Do Decisions = A Boring Fight?

Yes		13%	(4)
No		88%	(28)

This has been one thing that has always got on my nerves, and it may just be me. I tend to see a lot of people's reactions to decisions insisting the fight was "boring" just because it didn't end in a submission or a knockout. I completely understand the criticism of fights where the one guy just tentatively strikes or lays and prays on his opponent. But there are wars where it seems people just read a quick result from Sherdog and assumed just because it didn't get stopped, that it wasn't an exciting fight.

I just want to get people's opinions on this, because for me, the fights I usually find the most entertaining are the back and forth affairs that have both guys either in a war on the feet or a chess match grappling. Hell the first fight that really got me caught up in MMA was between Karo Parisyan and Diego Sanchez. That was an absolute war, and for me, that's what I pay for, not to see some one-sided knockout or submission victory.(Unless it's against a guy I can't stand )

What do you guys think?

Parisyan vs. Sanchez

Griffin vs. Edgar

Griffin vs. Guida

Bonnar vs. Forrest

Wandy vs. Liddell


That's just a couple off the top of my head. Anybody want to call those fights boring?

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Posted by Jackelope

Parisyan vs. Sanchez

Griffin vs. Edgar

Griffin vs. Guida

Bonnar vs. Forrest

Wandy vs. Liddell


That's just a couple off the top of my head. Anybody want to call those fights boring?

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Nope but I will call Mir Cro Cop boring

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Posted by postman

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Posted by Jackelope

Parisyan vs. Sanchez

Griffin vs. Edgar

Griffin vs. Guida

Bonnar vs. Forrest

Wandy vs. Liddell


That's just a couple off the top of my head. Anybody want to call those fights boring?

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Nope but I will call Mir Cro Cop boring

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That's fair enough. To expound on my point a bit more (instead of relying solely on sarcasm to do the trick) I would say that for every boring decision there is usually at least 1 exciting decision.

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Posted by postman

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Posted by Jackelope

Parisyan vs. Sanchez

Griffin vs. Edgar

Griffin vs. Guida

Bonnar vs. Forrest

Wandy vs. Liddell


That's just a couple off the top of my head. Anybody want to call those fights boring?

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Nope but I will call Mir Cro Cop boring

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Absolutely it was. There were a few moments, but this thread was slightly inspired due to people's reaction to the 119 card. Lytle vs. Serra and Dunham vs. Sherk were awesome! I also enjoyed the Mitrione vs. Beltran fight and even the Guillard vs. Stephens fight.

I just get upset how a lot of people just write a decision off as automatically being a boring fight. Am I the only one who feels that people make that assumption?

Decisions do not make boring fights. S*** performances make boring fights. i.e Mir and Crocop. There have been great fights which have gone to the judges. I like to see dominating performances and great KO's/subs but an all out war (even without a finish) is sometimes better to see.

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Posted by PABLOMAFIOSO

I like to see dominating performances and great KO's/subs but an all out war (even without a finish) is sometimes better to see.

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This.

I don't think whether a fight goes to a decision or not has much if anything to do with the entertainment value of a fight.

Great fights come from three things:
1. The competitiveness of a fight- if the fight is close, and especially if there are momentum swings in the course of the fight.

2. The amount of activity in a fight- When fighters engage a lot and the tempo of the fight is good.

3. The skill level of the fighter(s)- Highly skilled fighters are fun to watch do what they do.


Usually, great fights involve some combination of those three attributes. Fights that have only one of those attributes can still trend towards boring.
A competitive fight can still be boring if there is no activity and little skill.
An active fight is less likely to be boring on its own accord, but there are times when a whole lot of nothing can still be boring.
A highly skilled fighter can be fun to watch even in an uncompetitive match without much activity, but it is rare.

When you have all three of those things together... that is when MMA is pure bliss.

A friend of mine and me always argue about this. He always complains about the UFC Lightweights and WEC being "boring" because they can't finish fights and have no KO power. I think it's bullshit. He doesn't want to admit it, but most MMA fans will agree that the lighter weight classes usually put on better fights even if most are decisions, considering most of them aren't over-weight and can fight for more than two minutes straight without gassing.

For example, my favorite Lightweight in the UFC, Paul Taylor, almost always puts on a good show. Sure, he doesn't always finish or win, but almost all of his fights are Fight Of The Night. Watch his highlight video and you'll see what I mean.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6yFigdcLGQ

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Posted by gartface

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Posted by postman

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Posted by Jackelope

Parisyan vs. Sanchez

Griffin vs. Edgar

Griffin vs. Guida

Bonnar vs. Forrest

Wandy vs. Liddell


That's just a couple off the top of my head. Anybody want to call those fights boring?

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Nope but I will call Mir Cro Cop boring

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Absolutely it was. There were a few moments, but this thread was slightly inspired due to people's reaction to the 119 card. Lytle vs. Serra and Dunham vs. Sherk were awesome! I also enjoyed the Mitrione vs. Beltran fight and even the Guillard vs. Stephens fight.

I just get upset how a lot of people just write a decision off as automatically being a boring fight. Am I the only one who feels that people make that assumption?

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I agree and to be honest as boring as Mir Cro Cop was I would rather watch that then most anything else on tv. But I watch the NCAA wrestling and any combat I can find on the olympics. I just like fighting

N/A

The only times a fight bore's me is if one or both fighters don't fight.

Controlling an opponent wins rounds, but if no assault is attempted and no damage is inflicted... i didn't watch a fight. I watched a guy desperate enough not to lose, that he's willing to waste my money to do so.

I've seen a LOT of boring fights that get finished and all of a sudden it was a good fight. It's dumb, people who do not understand the intricacies of the sport only understand one man hurting another for the most part imo and a great grappling or even striking war can be overlooked by a boring fight with a rough finish.

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Posted by FastKnockout

A friend of mine and me always argue about this. He always complains about the UFC Lightweights and WEC being "boring" because they can't finish fights and have no KO power. I think it's bullshit. He doesn't want to admit it, but most MMA fans will agree that the lighter weight classes usually put on better fights even if most are decisions, considering most of them aren't over-weight and can fight for more than two minutes straight without gassing.

For example, my favorite Lightweight in the UFC, Paul Taylor, almost always puts on a good show. Sure, he doesn't always finish or win, but almost all of his fights are Fight Of The Night. Watch his highlight video and you'll see what I mean.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6yFigdcLGQ

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I personally don't mind lighter weight classes but there is definitely something to the argument. You don't 'feel it' the same way with smaller guys. A couple years ago I didn't like anything below WW. I always felt like a was watching children fight. HW always has that feeling of 'one big one could end it'. Lots of actions and speed doesn't make up for a lack of power and finishing ability.

I've come to appreciate them because I understand the technique involved much more than I used to. I started training about 3 1/2 years ago. But I can see how your average fan wouldn't appreciate it.

I don't think it's that a decision means a boring fight, but a boring fight will almost ALWAYS end in decision.

People just confuse cause and effect.

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Posted by Aether

I don't think it's that a decision means a boring fight, but a boring fight will almost ALWAYS end in decision.

People just confuse cause and effect.

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Very well put. To me, some of the most boring fights recently have come due to stoppage. Mir vs. Filipovic, Silva vs. Cote, etc. Those fights that are very quiet and have a long lull, until boom!

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Posted by FastKnockout

A friend of mine and me always argue about this. He always complains about the UFC Lightweights and WEC being "boring" because they can't finish fights and have no KO power.

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Posted by bjj1605

I've come to appreciate [the lighter-weight fighters] because I understand the technique involved much more than I used to. I started training about 3 1/2 years ago. But I can see how your average fan wouldn't appreciate it.

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I think this is key, and it's true for every sport. The aspects of the sport that are obvious - literally easy to see with the naked eye, as well as easy to understand - are what people who aren't familiar with the sport will enjoy. A knockout is usually easy to see and easy to understand, while a submission is often not. And like a low-scoring soccer or baseball game, someone who doesn't know MMA very well may think that if a fight goes to a decision, that means "nothing happened." If a fight goes to a decision, a person might think it was therefore a draw, and the judges have to split hairs because the sport doesn't allow draws (when in fact, it does, but that's another rant altogether).

MMA also carries the baggage of its weight classes. Size is a tool and an advantage in all sports; the fact that combat sports segregate their athletes by it will always be something that new fans have to get used to. In a sense, every other sport is an "open weight" tournament. Players who lack size in hockey, football or basketball are expected to adapt - be extra fast, be extra skilled, be extra smart, be something - or find another line of work.

No. The only time a decision is boring is when a fighter just lays on the other for the whole time. GSP vs Alves & Hardy were very boring IMO. Chael vs Anderson was very exciting though because Chael had some very active vicious active ground and pound.

Any two fighters that are willing to throw it all out there until the final bell gets my respect and it definitely isn't boring. Like Sanchez-Guida, Duham-Sherk, and both Ortiz-Griffin fights for example.

But when a guy just "plays it safe" neutralzing the other guy by just laying on him and nothings being done, or somebody is just letting it go without leaving it all out their then yeah thats boring and pisses me off but if their going at it fighting for the win then I dig it.