There should be more tune up fights in the UFC

This whole "the best fighting the best" thing is ok as a concept but there should be a certain limit. It's not good for a fighter's career to constantly fight difficult fights and we as fans are missing out on seeing the absolute prime of these fighters.

In other words most fighters in the UFC don't reach their ceiling because they'll likely get shot by the time they should have been in their fighting prime with a better managed career. One of the examples is Rory Macdonald, he's 26 and he's likely a shot fighter already. In boxing, they would build him up much better, he'd have a 25-0 record by now and would be fresh, confident, experienced, with a better chin. For example look at how the career of boxing talent Felix Verdejo is managed right now. Andre Ward is fighting an unknown bum Alexander Brand before his fight with Kovalev later this year. Feed MMA talents some low level fighters with different styles so they learn how to deal with pressure fighters, wrestlers, round winners, karate guys etc. while winning and not going through wars. Lando Vannata got an L against a fighter he shouldn't be fighting right now, especially not on short notice, a real stupid way to lose the undefeated record and eating hard shots in the process.

Also, established champs should be given some tune up fights here and there to build them up. Lawler is a perfect example of that, he should have been given someone outside of top 20 and properly build up the fight between him and Wonderboy for late this year or early next year, let the fight marinate a bit and the hype would be bigger. Instead they gave him 2 tough fights after Rory and now another champ is out and his chin might be gone.

People shit on Fedor fighting cans but don't realize that fighting "cans" is good for your career. Every great boxer did it. You need to be fed bums consistently to be in fighting shape while preserving your health and your prime for the big fights. That's why Fedor reached the "GOAT" level, because he's career was managed so good.

 

thats the game though...

you gotta be able to withstand the high stakes

 

Less steroids = more time needed in between fights.

 

Fighters could have fought more if they were not basically forced to fight good fighters only. Feed DC a "Zulu" and some B-level bum and he could fight 3 times a year. That's the way you build up the champ and keep the ring rust away.

 

Well, he probably would've fought 3 times this year if it wasn't for injuries.

 

They gave Forest to Quinton & Forest didn't get the memo he was suppose to just get knocked out , Frankie didn't get the memo against BJ , Rashad didn't get the memo against Chuck also Jardine forgot to read the memo as well .
Its harder for the UFC to do gimmie fights they just dont have guys with masks on to get head kicked by Cro Cop like Pride did , they tried using the TV show guys in this way but the TV show guys arn't Dos Caras Jr

 

Even some of those Pride guys fucked up on their memo reading... Elvis Schrembi vs Saku, Nick Diaz vs Gomi, and many more.

 

Woodley was off 18 months and he did not need a tune up fight

 

You are a moron! There are only tough fights in the UFC and why the fuck would they want to follow boxing? It's dying while MMA is skyrocketing.

 

Bobby Ologun

 

Wladimir Klitschko fights alone are bigger than anything in MMA currently. His marquee fights are on sold out stadiums, he has the best entrances in the business and his fights are watched by tens of millions of people. He's also an elite A-level athlete and a global star. UFC production is still bush league level, it feels like watching some obscure local American event. Pride was much better.

 

The problem we've seen in the UFC though is then the champ walks into a punch vs the 'bum' and now the bum is champion. Not calling Serra or Lutter bums, but they were both gifted shots and made the most of it. Travis Lutter could have been MW champ.

 

Its great to see the best fight the best. But sometimes i just want to see my favorite fighter woop someones ass. Of course the main event should always be a great fight tho. I think ufc does it pretty good. A lot better than boxing has. Usually we get the tuff matchup unless an injury in training occurs then we get a jobber replacement. Maybe im being to harsh on the replacements but you get it right. Oh yeah comming of an injury you should get a tune up fight. To gain confidence on your recovery

 

Noted, I'll see what I can do.

 

Your A-level athlete lost to that. The Heavyweight division is trash. And your tune-up fights idea is idiotic.

 

They hype the prospects. They rush the prospects. The prospects get smoked.

There is ZERO forward thinking in the UFC. It's all about living for today, and taking what you can.

Come on... The UFC completely sucks at bringing fighters along.

Bring them along slowly. You can still hype but you're likely guaranteed a better overall result than if you just keep upping the competition at unreal levels.

Rose... TUF Rose... She has baggage that is not her fault... but it's there. Esparza beat her without batting an eyelash. Joanna obliterated Esparza stuffing 16/17 takedown attempts.

Did people really believe that Rose would beat Joanna ? In a post the other day I said in all seriousness that ...

Joanna would take out Rose, and Michelle even in an elimination Tag team. ...

If I had been on the ball... I would have added PVZ.

But the UFC is forever in search of the money. I have no say in the matter. But I know what's right.

Bring them along more slowly. We will get much more even fights on the tail end.

 

The problem in MMA is that tune-ups (aka "safe fights") don't exist. If we're being honest, Woodley was supposed to be a relatively safe fight for Lawler. Nearly every single time I've seen the UFC give a fighter a "gimme fight" (Shogun vs. Griffin I, Liddell vs. Jardine), it has always ended badly.

I think it's just better to fight the best and take your chances.

 

They should make it a non-title fight.

Besides, tune up fights should be even lower caliber of fighters than Serra or Lutter, no chance top fighter losses to them. That's the point of a tune up fight.

 

There's too many injuries, I mean yea the fighter gets his tune up fight, but then gets injured again. So then another tune up fight and another injury. Too many damn injuries in mma.

 

OK you have confirmed that you are a moron. Klitschko could walk around time square with a sign that says im Wladimir Klitschko and nobody would give a shit. Where as a guy like Cowboy Cerrone who's never been a champion would be recognized for sure. And who are these tens of millions of people watching? They aren't American I know that. I think like seventeen people in a bar in Russia watched the Fury fight.