Should Bellator bring back "Fight Master" to build up prospects?

[TheBrownRanger]

I feel like if Bellator revived their old "Fight Master" show, it could bring eyes to new prospects This could work better than their "smash cans on the undercard" approach.

Fight Master was considered a bust because it came down to journeymen, Mike Bronzoulis and Joe Riggs, in the finals. If they give it a second go, Bellator should avoid putting journeymen and has-beens on the shows. Sure, throw some cans in, but not too many.

The way they are building up prospects really isn't working. They use classic Japanese matchmaking that not a lot of American fans buy into. It's hard to take a college prospect seriously after they beat up a 2-4 guy when the prospect has a perfect record. Sure, It's understandable when the prospect has less than 4 fights. Once they are one a 4-5 fight winning streak, it's time to cut that shit out.

Joey Davis, Ed Ruth, and Tyrell Fortune would have more attention if they won "Fight Master" rather than "I beat a bunch of unqualified opponents on the undercard". Even guys like M'Pumbu had more eyes on them after they won a Bjorn tournament. Why not try to do the same with college prospects?

Thing is, Bellator needs new homegrown stars fast. I tried thinking of Coker-Bellator homegrown stars and all I thought of was Rafael Carvalho. The rest made their name in the Bjorn era.

Would you agree that they should bring back "Fight Master" or nah?

 

[Kassitus]

I actually liked it. Not sure if it will do good ratings though.

 

[Kingz]

If they can. Maybe execute it better. It was silly having Joe Riggs in there with a bunch of noobs. I thought the coach judging concept was pretty cool.

I’d rather them make an Unleashed style show though.

 

[Falconkick]

If they did it again with coaches like Liddell since hes in talks with Bellator.. Have him as a coach, Wanderlei Silva as a coach, Rampage as a coach, and Frank Mir as a coach. Who the coaches are is going to determine the ratings....the coaches the first time around though talented fighters/coaches I feel are the reason the show did not get better views


Those names would get people to tune in just too hear tips/advice/stories and see their training routines and then inevitably get people behind the future prospects on the show

 

[mime]

needs to be something completely different.

heres how you do it bellator.

- 16 fighters
- a gym with 4 levels/floors
- each round a fighter moves up to the next level like the game of death
- first level the fighters fight in a boxing match
- second level they fight in a grappling match
- third level is a kickboxing match
- final level they fight an MMA match to be the true fight master showing no weakness in grappling or in striking by passing each level, the final level is a culmination of the skills, the winner will not be one dimensional but a true fight master
- no teams, every man for themselves
- each level has a an instructor for that specialty
- kareem abdul jabar makes an appearance
- since bellator wants to promote their kickboxing too, this is a way to highlight kickboxing somewhat as well

 

[ThunderL1ps]

I thought it was odd they gave up after one season. There was some potential there, but they shot themselves in the foot by having Riggs in the tournament. That wasn't going to end well and it didn't.

They could go big budget and fly the fighters to exotic locations/hell holes and do a cross between Survivor and the Ultimate Fighter. Put fighters in sensor deprivation chambers and when they take them out and they find out they are in Siberia where Karelin is there to transform them from snowflakes into men.

 

[MiroHa]

I forgot that happened

 

[flyingscissorsheelhook]

Only if they don't let the winner leave immediately after winner to go fight for the ufc. What the hell were they thinking?

 

[DesiredUserName]

mixed feelings. Always thought it was a clone of TUF. But I watched; so, I wouldn't mind if they revived it.

 

[AGEZ909]

About 6 people watched fight master last time around.

 

[Hardcore MMA]

Bellator should poach fighters from season 1 of Pro Fight League and focus on the actual Bellator brand for now. Their ratings are hurting.

 

[chrisdiaz]

I remember the promos were so awful I never bothered to watch. Just do a Dana whites contender series show during the week so I have MMA to watch and your all set.

 

[EndlessCritic]

Bellator should build up prospects the same god damn way they used to: Bring back the 8 man tournaments.

 

[dsdoubled]

If they did it again with coaches like Liddell since hes in talks with Bellator.. Have him as a coach, Wanderlei Silva as a coach, Rampage as a coach, and Frank Mir as a coach. Who the coaches are is going to determine the ratings....the coaches the first time around though talented fighters/coaches I feel are the reason the show did not get better views


Those names would get people to tune in just too hear tips/advice/stories and see their training routines and then inevitably get people behind the future prospects on the show

I thought the coaches were awesome. Joe Warren, frank, Randy, and Greg Jackson breaking balls as they vie for fighters was pretty fun. I think its a proven concept and could do well.

 

[dsdoubled]

Bellator should build up prospects the same god damn way they used to: Bring back the 8 man tournaments.

I agree with you. For all the shit that Bellator and Bjorn get/got, the tournaments did create an initial wave of legit world class fighters that people actually cared about.

 

[dsdoubled]

I feel like if Bellator revived their old "Fight Master" show, it could bring eyes to new prospects This could work better than their "smash cans on the undercard" approach.

Fight Master was considered a bust because it came down to journeymen, Mike Bronzoulis and Joe Riggs, in the finals. If they give it a second go, Bellator should avoid putting journeymen and has-beens on the shows. Sure, throw some cans in, but not too many.

The way they are building up prospects really isn't working. They use classic Japanese matchmaking that not a lot of American fans buy into. It's hard to take a college prospect seriously after they beat up a 2-4 guy when the prospect has a perfect record. Sure, It's understandable when the prospect has less than 4 fights. Once they are one a 4-5 fight winning streak, it's time to cut that shit out.

Joey Davis, Ed Ruth, and Tyrell Fortune would have more attention if they won "Fight Master" rather than "I beat a bunch of unqualified opponents on the undercard". Even guys like M'Pumbu had more eyes on them after they won a Bjorn tournament. Why not try to do the same with college prospects?

Thing is, Bellator needs new homegrown stars fast. I tried thinking of Coker-Bellator homegrown stars and all I thought of was Rafael Carvalho. The rest made their name in the Bjorn era.

Would you agree that they should bring back "Fight Master" or nah?

The problem with guys like Ruth, Davis, Fortune, Pico, and other monster athletes/prospects is getting logical opponents to accept fights with them. And though I feel they could do better, it seems one problem Bellator has had is their homegrown stars knocking each other off constantly.

 

[CC27]

Viacom aint wasting money on that shit anymore thats for sure. Even TUF is played out now but they have a contract with Fox so they have to do it. Once UFC gets a new tv deal I doubt TUF sticks around, better off doing Contender series which is great.

 

[FKA]

Tuf is 5 years past mattering at all ......

Bellator would be wasting money like they did first time round.

THEY NEED TO TELEVISE PRELIMS!!!!!!

put on a 4 fight prelim show before events and do a version of Strikeforce challengers where they can feature prospects.


Bellator has some good prelim action we miss every card because they use them as bait for ppl to go to the website to watch but they still could do that.

Just put the good fights on a 4 fight card prelim then stream the regional lower end guys.Works for everyone........Bellator gets to showcase more of it's talent and those guys who would normally go untelevised get more exposure.The regional and amateurs get more exposure by bring featured on the website.

 

[Norman Khabib]

I think Local events with 1 potential star headlining would work better, like Strikeforce used to do ... SF Challenger series? a ton of fights, a chance for a star to be born and everyone gets some exposure without potentially stinking up a big event.

 

[TheBrownRanger]

Tuf is 5 years past mattering at all ......

Bellator would be wasting money like they did first time round.

THEY NEED TO TELEVISE PRELIMS!!!!!!

put on a 4 fight prelim show before events and do a version of Strikeforce challengers where they can feature prospects.


Bellator has some good prelim action we miss every card because they use them as bait for ppl to go to the website to watch but they still could do that.

Just put the good fights on a 4 fight card prelim then stream the regional lower end guys.Works for everyone........Bellator gets to showcase more of it's talent and those guys who would normally go untelevised get more exposure.The regional and amateurs get more exposure by bring featured on the website.

They don't televise the prelims because the ratings would be terrible. Bellator televising prelim fights during the main card usually results in collective groans on these forums. Mitrione vs Nelson made around 400k viewers. Imagine what ratings Joey Davis vs Ian Butler would make. Most of the college prospects will eventually make television anyways. Either way, they probably won't sell anything to the casual audience right off the bat. It wouldn't be much different than today's situation

Some of the college prospects are already starting to be added to the main card. No reason to have 5-0 randos fighting each other on TV. Cops re-runs before Bellator serve as a bridge for some viewers.

Fight Master would attract more attention than televising prelims. Fight Master had a concept of "coaches" which could include legends of MMA like Rampage. This would help get eyes on prospects. The idea of winning a prospect building tournament would at least get hardcores to take a fighter seriously.