Issue 109
December 2013
TOM WATSON
The well-traveled middleweight striker on the pressure UFC fighters face not to lose
The UFC generally cuts fighters after they suffer back-to-back losses, but lately, because the promotion has so many fighters under contract, guys are getting cut following just one defeat. There’s an argument this is creating an environment where combatants are under so much pressure not to lose that they are playing it safe and end up having boring fights in the process.
You can find the same issue in any professional sport. Some teams play exciting football but don’t win and so it doesn’t really count for anything. I can relate to that. My mentality since I signed with the UFC is to go in there and have a tear-up.
My debut against Brad Tavares (UFC on Fuel TV: Struve vs. Miocic) was like that, but I didn’t win. Then against Stanislav Nedkov (UFC on Fuel TV: Barao vs. McDonald) it worked out great – not only did I win the fight, I also got two bonuses. The fans really liked that fight and so did I. But then I lost again in my next fight, against Thales Leites (UFC 163).
So now I find myself 1-2 in the UFC and it’s making me think about my fighting style. I look at myself and think, ‘Am I fighting just to put on a show?’ It’s good to go in there and do that, but it’s also about winning.
If I am not winning then I am obviously doing something wrong and I need to tweak my style. I can still be exciting but perhaps I also need to be a bit smarter. It’s not about just steaming in there. I think the thing is to go out and find the balance.
But that’s one of the hardest things to get right, especially for a fighter like myself. I’ve got a style where I like to go forward and have hard fights. It’s not that I try to fight like that, it’s just how I am. I was in boxing before MMA and I used to fight like that then. It’s hard to train yourself out of that.
On the other hand, while there is pressure not to lose there is also pressure to have good fights. That’s what the UFC and its fans want. The thing people forget is the UFC is a sports entertainment product. If fans aren’t enjoying the bouts that certain fighters are putting on, there’s a good chance they are going to be cut regardless of whether they are winning or losing.
And I don’t disagree with that. If you aren’t entertaining the fans then they won’t want to pay for your fights. There was an outcry when Jon Fitch and Yushin Okami were released from their contracts. They have been forces in their division for a long time and were thought to be safe because of their names.
But when Okami was on a card, was he the guy people were going to see? Were people paying money and filling arenas to see him fight? As good a fighter as he is, and as good as his record is, the answer is: no.
So then you look at where he is in the division and the fact that he has had a title shot; he’s been around. Is it better to keep him or is it better to bring someone else in and maybe get some better fights in the process?
It’s a dilemma – don’t lose, but don’t play it safe either. And if you have an exciting fight and lose, you’re probably going to get cut all the same. If you have boring fights and win, you’ll probably get cut as soon as the opportunity presents itself.
Professionals fight for money and the amount of money coming into the sport in recent years has definitely added more pressure not to lose. But if you look at a fight like Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson (UFC 165), they threw down regardless of how much money the winner would receive.
People react to things differently because they are only human beings after all. Some competitors will be driven to fight harder to secure the winner’s pay check, while others will play it safe for fear of losing out on future paydays. Unfortunately, it’s not an issue that’s going to be resolved any time soon.
