Sapao" and Tor Troeng' had. Beautiful Sweeps and Scrambles from both fighters and just all around a good fight.


I still enjoy the UFC but I'm kind of leaning towards ONE FC. However I will admit I will always miss and be a Huge Pride fan.