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MMA Talent: To the UFC or Beyond?
MMA Talent: To the UFC or Beyond? |
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warglory
MMA Sensei
Career record: 169-115
Season: 31-27 (#2819)
Location:
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I know we have had multiple topics about individual fighters and where they would be best suited to pursue their careers. However, I wanted to bring up a broader topic concerning the UFC vs. everyone else because lately I have been reading many posts about free agents and how they should immediately be brought into the UFC fold. My question is, is this really beneficial to the sport?
Many hardcore fans have been having a field day with DREAM, which is undoubtedly the best major organization we have seen pop up in comparison to the UFC in terms of quality in production and talent. In fact, like Japan seems to do so well, we are beginning to see some great prospects coming out of the two grand Prix's they have had, yet so many fans continue to want these up and comers to try their hand inside the UFC octagon. Personally, I prefer to have two (or more) separate organizations that can each build up their own talent pools, instead of just having the UFC as the sole proprietor of big talent. My favorite moments as a fan were during 2006 and 2007 when no one really knew for sure who really was the champion of mixed martial arts. Once PRIDE folded, we were given opportunities to see dream matches, but the mystique and rivalry simply wasn't there anymore.
I say we allow DREAM to cultivate the talent they have and rebuild that fantastic rivalry PRIDE and the UFC once had. I don't want this to end up like other sports where one organization rules all. Let's give the fans and the fighters alike a little competition!
Last edited 9/30/08 5:39PM by warglory
Edit note/reason: n/a
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Post #1 9/30/08 5:37:51PM
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MMA Sensei
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Career record: 121-59
Season: 55-15 (#42)
Location: Massachusetts
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I like to see up and comers in smaller organizations so they can continue to grow as a fighter and when they're ready they end up at the big show (UFC).
Competition is good. We get to see better shows and more of them. On that note though, when a fighter reaches a certain level you want to see him fight the best. Look at a guy like Jake Shields (an elite WW) fighting Paul Semtex ( a sub 20 WW). Such is the case for top guys that fight outside the UFC. They'll fight a few top guys but in between fighting top guys they have to settle for subpar matchups.
I like the idea of other organizations, especially in Japan but the talent pool isn't really big enough to have many organizations with a roster full of top talent, hence when a guy is in the top ten rankings people want to see them in the UFC.
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Post #2 9/30/08 5:52:02PM
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mrkennedy
Belt Contender
Career record: 163-79
Season: 51-19 (#168)
Location: montreal
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Posted by Wolfenstein
I like to see up and comers in smaller organizations so they can continue to grow as a fighter and when they're ready they end up at the big show (UFC).
Competition is good. We get to see better shows and more of them. On that note though, when a fighter reaches a certain level you want to see him fight the best. Look at a guy like Jake Shields (an elite WW) fighting Paul Semtex ( a sub 20 WW). Such is the case for top guys that fight outside the UFC. They'll fight a few top guys but in between fighting top guys they have to settle for subpar matchups.
I like the idea of other organizations, especially in Japan but the talent pool isn't really big enough to have many organizations with a roster full of top talent, hence when a guy is in the top ten rankings people want to see them in the UFC.
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Post #3 9/30/08 6:52:27PM
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warglory
MMA Sensei
Career record: 169-115
Season: 31-27 (#2819)
Location:
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Posted by Wolfenstein
I like to see up and comers in smaller organizations so they can continue to grow as a fighter and when they're ready they end up at the big show (UFC).
Competition is good. We get to see better shows and more of them. On that note though, when a fighter reaches a certain level you want to see him fight the best. Look at a guy like Jake Shields (an elite WW) fighting Paul Semtex ( a sub 20 WW). Such is the case for top guys that fight outside the UFC. They'll fight a few top guys but in between fighting top guys they have to settle for subpar matchups.
I like the idea of other organizations, especially in Japan but the talent pool isn't really big enough to have many organizations with a roster full of top talent, hence when a guy is in the top ten rankings people want to see them in the UFC.
Which is why we need cultivation in order to build up separate talent pools. I mean most of PRIDE's talent, and now DREAM's talent was/is primarily self made. DREAM's fighters aren't UFC rejects, or well known vets from defunct organizations save for a few of them. The two Grand Prix winners are both very legitimate champions who provide much needed competition to the champion hierarchy of the UFC. And if WVR ends of merging with DREAM, combined with their relationship with K-1, that will create an even wider talent pool to challenge the UFC.
Soon, if not already, Jake Shields will have more than enough opportunity to engage in quality combat.
We shouldn't have to rely on the UFC to bring us the best fighters, we need diversity!
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Post #4 9/30/08 10:28:57PM
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rabbit915
In Full Mount
Career record: 123-75
Season: 42-28 (#1137)
Location: Wisconsin
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I like how EliteXC is handling the Jake Shields situation. They are giving him the best fighters they can find, not feeding him cans. Zuffa has 17 of my top 20 fighters at WW, so there really isnt much competition outside but they are doing their best.
Nick Thompson and Paul Daley are top 25 guys for sure. I think Jay Hieron and Mach Sakurai (in addition to Daley) are basically the last two guys he needs to fight before he has dismantled everyone outside of Zuffa.
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Post #5 9/30/08 10:37:33PM
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