Jon Fitch: MMA has been shrinking since 2008 due to monopoly of UFC....

[Ogata]

This is the second half of his long interview. After his personal life, he talks about MMA and UFC.

He says that " fastest growing sport" is a tagline and UFC is growing but MMA has died down since the end of 2000s. No pride fights, local fights don't generate interest and fighters being treated like pimps and hoes by Dana sets a bad example that its ok for fans to talk shit which leads to a smaller talent pool.

Overall he implies that although Pride might do sneaky shit with fighters, they had deep respect with fighters in public which led to them being looked upon in a more dignified manner in the eyes of fans while today, a fighter is like a dancing monkey and if promoter can shit talk them then why not fans?

38:30:




This segment of the interview was much better and optimistic than the first half.


EDIT:

Also he mentions that the UFC tells fighters what to say and not to say ( I can confirm because I have talked to Riggs and he said the same thing} and the Reebok uniform takes fighters individuality away and it doesn't allow them to be expressive. It feels like communism.

 

[The Chosen]

Red pilled in all aspects. Hespect. Funny he mentions MMA has been on the decline specifically since 2008 though which is when he lost to GSP. Dumb shit like the contender series definitely does reinforce the dancing monkey claim, that’s all guys like Sean O’Malley are - dancing monkeys.

 

[Deleted member 465145]

Fitch with the truth bombs. Love that guy.

 

[You Will Vote For Dreyga]

Okay, Jon Fitch is just being straight up delusional moron on this one.

The UFC is actually funding massive efforts to expand the sport on a global scale.

One such effort they are funding is the IMMAF. The International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) was founded on 29 February 2012 as the international governing body for amateur Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). The goel of this orgainization with the aide of the UFC is to make MMA an Olympic sport.

The UFC is also funding concerted effort to build the sport in China by building a Performance Institute in China that is actively recruiting and training HUNDREDS of MMA fighters in the country to not only increase the overall skill level of fighters in China but create a large number of Chinese stars to fuel popularity.

In addition to this the Performance Institute is creating a program in which they visit various MMA gyms across the country in which they provide them resources and instruction that will them to better train people in MMA.

The UFC also has plans to create performance institutes to help grow the sport of MMA by recruiting and training HUNDREDS of MMA fighters in key markets around the world.

The UFC also funds and supports Invicta FC and all female promotion the has become crucial to the growth WMMA within the sport.

Not to mention the UFC is actually paying smaller regional promotions across the globe substantial money to put on shows that that are broadcast on their UFC fight pass streaming service.



Granted, they aren't doing this out of the kindness of hearts.... the UFC is trying to make the sport popular in order to make more money but claiming that the UFC is causing MMA to shrink is a LIE.

 

[Naoya#1]

BKFC is the future

Also, no one gives a shit about mma aka UFc is more popular than MMA.

 

[cade187]

I don’t think MMA has declined; I think it just stopped growing.

 

[The Chosen]

I don’t think MMA has declined; I think it just stopped growing.

Doubt. MMA has exploded with its social media presence... there’s just no way it hasn’t experienced growth since the late 2000s

 

[Ogata]

I don’t think MMA has declined; I think it just stopped growing.

I am not sure. I mean for me, I have no interest like before because back then fighters may not have been evolved but they had unique characteristic and having their own sponsorship made them distinguished and unique. You also had pride and Élite as well as strikeforce which made it very exciting because UFC had to really work to promote with primetime and catering to athletes.

 

[cade187]

Doubt. MMA has exploded with its social media presence... there’s just no way it hasn’t experienced growth since the late 2000s

Yeah it’s definitely grown since then, I think it stopped growing much later than that. Conor and Rousey were the peak for MMA interest. The last 3 years or so is the timeline I’m referring to.

 

[austinblair]

Anyone that saw a local pro am show 10 years ago vs today knows Jon Fitch is spitting nothing but TRUTH. MMA is not the spectacle it was ten years ago.

No one really cares if you trane UFC now.

 

[Ogata]

Yeah it’s definitely grown since then, I think it stopped growing much later than that. Conor and Rousey were the peak for MMA interest. The last 3 years or so is the timeline I’m referring to.

I agree, I feel that the peak was 2012 to 2015. It was during the time with Conor and Ronda being massive superstars, Paige and Sage were hitting the scene and it looked packed.

 

[danny23]

I want to think he’s deluded but will give him more credit and assume he’s saying this to prop up his era.
Post 2015 UFC is MMA at its biggest.
I know people who have never watched a fight but know who is Khabib. Ronda at one point was among the most popular athletes. Conor is the biggest star MMA has seen.

 

[HHJ]

Nothing this guy says is ever even close to the mark lolololol

cry more about your missed groupie oppurtunities you roided lay and pray LOSER

 

[Chosen]

:sniper:

 

[HHJ]

Im so sick of everyone saying "ohhh it wasnt like before!" People were saying that 10 yrs ago,and i didnt listen to their autistic shrieking then either.

There's the door!

 

[Ogata]

I want to think he’s deluded but will give him more credit and assume he’s saying this to prop up his era.
Post 2015 UFC is MMA at its biggest.
I know people who have never watched a fight but know who is Khabib. Ronda at one point was among the most popular athletes. Conor is the biggest star MMA has seen.

I agree, when Conor beat Aldo, it was like the most insane moments. It was like the world was exposed to a new aspect of reality. No other fighter generated that much interest. But losing to Nate really killed that momentum. But still, it was one of the biggest moment.

 

[The Chosen]

:sniper:

Johny is the Chad he wishes he was

 

[JayE]

It's absurd to say it's shrinking, even if there are still definitely questions about the ability of the sport to continue to expand and have concrete staying power.

 

[King in the North]

Thanks, incel Jon Fitch. Hope your ex-wife is enjoying her “ho phase” that you believe she missed. Hope she didn’t take all your monies.

 

[BobsyaUncle]

Fitch talks a lot of nonsense. He's a bitter man.