MMA model has problems?

uppercuts21

uppercuts21

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I posted this in the boxing forum because the people here are alot more educated and since you guys are fans of boxing you have a better understanding of what works and doesnt work.

The problem I have with the way MMA is structured is that the best fighters are beginning to leave to different organizations.

Look at the heavyweight division in MMA: The best heavyweights are:

1. Fedor (Not in UFC)
2. Couture (not in UFC)
3. Big Nog (UFC)
4. Sylvia (leaving the UFC)

Than you have guys like Josh Barnett whos a good fighter but will never fight in the UFC.

Does anybody see this is as a problem that 3 of the top 5 heavyweights are NOT in the UFC.

In boxing, fighters arent tied to organizations and people may say that the best often dont fight the best but isnt it the same for MMA? In MMA the best cant fight the best if the best arent even in the same organization.

Im a huge boxing fan moreso than MMA and im starting to think that the boxing model might be the more effective model.

Any thoughts?
 
Kid McCoy explained it pretty well a few months back; the UFC follows a pro-wrestling model like the WWE with the exclusive contracts.

I don't feel like searching for it though.
 
Exclusive contracts blow hard. Soon I see MMA taking the boxing route. Some of the top guys deserve as much money as the top guys in boxing. At least a good chunk of the pie and not crumbs. Even ESPN2 fighters earn more than most of the top guys in MMA. Depressing.
 
There should be at least 3 big organizations like in boxing, with cooperation between trading fighters for fights. MMA only has one big org. like you mentioned. I agree, it is sad.
 
Boxing is hardly any better off, nor is it the model for MMA to follow.
 
The UFC does some things right and some things wrong..
Boxing has too many championships and weight divisions. UFC forces the best fighters to fight each other because there is only one way to claim your the best in each division.

That said, the ufc could take some lessons from boxing as well. I think the ufc should be forced to become a promotional company so that contract disputes didnt prevent us from seeing Couture, Fedor, Nick DIaz, etc.
 
Cracky said:
The UFC does some things right and some things wrong..
Boxing has too many championships and weight divisions. UFC forces the best fighters to fight each other because there is only one way to claim your the best in each division.

That said, the ufc could take some lessons from boxing as well. I think the ufc should be forced to become a promotional company so that contract disputes didnt prevent us from seeing Couture, Fedor, Nick DIaz, etc.
Click to expand...

UFC can only match up the best fighters who are under contract to them. Like the original post said 3 of the top 5 heavyweights are not in the UFC. So it is not possible to fight all the top fighters.

Alot of the MMA orgs have belts too but none of the fighters with belts ever fight eachother. For instance Chuck and Wanderlei should have had their fight when they were both champions. Instead we and they had to wait for Pride to go under so UFC could sign Wanderlei. By that time both guys had lost 2 straight and the fight was not as marketable or as anticipated as it once was.

In boxing there is really 3 real belts the IBF, WBA and WBC. There are guys in multiple divisions that have more then one title or all 3 major belts.
 
went to another mma event tonight. Strikeforce/Elite XC at the Tank...it was a room of ADD. I saw the most doublefisting since college. Lots of youngsters. Its going to take a creative plan/model to get MMA really rollin. The market is really tricky.

no way in hell 16,000 people were there. my boys and i guessed 9-10k
 
5acrossYOeye said:
went to another mma event tonight. Strikeforce/Elite XC at the Tank...it was a room of ADD. I saw the most doublefisting since college. Lots of youngsters. Its going to take a creative plan/model to get MMA really rollin. The market is really tricky.

no way in hell 16,000 people were there. my boys and i guessed 9-10k
Click to expand...

in a few days mmaweekly will have the real report from the California commission. will be very interesting to see what Shamrock and Le made and the real attendance and live gate results.
 
How does MMA not have too many champions?

In Welterweight, there's Matt Serra, GSP, Nick Thompson, Carlos Condit, and Jake Shields.

At Heavyweight, there's Big Nog, Randy, Fedor, and Antonio Silva.

Boxing doesn't have too many champions. It's the Ring Magazine championship that matters. At least Boxers care about unifying the belts. And you get all the good boxing bouts via ESPN or HBO.
 
bostonmma said:
in a few days mmaweekly will have the real report from the California commission. will be very interesting to see what Shamrock and Le made and the real attendance and live gate results.
Click to expand...

i could be wrong but there were 4-5 sections on the upper deck that were blocked with curtains and the top 3 or so rows were also empty. the lower bowl was pretty full but there were groups of seats unoccupied.

Le and Shamrock can fill seats in San Jose and I did like the respect between the fans.

i didn't really cared who won the main event as the only fight i had a rooting interest in was the melendez fight.
 
Tam-Tam said:
Boxing is hardly any better off, nor is it the model for MMA to follow.
Click to expand...

I agree somewhat. There needs to be freer competition between fighters, regardless pf orgs, like in boxing though.
 
there has to be something with a little boxing and a little mma to create the ideal model.

its a pretty interesting question
 
Nice info guys,

UFC is the biggest org in MMA and its the only org that your casual fan actually cares about.

Im starting to think that it really doesnt matter if the UFC doesnt have all the best MMA fighters in their org. As long as you have some marquee names you can sell your product.

Some of my friends are going to the UFC in Montreal and they dont even know who else is on the main card other than GSP/Serra.

UFC can sell off their name alone.
 
uppercuts21 said:
Nice info guys,

UFC is the biggest org in MMA and its the only org that your casual fan actually cares about.

Im starting to think that it really doesnt matter if the UFC doesnt have all the best MMA fighters in their org. As long as you have some marquee names you can sell your product.

Some of my friends are going to the UFC in Montreal and they dont even know who else is on the main card other than GSP/Serra.

UFC can sell off their name alone.
Click to expand...

exactly. UFC is a propoganda machine. they can give you a turd in a box, and tell you its the best thing ever. almost everything out of dana white's mouth is a gross over exaggeration. didn't he compare gsp to michael jordan(say what)?
 
yes...he did wear the 2008 pacific division champion sweater.

frank has just never won me over. he picked on an instructor of mine and put him out in like 18 seconds. i still hold a grudge.

why oh why did cesar decide to trade...

so you all know...once pronger returns the sharks are done in 5.
 
MMA model is communism and the boxing model is capitalism. neither are perfect but at least boxers have a choice.
 
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