What is the future of the UFC HW division?

[artisabang]

There are good HW's out there. The problem is UFC isn't signing them.

 

[Renzo Gracie NH]

Minakov and Volkov are not in UFC

I'm aware. I included them because they are in the top 10 on Sherdog and could end up there in the near future. My point is that that there are almost no promising prospects on the radar for the HW division which is particularly concerning given the age of the division on average. It is very possible that in the next 2 years the UFC HW division is no better than a smaller organizations. We could be back to the days of fighters on the level of Eilers and Buentello challenging for the belt.

 

[Renzo Gracie NH]

There are good HW's out there. The problem is UFC isn't signing them.

May I ask if you have names in mind? I'm sure they are out there but I started this thread in part because I am genuinely curious as to who they are. I know Tybura looks good, but he is already close to 30. Volkov and Minakov look ok but Bellator's HW division is pretty terrible so it's hard to say.

 

[FallonFoxGOAT]

What is the future of the UFC HW division?

 

[Renzo Gracie NH]

I think you're probably right, but sadly I don't think the competition will be better at HW.

 

[artisabang]

May I ask if you have names in mind? I'm sure they are out there but I started this thread in part because I am genuinely curious as to who they are. I know Tybura looks good, but he is already close to 30. Volkov and Minakov look ok but Bellator's HW division is pretty terrible so it's hard to say.

Regardless of competition, they should be signed. There's no better place to make a name for yourself than the UFC, they should lower their standards for HW signings instead of waiting for HW fighters to compile a great record, or make a TUF. To sort through the ones that lack skill, and get the ones that show promise.

http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Ken-Hasegawa-76908

http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Ante-Delija-75487

http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Denis-Smoldarev-67169

http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Dion-Staring-2515

http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Alex-Huddleston-81096

http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Curt-Lemmon-79714

http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Damian-Grabowski-30320

http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Smealinho-Rama-93351

http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Dmitriy-Sosnovskiy-116389

http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Cody-East-33359

http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Joe-Cason-51819

http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Ion-Cutelaba-101427

http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Jan-Jorgensen-71063

to name a few

 

[sampuncher]

2005 fighters > 2015 fighters

A washed up Mark Hunt gave JDS a run in 2014. A Prime 2005 Mark Hunt wasn't even ranked

If you think Mark Hunt was washed up last year you're an idiot, dude got a title shot.


Mark Hunt is one of the rarities who has improved as he got older.

 

[Renzo Gracie NH]

Thanks for the links. Hopefully the UFC continuesto sign European talent because it seems that that is where a lot fo the HW talent might come from. Hopefully a handful of these guys develop.

 

[Organic Damage]

I understand that the financial rewards aren't there. But they aren't there for the lighter guys either, and the lighter guys can be gym teachers and coaches too.

One could argue the financial prospects are better for heavier guys because their road to the UFC is the easiest and the sport is starved for HW's to market. So I think there has to be something more to the lack of new talent other than $$$

Either way I think the UFC HW division is goign to continue to be bad and will probably get worse in the years to come.

It might also have to do with statistical distribution.

Heavyweight body size is on the tail end of the bell curve. Only makes sense that the pool of quality athletes interested in MMA would be smaller than say LW/WW.

 

[Rudeboyben84]

Just scanned over Fightmatrix and found a handfull at heavyweight under 30. Didnt bother to google all the guys with no age or didnt include Bellator guys

Marcin Tybura - 29 years old, ranked 13th in the world

Smealinho Rama - 22 years old, ranked 24th in the world

Denis Goltsov - 24 years old, ranked 27th in the world

Evgeny Erokhin - 28 years old, ranked 35th in the world

James Mulheron - 26 years old, ranked 37th in the world

Huggy bear - 28 years old (though he is over 300lbs) ranked 40th in the world

Cody Easy - 25 years old, ranked 41st in the world

Derrick Mehmen - 29 years old, ranked 54th in the world

Dmitriy Sosnovskiy - 25 years old, ranked 69th in the world

No doubt there is some good tallent out there, I think remving the upper weight limit would help a lot.

 

[moreorless87]

Perhaps some LHW may move up but really I think HW is in terminal decline simply because the UFC haven't invested in the talent base.

The key problem they have IMHO is that there typical route of waiting for US wrestlers to build themselves up in the little leagues for years simply isn't as effective at HW due to the US sporting scene naturally drawing big men elsewhere, Just as with Boxing today the real core of the HW division back in the day was outside the US and most obviously in Europe.

The UFC's policy of not investing seriously in talent early is not anywhere close to being as effective at getting guys with serious backgrounds in sports they can earn good money in to switch to MMA and HW is feeling it worst.

 

[Renzo Gracie NH]

I think remving the upper weight limit would help a lot.

That's an interesting idea. Never thought of that and it would definitely open the door to more guys.

 

[Catsmasher 5000]

2005 fighters > 2015 fighters

Anyday. The evidence proves it.

I don't even think cain and jds would even crack top 10 in 2005. A washed up Mark Hunt gave JDS a run in 2014. A Prime 2005 Mark Hunt wasn't even ranked

Hunt is exponentially better now than he was back then.

 

[icffedor]

It seems to only be affecting HW's though. The road to the UFC is even easier for them too but there isn't much coming down the pipeline. A LW or a WW might have to string together 10 or 12 wins to get a look. It seems like the standard is lower for HW's. PAy has to be part of it but the HW division is particularly bad.

You just notice it more in the heavies, but trust me there are hardly any fighters in lower weight classes that could make it NFL or NBA, and also there are not many athletes in nba or nfl that are under 180 lbs, which leaves a lot of openings in ufc.

 

[BisexualMMA]

Prediction?





Paiiiiiiiiin.

 

[Corleone187]

Hunt is exponentially better now than he was back then.

And EVERY other 40+ year old in the UFC top 10?

Hunt, Barnett, Werdum, Arlovski...etc

Come on man. The competition is terrible, there's no denying it, and no denying scienctiffic evidence of age and when your physical peak is. It's not 40. :icon_chee

 

[wellsdj1]

The biggest problem with HW mma is lack of people who truly would be a HW . Next time you are in a mall, gym etc where there a lot of people just look at people and try to guess what division they would fight in. I'm talking about them being in fighting shape, not them bring completely fat. The average human isn't big enough! The bigger athletic males are in football or basketball .

 

[Roids]

Remember back when Brock and Carwin were apparently the 'new breed' of elite HW's? LOL..

 

[screaminleeman]

I understand that the financial rewards aren't there. But they aren't there for the lighter guys either, and the lighter guys can be gym teachers and coaches too.

One could argue the financial prospects are better for heavier guys because their road to the UFC is the easiest and the sport is starved for HW's to market. So I think there has to be something more to the lack of new talent other than $$$

Either way I think the UFC HW division is goign to continue to be bad and will probably get worse in the years to come.

It is never "good" to over-generalize, but I think in the interest of explaining the difference between big vs small athletes & financial reward from MMA.

I believe that you need to understand the "general" roll that full athletic scholarships from institutions of higher learning provide as an outlet disproportionately toward very large athletic males.

The smaller athletes often have to pay for their own tuition, room & board. It is more often academic scholarships that help to relieve the financial burden of attending these institutions of higher learning. I general, you have to be proportionally much better within your sport to receive even a partial athletic scholarship much less a full one.

Either way (Academic or Athletic) a college degree is received after successful completion of the curriculum.

Is it fair to say college graduates are "smarter or better" than those without? It may or may not be fair, but there can be NO DISPUTE that this IS the way it is in the USA. It is by far more often that college graduates will weigh their superior earning potential in industry prior to investing the time and effort to "develop" in the MMA field. (There are at this time no NCAA schools that have MMA as a sport!)

If MMA, and even more importantly the UFC (Highest level MMA organization) cannot compete financially with an entry level white collar position for a college graduate, than they will NEVER come into MMA.

Average salary distribution is also highly slanted toward "larger" or at least "taller" males throughout industry! The average USA male 5'8"; The average USA male CEO is 6'1"!:icon_chee

 

[wellsdj1]

Most HW's come from the US, Brazil and Russia. The average male height varies between 5'8"-5'10". That's not exactly HW height. That makes a lot of MW, WW etc.