UFC and its growing list of gatekeepers/bermudatriangler's

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Dhaemon

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My first thread, be gentle. :)

I've seen this coming for a long time. Now that UFC has Strikeforce, the roster has become huge. Sounds good in theory, lots more fighters. But what I've been noticing is that more and more people like Rich Franklin, Rashad Evans and Frankie Edgar are lost with almost no place to go.
Its like a death sentence for your career when you loose attempting to get the belt.

So what does the fighter do? Leave the weight class they felt was their best chance at getting the belt and go to another weight class that is already filled with fighters trying to go for the belt. Usually doesn't work out well

Here is my idea...

Wouldn't it be a better idea for the winner of the belt to relinquish the belt after a year of title defenses (If they don't loose during that year) and start it all over again, but with a Grand Prix like in Pride? Maybe the fighter who relinquishes the belt gets a by into the semi finals or something...

That way, the loosing fighter has every opportunity to win the belt the following year. So who they lost to the previous year, might not be in the finals the following year.


I'm still a newbie with UFC, started to really follow it in 07, so maybe I'm off my rocker, but I really feel bad for those fighters like Rich Franklin who will almost never have the chance at the title again.
 
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It's only natural that there's only one champion at the top of the mountain and the rest climbing on the shoulders of lesser opponents to reach him.

Being a gate keeper means that there's only a few above you, which is not that bad, fans tend to give a bad name to them.
 
Agree, more of a league will prevent fighters from being aimless if they lose a title shot and add more structure to the UFC.
 
They need to turn Strikeforce into a D-League for the UFC otherwise it will get too full. Maybe have the tourney or grand-prix in SF and the winner gets a UFC contract. At least you'll get better quality fighters than from TUF
 
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Geordie "Shadow" Munro;78159813 said:
Da fuks a bermudatriangler?
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Dennis bermudez's signature submission.

Haha and to the TS, I think grand prix's would be interesting in the modern day UFC, but I don't think you knead to abolish regular titles. Having other titles besides the world championship, of course this is gonna start sounding pro wrestling-esque, isn't a bad thing imo.

And like others said, there's nothing wrong with being a gatekeeper. It's just the nature of the sport to sort people into a sort of pecking order.
 
I dont know if you have the correct idea, but I really feel like the UFC has to do something to reinvigorate the sport. I know they had structure and tournaments and I understand why they dont use them but with all of hte injuries and cancelled fights anyways...what does it matter if the bracket has issues and replacements as well?
 
Well this is the business of promoting fights. They will promote whatever they feel sells. They feel selling champ vs. contender, fights for the belt, sell a lot better than tournaments.

If that means someone like Franklin is the number 2 or even number 5, then that's how it is. It isn't that bad any more. Sure everyone wants the number 1 spot, because then you make real money and become a star. The numbers below absolutely get considerably less in almost all cases. The only real issue I have with that is that a boxer that is the number 5 in the world will be fighting for other belts and still rake in a considerable amount of cash, while that may not be so (is not so) in the UFC.

Then again someone like Franklin should be pretty well off after his run. He was the champ after all. I worry more about guys that do not get to the title, but are certainly world class fighters. I worry about what those fringe top 10 guys are going to be doing once their career is over. Hopefully they will have their own house and no mortgage, a nice car and a healthy bank account for going through years of tough fights for my enjoyment. If they have enough to live a good live and support a family while taking on a new career or running a gym, training, etc. then that's a good thing. I'm jut not so sure they will. Look at Phil. The guy has insane pressure on him right now and it's pushed him all the way to .500 (and below?). What's he going to do, teach Jui-Juitsu? And yeah the guy was once easily a top 10, probably top 5 guy in the world and he actually was for years. What's he got? A big mortgage and the will to win? That fucking sucks. Some people below the top make great money and save well, but not everyone is Joe Lauzon.

And no you can't relinquish the belt, because you have to beat the champ to be the champ imo. That's just how this sport is. Would you honestly strip GSP of the belt and have a tourney for it? Even Pride had a tournament belt in addition to the championship belt. Arguably the OWGP title was more prestigious due to the gigantic hype around it and the level of competition that entered those tournaments, but that was not the championship belt either, because, well, I already said it.

Having tournament bracketed cards for a contender spot is fine with me, but I don't see the issue with not having them either. We do get pretty much the same thing anyway, just not necessarily a champ fighting on every card. And that's good, too. I feel the champ should be having extra time between fights for the media alone. Also let them get sponsors and work hard with their management, so they have a future, you know? You work so fucking hard to ever get there. If you can then remain the champ with all that comes with it, it's impressive as hell.

I see no sensible argument for taking this from people in order to give someone that lost a better shot at a more favorable path to the top. Not everyone can be the best and if you can't beat someone, you just aren't the best. That's how I see it.
 
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Geordie "Shadow" Munro;78159813 said:
Da fuks a bermudatriangler?
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Someone who gets lost in a fog with no direction on where they are going, always searching but to never find what they are looking for.
 
i'd love a GP but Dana will never do it. but ya, it would be fucking sweet to see someone like Franklin in a tourney that the champ is not in.

congrats on your first thread, but loose means not tight.
 
Proper rankings would make it seem less aimless imo.
 
Gotti McCarran said:
And no you can't relinquish the belt, because you have to beat the champ to be the champ imo. That's just how this sport is.
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See I disagree. The UFC and MMA in general is still trying to find it's proper footing. It's still a baby. Just like the original 6 in the NHL.

Rules change, most times for the better. Adding a weight class for example shows how the UFC can change.
 
SeattleFightFan said:
i'd love a GP but Dana will never do it. but ya, it would be fucking sweet to see someone like Franklin in a tourney that the champ is not in.

congrats on your first thread, but loose means not tight.
Click to expand...

lose, loose...lol I don't know why I always shag that up.
Thanks for the gratz :)
 
I wouldn't call Frankie Edgar a gate keeper seeing as he is arguably the best fighter in two divisions TS. As for the rest of what you said it just isn't logical IMO. Gatekeepers test the up and comers and are helpful for dividing top tier fighters and low tier fighters. Plus they would have to completely change the setup into a GP format. Too much work for the UFC and not a lot of reward.
 
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