Deadspin: Whatever Happened To The UFC?

[Scamrock]

the UFC need to can about 200+ fighters

But which ones? Who do you cut?

 

[riddleofsteel]

It's nothing like this - it's not like individual players are taken from A level teams and put onto shitty teams out of nowhere. That's what they do to Cub Swanson though... Take a great fighter and surround him with nobodies.

Other sports don't work that way. The same players take the field with the same team each time (99.9% of the time anyway), while fighters are traded to the internet dark ages on a whim

Other sports don't broadcast the games of their shitty or mediocre teams? There aren't teams with a few good players surrounded by mediocrity? Do you also call for those to be kicked out of their respective leagues?

If you don't like the card then don't watch it. If you don't like the night game then don't watch it.
If you don't want to sit through the nobodies then watch the Gamboa v Crawford fight on HBO, they're only airing 2 fights.
Then you can go over to the boxing forum and bitch about only 2 fights being aired.

 

[Scamrock]

1 difference is that the NBA doesn't try to promote the D-League or it's players as being "elite." The NBA more or less recoginzes the D-League as it's minor league, and occasionally players get called up to the big show when there's an injury or open roster spot, but most don't stay any longer than 1-2 weeks.

I think the writer was trying to say more or less that the UFC is tyring to promote minor league talent at times, yet charge the same admission price/viewing price for a less appealing event.

To sum it up, you don't want to pay NFL prices for XFL talent if you're a fan.

But most of these unknown prospects are competing on prelims and Fight Nights, not PPV main cards.

 

[Unbreakabull]

If you don't like the card then don't watch it.

That's what's going on. We're in the middle of talking about that, remember?

 

[Fists of Fire]

But which ones? Who do you cut?

All the women for starters.

 

[Scamrock]

Point is, they're promoting the fighters like they're elite, when they're not. The ratings/buyrates are dropping because the product is lackluster, and the fans are getting wise to it. Not to mention it's all just way too much.

This is why they should never have gotten rid of WEC.

Are they really calling Fight Pass fighters elite? You could make a case when guys like Machida and Gustafsson are on there. Yoh could even make the case for Swanson. He is a top ranked fighter. But I dont see anyone calling Nico Musoke elite.

But lets get back to this inferior product crap. If the UFC controls a larger % of top ranked fighters than ever before, how is tbat worse?

Also, what is wrong with the WEC merger?

 

[K1MMA]

All the women for starters.

I'd rather see Alexandra Albu fight Ronda,

than DJ and Tim Elliot. Scrap Flyweights.

 

[riddleofsteel]

terrible fighters and mismatches end fights all day. this point is meaningless

and you should be aware that the severe drop off in the ratings tell us either its not working anymore or that maybe the talent level is shittier or not as exciting/ interesting to fans as it once was, Maybe having the TUF'ers do the fight nights helped, after all they were tv stars first and foremost for the ufc

UFC Fight Night had 2 of their top 3 viewed cards this year.
Fight Night 42 just had 1.2 million viewers, 3rd most for a fight night & FN 36 did 1.4 million. So, where is the severe drop off for UFC Fight Night?

Besides trolling, exactly what do you want out of a Fight Night card?

 

[riddleofsteel]

That's what's going on. We're in the middle of talking about that, remember?

No, you're trolling especially considering that is all you addressed.

Go ahead and don't watch the card, real simple solution for you.

 

[Andy Capp]

Doesn't present the clearest picture of the Stephens situation, either through sloppy research or to further his own opinions. Because of that, and the author's butthurt tone, it reads more like a sherdog post than legitimate journalism.
Overall a shitty article, in spite of an easy batch of targets.

Also, calling out yellow or purchased journalism, while not adhering to accepted journalistic guidelines destroys your credibility on the topic.

Amen. The author destroys his credibility with his failure to grasp what the UFC trying to accomplish.

 

[jeremyemilio]

"The main event will feature New Zealander James Te Huna, who's lost two straight, and Nate Marquardt, who's lost three straight."

Sorry... but this right here is a pretty indisputable bit of evidence in support of the larger premise.

What a shit card.

 

[jeremyemilio]

Football fans dont complain about watching a division 2 game. NHL fans don't complain about watching a OHL game...

If the NFL fed them shit for 'free' and then wanted them to pay to watch any game that anyone gave a damn about (and even then only if they purchased a package that included several garbage games) football fans would get plenty irritated.

 

[Scamrock]

Any sporting event that a fan sits down to watch for 3+ hours requires a significant committment especially when the event is on a Saturday night. The problem with the UFC is they are putting on these 3 or 4 hour events and only using top talent for a fraction of the event. So now a fan has to sit through hours of stuff that they could take or leave to see the fight they want.

No other sports league could get away with that. Imagine the NFL or NBA if the all the rookies and journey played the first half and then the marquee players came out for the second half. There would be outrage.

Every ppv main card is pretty much top 15 guys except for replacement fights/fighters. Imagine if those sports only played guys in the top 15 at their position except for injury replacements.

 

[jeremyemilio]

Every ppv main card is pretty much top 15 guys except for replacement fights/fighters. Imagine if those sports only played guys in the top 15 at their position except for injury replacements.

Two things:

1. Standings.

2. Hometown teams.



Fighting is a different game, boys and girls. You want people to watch? You best come up with a reason.

 

[Scamrock]

Again, you confuse things. Before it was confusing prospects with random cheap fighters, now it's champs and stars are the same thing. Throwing a belt on some fighter is a lazy marketing strategy that doesnt really seem to work

More champs do not equal more stars.

Who are they throwing belts on? Every champ in the UFC has earned their title.

 

[riddleofsteel]

Two things:

1. Standings.

2. Hometown teams.



Fighting is a different game, boys and girls. You want people to watch? You best come up with a reason.

So a top 15 isn't a standing? Or a fight being a potential title eliminator isn't a reason?
What is it that you want then? You are saying you need more of a reason, what is it?

 

[Scamrock]

I don't understand why fans don't get this....or cable/ppv providers....

A fight is a fight is a fight.....doesn't matter who as long as its fair and not a mismatch.....

Why would anyone want to see Jones/Gus when they could be watching stephens/Swanson....


/sarcasm

This is seriously the dumbest argument I see posters make....if you like paying for garbage, be my guest....but to pretend that you don't understand that people paying for fights want to pay for RELEVANT and INTERESTING A level competition is just trolling.....

Of course you understand....there is no reason to play dumb just to fellate the UFC brand when the UFC has clearly over saturated the market with substandard irrelavent fights and fighters that will clearly never be in title contention.....

But the thing is, none of us know which of the fighters will or wont be contenders. Some of them will and some wont. When they brought in Jon Jones as a replacement fighter, did you know who he was? Did you think he was a future contender or was he just another no name they signed?

 

[Scamrock]

Two things:

1. Standings.

2. Hometown teams.



Fighting is a different game, boys and girls. You want people to watch? You best come up with a reason.

I watch. They must be doing something right because I enjoy the product a lot.

 

[Forever Young]

What a shitty article. I usually like Deadspin, but that was just uninformed and bitchy.

The potshots at Iole are misguided, but fine, because screw Kevin Iole lol, but there are some veiled jabs at Helwani and Bryant in there too. Just awful.

 

[Scamrock]

This is the antithesis of what the UFC used to be.....whole cards of relevant fights where there were at least 6 to 8 established stars, contenders and/or champions on every card...

It used to be exciting when a UFC event was coming up.....now its becoming a steaming pile of mediocrity.....80% of the fights really don't matter.'......

Name 5 old cards that fit your discription.