Issue 049
May 2009
By Hywel Teague.
If you’re a fan of MMA (which, as a reader of this magazine, I would expect you are) then things are good. In fact, things are really good.
There are now many so many events taking place across the world that scarcely a weekend goes by without some notable fight or other. By no means have we hit total saturation, but let’s look at some figures.
In 2008, the UFC hosted a total of 20 events. In 2007 they hosted 19 and in 2006 there were 18. This is in comparison to 2005, when they held 10. In 2004 they held only 5, as they did in 2003. Zuffa look set to host a record number of UFC events in 2009, and I’ve not even counted the WEC events they also promote. They’re certainly a busy bunch.
With the UFC dropping into cities in North America and Europe on their travels, you’d think there was no room for anyone else, right? Luckily for everyone, that’s most definitely not the case. There are dozens of regional level promotions taking place around the USA and the UK boasts a number of high profile domestic promotions (as do most major European countries).
We’re not exactly struggling for choice when it comes to watching fights. Every ‘numbered’ UFC will feature a high profile match, where either a title is contested or two highly ranked contenders fight it out as they jostle for a shot at the championship belt. Even the ‘lesser’ Ultimate Fight Night events are main evented by fighters who deservedly warrant their name on event posters, and are usually power players in their weight class.
But has the sterling work of the UFC actually backfired on them? Because it seems that a disturbing trend has come about.
The internet has always been a place where the common man can go to voice his opinion. Unfortunately, it can sometimes be a place that breeds negativity, a hotbed for vocal dissidents desperate to make their rants public. A topic that arises again and again is the ‘declining standard’ of UFC main events. Fans are up in arms that fights are taking place with no title at stake, or that closely fought contests haven’t lived up to their billing.
It seems that a sizeable portion of the MMA community has subscribed to the belief that we are suffering from a ‘quantity over quality’ approach. But at the same time, there is a whole army of MMA enthusiasts who complain when there is more than a week or so between events! It seems that people want great fights every weekend, and anything less just isn’t good enough.
Let’s get something straight here. This isn’t football. It’s not possible for fighters to compete every single weekend. At best, upper-echelon fighters can step into the ring three or four times a year. The superstars of the sport aren’t in a position to entertain us as often as we might like, and that’s a reality.
Just to put things into perspective here, I don’t think MMA fans have got it that bad. Think back to the golden age of boxing (whichever age that may be for you – 30’s, 50’s, 70’s, 80’s?). The champions of the day fought no more regularly than present MMA champions, and I would argue that those boxers faced far less challenging competition than the titleholders of the Octagon. No MMA champion gets easy fights (except maybe Anderson Silva, who is perhaps unique and a victim of his own success), as proved by the alarming regularity with which title belts change hands.
If fans are unhappy with the standard of UFC main events, whether those contests are for title or otherwise, then a change of perspective is required.
To focus solely on the main events is a recipe for disaster, as is subscribing to the promotional tools employed by the fight-makers. Like any fan of the sport, I like to watch those videos where the protagonists are portrayed as dynamic, exciting fighters who have had nary a boring fight, but be careful not to get suckered by these tactics. This shouldn’t need explaining, but I feel it important to remind readers of this: the promoter’s job is to promote a fight. They will do anything they can to get you to watch the event, so you can hardly blame them if a fight didn’t live up to your expectations. They told you it was going to be a good fight, you didn’t have to believe them.
So what to do? You want every big fight to be classic, but realistically big fights don’t come around that often, as even when they do there is no guarantee they’ll be a potential classic.
My advice would be to take a look at some of the undercard fights. You would be surprised at exactly how many modern classics are taking place right under your nose. Because fight fans traditionally focus only on the main events, these supporting acts are often overlooked. It is criminal that these guys can’t always make it to the televised portion of the event or fight in front of half-full arenas, but there is always a way to watch these events. Single fights can be bought online, and if you’re going to an event, why not turn up slightly earlier to see the full card?
If you’re that desperate to see great fights, then worry not – they’re out there. You just need to look.
