Can we finally put an end to the notion that top level UFC fighters can only fight...

[HomunculusXV]

come up with a million excuses why it's absolutely physically impossible for a top level fighter (your favorite fighter) to fight more than twice a year.

Gee think you could set that goalpost any further away?

 

[Deleroux]

I say let the fighters fight as often as they want. The fighters who fight more frequently will have more attention, be making more money (potentially), have more opportunity to improve their standings/stats/record, and probably have better access to title shots.

And if fighters don't want to fight as frequently as the fighters who want to, that's fine, too. But they may be forfeiting some of these potential benefits in doing so.

Not everyone necessarily needs to fight as frequently as another fighter, even if it would be nice (especially when it comes to champs).

 

[xupacabra]

You are right, but it's just too often fans and fighters talk about 3 times or twice as year as the absolute most someone can somehow squeeze in a year. How it's physically impossible for top tier fighters to do more than that.

It's not a physical limitation, they just don't want to. They make enough money or just don't particularly enjoy fighting, it's a job and they want to do the least work possible.

This is the main reason IMO. And I totally understand that.

You all should understand it too.

 

[Bobo Boss]

I say let the fighters fight as often as they want. The fighters who fight more frequently will have more attention, be making more money (potentially), have more opportunity to improve their standings/stats/record, and probably have better access to title shots.

This could work in theory, but in practice, we have to account for Zuffa's hype machine giving more attention to whomever they deem more interesting. For example, Anderson Silva fought only twice a year from 2010 to 2013, and still he was getting mad publicity and money, a Nike deal and several media appearances, because Dana shilled hard for him and when he fought he did some flashy stuff (although not always, e.g. his fight against Demian Maia in 2010 was a snorefest).

 

[Valdemar]

LOL, of course I would. And as a amateur, I fought three times in 6 months and would have taken more if there were more opportunities.

And that was for free. I'd fight 10 times a year if I was getting paid.

And there's the catch. Why do you think fighters want a 12 week camp and come in close to a 100% ? Because they want to get PAID. If you come in unprepared and LOSE, you get CUT.

 

[Mr Domingo]

Cowboy is batsh*t crazy.
I think fighting 3-4 times a year is fine IMO. 4 would probably be ideal. Everybody is different though, how they recover, their preparation and all.

 

[AJ Garcia]

Thanks for sharing. Can you clarify what you mean by training non-stop?

Like are you training twice a day or three times a day? What time do you leave your house and what time do you get home?

So, there's a huge difference between what i'm doing and what most ufc fighters are doing, but i'm sure that didn't need to be explained lol

-I work from 7:30 to 4:30 monday-friday

-I get home from work and hang out with my son til 6:30 and then head to the gym until 9:30 and get home around 10.

-I train Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday and Sunday morning.

I have custody of my 4 year old son, so it gets hard when i have fights and don't get to spend as much time with him. My dad will watch him for me while i train, or sometimes ill bring him with me because he likes to come hang out with my team and watch. When we're done, he comes on the mat and wrestles with all of us and raises his hand. lol

Also, i was watching the countdown to Lawler vs Hendricks 2, and Robbie and his wife made it seem like he doesn't even get to see his family when he's in a fight camp. I'm sure top guys like that are in their gym 2-3 times a day, and if you don't live near your gym, they have rooms for you to sleep in. Robbie recently bought a house in Florida near ATT to get rid of that problem.

Thanks for asking, tho, and glad to share.

 

[Davemeddlehed]

I wonder what his average purse was and what his total earnings were over the years?

Probably not much if he was fighting around 30 times a year some years. I'd guess there are quite a few "$500 tournament winner" checks in there.

 

[BigBear94]

I don't think it's impossible to fight more than 3x a year. Considering they're facing the very best in their division, usually have families and have a lot more to lose than any other fighter in their division, I'd say it's pretty reasonable to fight only 2-3 times a year.

 

[7th]

Fun Fact: Lots of fighters have kids and families they like to spend time with so they can't spend the whole year training.

Lol.

Sounds like a whiny fan.

Do you want fighters to have no off time? To be training for fights constantly? Because that is what you are suggesting.

you morons don't realize they are already trained fighters. And yes they can train constantly if they want. Do you think people with regular physical jobs only work sporadically? They can train 6 hours a day and have plenty of time off.

 

[screaminleeman]

Can we finally put an end to the notion that top level UFC fighters can only fight at most 3 times a year? That they all need at least 4 months to recover, train, gameplan and promote a fight.

Just let that stupid idea/excuse die already.

Sure, most fighters cannot be a true warrior like Donald Cerrone, but I'm pretty sure most fighter strive to be about a half or a third of the warrior that Cerrone is (signing up to fight again in less than three weeks against another top 10 opponent). Fighers can definitely be able to prepare to fight within 2 months of any fight barring injury. Yeah, I said it, every two months. It's possible. Not always feasible, but it's easily possible.

But go and and hyperventilate and come up with a million excuses why it's absolutely physically impossible for a top level fighter (your favorite fighter) to fight more than twice a year. Go ahead. You'll just be wrong.

I'll try for you.

There is an average of 11 fights per UFC card. The UFC has never had 52 events in a year, but to even make the point stronger lets use a fight card every single week of the year. That is a grand total of 572 fights.

The UFC has over 572 fighters currently signed to UFC contracts on their roster.

572 fighters at 1 fight per year = 286 fights.
572 fighters at 2 fights per year = 572 fights.

That is your entire allotment of UFC slot fights for the entire 2015 uber absolute maximum. We have at this point fought ZERO fighters three times in 2015.

I don't understand why it is so difficult to understand that NO MMA organization has the number of potential fight slots in a year to support 10 weight classes with more than 30 fighters per weight class and get them 3 fights per year.

It is simple math. If the UFC wants to have fighters fight 3 or more times per year than they have to either remove weight classes or reduce lower ranked MMA fighters from ALL of the WC's.

Do you realize the UFC employs over 100 fighters in both the WW & LW divisions? You could barely get thos two WC's 3 fights a year for the those fighters!

 

[MaTaLa]

Take an anomaly and try to make it a standard. Guys like Cerrone don't come around very often.

And it has nothing to do w/ "warrior spirit" hell, he ain't doing it for free. Cowboy knows length of pro mma career isn't that long. He's getting the good while it can be got.

 

[Squarechoke]

Because no one is complaining about UFC putting on too many cards per year, right?

But sure, they can of course physically fight more often. Just as TS most likely could work a lot more than he currently does.

 

[Deleroux]

This could work in theory, but in practice, we have to account for Zuffa's hype machine giving more attention to whomever they deem more interesting. For example, Anderson Silva fought only twice a year from 2010 to 2013, and still he was getting mad publicity and money, a Nike deal and several media appearances, because Dana shilled hard for him and when he fought he did some flashy stuff (although not always, e.g. his fight against Demian Maia in 2010 was a snorefest).

Using one of the most exceptional, one-of-a-kind fighters as your example doesn't make the best case.

"Dana shilled hard for him," is a really bizarre statement. Dana is the president of the UFC. Silva was the champion of the UFC's MW division with a long career and a huge fanbase. Since when is a president of a business (the business of fight promotion no less) promoting the promotion's reigning and popular MW champion shilling? Do you know what a shill is? Dana is not a shill, and could never be a shill so long as he remains president of the UFC by definition. Like, what did you really expect? Dana to not promote AS?

Anyway, why shouldn't Zuffa promote whoever they want to promote? Zuffa, as a business, is going to do what is in their business interest. Promoting their products (fighters/fights) is in their business interest. Water is wet, the sky is blue.

Let the fighters fight however frequently they want, and let them compete with each other as much outside the octagon as a product just as they do inside the octagon as a fighter.

 

[Bobo Boss]

Using one of the most exceptional, one-of-a-kind fighters as your example doesn't make the best case.

"Dana shilled hard for him," is a really bizarre statement. Dana is the president of the UFC. Silva was the champion of the UFC's MW division with a long career and a huge fanbase. Since when is a president of a business (the business of fight promotion no less) promoting the promotion's reigning and popular MW champion shilling? Do you know what a shill is? Dana is not a shill, and could never be a shill so long as he remains president of the UFC by definition. Like, what did you really expect? Dana to not promote AS?

Anyway, why shouldn't Zuffa promote whoever they want to promote? Zuffa, as a business, is going to do what is in their business interest. Promoting their products (fighters/fights) is in their business interest. Water is wet, the sky is blue.

Let the fighters fight however frequently they want, and let them compete with each other as much outside the octagon as a product just as they do inside the octagon as a fighter.

I still think Anderson could have been a more active champion. Most of his fights were a treat to watch, it's a shame he had to undergo long periods of inactivity.

 

[egk]

 

[Haliacmon]

i CANT THINK how a fighter can survive with 3 fights per year, only champs and top 3 guys can afford a decent life, otherwise fighters have to find a second job to pay coaches and trainers... others just leave the sport

 

[ShreddinMMA]

you morons don't realize they are already trained fighters. And yes they can train constantly if they want. Do you think people with regular physical jobs only work sporadically? They can train 6 hours a day and have plenty of time off.

There's a difference in training 6 hours a day and actually being in a fight camp.

You make it sound like a fight camp is a typical day job. It's not.