Bellator is signing American wrestlers while the UFC is ...... not

[Jojomojo]

I see your point ts, but dont let yourself fool you. Even tho they all have decent records thats mainly against minor competition. Its not like we are talking about the next DC or Cejudo here.
On the other hand wrestlers like this are a) not exciting enough to promote and b) are too dangerous to be standard jobbers on the prelims. I dont necessarily agree with that view but believe this is how the UFC approaches this nowadays. Its not about having all the best guys from different backgrounds go at each other anymore. Its about finding the next McGregor.
Instead of scouting wrestler they are beginning to scout kickboxers.

Im not the biggest fan of collegic wrestling in MMA but its crazy how some current champs have become that without ever facing a decent wrestler.

 

[Mahkor]

What is the difference in MMA between one dimensional wrestlers and one dimensional strikers?

One dimensional strikers are fun to watch.

 

[Jpenwell14]

Just a rundown of the American wrestlers in Bellator:

Tyrell Fortune
Age: 29
Weight: 265 lbs
Height: 6'2

7-0 in MMA 7-0 in Bellator
5 finishes

Bellator signed him and gave him his 1st MMA fight.
Career Highlights

• 2014: Team USA Ranking No. 3 at 125 KG

Romero Cotton
Age: 28
Weight: 185lbs
Height: 5'10

3-0 in MMA 3-0 in Bellator
2 finishes

Bellator signed him and gave him his 1st fight.

50-10 (44-3 vs. D2 competition)
3-time All-American
2014 and 2015 national champ
2014 and 2015 MIAA champ

Logan Storley

Age: 27
Weight: 170lbs
Height: 5'9

10-0 in MMA 5-0 in Bellator
7 finishes

119-27 as a college competitor

Ed Ruth
Age: 29
Weight: 170 lbs
Height: 6'1

8-1 in MMA 7-1 in Bellator

Bellator signed him and gave him his 1st fight.

3 time NCAA Division 1 Wrestling Champ in Folk Wrestling
2 time World Wrestling Champ in Freestyle Wrestling

Ty-wan Claxton
Age: 26
Weight: 145 lbs
Height: 5'8

5-1 in MMA 5-1 in Bellator

Bellator signed him and gave him his 1st fight.

All-American status in Division 2 at the 141-pound weight class
Two time division 1 national qualifier

Joey Davis
Age: 25
Weight: 170 lbs
Height: 5'11

6-0 in MMA 6-0 in Bellator

Bellator signed him and gave him his 1st fight.

Two-time California State champion wrestler, three-time State finalist and two-time national champion in High School.
He was the third undefeated NCAA wrestler over a four-year career ever and the first wrestler in the history of the NCAA Division II to end his entire career undefeated. He finished his career with a 133-0 Division II record.

Jarod Trice
Age: 30
Weight: a few divisions
Height: 6'0

4-0 in MMA 4-0 in Bellator

Bellator signed him and gave him his 1st fight.

3 time All American









Now I remember many many years ago during the early shootings of TUF. I remember Dana White saying after a fight( I can't remember what one) he said, "If you can't get back to your feet then you don't belong here".
Where did that Dana go? Seems for the past few years Dana has hated wrestlers.

When the UFC does get wrestlers, they are normally foreign ones. They pick up foreign wrestlers and then pair them up with someone that doesn't have a wrestling base. That shit pisses me off so much because Americans are very good at wrestling. The UFC needs foreign fighters and most high level ones have a wrestling base so the UFC doesn't have a choice.

How is it that Bellator can sign so many wrestlers without an MMA record and we see they go undefeated or have a great record after a few fights?

Is Bellators scouting better than the UFCs now? Does the UFC feel like they don't have to go scouting for fighters? Does the UFC just not want wrestlers anymore, if they can help it?

I know Bellator has more wrestlers but I posted some that maybe you haven't heard of or that they fight now.

Don't just offer up the good ones. Pico, agazarm, the destruction of benson against koreshkov, the boredom of fitch vs rory. Make sure you get both sides of the coin so people understand, wrestlers have become very hit and miss

 

[POWER2]

Just a rundown of the American wrestlers in Bellator:

Tyrell Fortune
Age: 29
Weight: 265 lbs
Height: 6'2

7-0 in MMA 7-0 in Bellator
5 finishes

Bellator signed him and gave him his 1st MMA fight.
Career Highlights

• 2014: Team USA Ranking No. 3 at 125 KG

Romero Cotton
Age: 28
Weight: 185lbs
Height: 5'10

3-0 in MMA 3-0 in Bellator
2 finishes

Bellator signed him and gave him his 1st fight.

50-10 (44-3 vs. D2 competition)
3-time All-American
2014 and 2015 national champ
2014 and 2015 MIAA champ

Logan Storley

Age: 27
Weight: 170lbs
Height: 5'9

10-0 in MMA 5-0 in Bellator
7 finishes

119-27 as a college competitor

Ed Ruth
Age: 29
Weight: 170 lbs
Height: 6'1

8-1 in MMA 7-1 in Bellator

Bellator signed him and gave him his 1st fight.

3 time NCAA Division 1 Wrestling Champ in Folk Wrestling
2 time World Wrestling Champ in Freestyle Wrestling

Ty-wan Claxton
Age: 26
Weight: 145 lbs
Height: 5'8

5-1 in MMA 5-1 in Bellator

Bellator signed him and gave him his 1st fight.

All-American status in Division 2 at the 141-pound weight class
Two time division 1 national qualifier

Joey Davis
Age: 25
Weight: 170 lbs
Height: 5'11

6-0 in MMA 6-0 in Bellator

Bellator signed him and gave him his 1st fight.

Two-time California State champion wrestler, three-time State finalist and two-time national champion in High School.
He was the third undefeated NCAA wrestler over a four-year career ever and the first wrestler in the history of the NCAA Division II to end his entire career undefeated. He finished his career with a 133-0 Division II record.

Jarod Trice
Age: 30
Weight: a few divisions
Height: 6'0

4-0 in MMA 4-0 in Bellator

Bellator signed him and gave him his 1st fight.

3 time All American









Now I remember many many years ago during the early shootings of TUF. I remember Dana White saying after a fight( I can't remember what one) he said, "If you can't get back to your feet then you don't belong here".
Where did that Dana go? Seems for the past few years Dana has hated wrestlers.

When the UFC does get wrestlers, they are normally foreign ones. They pick up foreign wrestlers and then pair them up with someone that doesn't have a wrestling base. That shit pisses me off so much because Americans are very good at wrestling. The UFC needs foreign fighters and most high level ones have a wrestling base so the UFC doesn't have a choice.

How is it that Bellator can sign so many wrestlers without an MMA record and we see they go undefeated or have a great record after a few fights?

Is Bellators scouting better than the UFCs now? Does the UFC feel like they don't have to go scouting for fighters? Does the UFC just not want wrestlers anymore, if they can help it?

I know Bellator has more wrestlers but I posted some that maybe you haven't heard of or that they fight now.

 

[Rampage_Jackson]

Because Pride rules are dumb and they don't hurt wrestlers.
You should have gone with dropping the cage and using a ring but you didn't.

Pride definitely was anti-wrestling. Ask Rampage about the quick stand up against Wanderlei just before he got his head knocked to oblivion.

 

[EXOICHO]

Wake me up when any of them beat someone relevant. I would also guess that they ask for a salary that doesn't match their MMA experience or fame. If the UFC doesn't do something, it's most likely because they don't think it's profitable enough.

Let's also no forget how signing 0-0 Pico turned out.

Pico has only lost to legit high level guys

 

[GueseGuy]

Ufc wants to put on exciting fights

None of these guys are likely to get far tbh

Ruth just got a gift decision against some scrub after almost being finished

Only good prospect of the lot is fortune and thats mostly due to how terrible hw is

You’re fucking retarded. These are some of the best prospects in mma. Have you ever watched them fight? And what’s the shame in Ruth going through a tough battle against a guy like Jason Jackson? Is he supposed to wax everyone he faces in 10 seconds? Don’t be a casual and talk out of your ass. SF had how many wrestlers that went on to wear UFC gold? Cormier, Woodley, Romero. Don’t be a fucking idiot.

 

[DagOban**]

I dunno I feel like they have most of the best MMA wrestlers in the world.

Probably now, but they seem to focus on striking oriented fighters nowadays, instead of just focusing on the best fighters.

But I may be wrong...

 

[Bitcoin]

None of these guys have any crossover appeal beyond amateur wrestling fans. And they don't destroy Mike Tyson style that they will in the future. I actually thought Ruth would do Mark Kerr and Coleman type rampaging but the few fights I saw he looks beatable.

 

[Paynebringer]

I've actually gotten to see a few these guys apply skill in Bellator Fortune, Storely, and Davis, most impressed with Davis shows high level athleticism like most wrassler very tenacious as most wrasslers are I can see Davis & Storely doing UFC with in-depth specialized training to get big time cage stage ready...

 

[Hellowhosthat]

Probably now, but they seem to focus on striking oriented fighters nowadays, instead of just focusing on the best fighters.

But I may be wrong...

I think you're right to an extent, there are certain fighters that are probably UFC quality and wrestlers that they seem to avoid because they're seen as too boring such as Lance Palmer, Andre Harrison, Mateusz Gamrot etc. But they have picked up American wrestlers such as Hunter Azure, Alex Munoz, Deron Winn, Sean Brady and Miles Johns over the past year after they put records together outside the UFC.

I think another factor is everyone's takedown defence is so good now that being an all American wrestler no longer guarantees you can take UFC calibre opposition at will.

 

[DagOban**]

I think you're right to an extent, there are certain fighters that are probably UFC quality and wrestlers that they seem to avoid because they're seen as too boring such as Lance Palmer, Andre Harrison, Mateusz Gamrot etc. But they have picked up American wrestlers such as Hunter Azure, Alex Munoz, Deron Winn, Sean Brady and Miles Johns over the past year after they put records together outside the UFC.

I think another factor is everyone's takedown defence is so good now that being an all American wrestler no longer guarantees you can take UFC calibre opposition at will.

If the UFC doesn't lose sight of the best fighters, whatever their styles, then I'm satisfied.

It really should be their one and only concern.

 

[Phillyz]

They will all be exposed like Ruth and Caldwell were

 

[skobydog]

American MMA fighters are often uneducated, convicts, and/or recovering drug addicts so they'll accept less money vs American wrestlers who are educated and know they're worth more than the UFC is willing to pay.

 

[rjmbrd]

The UFC is a bad place to learn on the job. You can do that in Bellator because it still has plenty of appropriate fights to setup for green participants.

On average, the better wrestling prospects who find success and experience in Bellator and other orgs, will work their way to the UFC. Obviously you should not be signing 0-0-0 guys to the UFC, its dangerous and stupid for all parties.

Bellator is a GREAT place for guys to get experience.

 

[GueseGuy]

They will all be exposed like Ruth and Caldwell were

Ruth has 9 fights lol. How was he “exposed”?

 

[theleerygoose]

The problem for the UFC is that there popularity comes from having the best fighters in the sport. If Bellator keeps signing all the high level wrestlers that will no longer be true.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

The problem for the UFC is that there popularity comes from having the best fighters in the sport. If Bellator keeps signing all the high level wrestlers that will no longer be true.

It's not just the UFC that's to blame though, if they sign for Bellator then obviously they're under contract with them, if they take fights outside the big orgs for their first year or two and put together a 6-0ish record then they'll get picked up by the UFC.

Bellator is willing to pick guys up with no record and match them up with 2-13 type guys initially, no way UFC would ever sign people with those kind of records.

 

[theleerygoose]

It's not just the UFC that's to blame though, if they sign for Bellator then obviously they're under contract with them, if they take fights outside the big orgs for their first year or two and put together a 6-0ish record then they'll get picked up by the UFC.

Bellator is willing to pick guys up with no record and match them up with 2-13 type guys initially, no way UFC would ever sign people with those kind of records.

You have to change the culture some how, and the UFC is showing an unwillingness to pick up wrestlers from Bellator, like Askren. If bellator keeps snagging up the talent and can retain them, they will slowly start taking over the top 10 rankings. Its a big risk for the UFC to be passing on these guys.

 

[ArmenianAssasin]

You’re fucking retarded. These are some of the best prospects in mma. Have you ever watched them fight? And what’s the shame in Ruth going through a tough battle against a guy like Jason Jackson? Is he supposed to wax everyone he faces in 10 seconds? Don’t be a casual and talk out of your ass. SF had how many wrestlers that went on to wear UFC gold? Cormier, Woodley, Romero. Don’t be a fucking idiot.

Cormier Woodley and Romero were all well established mixed martial artists with wrestling bases prior to entering the ufc

Ruth thinks he’s a striker barely using his wrestling , horrible fight iq. Don’t care what his wrestling papers say he’s a mediocre mma fighter