The Third Best Fight Promotion Ever

[Buff]

Alright... Lets try and figure this out - we already know UFC and Pride are the top dogs, so lets for for third place... 3 votes each... Ive done my best to include gifs.

Fighting Network RINGS:
Famous for launching the careers of many stars back in 2000-2001. And for this non-punch.

Spoiler

Pancrase:
Famous for having a very complicated and limit ruleset, which belied an extremely entertaining promotion. Lots of grappling. Famous for the Shamrocks, Bas, and producing this gif as a result of all the above:

Spoiler

Affliction:
As famous for the spectacukar shows it put on as for its spectacular Barnett-induced destruction. And for this punch.

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Shark Fights:
Famous for having the GOAT conmentary team (Don Fry, Bas, and Quads), and giving old fighters a paycheque. No stand out highlights exist, but it was a good laugh.

DREAM:
Famous for having an honest attemptat taking over from where PrideFC left off, but falling way short. It was fun, and forgettable at the ssme time with mist if the big names treating it as a stepoing stone rather thana serious promotion. Also for this infamous momemt:

Spoiler

International Fight Legue (IFL):
Famous for finding a way to make fighting really complicated and having a lot of stars. also for this guillotine:

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World Extreme CageFighting (WEC):
Famous for being the original stage for the smaller guys to fight on. And for this kick:

Spoiler

Bellator:
Famous for slowly rising up from nameless cans fighting on unpromited shows to hosting the legends of the sport at the end of their careers. Formerly seen as unfashionable, constantly gaining pace. And for this finish:

Spoiler

Strikeforce:
The former contender - a long history of awesome fights, big names, launched careers, and so much more. Scott Coker gave us something else to look forward to to when Pride died. Tis was the first finish to come up on Google - i couldn't decide on one.

Spoiler

M-1:
Famous for being free virually everywhere, yet never really looking like it was going anywhere. Also famous for robbing us of Fedor in the UFC.


Vale Tudo Championships:
Famous for being absolutely brutal - "No Holds Barred" fighting when it was borderline illegal, groin shots were standard, and everyone that came through it at the top was a monster. Chuck, Wand, Pele, Goodridge - this was their world. Shit was brutal. People got hurt.

Spoiler

EliteXC:
Famous for being shady as fuck, yet still fun - never afriad to put on a freakshow or give aged fighters a payday. Nobody ever knew what was going on with them. Good providoer of new talent.

Spoiler

OneFC:
Fanous for being The Chinese alternative - different rules, almist Pride in a cage, except in a shady Chinese was with complicated rules. Could go anyway but has some great fights and some good fighters murdering bums. Also for this kick:

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WSOF:
Famous for being a dependable source of new talent, solid, but not so easily watchable for overseas viewers. Underrated, yet forgettable.

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Rizin:
Famous for being the new kid in town. Could it be the next PrideFC, or will it be another Bodog? Famous right now for flirting with Floyd, and its potential. And for Krazy Horse.

Spoiler

Let me know if I forgot any good ones.

 

[TheIrishPsycho]

Strikeforce.

I still get goose bumps from the opening theme.

Like PRIDE, legends were born in Strikeforce:

DC, Cain, Nick Diaz (improved his stock), Yoel Romero, Hendo (again improved his stock), Bigfoot, Overeem (stock improved), Rockhold, Robbie Lawler, Woodley, Tim Kennedy, Jacare, Giblert, Miesha Tate, Rousey, Mousasi , Werdum, Josh Thompson, Mayham Miller, Jake Shields, Cung Le and plenty more great fighters.

 

[legatoblues]

Great post. I want to say WEC but youvey highlighted plenty of merit across the board.

Edit: 3 votes? WEC, Strikeforce and Pancrase for the significance.

 

[mb23100]

 

[Sapp]

YAMMA Pit fighting was a b-b-b-beast of a promotion.

 

[Wise1]

StrikeForce.

There is another thread going on in which @Touch of Death asks people to post iconic mma images, some of the best images being posted are from SF.

 

[Chomsky Honk]

WEC

 

[Congo66]

WEC was the only one listed who could claim to have most of the best fighters in some of their weight classes + blue canvas.

 

[LcBR]

Strikeforce.

 

[TheIrishPsycho]

WEC was the only one listed who could claim to have most of the best fighters in some of their weight classes + blue canvas.

Strikeforce fighters claimed 6 UFC titles...DC at HW and LHW, Werdum, Robbie Lawler, Woodley, Rockhold. Moose has gone on to win a Bellator title.

You could make an argument with the benefit of future sight that Strikeforce had better fighters than the UFC in some weight classes.

Its not even debatable when you talk about the HW Division - Strikeforce had ALOT of top HWs.

 

[2004 account]

Pride
Ufc
Strikeforce/bellator

For me.

 

[Wise1]

Strikeforce fighters claimed 6 UFC titles...DC at HW and LHW, Werdum, Robbie Lawler, Woodley, Rockhold. Moose has gone on to win a Bellator title.

You could make an argument with the benefit of future sight that Strikeforce had better fighters than the UFC in some weight classes.

You forgot Ronda and Meisha

so that’s 8 UFC titles.

 

[TheIrishPsycho]

You forgot Ronda and Meisha

so that’s 8 UFC titles.

Sure, if you count WMMA - I don't.

Very impressive haul.

 

[qw3rty]

Strikeforce: A lot of champs or fighters from there were and/or still are champs or contenders in current UFC roster

WEC: The best lowest weight classes, even comparing UFC LW to UFC LW their roster were better. Current LW, FW and BW divisions still have top guys from WEC

Bellator: Produced some high level champs (Eddie, Chandler, Freire, Curran, Storm, Askren, Minakov, Lima) and some solid fighters. Miss the tournaments

 

[ImNotSurpisedDonks!]

It's a toss between Strikeforce and WEC. Nothing got me pumped on week day nights like WEC. Small cage, the most skilled and fast paced fighters in the world (albeit manliest) and TONS of action. Brown KO'ing cocky Cali Kid was just epic.

 

[613]

Strikeforce.

I still get goose bumps from the opening theme.

Like PRIDE, legends were born in Strikeforce:

DC, Cain, Nick Diaz (improved his stock), Yoel Romero, Hendo (again improved his stock), Bigfoot, Overeem (stock improved), Rockhold, Robbie Lawler, Woodley, Tim Kennedy, Jacare, Giblert, Miesha Tate, Rousey, Mousasi , Werdum, Josh Thompson, Mayham Miller, Jake Shields, Cung Le and plenty more great fighters.

Robbie Lawler? His SF years were the worst of his career. Cain only had one fight. Sheilds was already thought of as one of the best WWs before SF. Mayham hardly fought in SF. Many of these names have you reaching hard

That being said its probably SF, but WEC put on the best cards

 

[Gunther Green]

Anyone who votes Bellator should be euthanized

 

[Crackyo]

WEC was so fucking exciting, I miss it dearly.

 

[TheRealWill]

Strikeforce. Weird, I was thinking about this earlier. I think Strikeforce had the most top tier fighters in their primes by far.

 

[MrCoffee]

Recess.