Your MMA Like - o - Meter over the years

NHB7

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Where has your like - o - meter for MMA fallen over the yeras from 0 (not at all interested) – 10 (the most interested I’ve ever been)

In the early 90s: 4

It was novel. I didn’t like it enough to actively seek it out, but when I saw it while perusing Hollywood video it was always my first rental choice. Royce was definitely my favorite.

In the Mid 90’s: 2 – 3

After Royce left, I wasn’t as interested. But guys like Remco Pardoel and Oleg Taktarov kept me mildly intrigued.

Late 90’s: 6

I started training in Martial arts (BJJ, Kickboxing). Frank Shamrock was definitely my favorite. And I had my first hated heel: Tito Ortiz.

Early 2000’s: 8 – 9

I saw my first highlight video of Kazushi Sakuraba, discovered there was a whole
other MMA org worth watching, and found Sherdog. I started to become infatuated. Sakuraba was my favorite.

Mid 2000’s: 10

The Pride FC HW division was one of the best divisions in the history of the sport (to this day). Fedor was the Emperor. They were doing HW tournies and OWGP’s. It was spectacular. I was a rabid dog of a fan. I started like MMA to an unhealthy degree. It was almost all I could think about. I would never miss an event. Plus for the first time in the history of the sport, the new reality show TUF, was bringing me a dose of MMA on a weekly basis. Fedor was my favorite.

Late 2000’s: 8 – 9

Pride collapsed and I was crest fallen. But I was still highly interested especially because the very thing we debated most here on Sherdog (which organization had the better stable of fighters) was about to finally be put to the test. There was heartbreak and there was elation. It was pretty exciting. Fedor was still my favorite.

Early 2010’s: 7

There was so much MMA now. I never thought that was going to be a problem, but I simply couldn’t keep up with it all. In the late 90’s early 2000’s any division had maybe 20 guys in it. So when a card happened, I knew everyone on the card, I knew their stories, I pretty much knew their records. I was very invested. By the early 2010’s it wasn’t uncommon for me to only be very familiar with the co – main event and the main event. For the first time in a long time, I started skipping cards if they weren’t extremely interesting to me. GSP was my favorite.

Present: 6

I still love the sport. But I hate the monstrosity that UFC has become. The epitome of corporate greed. I can’t stand Dana White. The only time in my life I’m sure I’ve ever agreed with Brock Lesnar is in that Dana White feels like a poor man’s Vince McMahon. I can’t keep up with all the fighters these days and their story lines. Even if I wanted to, I don’t think I could watch every single event that is on. I do enjoy the access to so much free MMA (UFC Fight Nights, Bellator etc). I do enjoy the rise of women’s MMA. But very often I find most my MMA news comes from a cursory scan of Wikipedia once or twice a week. Having trouble picking anyone I consider my "favorite fighter." Maybe Lawler.
 
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There is no doubt about it for me. The mid 2000's was my MMA golden years. I'm sure for some fans today will prove to be the golden years. I remember as a kid watching Mike Tyson fights and one day asking my Grandpa if he liked Mike Tyson. Gramps said, "He is fine, but there's been no finer fighter than Jack Dempsey." Those were Gramp's golden years for boxing, and his heart for boxing was forever locked in those years. I think for me, my heart will always be locked into the mid 2000's during Prides Grand Prixs.
 
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The discovery of pride made me realize we are not alone in this universe.....I pretty much agree with everything on your list. It's a lot of greed now with making a certain fight just for draws and and making news which sickens me at times. Pride vs. UFC on this forum was the best debating at the time, and it will never be matched as long as UFC corners 99 percent of the market.
 
My interest level has fallen considerably post GSP era. I think I just got a bit burned out since I used to never miss a PPV, etc. I could see my interest returning after a while. Sherdog keeps me in the know, that and reminds me that the world is full of morons
 
2001-2007 - 10/10

2008-2011 9/10

2011-2014 7/10

2015 - 0/10
 
Pride's HW division was not the best division in the sport.
 
Just as interesting in MMA as the day I first started watching.
10.
 
Pre Conor Era: murky awareness of something called 'cage fighting'
Early Conor Era: mild interest
Injured Conor Era: Zero interest
Celebrity Conor Era: Is there a level higher than 10?
 
There is no doubt about it for me. The mid 2000's was my MMA golden years. I'm sure for some fans today will prove to be the golden years. I remember as a kid watching Mike Tyson fights and one day asking my Grandpa if he liked Mike Tyson. Gramps said, "He is fine, but there's been no finer fighter than Jack Dempsey." Those Gramps golden years, and his heart for boxing was forever locked in those years. I think for me, my heart will always be locked into the mid 2000's during Prides Grand Prixs.

Lol stubborn Gramps and his Jack Dempsey...

For me: still at a ten. I'm just as big a fan today as I was back then and probably won't ever slow down (like some hairy animal who paints himself up and tailgates for his NFL team). But I look at 2003-2006 as my Golden Years. I already talk about the PRIDE GPs and Shockwave events like an old man in his rocking chair on the porch.

And I understand your grandfather's delusions. "Jon Jones? Sakuraba would've hit a lightning-quick low-single and tapped him with a Kimura from side control. Jones has those bony limbs."
 
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2015 - a solid 4.

depends if Sharapova's playing though.
 
1994-1997 - 7 - Loved Tank Abbot and the sheer brutality of the UFC. Watched on VHS. Never watched it live.

1998-2004 - 4 - Hardly watched. Didn't even know PRIDE existed. Wasn't paying attention closely at all. Watched in bars if they were playing the events.

2005-2012 10 - Obsessed. Found out about PRIDE and Fedor. Then got back into the UFC. Followed all MMA and Kickboxing like a religion. So much so it even got me back into Pro Wrestling just because it was in a ring.

2013-present - 8 Very interested. Watch the big fights and most live events. Only following the UFC now though.
 
2002-2006 - Golden age of MMA; Pride, Pride rules, GP tournaments, the GOAT at his peak - 10/10
2007-2009 - UFC & Pride merging / manufactered UFC P4P fighters /New Breed of HW's fiasco. Great for the lulz - 9/10
2010 - 2013 - Jon Jones, Weidman becoming the MW GOAT. Enjoyable 8/10
2014 - Present- Ronda & Connor McGregor / UFC going full retard. Yawn. Still haven't watched a Connor McGregor fight and never will watch a card because of him. 3/10
 
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Late 90s/early 2000's : 7

Mid 2000's: 10

late 2000's/early 2010's: 5

right now: 7.5
 
Around a 5 from the late 90s until about 2009, which was bumped up to about a 7 until December 2010. I've been at a 10 since then. I think I may have gone down to a 9.5 because I actually missed some events and didn't cry about it.
 
Seems the golden years and the most exciting time for the UFC seems to be somewhere between 2004-2012. The 90s were kind of an up and down time. The first few UFC's were very exciting, and it was a new thing.. Then it kinda hit a valley, then Vitor came along, and it grew from there.
 
Mid 2000s - 7. Chuck, Arlovski, Hughes, BJ and GSP were kicking ass.

Late 2000s - 9. GSP reigned supreme, big fights and cards with Lesnar, Machida 'era.'

Early 2010s - 5. My interest waned a bit here for a few years, I was in my college partying years and didn't have the time/money to watch fights.

2015 - 10. I watch every single fight I can, I follow more fighters than I ever have before.
 
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