Are you happy with where MMA is and going?

[JustOnce]

The WEC and Strickforce days was a WAY better time to be an MMA fan. One example being the refs actually let dudes fight. Meaning fighters could actually make a comeback from being virtually dead and win. I've seen so many crazy comebacks that just wouldn't have happen in today's mma landscape. I miss the shit outta those times.

always thought Varner was the best one out of the lot before he got wrestlefucked by Cerrone.

 

[JustOnce]

It has potential. USADA IS GONE. They hired this company to bring in legitimacy, they got it, and shit got less entertaining. Their credit went up, but not much popularity.

Theyll have another agency, but I'd be blown the fuck away if it's the same strictness.

Glad pussies are gonna get sand in them again.

prob would be better without usada but sounds corrupt af

 

[JustOnce]

I’m just along for the ride
I miss the ZUFFA days though

zuffa just has a better ring to it imo

 

[JustOnce]

UFC dying confirmed.

No, I think what we need is a real competitor for the UFC to drive up competition and wages. The UFC would have to raise its standards if it had to compete. That is tough sledding though, not easy to compete with a dominant org; it would take someone with savvy. Hopefully the anti-trust lawsuit will make some kind of changes.

i think eventually onefc will fold too...i just think both onefc and pfl sucks to begin with. onefc is only good for mt/kickboxing/bjj

 

[JustOnce]

I'm happy that more people know about it now. I used to have to explain what UFC was to people back when I started to watch it, so now a lot more people are aware of it. Plus, it's now legal in New York as well as Melbourne (Victoria Australia). That being said, I do miss when UFC had more competition with Pride & other smaller orgs. Plus, different rules in Pride like soccer kicks & stomps to head.

talking about australia, who knew possible fw goat would come out of there and guy like Rob? pretty shocking.

 

[JustOnce]

Ufc mma is just as bad, morally debased and corrupt as the world is right now. Ufc is the new fuckin world order

well that's the only one worth following left

 

[JustOnce]

I don’t like the watered down cards and the merit less rankings and title shots but it’s mma, it’s more prevalent than ever so overall I am happy

i'm more of an outsider, wish it didn't become so mainstream lol

but yeah one day they decide to shit out these made up rankings lol

 

[JustOnce]

Nobody is happy on this forum.

some are, some are.

 

[markys00]

Mostly yes. But the judging has become pretty bad. Only getting worse, especially with the absurdly stupid idea of implementing more 10-8s and, dare I say, 10-7s.

That would make the sport soooo much worse. There are a few more little things, but that's the big one

 

[JustOnce]

It just felt so much more raw and gritty pre-2014. The Gladiator opening followed by Face the Pain, the UFC trying to make champions out of the most dangerous and animalistic fighters as opposed to the biggest talkers and characters, and the unique personality it had. There were many MMA organizations before but the UFC stood out due to how unique it was, forget the quality of fighters for a second. Even to the small details like the fighters having different shorts with different sponsors, TapouT and the overall theme Gold and Black theme that the previous broadcasts used. Nowadays it just feels like your typical sports program on ESPN now and more of a spectator sport for people who use TikTok as opposed to a martial arts contest. MMA outgrew us martial artists/martial arts fans and moved on to a more resourceful audience and is making a killing doing so. Maybe we need to move on too.

Anyway, $4 a pound.​

if i'm honest, never was too into that intro vid, but the music i liked a lot lol

i can't move on maybe lol

 

[markys00]

No, it's aggregating and depressing more than happy. For example, look no further than the Jones vs Stipe/Aspinall situation, it's all complete bullshit. Then you have weak watered down cards time after time again. It's a far cry from just 7 years ago. And don't get me started on the UFC's fighter pay. When people jokingly say the UFC is dying, it's kinda true now. It's not dying but it damn sure isn't as good as it use to be.

The only real bright spot is One Championship imo.

The watered down card thing is a myth. They've mostly stuck to the same formula since the beginning.

 

[Ladder Master]

1. The ruleset has STILL not been fixed (knees to a downed opponent amongst the most obvious).

2. Excessive weight cutting not addressed. Fighters cutting
25 plus pounds is absurd.

3. Insane PPV prices. $80 plus a required ESPN +.

4. Champs not defending very often, in their own weight class.

5. Fighters are not able to have their own sponsors as in the past.
UFC has total control.

6. Sloppy and overweight HW division. Very Shallow.

 

[JustOnce]

Dana is intentionally making the UFC shitty to make new fans of power slap

lmmmmmaaaaaaffffooooo i wonder if some sherbros actually watch that garbage. i know some of us def watched Yamma Pit.

 

[JustOnce]

You're still young sir.
Not many people my age still have optimism and enthusiasm.

Im one of a small percentage that still holds on to those things as a positive.

 

[JustOnce]

The Pride ruleset was better.

I can only like MMA so much with UFC and Dana White at the top.

It's big enough to be a real sport now. But it isn't. Sports are meritocracies where the best advance and their PPV sells are irrelevant.

I miss tournaments more than anything else.

elbow + soccer kicks would complete it.

there's too much politics involved to call it a sport.

 

[Khaosan]

We have a BMF belt, so no.

 

[Killer Kadoogan]

The year of 30th UFC anniversary is over. Time flies, especially when it comes to following MMA. It feels like just yesterday when there was this irish kid coming to UFC with nice knock out power with slick angles and precise combos, but that Irish kid is one of the biggest combat sports star of all time now. Back then, watching JMMA early in the morning was a pain in the ass, but no more do we have any orgs worth staying up for. YAMMA pit happened, but now we have even dumber PowerSlap and Bareknuckle.

There are no more PRIDE, WEC, Strikeforce, Affliction, Dream/Sengoku, K-1 Hero’s and so on. Rizin used to be decent with fighters like Jiri, Nemkov, Kape and so on, but you know, if you look at their cards, it’s unfortunate. PFL and ONEFC aren’t much better. Bellator were really the only org that carried the last torch of hope, but they got bought out by PFL this year.

UFC successfully weeded out possibly boring but excellent fighters like Shields, Fitch, Okami, Romero, Mousasi, Bader, Corey, Davis who likely have derailed exciting prospects over the years and selectively brought on board very few elite level wrestlers majority of whom seems to have gone onto Bellator. They are careful in making stars out of someone with lesser skills like O'Malley with favourable match ups all the way to the top, the fighter who would have never in his wildest dreams won the Bellator BW GP. I say this as the only guy who I know that had O'Malley as a better striker on Sherdog than Petr Yan long before that fight happened, and I lived on Sherdog for a long, long time.

Coming into this year, there aren't all that many exciting prospects to look out for. There's no more Bellator, and no more organization left that can hold a candle to UFC. MMA has fully gone mainstream, and I'm not sure if we go back 20 years ago to when first getting into MMA, if it was as mainstream as it is now, I may not have gotten into MMA at all.

I know people tend to error when looking back as if the past has been better. I don't think I am making the same error when I say the past days of MMA that will not be repeated has been the brighter one than MMA now and where it is headed.

It's a pity, but the life goes on.

And who was the genius that worked on this new Sherdog forum design? But I digress.

Agree with many of your observations and takes. I will say this. It is time to branch out and realize what the UFC is. Like you have pointed out, they weed out those jon fitches, okami types who have derailed the more "exciting" fighter. you know the UFC is now in it to give favorable matchups to those who they want to win, want as champion. they protect their "stars." it is time to branch out and just realize the UFC is what it is now, an entertainment league, with actual very few that would qualify as truly "elite" or "championship material." most of the roster is played out. It's time to dial it back, and fall in love with the other aspects of MMA. I would suggest getting into kickboxing / muay thai. GLORY, K1 Rebirth, Rise are all fire stand up organizations. ONE obviously with their muay thai / kickboxing in the MMA gloves. If you want that old school taste of the JMMA, consider subscribing to DEEP / Pancrase on youtube, pretty cheap, entertaining for what it is. For pancrase english commentary, subscribe on youtube, change VPN to Japan, bam. Rizin is another one worth watching in the modern era. They have built up legitimate fighters, know how to acquire good talent, good matchmaking, good shows as of late. Jiri / Manel Kape, former Rizin fighters. They've got a good thing going, and it feels more stable/successful than DREAM. There was only one event in 2023 of Rizin, a "Landmark" one that failed to meet expectations, the rest have all been pretty good.

 

[Gentan]

I won't be as interested once all the old heads are gone.
I usually don't even pay attention when I see a card is mostly full of fights like

Robles vs De Jesus
Michaels vs Park


.....

No one gives a shit about these no name cans.
They might be ok fighters and I definitely don't mind seeing two folks fight, I just have no interest in seeking it out.

 

[witt1021]

Mostly yes. But the judging has become pretty bad. Only getting worse, especially with the absurdly stupid idea of implementing more 10-8s and, dare I say, 10-7s.

That would make the sport soooo much worse. There are a few more little things, but that's the big one

personally i think bad judging hasnt gotten worse or better. for well over a decade we suffered with cecil peoples as a judge.

 

[KungFuFoo]

mma died when izzy became champ.
evidence - my eyes and ears.