cyph, Grape Knee High, Dave2, thank you for your intelligent comments. Unfortunately, your efforts are wasted on these fanboys and trolls.

The UFC catering solely to the hardcore fan is a suicidal business move. If the UFC promotes more and more Jake O’Briens, you know what’s going to happen? Fans are going to stop going to the events in large numbers and fans are going to stop ordering the PPVs in large numbers. And you’ll be stuck with lackluster 1.1-1.2 ratings on Ultimate Fight Night as was evident in the last event, which was hardcore-heavy but didn’t offer much appeal to the casual fan.

Do you think Zuffa wants to jeopardize their cash cow? Zuffa turned their business into a success story off the backs of Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz and Randy Couture, all charismatic guys who met their star potential. Liddell = Rockstar, Ortiz = Arrogant Bad Boy, Couture = All-American Hero. Their characters/personality won the fans over. Liddell vs Ortiz II wasn’t the fight that made the most competitive sense back then but it was the largest drawing fight in UFC history. Think about that. A UFC that caters to only the hardcore fan is a UFC that probably wouldn’t have hit the big time in the first place.

As for the idea of a fighters union in the UFC, I like it. A fighters union would give the UFC more legitimacy.

Boxing on the other hand has been hurt by the fact that there is very little money in the sport except for the very top tier. If the UFC had a union which ensured better money for all UFC fighters, more quality athletes would enter the sport. If you are an athletically gifted man who is 6′8″, 260 lbs., are you going to play ball in high school in college and try to make it in the big leagues where you’ll be set for life? Or are you going to get punched in the face for $100 a fight like many boxers do when starting out?

Many quality American heavyweight athletes decided to play football and basketball instead of taking up boxing because the easy money is in the NFL, NBA and MLB. That’s why you are left with little guys in boxing like Mayweather who are too small to make it in the NFL or NBA. And even then, smaller athletes have choices like MLB since not all baseball players are steroided sluggers. There’s also the NHL but the NHL doesn’t have much of an impact in stealing American athletes away from combat sports.

It comes down to entertainment and yes, that comes at the price of trying to eliminate the possibility of boring fights. Fighters are very aware of this nowadays and many are focused on putting on a good show as much as they are focused on winning. Some have responded by changing their whole fighting style and strategy. For example Chris Lyttle went from being a a kinda boring defensive fighter to being a raging slugger and its only done good things for his career. Maybe Jake O’brien needs to follow suit.

Still, I dont think the business model of the UFC is to make a fight league as it seems their business model is more like the WWE and pro wrestling.

I just wish some organization outside of Japan would really get more involved with the Grand Prix tournament style format of fighting. Then you could actually create a legimate sport where you basically have elmination tournaments held over the course of 6-8 months (much like a season). That way, fights are not picked but are earned instead. As long as you have match makers like Joe Silva making fights, MMA will be nothing more than prize fighting and not a true sport.

Here’s the answer: if the UFC continues to arrange fights based on public opnion instead of pure sport (ie WINNING THE DAMN FIGHTS) eventually the mob rule of public opinion will have undeserving fighters getting title shots at champions and with the punchers chance and 4 oz gloves, can and will happen. See Serra vs St. Pierre. This fuxx the rankings, and in the end gives fans what they dont want to see, talentless and unskiled fighters as paper champions. Which, after word gets around, undermines the promotion.

The UFC is being short sighted here, in the interest of showcasing “exciting” and Adonis-like fighters such as the grappling deficient Kongo, the O’Briens, Lindlands and Buentellos are pushed out and we have lackluster and frustrating title matches like Arlovski vs Eilers, and top name fighters are top shelved. Top shelved because they can only fight once or twice a year against big name fighters who match UFC preferential criteria.

Which is bad for fighters, fans, and ultimately the promotion. It’s being short-sighted and while I can see why the UFC wants to make the most of its 15 minutes, disappoints guys like myself who want the longterm success of the sport and its major promotions.

If the UFC was really serious about keeping wrestling relaint fighters out of the game, they’d lobby the athletic commissions to change the rules. What they’re doing to O’Brien is really underhanded.

Difference between UFC andNHL, NBA, MLB, and NFL……UFC fighters don’t have union protection, those other sports do. As I said before, I am not saying Zuffa releasing O’Brien was a good or bad thing, but it is different that comparing to those other sports. And as I also said before, it’s more comparable to a pro wrestling company releasing a guy than those other sports getting rid of guys. Hell, I am of the opinion that O’Brien is PROBABLY better off in other feds (possibly EliteXC, or maybe even IFL) than in UFC, for now at least.

Funny how they’re in the playoffs again—

back to the issue at hand…the UFC started as a tournament and its working in more mma orgs around the world so it clearly has validity. They dont’ need the live gate to be amaazing as long as they can get the big spenders to come. They can have live events anywhere and get them outside the NSAC rules limitations make the events have Vale Tudo rules (actually a sport) and get judges that really understand Vale Tudo not Boxing/Kickboxing(C.Peoples..etc..)

Also it would be nice to realize that the UFC is technically not a sport and the ruleset it uses and the matchmaking it has has clearly stated this fact. A true sport has even tournaments to decide winners not just oh….whoever we feel would be exciting/profitable.

Also important to consider is that the Fertitas based their decision to purchase UFC on the success of the PRIDE grand prix in 2000. The pride formula has always been that an exciting competitor is invited back if he can show true warrior spirit and compete no matter the results of the match. Guys who are boring/ lackluster would get the axe quickly. So there is definitely some things that the UFC could do to better legitimize its sport like trading elbows on the ground for knees on the ground and giving contracts to its tournament winners…which could be hosted in Puerto Rico/Costa Rica/ etc…to avoid the whole NSAC nonsense. and as far as having good judging get a few experienced MMA judges like Matt Hume and maybe even let Big John be invited as a judge(not a conflict of interest that being a ref would be.)