What's the point of non-prospect journeymen fighting each other (Burkman-Noons)?

[Sgt Smith]

Every fighter on the roster that will never compete for the belt should quit now. Even the fighters that are uncertain of whether they will or not should just quit.

 

[JayPettryMMA]

It's ok, everyone, TS isn't a real fan anyways. His "opinion" is completely worthless.

 

[Kryptt]

Not sure what else they would do in the cage - there is enough booing as it is.

 

[MMA]

TS is right since we're talking about UFC DISCUSSION here.

There are plenty of other orgs to fight in. But as far as the UFC goes, TS is 100% spot on

 

[LouisBolanos]

They serve as foil. You need contrast to make things stand out. "9/10 elbows too pointy" wouldn't be considered beautiful if the world is filled with them, you need to put them in a sea of "1/10 kill it with fire" and "4/10 F it put a mask over that thing" to make them look beautiful. Don't dis Burkman and KJ Noons, they play an important role to elevate the final product.

 

[GSP_37]

Fun fight where KJ Noons is always capable of spectacular KO like vs. Jorge Gurgel... but he can also be less than stellar.

 

[The_Renaissance]

It was a loser-leaves-town fight and it saves one of them knocking off a prospect, or someone less experienced.

 

[jeff7b9]

Pretty much. MMA is not just about getting the title. There are a lot of other reasons that fighters fight and that people watch.

Chris Lytle was never going to become the WW champ but I wasn't going to miss one of his fights.

Amen.

Chris Lytle was the man and I would have gladly watched him fight for as long as he felt like it (hopefully in good health) because his fights, win or lose, standing or grappling, were usually pretty damn entertaining.

 

[Oshime2]

TS got it twisted, those guys are top 15 talent working their way to #1, otherwise they wouldn't be in the UFC, just like Dana said.

 

[Cooliox]

ts is unemployed

 

[Emjay]

Some people just watch for the action and don't care about the outcome or career trajectories, etc...

I'm one of those guys

 

[qw3rty]

Card filler with halfway recognizable names.

Career elimination

pretty much this

 

[burningspear]

Well, lets get rid of two thirds of the roster pronto.!

Every streak begins somewhere, against someone. Ever heard of Robbie Lawler?

 

[BeardotheWeirdo]

27-12 (1) (debuted in 2003) vs. 13-8(1) (debuted in 2002)

It really hit me during the fight. I was thinking "What's the fucking point of this fight?"

Both of these guys are unranked. Probably nowhere near getting ranked anytime soon. They will never EVER get a title shot in the UFC.

The trajectory of all fighters should be prospect to champion. Obviously not everybody will become a champion. Along the way most will plateau.

Once they plateau, they are just filler. They're done as serious contenders. They're journeymen but are not being used as journeymen!

As the journeymen they are, these guys need to be used as stepping stones for prospects and punching bags for top guys. I know that sounds harsh but that is the only way their fights even have a chance of being compelling. No one gets invested if journeymen fight each other.

If used properly, they may even get a career resurgence. Look at Matt Brown. He would not be as beloved as he is today had he not beaten back the prospects that were meant to beat him (E. Silva, Wonderboy, Mein, etc).

It's only when they are used as journeyman that they have a chance of reviving their careers.

/end of rant

Yeah, A lot (if not most) of the fights in the UFC are pointless in terms of rankings and title-contention, that's why they get accused of watering down cards. It's not that the fighters are scrubs, they're just not relevant in the UFC. Burkman was a big deal when he fought in WSOF, now he's just filler.

That's why many of us want UFC to slash their roster. In Titan FC (for example) KJ would be a contender. In the UFC he's just filler. I still enjoyed the fight, but the sport would be better off if smaller orgs could build good rosters and UFC just stuck to the elite fighters., imo

 

[jsyankees12]

They wanted to do Burkman a solid and give him a beatable named opponent

 

[Mau]

Just to piss you off.

 

[Not A Real Fan]

Noons, Burkman and fighters of their caliber do have a place in the UFC. But it's not fighting each other. Doing so is worthless. Most fans would not be invested in such fights.

It's much more compelling if they fight an upcoming prospect or are fed to a higher ranked fighter. In this way, prospects are tested, higher ranked fighters bring eyes to the fight, and the journeyman has a chance to pull off an upset.

Matt Brown is the best example of a journeyman who was used properly. So much so, that he is no longer considered one.

 

[Rematch]

They gotta eat, I guess.