What's the deal with amateur MMA?

[EndlessCritic]

Why do guys like this even exist? Are these people getting punched in the face for free?

http://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/fighters/106898-william-starks

http://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/fighters/85520-roedie-roets

http://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/fighters/119949-abdul-hussein

 

[Kowboy On Sherdog]

Gotta start somewhere.

 

[Darwinambrosius]

What's the issue?

 

[original doom]

They should be pro.

 

[EndlessCritic]

What's the issue?

The issue is that MMA is one big tournament. The cream rises to the top. The amateur/pro distinction is nonsensical. Nobody should be fighting for free.

 

[DarkfireBoy]

Some fighters train for years before making their pro debuts. Why not make sure you are ready by taking some ametur fights in the meantime. They'll gain experience you can't get by just training and they'll have a huge advantage against the typical competion they would face when they turn pro.

Also the IMMAF seems like a legit organization; seems on its way to becoming what the olympics are to amateur boxing. I think its great.

 

[jeff7b9]

Anyone else read the thread title in Jerry Seinfeld's voice?

 

[Nathanli]

Amateur MMA is important. Most of these guys aren't ready for the guys at the pro level, there needs to be a level that seperates the people who have what it takes and who doesn't. Plus matchmakers would be much more likely to use those types of fighters who aren't ready as guys to pad their guys records. I do think if you have a good run at amateur though, you should get better tests at the pro level sooner. Perfect example of this is Jose Torres. He won the IMMAF 135 tournament two years in a row and then went pro. Now he's 2-0 and is already challenging for Titan FC's Flyweight title. He needed those fights to learn the skills to compete at the pro level.

 

[LoneLynx]

Most "pro" MMA fighters get punched in the face for free anyway. There is no way the few hundred bucks they get per fight compensates for the true costs.

 

[thedevious]

The issue is that MMA is one big tournament. The cream rises to the top. The amateur/pro distinction is nonsensical. Nobody should be fighting for free.

Amateur MMA helps young fighters from a business perspective in the sense that no one cares about amateur losses. Getting that experience until they're confident they can be a solid pro is important. A guy who is 12-0 might attract the UFC's eye more than if he were 13-4, for example. He might have picked up some losses early in his career that make his record look bad, and an undefeated fighter is pretty marketable. That's where I see its value.

 

[TheFakeMacoy]

Amateur MMA varies wildly depending on the place. For instance, Shooto has a very organized system where people compete to increase from lower amateur ranks to getting a professional license. As they grade up, the rules get closer to full MMA. In some other places amateur just means that you aren't getting paid.

 

[BJ@LW&WW]

The amateur/pro distinction is nonsensical.

amateur bouts can have altered rule sets that err on the side of safety.