The MMA thread

Two of Dana's "projects" losing in the same night. Doesn't get any better.


This attitude I don't get

Sage and PVZ are clearing marketable and valuable for the UFC. Dana knows that putting them in the event will get the most viewers for a Fox show

In turn this will eventually help the business as it grows. At the end of the day, as fans we all want to see the UFC being successful...right?

I don't think for a moment think either are anywhere near the level they are being promoted at. But fact of the matter is more people will tune in compared to if the main and co main was Esparza v Andrade and Barberayna v Covington.

It's something people need to accept. I think I even saw you post on the night that because you didn't recognise the fighters in the prelims that you weren't going to watch it until the main card started. So that's part of the problem
 
This attitude I don't get

Sage and PVZ are clearing marketable and valuable for the UFC. Dana knows that putting them in the event will get the most viewers for a Fox show

In turn this will eventually help the business as it grows. At the end of the day, as fans we all want to see the UFC being successful...right?

I don't think for a moment think either are anywhere near the level they are being promoted at. But fact of the matter is more people will tune in compared to if the main and co main was Esparza v Andrade and Barberayna v Covington.

It's something people need to accept. I think I even saw you post on the night that because you didn't recognise the fighters in the prelims that you weren't going to watch it until the main card started. So that's part of the problem

That's the entire point. Why should I care if they are good business for the UFC. As a fan, I want to see the best fighters, not the most marketable ones.
 
That's the entire point. Why should I care of they are good business for the UFC. As a fan, I want to see the best fighters, not the most marketable ones.
As a fan you want to see the business grow

Haveing marketable mainstream stars is the best way to do this
 
As a fan you want to see the business grow

Haveing marketable mainstream stars is the best way to do this

Really ? News to me.

And who's to say the business can't grow without prostituting its own integrity by way of bottle throwing WWE antics. There's something to be said for old school martial arts culture where opponents extend a degree of grace and mutual respect towards one another, rather than the fake and hilariously idiotic antics you see sketched out these days.
 
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This attitude I don't get

Sage and PVZ are clearing marketable and valuable for the UFC. Dana knows that putting them in the event will get the most viewers for a Fox show

In turn this will eventually help the business as it grows. At the end of the day, as fans we all want to see the UFC being successful...right?

I don't think for a moment think either are anywhere near the level they are being promoted at. But fact of the matter is more people will tune in compared to if the main and co main was Esparza v Andrade and Barberayna v Covington.

It's something people need to accept. I think I even saw you post on the night that because you didn't recognise the fighters in the prelims that you weren't going to watch it until the main card started. So that's part of the problem
The UFC is successful, massively. Has been for years but it means feck all for the fighters when the owners are taking home 92%(?) of the profits. WME have brought it out for $4bn and they'll be looking to get their money's worth, service debts and make a hefty income out of it.

Becoming more mainstream will only be at a further detriment to sport/competition side of things. It's bad enough as it is.
 
The UFC is successful, massively. Has been for years but it means feck all for the fighters when the owners are taking home 92%(?) of the profits. WME have brought it out for $4bn and they'll be looking to get their money's worth, service debts and make a hefty income out of it.

Becoming more mainstream will only be at a further detriment to sport/competition side of things. It's bad enough as it is.
This I can get on board with

It is now hugely successful, and I 100% agree fighters should be paid more. And if this isn't sorted they will have severe problems down the road
 
Really ? News to me.

And who's to say the business can't grow without prostituting its own integrity by way of bottle throwing WWE antics. There's something to be said for old school martial arts culture where opponents extend a degree of grace and mutual respect towards one another, rather than the fake and hilariously idiotic antics you see sketched out these days.
Because their model right now has seen the business grow more than ever before

UFC was initially saved from going out of business by a reality TV show, and then received another huge boost with the acquisition of Brock Lesner. Then Ronda and McGregor brought it to Whole new level.

It's just something you have to live with if you are not a fan. Because you still get to see plenty of great fight as well.
 
There are fighters who are struggling to make it financially and with no fighters union while Dana White is worth half a Billion dollars and has at times gambled away over $1m at the poker table. That should tell you all you need to know about his level of care in looking after the fighters. The fact that he just went after Cerrone for participating in the new MMA Athletes union speaks volumes. Its all about power and money for him, (previously) the Fertitas, and now WME. Once they start taking care of their fighters, providing them with health care, pension, etc. then they may have a bit of leeway to hype up their fights like circus acts.
 
That's the entire point. Why should I care if they are good business for the UFC. As a fan, I want to see the best fighters, not the most marketable ones.

Except you're pulling up somebody like Paige VanZant, which seems strange when you actually take everything into consideration. This 'pet' project stuff is a load of bollocks. Sure, she looks great and that's fantastic for the marketing side of things, that doesn't mean she's not a legit fighter who actually deserves to be where she is. 22 years old and already 7-3 in her MMA career and is a part of Team Alpha Male. Her only 3 losses are to fighters all ranked in the top 10:

Rose Namajunas (4)
Tecia Torres (6)
Michelle Waterson (7)

So that's a loss to Namajunas who is considered one of the best in the division and a potential future champion and a loss Tecia, an absolute grinder who has never been finished and Waterson, one of the most experienced in the division. Not getting the hate what so ever. I'd understand if she was some bum that was being pushed solely on her looks and marketability, but the reality is that she's a legit good fighter and the looks and marketability are bonuses. And for the record, most of her fights are fecking good or great to watch too.
 
No one said she wasn't legit. Her media profile however is little more than a product of manufactured hype to attract eyeballs.
 
No one said she wasn't legit. Her media profile however is little more than a product of manufactured hype to attract eyeballs.
That's the point

And it's worked up to now. She is very well known and was on celebrity dancing.

UFC got more viewers....result
 
That's the point

And it's worked up to now. She is very well known and was on celebrity dancing.

UFC got more viewers....result

Who cares if she's known on the celebrity dancing circuit. I can do with a bit less of that and a bit more normal MMA fighting. If I want cheap, staged drama I'll turn on WWE instead.
 
Who cares if she's known on the celebrity dancing circuit. I can do with a bit less of that and a bit more normal MMA fighting. If I want cheap, staged drama I'll turn on WWE instead.
Ok you just don't seem to be getting the point
 
Of course I get the point. I don't accept it as legitimate.
Look I think me and you have disagreed about this kind of stuff in the UFC loads of times before

We are looking at it from different angles. I know where you stand on it all and that is fair enough, but I'm sure if they went with your model they wouldnt be as big a company as they are today.
 
Look I think me and you have disagreed about this kind of stuff in the UFC loads of times before

We are looking at it from different angles. I know where you stand on it all and that is fair enough, but I'm sure if they went with your model they wouldnt be as big a company as they are today.

I don't see them being big as a particularly good thing. Maybe being a bit smaller, leaner, and not selling out would be a better end result. As mentioned earlier, the UFC getting big is basically just a way for the owners to line their pockets along with Rousey, McGregor, and a very short list of self-promoters. Meanwhile the vast majority of fighters get shafted on money, the ability to unionize and actually turn MMA into a legitimate sport where fighters can retire, get health care etc. If the UFC is going to be sustainable as a fight promotion, it should invest in all of the above so that fighters can earn a living doing it.
 
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ufffff that's a relief...

UFC 207 looking alright

Main Card
Bantamweight Amanda Nunes (c) vs. Ronda Rousey
Bantamweight Dominick Cruz (c) vs. Cody Garbrandt
Heavyweight Fabrício Werdum vs. Cain Velasquez
Bantamweight T.J. Dillashaw vs. John Lineker
Flyweight Louis Smolka vs. Ray Borg

Preliminary Card (Fox Sports 1)
Welterweight Johny Hendricks vs. Neil Magny
Welterweight Dong Hyun Kim vs. Tarec Saffiedine
Welterweight Mike Pyle vs. Alex Garcia
Middleweight Antônio Carlos Júnior vs. Marvin Vettori

Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass)
Welterweight Tim Means vs. Alex Oliveira
Welterweight Brandon Thatch vs. Niko Price

if it is half as good as UFC206 ill be content.
 
Cyborg flagged for a potential doping violation.

She's claiming it's nothing serious and is because she's been sick due to the bad weight cut she had.
 
Well Dana, who is technically her boss called her Wanderlei in a dress and the likes of Rogan have laid into her looks plenty of times... you can see why she might feel victimized. Then they made her have fights at 140 for no reason, complete waste of time as there isn't a 140 division and her opponents were willing to go up to 145...

And she hasn't fought cans, she fought the best in her weight class. It's like saying MM fights cans but in reality, it's the division that's just not as stacked as others/her and MM are just leagues above the opponents.

Let's also stop with the steroid thing. She's been clean for a long time and also, many other fighters have been in steroid cases yet she seems to get the brunt of the mean eyes.

I'm not a huge Cyborg fan but she has been made the victim a fair bit in my eyes.

So about that....;)

Whatever excuse she comes up with I'll find hard to believe, she's been roided out her mind for years. Her self pity stuff has always been bullshit and this just makes it more ridiculous.
 
So about that....;)

Whatever excuse she comes up with I'll find hard to believe, she's been roided out her mind for years. Her self pity stuff has always been bullshit and this just makes it more ridiculous.
Cheating cnut!

Seriously though, it could be medicinal after the extreme cuts the UFC made her do twice this year... but as you said, hard to give the benefit of the doubt to the boy that cried wolf.
 
I just can't get into Cyborg. She's a good fighter but she just seems juiced to the gills, especially with that manly voice.
 
Cheating cnut!

Seriously though, it could be medicinal after the extreme cuts the UFC made her do twice this year... but as you said, hard to give the benefit of the doubt to the boy that cried wolf.

The UFC MADE her? I'd say she had a choice. It's her own fault if she wants to walk around at the weight she does and make crazy weight cuts like she is. Nobody is forcing her to make those cuts in the extreme way that she is.
 
The UFC MADE her? I'd say she had a choice. It's her own fault if she wants to walk around at the weight she does and make crazy weight cuts like she is. Nobody is forcing her to make those cuts in the extreme way that she is.
Then why fight at 140? Especially as fighters are willing to go to 145... Total stupidity.
 
Then why fight at 140? Especially as fighters are willing to go to 145... Total stupidity.

I get that but she wasn't forced to make the cuts by anybody. She's constantly complaining about weight cuts but the reality is it's her that's destroying her own body to make it down to these weights. The UFC haven't forced her to cut extreme amounts of weights, the blame for that all falls on her door.

Would be ridiculous if she has been caught here and ends up getting a ban just as they make a 145 division.
 
I knew that Dana and Trump were aqcuaintances but in an interview earlier Dana claimed Trump calls him twice a month, the Donald seems to be a big fan. Coincidentally I was also listening to Chael Sonnen earlier too, always good for the inside info, he said that Dana and Ari Emanuel are in Russia meeting Kremlin top brass.....make of that what you will.

2016 was a great year for Dana/Fertittas, the political connections they posess at the UFC between them all must be legendary at this stage.

They all probably bonded over their mutual hate for John McCain.
 
Cain is out of the fight

feck AKA

feckkk!!

This news broke on Thursday but was denied... mmm

couple extra day of PPV sales or maybe they were fighting the decision?

i hope they find a replacement for Werdum... that's basically a fight for the title shot (at least from Werdum perspective).

edit: Struve and Dos Santos offering themselves...

it seems JDS was offered to Werdum, and he said no. So apparently definitive no fight?
 
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I would have bet my house on Cyborg being absolutely juiced to the gills. It's as plain as day. There aren't many Brazilian MMA who I would trust. But it was blatantly obvious that she juices.
 
I would have bet my house on Cyborg being absolutely juiced to the gills. It's as plain as day. There aren't many Brazilian MMA who I would trust. But it was blatantly obvious that she juices.

She probably does, but she is charged for diuretics and not steroids.