Getaway Thursday: MMA Mania
So we don’t know anything about MMA, but some of you asked about it, so here’s a shot at it, with our old friend from FanHouse, Michael David Smith who knows it well.
BB: Who’s the Next Big Thing in MMA?
MDS: The next big thing is a 22-year old UFC fighter named Jon Jones. He’s 9-0 and an incredibly good athlete from an incredibly athletic family — his brother, Arthur, is a defensive tackle from Syracuse who will be a 2010 first-round draft pick.
BB: What’s your opinion of the Machidas Decision? Fair? Not?
MDS: I had Shogun beating Machida 48-47, but it was a close enough fight that I certainly wouldn’t call it a robbery and I was surprised by how many people did. Judging in MMA is fairly subjective, and close fights can go either way.
BB: Although it’s growing quickly, what will it take for MMA to go “mainstream?”
MDS: MMA needs one major star to become “mainstream” someone who’s an American, who’s articulate, whose fighting style is exciting and attractive to casual fans. MMA has a long way to go before it becomes mainstream, but it’ll get there.
21 Responses to Getaway Thursday: MMA Mania
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JesusRevis says:
Personally I think MMA is anything but a sport. Not for me.
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Brendan says:
Do you consider boxing a sport?
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Matt says:
I disagree with Michael. One star is not nearly enough. This isn’t pro wrestling where Steve Austin can attract viewers on a weekly basis. The fighters can only go a few times a year, God forbid they get injured, fail a drug test, go to jail, etc. In order to keep people’s interest there needs to be a large stable of “characters” to follow and root for/against.
The sport alone is not enough, although I do enjoy it. We need to get behind the scenes, get to know the guys involved better, and hopefully they are colorful enough to keep our interest. Hence why Brock Lesnar, albeit one of the most boring fighters on Earth, is currently the most popular draw the UFC has. He knows how to build a feud from his time with the WWE/Vince McMahon.
Shows like The Ultimate Fighter are huge for the future success of MMA; allowing us to not only meet a new crop of young guys, but also the coaches involved. Rashad and Rampage would have been a huge fight f Rampage didn’t wuss out. Also, free public shows like the one on Saturday on CBS will attract fringe viewers who do not yet feel like paying for a PPV card. Supposedly, the UFC and Dana White plan on doing this in the future…
Let’s face it, that’s why we’re on this blog to begin with. We are emotionally invested in our team, and will watch no matter how painful some games/seasons can be. Emotion is what makes sports, and the UFC needs to continue to develop that, not a single superstar.
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Matt,
Rampage never ‘wussed out’ they just pushed the fight back because he’s off filming an A-team movie as Mr. T.
Yes….I am being serious, and I also think he’s an idiot. But understand his whole “I can only fight for so long, have to build other options” point of view.
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Yes I do consider boxing a sport.
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When are they going to bring in weapons? nunchuks vs kali sticks, staff vs whip, sword vs double dragon axe…. it’s only a matter of time
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Brendan, I hear you, but I’m not sure I agree completely.
He signed on to be a coach for TUF, and the whole point of that is to lead up to a matchup between the coaches. It’s a huge draw for those new to the sport. But he backed out of the fight, AFTER agreeing to it. That’s not right.
If he wants to be in a movie, great. But you can’t commit to two things at once.
For example, what if Mark Sanchez said, “Hey guys, great season so far, but I got an interview with XYZ Modeling Agency on the same day as the Patriots game. I’m sure you guys understand that I need to take care of my future outside of football, so good luck out there, go team!”
And then we crucify him to a wall.
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D Rex says:
MMA is a huge up and comming sport, but than again its not quite mainstream just yet. For example, Fedor Emelianeko, who is the best fighter in the world (who any average fan probably does not know) is fighting in a lessor organization on saturday on cbs, rather than fighting on primetime ppv for the ufc. The UFC has some big name American guys like BJ Penn, Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Dan Henderson, but they also have international stars as well like GSP, Anderson Silva, Shogun, Machida, and Minotauro Nogeria. They do have the benefit of international exposure to countries like england, japan, brazil, mexico and many others. It may not be a mainstream yet, but it has definitely surpassed boxing on the fighting ranks.
Oh and to say boxing is a sport and MMA isnt is retarted. In boxing you need to know how to box, only. In MMA you need to know how to box, wrestle, jiu-jitsu, and various other disciplines like judo, sambo, and karate
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Frankthetank says:
Fedor emelianeko is the best MMA fighter
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supercooljetfan says:
i would love to see silva and gsp meet in weight somewhere in the middle…even tho i think silva might win it would be a sick fight
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Jeff says:
Where is Bas Rutten???
There is a funny video where he was going to get into a fight with Brian Urlacher. Unbeknownst to Urlacher he backed out after realizing who he was. Funny and charismatic guy to boot.
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GSP won’t go up in weight, and Silva probably can’t cut down to welterweight (he walks around at 225). GSP is definitely intimidated by Silva (who I think is the best fighter in the world – to be the best you gotta beat the best).
And JR, I love boxing. I hate what has happened to the sport, but love it nonetheless. But to say MMA isn’t a sport but boxing is isn’t being fair to MMA. Yes, it’s brutal, but it also takes so much time & effort and ability that it’s more demanding than boxing.
As someone previously said, you need to learn multiple disciplines to even be able to compete anymore. Muay Thai, boxing, wrestling, jiu jitzu are all among the different forms of fighting that an MMA fighter has to learn or else he’ll be picked apart. I just don’t understand why people would consider boxing a sport, but not MMA when MMA includes boxing among it’s many different disciplines all fighters must learn.
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Brendan,
I’m not trying to offend anyones personal opinion. But personally, I think Boxing is more technical, while MMA is just 2 guys trying to maul eachother. I have never been a fan of MMA, its just not for me. My little brother trains for it and spars at a local gym, so i’m starting to learn a little more about it. Maybe it will grow on me.
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Hah, I wasn’t offended. I just hear that argument all the time and it doesn’t make sense to me. I can see how someone would think it’s just two guys mauling each other, but it’s just as technical as boxing. It just looks sloppier because you can do so many more things to a person than just throw hands.
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I think the nature of MMA is the reason why it will never become mainstream. Boxing is mainstream because it is considered a much classier sport. I cant imagine MMA ever reaching the level that boxing is at, only because its nature is so graphic and violent that I think it turns people off.
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Boxing is turning a lot of fans off because of the way the governing bodies are to political and petty. UFC’s business plan is to put as many headline-level fights on a single card as it can. Every event has a number of high profile fights. UFC has been pitting it’s best fighters from different weight classes against each other, while boxing can’t even put it’s best fighters in the same weight class in a match.
I will say that the super middleweight tournament is a step in the right direction for boxing and I love how the 6 guys in it put their ego’s (and wallets) aside to unify the belts and bring great exposure and fighting the the sport.
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KYJetsFan says:
MMA defined- activity in which two people engage in senseless fighting for money in order to entertain wannabe tough guys who beat up their girlfriends/wives or guys just looking to go to a bar and pick a fight because their life sucks.
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Nice KY, not generalizing at all. WHat is football? An activity in which 22 people engage in senseless violence for money. I am not a wannabe tough guy. I never have/never will lay a hand on a woman. I don’t go out at night to pick fights. And my life certainly doesn’t suck. I’m a huge MMA fan. You’re talking about a small small Ed Hardy wearing minority of tools. Most MMA fans are ex athletes and guys who loved boxing but have been turned off by the sports’ political BS. MMA puts on fights fans want to see, every event, and requires speed, agility, power, mental toughness, physical toughness and heart. Anything that needs that combination counts as a sport and more than ‘senseless violence’ in my book.
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KY- thats a great definition coming from someone who clearly does not follow the sport of MMA at all. Many athletes pack the front rows of UFC events like along with countless hardcore fans. But according to you these people definitely beat their girlfriends and win every bar fight. thanks for you’re input.
That ‘mainstream star’ he speaks of….my boy Shane Carwin. Guy is a mechanical engineer by day, and a bad ass 265 pound wrecking ball with hands so big he needs size XXXXXL gloves. It’s like getting hit with a ham hock.