Poll: Do you consider the UFC to be a legitimate sports league?

[daltonames]

Of course it's legit. That's why I train UFC. I'm legit as fuck bro.

 

[Thunderchild]

No.

 

[Torrid]

MMA really has one of the saddest most self-loathing fan bases.

It's really pathetic.

Here's Mike Brown's take:

“I think it used to be you would find it was 80 percent merit, and 20 percent entertainment/money to make the fights,” he told MMA Fighting at the UFC 208 Ultimate Media Day. “Now I think that it’s almost 80 percent money than the merit of who deserves the fight. I honestly didn’t see it coming so quickly.”
​

I like this quote. It's very matter of fact and succinct.

Of course you like it, it aligns and affirms your view.

It offers no actual fact to substantiate the claim though.

 

[kflo]

Here's Mike Brown's take:

“I think it used to be you would find it was 80 percent merit, and 20 percent entertainment/money to make the fights,” he told MMA Fighting at the UFC 208 Ultimate Media Day. “Now I think that it’s almost 80 percent money than the merit of who deserves the fight. I honestly didn’t see it coming so quickly.”
​

I like this quote. It's very matter of fact and succinct.

Except its not rooted in fact. Look back at the history. It’s always been this way. Again the guys at the top today have almost universally earned it. Colby may be a loud mouth but he’s won fights. That’s the reason he’s where he is. Conor won his way to the top. There are very few exceptions. Back in the day you had bj fighting for titles he didn’t earn. Randy fighting for titles he didn’t earn. Tito being protected. Title shots coming from TUF. Brock has always been Brock. A slew of guys who had little merit fighting for the title. It’s rose colored glasses that make it look different.

 

[BEATDOWNS]

It’s impossible to run an mma org like another league. It will always be flawed.

IFL tried and where successful for a period of time. Not sure exactly why they folded. I liked that concept tho..

 

[IGotAHugePeckah]

It’s impossible to run an mma org like another league. It will always be flawed.

Nah it's not impossible, you just run it like a real sport: a legitimate ranking system with CONSISTENTLY ENFORCED rules, no letting guys skip the line because they sell more tickets. Nothing is left up the whim of a dictator, there are rules in the book and everything is done by the book.

 

[Fraz]

Pro wrestling is as much as a sport as mma

 

[Franklin U.]

From the responses, I'm like SHOCKED unless t.s meant in different way ( I read and I would've used different vernacular in the title ).
I mean can people consider the sport/ownership " shady" based on peds and salary- ok , absolutely understandable. I mean what does that make the GAME of golf ? I consider it a GAME of skill but not a sport and compared to todays cage fighting/mma , it's a punchline joke.
UFC is not only a sport but its mainstream and they call espn home.
This is a head scratcher

 

[BEATDOWNS]

From the responses, I'm like SHOCKED unless t.s meant in different way ( I read and I would've used different vernacular in the title ).
I mean can people consider the sport/ownership " shady" based on peds and salary- ok , absolutely understandable. I mean what does that make the GAME of golf ? I consider it a GAME of skill but not a sport and compared to todays cage fighting/mma , it's a punchline joke.
UFC is not only a sport but its mainstream and they call espn home.
This is a head scratcher

what would be a good title?

 

[Kvothe_the_kingkiller]

Of course you like it, it aligns and affirms your view.

It offers no actual fact to substantiate the claim though.

Except its not rooted in fact. Look back at the history. It’s always been this way. Again the guys at the top today have almost universally earned it. Colby may be a loud mouth but he’s won fights. That’s the reason he’s where he is. Conor won his way to the top. There are very few exceptions. Back in the day you had bj fighting for titles he didn’t earn. Randy fighting for titles he didn’t earn. Tito being protected. Title shots coming from TUF. Brock has always been Brock. A slew of guys who had little merit fighting for the title. It’s rose colored glasses that make it look different.

All very true.

I'm just an asshole with an opinion. Whereas we all know and respect Mike Brown, and assume his opinion comes from a place of knowledge (an assumption you cannot and should not make about me).

So his opinion has a lot more merit than mine. More weight. It doesn't make it fact, and you guys can absolutely disagree with him. Cheers.

 

[91 seconds]

I picked other. It could be but the rankings are fucked. Its half sport league half WWE. It would be even better if there were all kinds of cross promotion.

 

[Kvothe_the_kingkiller]

Pro wrestling is as much as a sport as mma

Ahh. Then we have to differentiate between sport and competition

It is certainly very physical. But not competitive. Is non-competitive cross training a 'sport'? How about spin class?

 

[Franklin U.]

what would be a good title?

I dont know (I'd have to think where you going with this- and I agree with the things you said in op). I just wouldn't not consider it a legitimate sport. I'll try and get back.

 

[humdizzle]

Nope. But at least Dana runs the thing like a dictatorship. Don't like the fight you got? too bad. you gotta fight or get leap frogged. No "money team" or "golden boy" productions and all that crap.

 

[kflo]

Nah it's not impossible, you just run it like a real sport: a legitimate ranking system with CONSISTENTLY ENFORCED rules, no letting guys skip the line because they sell more tickets. Nothing is left up the whim of a dictator, there are rules in the book and everything is done by the book.

what is a legitimate ranking system? how is it consistently enforced? it will never exist. they aren't salaried employees. they get hurt. they fight infrequently. what you are imagining can't exist.

 

[Herenze]

Much of it is a joke tbh

 

[kflo]

All very true.

I'm just an asshole with an opinion. Whereas we all know and respect Mike Brown, and assume his opinion comes from a place of knowledge (an assumption you cannot and should not make about me).

So his opinion has a lot more merit than mine. More weight. It doesn't make it fact, and you guys can absolutely disagree with him. Cheers.

he may be more emotional and have a more personal connection about it but it doesn't mean he has a broad perspective about it. again, the evidence is there. the same stuff was always a factor. it's magnified now through social media and mainstream media but it's always been driven by business.

i respect mike brown but i also would challenge what he's saying. again, the majority of the top guys earned their way up there. almost universally.

 

[Satsui Ryu]

Somewhere between the major sports organizations and WWE, but closer to WWE.

 

[BEATDOWNS]

I dont know (I'd have to think where you going with this- and I agree with the things you said in op). I just wouldn't not consider it a legitimate sport. I'll try and get back.

Well if Brock gets a title shot it clearly shows rankings are meaningless and that it is a popularity contest more than anything that can be considered legit.

Brock should be fighting Stipe for number one contender..

 

[kuka45]

Well if Brock gets a title shot it clearly shows rankings are meaningless and that it is a popularity contest more than anything that can be considered legit.

Brock should be fighting Stipe for number one contender..

If you consider UFc as "sports league" Brock shouldn't even fight Stipe...common. Tybura...maybe.