There is a lack of stars right now

[b00tysweat]

WWE still had superstars they promoted like John Cena, Roman Reigns, Rhea Ripley etc., the biggest difference is the UFC can't make the fighters they think are stars win.

you must have missed O'Malley v Yan

 

[Pancake Sprawl]

you must have missed O'Malley v Yan

hot take: i watched it and didn't think O'Malley lost.

 

[b00tysweat]

hot take: i watched it and didn't think O'Malley lost.

yikes

 

[HI SCOTT NEWMAN]

this more than anything. we don't need superstars. we need long reigning champions to establish legacies. the superstar status will work itself if you just keep winning.

Exactly, totally agree with you. The long reigning champions who defend their belt against all the number 1 contenders are the guys who build that aura and become a star and become loved. Its really lacking in UFC now.

 

[Pancake Sprawl]

yikes

can't be that bad. O'Malley beat Aljo about as convincingly as you could beat someone in a fight while Petr Yan failed twice, once because of his own idiocy and the other time because he was just not as good as advertised. besides, panic wrestling vs someone people openly mock as a clown is not a good look when you're supposed to be a Russian hardman.

 

[b00tysweat]

can't be that bad. O'Malley beat Aljo about as convincingly as you could beat someone in a fight while Petr Yan failed twice, once because of his own idiocy and the other time because he was just not as good as advertised. besides, panic wrestling vs someone people openly mock as a clown is not a good look when you're supposed to be a Russian hardman.

Yan definitely beat Aljo in the first FIGHT, he was DQd from the match. Was glad to see Sean send him to 145.

 

[Rationality]

this more than anything. we don't need superstars. we need long reigning champions to establish legacies. the superstar status will work itself if you just keep winning.

This is where Volk messed up. If he'd kept cleaning out his division instead of moving up and losing twice he'd (probably) be considered GSP-esque right now.

 

[daniel san]

What counts as a star today wouldn’t have been a star a decade ago. Or maybe can put it like this, there are no super stats today, and there are relatively very few stars. Likely going to see much fewer stars in the future now that the UFC puts on watered down cards most of the time and does very little to stack cards and hype fighters. There are of course exceptions though like Khamzat.

 

[Oeshon]

This just means it's wide open for someone to come make a name for themselves

 

[mjmj]

I don't visit the Heavies like I used to. Its nice to see the "UFC is dying" tradition is still going strong after all these years.

 

[Edward Henry Greb]

125: Non existent, Moreno has a following but he just announced that he is taking a break. Pantoja, Erceg, and Royval have zero draw.
135: Sean defnitely has a following and is sadly one of the most popular fighters at the moment. Merab and Cory have small followings, but not so much I would call them a stars.
145: Volk is a star, but is basically done within a handful of fights at best. Topuria has potential, but I think its being over stated with all the spain sports team stuff. I have yet to hear a casual speak of Topuria.
155: Probably has the most Stars with Justin, Dustin, Charles, Chandler. Definitely the best division in MMA skill and name recognition wise.
170: Colby and Usman are basically done. They are trying to push Shavkat, Jack, but they dont have the same draw. Edwards has a following but he is the least popular WW champ ever apart from Johnny Hendricks.
185: Izzy and Strickland. DDP isn't there yet.
205: Poatan is awesome, but is old.
HW: Jones is showing his age. Aspinall is great, but it falls off pretty hard after that.

UFC 300 is a pretty decent card, but I feel like things have gone downhill pretty quick in the past several years.

Agree.

O'Malley is a wanna-be star.

IMO, Volk is not a star; he is an ugly, dwarven garden gnome — with talent, but has now fallen 2x.
Topuria has the look, and the ability, to be a star; time will tell.

Lightweight is filled with talent, but no stars.
Justin, Dustin, Chandler, all multi-losers.
Islam has the ability, but not the Charisma.

Agree w/ WW

Middleweights is a no-go.
Izzy is a fallen star; Strickland is a wanna-be, and DDP has the ugliest style in all of MMA.

If Poatan beats Hill and and Ankalaev, he will be a star.

Aspinall has the potential to be a star.

 

[tasticles]

You have me lads. The next big UFC star mark my words. Are u guys ready?

I haven't figured out if it's Paddy or a joke account. I'm glad a sherdogger with more skill than CM punk made it to the UFC. I think you'll do better if you work on that cardio. You should have finished el crazy.

 

[ruberked]

Agree. Everybody now is so forced cringy and vanilla. We need more Chuck's, Tito's, Diaz bros and dare I say it Conor's in the fight game.

Isn't conor the one the kinda created all the cringe mania? Everyone to come after will always seem to be an imposter and contrived....I'm not even a big fan Conor but at least he was original...ya know?

 

[-Sideways-]

There's never been many real stars. Only really Conor, Ronda, GSP, Anderson, Jones, Chuck, Tito, Rampage, Brock and Khabib were really stars.

Very true. Most, if not all the names TS mentioned aren't really stars. I'd argue against Khabib too.

 

[Hank Grill]

Didn't hunt say ufc is dead? I guess there is always grindr if I want a place to talk men's bodies after this place succumbs

 

[mmafan559]

GSP was Canadian athlete of the year twice. Everybody I know from Canada kniws who he is. BRP had him introduce their Ryker to dealers. He dropped the puck in NHL games. He's even been in movies.

winter soldier came out ten years ago tomorrow that's crazy

 

[Paolo Delutis]

125: Non existent, Moreno has a following but he just announced that he is taking a break. Pantoja, Erceg, and Royval have zero draw.
135: Sean defnitely has a following and is sadly one of the most popular fighters at the moment. Merab and Cory have small followings, but not so much I would call them a stars.
145: Volk is a star, but is basically done within a handful of fights at best. Topuria has potential, but I think its being over stated with all the spain sports team stuff. I have yet to hear a casual speak of Topuria.
155: Probably has the most Stars with Justin, Dustin, Charles, Chandler. Definitely the best division in MMA skill and name recognition wise.
170: Colby and Usman are basically done. They are trying to push Shavkat, Jack, but they dont have the same draw. Edwards has a following but he is the least popular WW champ ever apart from Johnny Hendricks.
185: Izzy and Strickland. DDP isn't there yet.
205: Poatan is awesome, but is old.
HW: Jones is showing his age. Aspinall is great, but it falls off pretty hard after that.

UFC 300 is a pretty decent card, but I feel like things have gone downhill pretty quick in the past several years.

For a 2010 account...this reads fairly casually..

Since when does Drawing power matter lol...it doesnt help you in fights...or win belts ...


Draws are another lie Dana has sold everyone so that they can justify not operating like a real sport or how they should... Its a way to hide favoritism..

I dont think ive ever liked a fighter because they drew a crowd.... In fact .. I'll probably say the opposite is more likely ..

Fighting is supposed to be the purest form of competition and "stars" are just as subjective of a title as who's the "GOAT"..


Why dont we try changing the narrative and simply talk about whos the best in the division based on skill , experience and performance...i thought thats what sports was about ..


Ill see myself out now..

 

[Paolo Delutis]

LOL, the ufc has gotten more popular over the years. but i'd be surprised if the average joe would know anyone apart from mystic mac and jon jones and that too for their tomfoolery outside of the sport.

"Casuals" won't watch flyweight and likely won't know anybody besides the champ and whoever is consistently moronic on social media (strickland, colby, shields, etc.). hell some of them know of nate diaz and not nick....woodley is known not as baby GSP but instead as the mma guy that lost to Jake Paul which is a shame.

But basically, casuals

-only watch title fights
-are familiar with long reigning champs/fighters that are part time influencers/opponents of jake paul

But yes, I agree with you. Nobody has the "wow" and natural "flamboyant" aura that Tito and Mcnuggets had to put the sport on the map atleast currently.

Dont ever put mcnutts and Titos names together in the same sentence...

One of those two are true legends and true champions


And


The other just irish

 

[ryun253]

MMA became a bit stale after drug testing became a thing. We need extreme responders to PEDs to make this sport great again

 

[TriangleMonkey]

You have me lads. The next big UFC star mark my words. Are u guys ready?

Whats your secret to gaining so much weight between fights lad?

You hold water like a puffer-fish