is it disrespectful the way UFC exploit legends on the downside of their career

[skullmaskkid]

by putting them against up and comers to get beaten?

made guys like Schaub look better than they were, and gave guys like Andrei and BJ way too many losses they didn't need

not happy they gave BJ to Yair, that's not how you send a legend out. Give him a freeby like they gave Urijah

 

[Blanqa Blanqua]

Kinda.

They should just create a Legends league.

It'd stop them going elsewhere, keep fans happy too.

But that's win win win.

Dana wants himself to win, and specifically for all others to lose out.

 

[DetachedOrchid]

Wtf

Real fighters don't handpick their opponents. Also BJ is getting paid..its not volunteer work.

 

[Pierced7681]

Bj thinks he can still go, let him bang!

 

[777 Others]

by putting them against up and comers to get beaten?

made guys like Schaub look better than they were, and gave guys like Andrei and BJ way too many losses they didn't need

not happy they gave BJ to Yair, that's not how you send a legend out. Give him a freeby like they gave Urijah

I don't know........is it wrong that we'll all watch?

 

[bambammccoy]

Lil nog vs Rumble is a clear case of this that hurt to watch.

 

[lyndon955]

seems obvious to me that fighters should be matched with people around their level
BJ shouldve fought Siver, not a young up and comer like Yair
why the f is Arlovski fighting Ngannou and not Mark Hunt or someone like that

 

[effervesciata]

by putting them against up and comers to get beaten?

made guys like Schaub look better than they were, and gave guys like Andrei and BJ way too many losses they didn't need

not happy they gave BJ to Yair, that's not how you send a legend out. Give him a freeby like they gave Urijah

BJ Penn isn't going to quit if he wins. Clearly. He didn't even want to quit when he lost in tragically bad fashion. What they should be doing is giving him a gimme fight for their own profits, so they can start hyping the return of BJ Penn and put him into a huge title fight.

 

[OneManGang]

Perhaps these "legends" should fighting the legendary Bellator instead such as Tito and Rampage.

 

[Damon3388]

I understand this won't be a popular opinion, but I'm actually in favour of transitioning out fighters who are over, say, 35-36 years old. Yeah, a lot of big names could then go to Bellator or Rizin and draw eyes to their product, but the UFC could then position themselves as the home of elite fighters in their prime, and not a place for older guys living off past reputation to still collect a cheque. On paper, it might look like you're gutting some divisions just for the sake of it (especially the heavyweight division), but IMO it'd be a worthwhile move to transition (over the space of a couple of years, with some reshuffling and renegotiation of contracts) to a younger roster.

 

[nostradumbass]

No. It's a pretty hard thing for fighters to admit to themselves that they just don't have it anymore, and some of these guys need to get worked over to finally understand that they should retire.

 

[Cylence]

If Penn had come out and said that he only wanted fun fights because he was feeling his age but still wanted to compete then yes, it would be disrespectful, but that's not the case. Penn's still talking about a third world title in as many divisions. He wants to fight the best just like he always has, and always did.

It's B.J. Penn. It just wouldn't feel right if he fought some scrub.

 

[felmmando]

No; the legends are certainly in a position to decline a fight if they don't want it. And Dana White has encouraged more than one over the hill fighter to call it quits.

 

[felmmando]

I understand this won't be a popular opinion, but I'm actually in favour of transitioning out fighters who are over, say, 35-36 years old.

I don't like this suggestion. It would exile older but perfectly capable fighters like Daniel Cormier or Randy Couture while retaining young, faded fighters like Diego Sanchez. How credible would the new champion look if he gets the title simply because its former holder turned 35 and was "transitioned"?

 

[DougGuntMMA]

It's the UFC there are no easy fights

 

[Phronimos]

Not from a business point of view.
All fighters benefit from more eyes on the sport.
If they are exploited, they are helping the next generation as the "exploited" generation before helped them.
We all go around the wheel.
Nobody remembers Ali's or Tyson's later careers,
They remember them in their primes.

Linus Pauling and Leo Tolstoy kind of went nuts later in life, but that's not how they are remembered.

 

[P4p Islam]

by putting them against up and comers to get beaten?

made guys like Schaub look better than they were, and gave guys like Andrei and BJ way too many losses they didn't need

not happy they gave BJ to Yair, that's not how you send a legend out. Give him a freeby like they gave Urijah

Shitty thread.

Lol.

 

[g*r*b]

I don't like this suggestion. It would exile older but perfectly capable fighters like Daniel Cormier or Randy Couture while retaining young, faded fighters like Diego Sanchez. How credible would the new champion look if he gets the title simply because its former holder turned 35 and was "transitioned"?

Sounds like it could be a film....Logan's Round.

 

[derrrrp]

yeah because a casual fan is gonna watch yair vs another guy they've never heard of

 

[Hardkore]

It's how combat sports work