Comparing The Original UFC To Today's UFC

[Blackjack]

I really respect the fighters of the early days of UFC who weren't afraid to take on anyone of any size and to fight up to three times in one night. Most UFC fighters these days don't fight three times a year! That was what UFC was designed to be - it was No Holds Barred (NHB) fighting.

NHB was the purest form of fighting competition we'll likely ever see on a worldwide level.. MMA is a watered down version with tons of rules which allow fighters to win using strategies and techniques that would never work in a real life non-sport fight without weapons. The idea behind UFC used to be this: To find out what works best in a real unarmed combat fight. What techniques are the most effective in ho holds barred hand to hand combat? They don't care about that anymore so you see fighters in positions that would get them killed in a NHB fight.

Today's UFC is entertaining to a degree but it doesn't prove much about what works in a no holds barred fight. I found the NHB style of original UFC more entertaining and it was also interesting to see what really works in a fight where people aren't protected by all those rules and weight classes. It was about proving yourself to be the best of the best and I liked that..

 

[Ilovepizza]

ufc = wwe 2.0

 

[Arm Barbarian]

I really respect the fighters of the early days of UFC who weren't afraid to take on anyone of any size and to fight up to three times in one night. Most UFC fighters these days don't fight her times a year! That was what UFC was designed to be - it was No Holds Barred (NHB) fighting.

NHB was the purest form of fighting competition we'll likely ever see on a worldwide level.. MMA is a watered down version with tons of rules which allow fighters to win using strategies and techniques that would never work in a real life non-sport fight without weapons. The idea behind UFC used to be this: To find out what works best in a real unarmed combat fight. What techniques are the most effective in ho holds barred hand to hand combat? They don't care about that anymore so you see fighters in positions that would get them killed in a NHB fight.

Today's UFC is entertaining to a degree but it doesn't prove much about what works in a no holds barred fight. I found the NHB style of original UFC more entertaining and it was also interesting to see what really works in a fight where people aren't protected by all those rules and weight classes. It was about proving yourself to be the best of the best and I liked that..

I appreciate both.

The original UFC format was raw, and almost animalistic. And it was DAMN fun.

But I KNEW as soon as the senators and media started crying, it would have to evolve all the safety measures to survive.

 

[gevoudane]

UFC wasnt NHB. The UFC had more rules then Vale Tudo and Shooto. It was just marketed as a NHB contest.

 

[Arm Barbarian]

UFC wasnt NHB. The UFC had more rules then Vale Tudo and Shooto. It was just marketed as a NHB contest.

Yep.

No groin strikes or eye gouging.

Juicehead, Gus and Travis Browne would have been eliminated in the first round

 

[TheIrishPsycho]

I'd legit pay $60 a week for true NHB content.

No drug testing, no banned strikes including knees to downed fighter, soccer kicks, eye gouges, groin strikes - all should be 100% legal. 30 minute time limit, no rounds, no weight classes.

 

[LLD2008]

They should just mix in Pride rules like soccer kicks, just bleed

 

[AimedWithV]

I really respect the fighters of the early days of UFC who weren't afraid to take on anyone of any size and to fight up to three times in one night. Most UFC fighters these days don't fight her times a year! That was what UFC was designed to be - it was No Holds Barred (NHB) fighting.

NHB was the purest form of fighting competition we'll likely ever see on a worldwide level.. MMA is a watered down version with tons of rules which allow fighters to win using strategies and techniques that would never work in a real life non-sport fight without weapons. The idea behind UFC used to be this: To find out what works best in a real unarmed combat fight. What techniques are the most effective in ho holds barred hand to hand combat? They don't care about that anymore so you see fighters in positions that would get them killed in a NHB fight.

Today's UFC is entertaining to a degree but it doesn't prove much about what works in a no holds barred fight. I found the NHB style of original UFC more entertaining and it was also interesting to see what really works in a fight where people aren't protected by all those rules and weight classes. It was about proving yourself to be the best of the best and I liked that..

I'd legit pay $60 a week for true NHB content.

No drug testing, no banned strikes including knees to downed fighter, soccer kicks, eye gouges, groin strikes - all should be 100% legal. 30 minute time limit, no rounds, no weight classes.

Bare Knuckled Boxing is the closest you'll get for this.

 

[SuBB]

love the fish hook

 

[Blackjack]

I appreciate both.

The original UFC format was raw, and almost animalistic. And it was DAMN fun.

But I KNEW as soon as the senators and media started crying, it would have to evolve all the safety measures to survive.

It's amazing that as dangerous and as tough a fighting format the tournament was, the man who dominated was Royce Gracie - a guy who is the size of today's welterweights. Imagine a welterweight today who could beat any heavyweight. That would be impressive!

I hated the government and politicians getting into it. In what used to be and I suppose is still called "a free country", it's not the government's job to tell us what we can watch on PPV!

 

[gono btw]

I really respect the fighters of the early days of UFC who weren't afraid to take on anyone of any size and to fight up to three times in one night. Most UFC fighters these days don't fight her times a year! That was what UFC was designed to be - it was No Holds Barred (NHB) fighting.

NHB was the purest form of fighting competition we'll likely ever see on a worldwide level.. MMA is a watered down version with tons of rules which allow fighters to win using strategies and techniques that would never work in a real life non-sport fight without weapons. The idea behind UFC used to be this: To find out what works best in a real unarmed combat fight. What techniques are the most effective in ho holds barred hand to hand combat? They don't care about that anymore so you see fighters in positions that would get them killed in a NHB fight.

Today's UFC is entertaining to a degree but it doesn't prove much about what works in a no holds barred fight. I found the NHB style of original UFC more entertaining and it was also interesting to see what really works in a fight where people aren't protected by all those rules and weight classes. It was about proving yourself to be the best of the best and I liked that..

Sergio Batarelli [IVC Promotor]: 'Current MMA is a joke compared to what IVC was"

 

[TheIrishPsycho]

Bare Knuckled Boxing is the closest you'll get for this.

Yeah not for me.

I like the brutality that gnp gives as well as soccer kicks bro. I would also like to see taps from chokes ignored - the ref breaks it when you go out.

 

[Blackjack]

UFC wasnt NHB. The UFC had more rules then Vale Tudo and Shooto. It was just marketed as a NHB contest.

There was no eye gouging or fight hooking; that's it.. Groin strikes were legal. How many less rules did Vale Tudo and Shooto have? Couldn't have been more than 2 and I have no desire to see eye gouging or fish hooking. Remember Keith Hackney defeating Joe Son who tapped out to groin strikes?

 

[Blackjack]

I'd legit pay $60 a week for true NHB content.

No drug testing, no banned strikes including knees to downed fighter, soccer kicks, eye gouges, groin strikes - all should be 100% legal. 30 minute time limit, no rounds, no weight classes.

If you like eye gouging you should have liked the main event at UFC 226. They refuse to DQ anyone in UFC main events, no matter how many eye pokes he attempts.

 

[koquerelle]

There was no eye gouging or fight hooking; that's it.. Groin strikes were legal. How many less rules did Vale Tudo and Shooto have? Couldn't have been more than 2 and I have no desire to see eye gouging or fish hooking. Remember Keith Hackney defeating Joe Son who tapped out to groin strikes?

If you think there was no fish hooking, you haven’t watched Tank vs Taktarov

 

[Individualthoughtpatterns]

Fighters got way better and all of a sudden Royce wasnt fighting against white belts with 1 boxing glove on once he got them down.
Because of the skill level and the athletic level of the UFC today it would be too crazy not to have weight classes.

Hpwever I wish the UFC today had:
- 12-6 elbows legal
- knee to downed opponent legal
- PRIDE style yellow cards for stalling/not putting effort to the finish etc. Would have helped a TON in the Ngannou/BB fight or the recent Woodley fights for example.

 

[Blackjack]

If you think there was no fish hooking, you haven’t watched Tank vs Taktarov

I did see that fight, and on live PPV. Wasn't that a 15 or 20 minute fight in Denver? Taktarov barely won and it was a good fight. I think it was the night Tank made his UFC debut (UFC 6) and I wanted Tank to win. I don't remember the fight hooking though. Which one did it?

 

[littleralphy]

The early UFC's found out what style worked best though, and modern day MMA is the evolution of that.

They've added the rules and formats etc. for fighter safety. I think part of the problem with today's MMA is the same problem boxing has had since the 80's. Once the money becomes life changing, it takes a special character to retain that hunger to dedicate their life to it.

 

[Blackjack]

Fighters got way better and all of a sudden Royce wasnt fighting against white belts with 1 boxing glove on once he got them down.
Because of the skill level and the athletic level of the UFC today it would be too crazy not to have weight classes.

Hpwever I wish the UFC today had:
- 12-6 elbows legal
- knee to downed opponent legal
- PRIDE style yellow cards for stalling/not putting effort to the finish etc. Would have helped a TON in the Ngannou/BB fight or the recent Woodley fights for example.

I agree with all your suggestions. If your opponent is down and turtling, you should be able to knee him in the ribs, right? I'd add headsets to your list. Wrestlers like Coleman and Kerr were dominating, and they took away two of their best weapons so non-wrestlers would have a better chance. It was back in the days when friends wouldn't refuse to fight each other because they knew it was nothing personal. Yes, DC and Cain, I'm looking at you. That would have been a good fight. Do you think if Cain had beaten DC and then he saw DC crying like he did after Jones beat him, that Cain would have started crying at the sight of his best friend crying?

 

[AimedWithV]

Yeah not for me.

I like the brutality that gnp gives as well as soccer kicks bro. I would also like to see taps from chokes ignored - the ref breaks it when you go out.

Still closer than MMA..