How important is a win/loss record to YOU as a fan of the fighters you support and winning titles?

[GSP Rush]

Obviously we want our favourite fighters to win and win titles that's a given but in the bigger picture how important is this to you?

For me it's not really, of course I want them to win, I'll be made up seeing my fave fighters win titles and want nothing less if they want this however I still love the fighters just as much as they are fantastic fighters that come to entertain.

For example Gaethje said himself he doesn't care if he wins or loses he just wants to fight and put on the most entertaining fights for the fans, of course ideally he wants to win but the thing he mentioned is what he strives for more so and that's more important to me than winning titles or having win streaks.

Cub Swanson is another, he's on a bit of a losing streak at the moment, not a bad one but he is and yet he's still one of the best fighters to step foot in that cage and brings fantastic fights every time, he's probably not going to win a title and isn't ranked now but that doesn't matter, he's still one of the best in my opinion and nothing will change that.

If they have heart, give 100% and bring the best fights then for me that's enough, win streaks and titles are just a bonus when our fighters achieve this.

However how is it for you, how important is it that your fighters have a good win record and more so winning that title?

I'd love to hear (remember there's no right or wrong, just individual preference).

 

[Pequeño Corey]

Not important at all, which is why I'm a BJ Penn and Nate Diaz fan.

 

[Nate banged my mom]

Im not a casual

 

[GSP Rush]

Not important at all, which is why I'm a BJ Penn and Nate Diaz fan.

I respect that, specially with the BJ Penn thing as people are forever knocking him which I don't think is needed but yeah, I hear you and agree.

It's like with the Gaethje thing I mentioned, he goes in to fight, he probably could play it a little more safer and have less losses on his record but he takes those risks for the sake of bringing a good fight and I respect that.

As I say nothing wrong if people feel it's important their fighters have a good win record and win titles etc.. but for me this matters more, I'm not really that bothered if they don't ever win a title although I'd like it and be made up of course if they did if you get what I mean

 

[GSP Rush]

Im not a casual

Is that what it's down to though? I'm sure hardcore fans have the same vibe of it being important to them which as why I say no right or wrong with this

 

[IDGETKTFO]

fighters are only as good as their last win so it goes hand in hand, if they lose they are no longer my fav hense no longer relevant

 

[PicoPulse]

You keep steppin in there and imma keep watching

 

[GSP Rush]

fighters are only as good as their last win so it goes hand in hand, if they lose they are no longer my fav hense no longer relevant

Really? I can't do that, you hear that comment quite often and I get it as to where it's coming from but I don't overly agree with it, sometimes fighters have bad nights, off nights etc... which isn't a reflection of them, it doesn't mean they're no longer good or relevant.

It sounds very fickle to me but as I say there's no right or wrong so I get that

 

[donkeypunch2012]

Mark Hunt was one of the most exciting fighters for a while and usually held a losing record.

 

[Jojomojo]

Obv the day after the loss it bothers me, but in the long term its fine. Its also annoying to deal with all the casuals making fun of a fighters record.

 

[GSP Rush]

You keep steppin in there and imma keep watching

Good way to put it, I like that

 

[GSP Rush]

Mark Hunt was one of the most exciting fighters for a while and usually held a losing record.

Yeah, it's like I say with Gaethje sometimes these fighters take risks that can cause them losses to bring better fights, I like that much more than them playing it safe and winning titles.

I can understand when people say Mike Perry is one of their favourite fighters for example.

Obv the day after the loss it bothers me, but in the long term its fine. Its also annoying to deal with all the casuals making fun of a fighters record.

Yes, Cub is a prime example of that for me at the moment, I'm not disappointed in him at all if he loses but it does bother me at the time simply because I want him to win, this is why this Gracie fight is really important to me because I want that win for him so much but if he does happen to lose, he's still the same Cub Swanson to me and he's no doubt one of the best to ever step foot inside the cage.

 

[Agmkreptile]

I become a fan of fighters randomly for various, odd, reasons.

Renan Barao because he has an awesome nickname

Mighty Mouse because hes a gamer

Stipe because I thought his Croation checker shorts were cool

Usman was my first wrestling coach

Edson and Sexyama cuz they're handsome

 

[GSP Rush]

I become a fan of fighters randomly for various, odd, reasons.

Renan Barao because he has an awesome nickname

Mighty Mouse because hes a gamer

Stipe because I thought his Croation checker shorts were cool

Usman was my first wrestling coach

Edson and Sexyama cuz they're handsome

The thing is their personalities also do play a huge part in it for a lot of people so I get that.

 

[Zebra Cheeks]

Depends on thenfighter. I would watch Whittaker and Adesanya even if they loss half their fights. The same can not be said about Khabib

 

[GSP Rush]

Depends on thenfighter. I would watch Whittaker and Adesanya even if they loss half their fights. The same can not be said about Khabib

Is Khabib one of your favourites though?

 

[Zebra Cheeks]

Is Khabib one of your favourites though?

I tune into his cards even if the rest of the card is shit. If I spend $60 to watch YOU fight, then there’s a large appeal to me as a fan. And I can’t say the same about all fighters I support. I don’t ride his jock strap though. I think his personality is quirky and perfect for his story in the ufc, but would be boring without the hype

 

[IGotAHugePeckah]

I think it's mainly casuals and n00bs who obsess over win/loss records. What's most important is the quality of wins.

Take Randy Couture for example - 19-11. Not exactly a pretty record, and I see know-nothing casuals use this to slander him and diminish his legacy.

But these casuals will never understand the quality of his wins. How impressive it was to beat Vitor when he was the 20 year old invincible phenom, Mo Smith, Randleman, Pedro Rizzo.

And then when everyone thought he was washed up... come back and stop Chuck Liddell, who was looked at as the uncrowned king of 205, a guy so feared even the dominant champ was ducking him. And then dominate Tito, who dominated the division for years prior.

Then fast forward a few years and AGAIN everyone thinks he's finished, he's washed up, he's 44... and he comes back and dominates Tim Sylvia for another HW title and beats young gun Gonzaga who just KTFO Crocop.

You can't appreciate that shit by looking at two numbers next to each other. I'll take Couture's record over your 20-0 built up on bums and no-names.

 

[GSP Rush]

I tune into his cards even if the rest of the card is shit. If I spend $60 to watch YOU fight, then there’s a large appeal to me as a fan. And I can’t say the same about all fighters I support. I don’t ride his jock strap though. I think his personality is quirky and perfect for his story in the ufc, but would be boring without the hype

Yeah, thats the thing with Khabib I can understand that because it's more his dominance, wins and streak he's on too that people are intrigued to watch, they might not be a fan of him in a huge way but because of this it brings a different angle of wanting to watch I think like "Will he dominate Dustin as well" kinda thing, so that's why I can understand how with him it may be different unless of course you are a fan specifically then it'll be the same as watching any other fighter for you if that makes sense

I think it's mainly casuals and n00bs who obsess over win/loss records. What's most important is the quality of wins.

Take Randy Couture for example - 19-11. Not exactly a pretty record, and I see know-nothing casuals use this to slander him and diminish his legacy.

But these casuals will never understand the quality of his wins. How impressive it was to beat Vitor when he was the 20 year old invincible phenom, Mo Smith, Randleman, Pedro Rizzo.

And then when everyone thought he was washed up... come back and stop Chuck Liddell, who was looked at as the uncrowned king of 205, a guy so feared even the dominant champ was ducking him. And then dominate Tito, who dominated the division for years prior.

Then fast forward a few years and AGAIN everyone thinks he's finished, he's washed up, he's 44... and he comes back and dominates Tim Sylvia for another HW title and beats young gun Gonzaga who just KTFO Crocop.

You can't appreciate that shit by looking at two numbers next to each other. I'll take Couture's record over your 20-0 built up on bums and no-names.

Yeah, you make a good point about win quality too, I know I refer to Cub a lot (simply cause he's one of my faves) but when you think about his fights, even in loss they've been great fights and not even bad losses, I mean a lot of them are decisions too as well as the submission losses but they're not really bad, he's just lately been on a streak of a few losses which is why I get it from what you're saying here and what @Jojomojo mentioned about fans making fun of a fighters loss record, it's annoying.

It's like lets say if Cub happens to lose to Gracie in October, you know for a fact there's going to be fans who will say this and it's like "Really", we know what he's capable of bringing and can bring and even in loss he never brings a boring fight, he always brings it basically so when you say about Randy and the quality of his wins I get it cause it's not just the opponents who are great wins there with him but the performance he brings in general, it's that what you love, respect and is great about these specific fighters, not whether they have a win or loss on their record.

And like what you say about people saying he was washed up, he's a great example because how many fighters go through these periods of that, quite a few we'll find and yet later they'll come back and be on a roll again, sometimes they just need to get their mojo back or whatever, sometimes they're just on an unlucky streak, it doesn't mean they are no longer good or relevant and how many times have we seen fighters come from that to people raving about them, Masvidal for example, he's on fire right now but it wasn't that long ago he was very inconsistent but that didn't mean he wasn't good, he just found his fire and same with Cowboy, sure he's just lost to Tony and Gaethje but he just beat Al (and how good is a win over Al) so I get what you're saying 100%.

And I hear you about the fast forward a few years, he's washed up, 44 thing ... it's ridiculous, I understand completely about the age thing to a degree but people put way too much emphasis on that as it's not always the case, it depends how they've looked after themselves, how beat up they are and how much they still want to step in there and do it after so long all makes a difference, I mean people talk about Cowboy in this regard which I get as he's been around so long but his opponents aren't really that much younger than him, in fact Lawler is a year older than Cowboy (37) and then you've had Gaethje (31), Iaquinta (32), Tony (35), Masvidal (34) etc.. and people don't talk about them retiring, it's not really that much difference in age but I can see where people mean and see it differently as Cowboy as been around a while where as these guys mainly seem in their prime or coming into their prime but he's still only 36 lol

Anyway, great post, I get you completely in regards to all that and it was really good, I appreciate your input

 

[deltapapha]

there are 'winners' and then there are great fighters. These are not always the same. I prefer the latter.