Dana White Sounding More and More Like a Boxing Promoter
by Scott Christ on Jun 16, 2011 4:24 PM EDT
in Boxing Commentary & Opinion
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Today's UFC 134 press conference featured all the usual quotes and nonsense and silliness and serious statements, and then Dana White for whatever reason, decided to go at boxing a little bit. Our friend Luke Thomas of SB Nation MMA covered the press conference, and tweeted this quote:
Dana White: MMA is the kind of sport that once you start watching it, it's hard to go back to boxing. I'm going to take heat for that one.less than a minute ago via TweetDeck 
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Luke Thomas
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I laughed, because it's the typical Dana White boxing bait that he throws out there looking for extra attention. Well, OK, fine, I'll take the bait.
I suppose White would argue that, say, Pacquiao vs Mosley was boring. And there it was, promoted as a big event. Well, it was a big event. A lot of people bought the PPV. It made money at the gate in Vegas. And yes, the fight sucked.
But I also saw the MEGA HUGE GREATEST BIGGEST EVENT IN UFC HISTORY! main event with Georges St-Pierre and Jake Shields. It was boring as all hell. Every bit as dull as Pacquiao vs Mosley. There have been a good amount of weak UFC main events and lame UFC cards in the last couple of years. But to hear UFC fans or Dana White tell it, it's non-stop action and the excitement never ends. Nothing could be further from the truth.
As the sport of MMA has evolved, the quality of the fighters and athletes has gotten better, and, well, it's gotten kind of ho-hum. Many fights look the same. Most aren't memorable, they just happen. More truly lousy fights happen, even though today's top fighters are better than the top fighters of years past. Many have figured out how to win without taking serious risks during the fight, including some top stars.
So let's call a spade a spade on what White's tactic is here. If you can't really say you've got something exciting, say another guy has something boring. White will probably find himself more and more in need of convincing UFC fans that they have a truly thrilling product in the coming months and years. If the excitement can't really, truly be delivered on a consistent basis, it can at least be promised, or he can always go back to "hey boxing sucks, right you guys?" and receive the cheap pop.
Sounds pretty boxing promoter-ish to me.
It's not like it's something we don't hear pretty regularly. But the trouble is that Dana probably knows better, while Michael Wilbon doesn't. The act is getting a little stale, and as a casual UFC fan these days, I'm more concerned with getting those exciting fights from the company instead of slaps at a different sport. It's been a great year of fights for the sport of boxing and we've got a great schedule coming up. UFC might be more popular in the States, but their constant claims to actually being "better" entertainment are getting a lot more questionable.
Lucky for Dana, a healthy portion of his audience will just go along with anything he says. Another thing he has in common with successful boxing promoters -- an ability to sell whatever he wants and talk over the naysayers.
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I watch both, I like both. But my passion is with boxing – the drama, the back and forth, the energy – MMA can’t compete with boxing.
Stated simply, I regularly find myself standing up, screaming at the screen during a great boxing fight – I haven’t found myself doing that watching MMA.
Here’s the other thing that’s happened in MMA – which Scott touched on: Like a really good boxer can cruise to victory on his skill-set and suck all the drama out of a fight, a really good MMA fighter (especially some of the ground game guys – GSP, Shields, Fitch, Maynard, Guida) can make a fight even worse to watch.
"You can't search me without probable cause Or that proper ammunition they call reasonable suspicion Listen while I bring friction to your whole jurisdiction" - Fugees
by lcollins1 on Jun 16, 2011 4:35 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
definitely agree
mma is fun, but nothing can beat a good boxing match. i don’t regularly rewatch past mma fights but will gladly spend a few minutes watching highlights of classic boxing fights.
Not sure why you posted this
Dana white has more in common with internet trolls than he cares to admit.
Because people read about Dana White saying shit.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Jun 16, 2011 4:43 PM EDT up reply actions
UFC's never done it for me. I have ESPN here, so we get all the PPV cards free, and I regularly try and watch the big events.
The only fight that ever made me go WOW was Anderson Silva against Chael Sonnen, and that was essentially down to the finish after Anderson had been beaten badly. Obviously I’m biased as a boxing fan, but I think boxing delivers far more frequently than UFC – you have so many different fights to watch each month, you’re almost guaranteed to get a good one. Additionally, I hate the grappling game. I don’t understand it one little bit, and end up just finding it pretty boring to watch. I get that I should probably look into it if I want to appreciate it, but it just lacks the poetry and beauty of boxing.
"Occasionally, there is a boxing match that, in its demonstration of skill, courage, intelligence, hope, seems to redeem the sport - almost. Perhaps boxing has always been a sport in crisis, a sport of crisis."
Agreed on the grappling aspect
And I love watching freestyle wrestling, or the folkstyle used in collegiate wrestling here in America. Just don’t like the “ground game” in MMA. I just think MMA is too many things thrown in a blender: boxing, kickboxing, muai tai, wrestling etc. Not my cup of tea, I suppose.
Moreover, what I really don’t like about MMA is the idea that after landing one punch, a man can jump on another hurt man. I think of Pacquaio-JMM I and how Pacquaio knocks him down three times, but JMM gets up each time. Then he wins 8-9 of the remaining 11 rounds. Awesome. In MMA? Fighter A stuns Fighter B with one punch, and then gets to jump on top of him and punch/kick him at his leisure. Not my thing.
Still might go to UFC 133 just to support Phil Davis in his fight against Rashad Evans. Phil won a wrestling national title at my alma mater, and he’s a pretty awesome dude.
K-1 Hero's had standing 8-counts in MMA.
It was confusing for fighters sometimes because they would knock someone down and go in for the kill, then the ref would be pulling them off to give an 8-count.
Unfortunately, the refs were in a bad position to stop the action in time, so a lot of dudes still got a few shots in on the ground sometimes.
by SilverNBlackZach! on Jun 16, 2011 7:09 PM EDT up reply actions
I generally don't go near these type of debates
because they had outstayed their welcome about 7 years ago.
But I love the way Dana flip flops back and forth with his stance on Boxing. When it suits him, it’s “we’re all boxing fans, we are delighted for their success with…….” This usually happens when Boxing is on a strong run and comparisons don’t seem favourable.
Then other days, he throws out these types of jabs. He’s completely full of shit.
I actually agree with your sentiments here. There was a time a few years back when UFC was putting on great shows regularly. Those days are gone. There have been a lot of bad UFC PPV’s in the last year to 18 months. There have been some horrible shows that their audience still sung the praise of though.
That is easily explained
first of this half year has been so amazingly injury riddled. Other then this half year and some weak cards last fall(also injury ridden) UFC have been delivering good fights. ufc 130 sucked other then that it still has been a good year so far
by Mohammedini Hussein on Jun 16, 2011 5:24 PM EDT up reply actions
We agree to disagree
The shows have ranged from average to bad.
A lot Of UFC’s top fighters at the minute are just boring. Some of the depleted shows have been better value for money.
you know what i agree with you
it seems like lots of the cards w/ out big names have top to down solid fights.
As a fan of both...
I can say that both have there upside; however, if there are two competing cards, I’ll watch the boxing one every time. I just enjoy boxing more.
The thing is
even if you have a bad main event you still get more fights for your money. You neglected the fact almost all of the fights except the main event was entertaining. In boxing the promoters usually build a whole event around one fight, UFC usually builds an event on many different well known fighters relevant to the title picture of that division. Btw the prelims to the main card of UFC 129 had some amazing fights and brilliant finishes.
by Mohammedini Hussein on Jun 16, 2011 5:20 PM EDT reply actions
this isn’t true boxing always has other fights on the card in fact one of the other fights on the pac/mosley card is a front runner for foty
I agree with Scott that it isn't "hard to go back to boxing" at all
Regardless of whether this claim was a promotional stunt or a personal epiphany, I don’t think any fans of boxing who have started watching MMA have any problem “going back.”
The nature of both (combat) sports is no such that you only need to watch the big events to be a participant. Boxing isn’t on network T.V. anymore, so the difference between a fan and a non fan is not so drastically different looking except for when the 4-6 biggest events are going on.
Actually, the fact that UFC squashes the name branding of individual stars more than boxing keeps it from being as easy to get hooked as it is for boxing fans in my opinion. There are plenty of people from an older generation that aren’t likely to stream european fight cards but get curious about watching this Pacquiao guy who everyone is calling an ATG.
I started out as a boxing fan, and still am primarily. I watch most UFC events but that’s mainly because they are free when you subscribe to ESPN UK.
If i had to pay for each event, i would be very choosy which ones i went for and the UFC have knocked out many a low quality card over the years.
The main trouble with MMA,imo, and the reason they have much fewer classic, back and forth wars than boxing is that whenever a good standup fight starts to break out, the inferior striker more often than not tries to take it to the ground.
There’s no ebb and flow on the feet like in boxing and i still find it hard to like the grappling side, even after 4 years or so of watching, unless you’ve got some submission specialist in there. Wrestling is just BORING, imo.
I could manage without MMA very easily, but would struggle without boxing.
I have said this before; MMA writers, fans, Dana White, whomever, always try to bring themselves up to boxing’s level by comparing their sport ,and they often talk about the great boxing matches and try to eqaute some decent MMA scrap to Gatti v Ward, etc.
I check out the MMA sites most weeks and have seen this fairly regulalry.
Boxing fans, writer’s, etc only really mention MMA (UFC) for how they have a good busuiness model setup. You don’t often here boxing fans saying, “oh, this boxing match was almost as good as that MMA fight.”
Most primarily boxing fans don’t care much about MMA as a sport and can take it or leave it.
The only thing they beat boxing at is the best fighting the best all the time. As a sport it’s kind of a “Jack of all trades, but master of none” sport, imo.
I saw one of the trainers on some UFC show not long ago showing a fighter the “lauchpad 1-2” combo, basically following the jab up with the immediate straight right behind it.
Boxing’s been going for how many years and we need some douche to start “inventing” “new” combinations?
Laughable..
MMA numbers have been in a slump recently
PPV rates have been stagnant or declining compared to last year and are projected to get worse. Dana knows what he is doing. He is actually a huge boxing fan, but trying to create some heat by tying himself to boxing.
Difference between MMA and boxing fans
Boxing fans are usually honest when it comes to boring fights and call them as such. MMA fans will try to convince anyone who will listen that shitty fights are great under the guise of being “knowledgeable” and others being clueless.
They are desperate for their sport to succeed
and not fade away.
Kickboxing, thai boxing, karate, etc, never took off and got wildy popular. MMA did but it’s still relatively young and could still just be a craze/fad. I mean, it didn’t start to get really popular until about 5 years ago.
Yet boxing has always been popular and has stood the test of time. Anything that’s quality always does.
I try to watch MMA, and always go back to boxing
And I’m getting tired of MMA people trying to crap on boxing. Yet of course the MMA fights that are the most popular always involve knockouts, go figure…
I prefer MMA by far. In general, almost any UFC card is going to be better top to bottom than a boxing card, and I’ve converted quite a few friends from boxing to MMA, but MMA just really won’t do it for everyone. Usually I find top to bottom an MMA card will top a boxing one, but the main event is never a guaranteed war. The last main event in a UFC card that I was awed by was Jon Jones vs. Shogun Rua, and that was simply because it was a coming out party for someone who is going to be dominant as all hell.
A more 1 to 1 comparison though, let’s say GSP vs. Pacman. I feel that GSP is fine cruising to a decision, in a boring fight, whereas Pacman will bust his ass trying to make a war with a guy who just wants a paycheck.
If you aren’t crazy about it, I personally wouldn’t waste the money on a UFC ppv, and just catch the shitload of free fights the UFC puts out on Facebook and such. I personally have been trying to get into Boxing more by watching any free fights I see on cable, and following any play by plays here.
Long story short if you don’t like MMA, you’re proooobably better off never listening to a single word Dana White says, like, ever.
by Patrick John McGreevy on Jun 16, 2011 7:18 PM EDT reply actions
boxing>>>>mma (ufc)
i watch every ufc/strikeforce event, ive been watching since ufc 1, i think jiu jitsu is the best self defense in the world (weaponless). but the whole mma thing is just dull, most of these guys who arent submitting people are just plain lucky, these guys have no technique, no defense, no footwork, and no head movement. sloppy “wars” are just terrible, the griffin vs bonnar, which put ufc on the map was one of the sloppiest, suck ass fights ive ever seen, what is so good about that?? I also hate when someone starts talking about the concepts of the two, “boxing is just punching, mma is a real fight” no its not, im in law enforcement, ive been in real fights, but im just hating, boxing forever!!!!!
I watch MMA mostly hoping for stand up wars and brawls, which tells you all you need to know.
Theres nothing like the buzz of a big boxing fight, and I agree with one of the other posters up there, its hard to get emotionally involved in an MMA fight, I don’t know why that is but its true, whereas fights like Khan/Maidana & Froch/Kessler had me frantic on the edge of my seat.
by Shitali Klitschko on Jun 16, 2011 9:32 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
MMA brought me to boxing
I wrestled in high school, so I can appreciate the grappling and skill on display there. But after geeking out on boxing the past 6 months or so, I’m really starting to like it just as much as mma. Seeing gameplans and strategies evolve throughout a 10 round fight is awesome. I appreciate the skill in boxing rather than some of the recklessness you see in mma. They are totally different, but I agree boxing can be much more pleasing to the eye. I watch all I can of either- I’m watching Strikeforce fights and HBO boxing this weekend.
Where mma (especially high level MMA, the UFC) has boxing by the short hairs is in the matchmaking and how much less confusing the sport is in boxing. In the UFC, you fight who Joe Silva tells you, and thats pretty much that. In boxing you have a million different things going on with mandatory challengers, guys taking money fights, guys ducking each other, vacating belts because they mean nothing, etc.
But as for watching the actual sports, I think both can be really exciting, both have stinkers.
Scott, I love you bro (no homo) I love this site.
I love Boxing and have been watching it longer than MMA by far. But I believe MMA is the better sport and it DOES have TONS of memorable fights. Too many to even list. And these are not just crazy KO’s Some of these are wars! Also MMA delivers a more complete product with PPV’s that are stacked from top to bottom, usually.
The GSP/Shields PPV was awesome, every fight…except for the main event. lol But comparing both I would say MMA main events deliver way more frequently than Boxing. Also, you guys need to remember MMA/UFC has really only been around (in its current form) for about 10-15 years. Give it time. UFC markets better and produces (except for the God awful Gladiator Intro) and even better live shows. Hell, Top Rank has taken pointers from Zuffa! But seriously there has been tons of injuries to the sports stars lately and the PPVs have shown that.
Is MMA perfect? No, judging is horrible and IMO opinion we could use 5 3-minute rounds for non-title fights and 7 3-minute rounds for championship fights and stricter refs that will stop a stalling fighter on the ground or cage. This would actually give more opportunity for even more memorable fights IMO.
Look these fights up. Not all are crazy KO’s like you guys are suggesting.
Anderson vs Sonnen
Edgar vs Maynard 2
Velasquez vs Lesnar
Shogun vs Machida 1 AND 2
Rampage vs Griffin
Couture vs Big Nog
Diego Sanchez vs Clay Guida
Diego Sanchez vs Martin Kampmann
Chuck vs Tito Fights, Hell, all of Chucks early fights
Penn vs Sanchez
Penn vs Stevenson
Pettis vs Ben Henderson
Pettis vs Shane Roller
Henderson vs Cerrone 1
Any of Nick Diaz’ fights lol
Lesnar vs Carwin
Machida vs Evans
Any of Fedors fights
Any of Andersons fights
Any of Jon Jones fights
Any of Eddie Alvarez’ fights
Couture vs Silva
Machida vs Tito
Leben vs Akiyama
Huerta vs Guida
Huerta vs Garcia
Garcia vs Korean Zombie
The list goes on. These fights are very memorable. Its just that you guys do not watch it enough IMO.
What does Boxing do better than MMA? I’d say keeping it classy and professional. Unfortunately Dana is a douchmetal lover that thinks he’s a rockstar and his way is best. MMA is still a fringe sport, why? Because of the way Dana presents certain aspects of it. Look at the announcers. Why the fuck is Joe Rogan commentating? Because he was on Fear factor, bitches! And he and Dana are buddies. Sad, I know. =( Goldberg is shit and is a robot. He says the same scripted shit over and over which is why I prefer Strikeforce commentary more with Ranallo and Militech. They have someone like Kenny Florian who tears it up on commentating and Randy Couture, actual fighters with experience but they don’t put them in there for whatever reason. I prefer Bang bang Lampley over him all day. Also I hate extreeeeeeeeme Bruce Buffer. He is shit. I know you guys cringe when he announces. Let me tell you I love when Lennon Jr announces a Strikeforce card. Sounds awesome, sounds mainstream. And Showtimes Intro to MMA >>>> the cheap Gladiator intro.
Theres more things but I wont get all into it. The bottom line is when it comes to the pure sport I think MMA wins. So many outcomes and so much unpredictability. And now the major stars are rising liek Jon Jones, Velasquez, Cruz, Aldo, etc.
Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."
Any of Andersons fights
really? That guy’s put on some snoozers and some bizarre snoozers. He can be a highlight reel or a mental patient.
"You can't search me without probable cause Or that proper ammunition they call reasonable suspicion Listen while I bring friction to your whole jurisdiction" - Fugees
Yeah really
He put in only 2 boring performances (still dominant as hell, I blame his opponents) out of how many? 13 in the UFC.
Pacs last 3 fights in a row have been boring and forgettable. Don’t even get me started on Mayweather.
Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."
by xFenixKnightx on Jun 17, 2011 1:35 AM EDT up reply actions
Well we disagree on Anderson Silva’s entertainment value, and the idea that Pacquiao vs Margarito was boring — it was a lot of things, but I wouldn’t call it “boring.”
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Jun 17, 2011 6:03 AM EDT up reply actions
I bought PacMargs and dont really remember it much. =/ Nothing really happened sans 1-2 exchanges.
Silva is really exciting. He just had those 2 bootleg fights for whatever reason. lol
Another thing is the belts, champions, padded records and weight classes. Personally when I watch boxing I dont even pay attention to who has what belt. Its like theyre there for nothing. The make a new belt for Pac any time he fights at a diff weight class or catchweight. Diamond belt?
Like I said I love boxing but if they could get it more organized (wont happen, I know) it would be so much better. MMA has 7 weight classes, soon to be 8 with the flyweight coming in. So much easier to follow. The only champs that matter are from UFC and Strikeforce and now with Zuffa purchasing SF we are starting to get the fights that weren’t possible. And whoever said us MMA fans are always trying to spin any boring match out to be like its awesome is just wrong. Look at any live blog, we are just as critical as die hard boxing fans. If a fight sucks a fights sucks. I really dont see people spinning stuff, ever.
Boxing is still wayyyyyyyyyyyyy far ahead of MMA though and for good reason. The world has embraced it. Its been around for a lot longer. Its easier to understand, etc. MMA is great but I dont see it going to the next level becuase of Dana, like I said. Where are the National anthems? Where are the stats during fights? Can we get a classy ring announcer? Proper commentating team? Proper intro and presentations to PPV’s? Where is the professionalism? These are some small changes Dana could implement that would go a long way but it’ll never happen. I actually tried to do something about it with a post I did on BE becuase like I said MMA is not perfect, and I started a Twitter campaign that fizzled, heh. Check it out.
http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2010/12/11/1869935/updating-the-ufc-production
Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."
by xFenixKnightx on Jun 17, 2011 8:49 AM EDT up reply actions
I think you make some very good points
especially:
Where are the National anthems? Where are the stats during fights? Can we get a classy ring announcer? Proper commentating team? Proper intro and presentations to PPV’s? Where is the professionalism?
White seems determined to keep the production of the UFC in house and i think that can hurt them in the long run.
Imo, the opening of each PPV already looks dated with the neon gold background and the ridiculously generic death metal music.
Bruce Buffer is a but of a joke and “Buffoon” might be a more apt surname in his case, imo. Talk about trying too hard. You can tell his brother Michael’s voice is pretty natural but Bruce’s just seems too put on. His over the top mannerisms are too.
I think they should get rid of him and definitely Goldberg, maybe Rogan, who often seems high while he’s on camera (or at least coming down from something) and brings too much of his poncey personality into his job. I realise many won’t agree as they worship the ground Rogan walks on for some delusional reason but i just don’t like his attempts to be overly macho/cool.
Admittedly, he does know MMA well and is a shrewd observer though.
It’s more his actions on the internet that are out of line for someone in his position, imo.
As you said they should be more professional. That’s how they will increase their popularity/standing, imo.
I think they maybe should let someone like HBO take over, though i know the main reason they wouldn’t do that was because they wanted to retain production rights.
Ditching the likes of Buffer, Goldberg, etc and hiring more professionals who keep their personal life and views more personal would be a start.
I like MMA but some of the things you mentioned are def some of the things that annoy me about it.
White should take a more reserved role too, but we know that won’t happen. His f-bomb outbursts and highly opinionated personality can put some people off.
Funny how he has taken MMA a long way (I believe it was TUF and Spike)
But it will be he fault it will never reach the heights it should.
Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."
by xFenixKnightx on Jun 17, 2011 11:18 AM EDT up reply actions
Oh yeah, he’s done an amazing job and credit to him for all the hard work he’s put in.
I just think if they want this mainstream media acceptance, they would have to make some changes.
I imagine a lot of the hardcore MMA fans aren’t too bothered about “mainstream acceptance” though.
by Matt Mosley on Jun 17, 2011 11:34 AM EDT up reply actions
I only just read your initial comment further up (the long post :) and i have to say, your views about Rogan, White, etc and how much better the Strikeforce commentary is (and Pride before it, imo), are very similar to mine.
It’s the first time i’ve read an MMA fan post that kind of stuff. Keeping it real!
Nice to see.
I don’t mean to bash the sport, as it’s probably my 2nd or 3rd most watched tv sport ( the NFL is right their with it for me). I just think it’s right that it should get credit where it’s due and be criticsed when necessary, as i do with boxing.
To give MMA it’s due and to say some good things about the sport, on top of the obvious that has already been mentioned, i think there are some great fighters and fights in MMA and it would probably be the most effective all round self defence method in a street fight, imo.
Big Nog v Couture, Little Nog v Shogun, A Silva v Sonnen, etc, etc, there have been some great, entertaining fights in the sport, and the skill levels just keep getting better and better, to be fair and honest.
by Matt Mosley on Jun 17, 2011 11:46 AM EDT up reply actions
Thanks. I try to keep it real! :)
If White were to make those changes you would probably see a giant protest from all the knuckleheads. =(
Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."
by xFenixKnightx on Jun 17, 2011 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions
You list some good fights there
but Sanchez vs Kampmann has been way overrated by many. That’s one of the fights that one of the bloody elbow writer’s ridiculously compared to Gatti v Ward. PLEASE!!
That’s one of the best boxing matches of all time and Sanchez v Kampmann doesn’t even compare to some of the best boxing matches we’ve had this year. (Rios v Acosta, Berto v Ortiz, etc).
That MMA fight was an untidy brawl with plenty of clinching, IIRC. Plus, i don’t think some would rate it so highly had there not been so much blood.
I’ve been a fan of boxing since I was just a young kid, and I found MMA a few years back. I still watch them both, I have more love for MMA, but can appreciate both all the same.
The sports are different, not totally different, since it’s a combat sport, but different all the same. For example:
I don’t think MMA can regularly produce the drama that Boxing does. When a real story plays out in the boxing ring, it’s as if you’re watching a classic movie, remastered on blu ray for the current times. I remember on the Pac Man/Mosley card…the co-main event (I’m a jerk for not looking up the fight, forgive me) was absolutely one of the best, if not the best fight I’ve watched all year. There was technique, there was EXCITEMENT, and drama, all in one package. The 12th round where the champs father had to throw in the towel as his son fell apart at the finish line…yeah. The closest MMA has come to this in recent memory, is when Brock Lesnar came back from diverticulitis and came back against Shane Carwin. I don’t think it really holds a candle to the boxing match I mentioned though, not at all.
Then, you have MMA. I like MMA because on one event, you may get a bunch of exciting, amazing fights. It might be a knockout, a submission, or a war, but you’ll get something, or everything. My overall satisfaction with an MMA event typically beats that which I get when I watch a big boxing event. MMA delivers consistently, and there’s big fights going on all the time. This works for me.
The problem with MMA right now, is that the sport has hit a plateau, that plateau is wrestling. I’m reminded of when Royce Gracie came in a shocked everyone he faced with jiu jitsu. No one knew how to fight it. Right now, a great deal of MMA fighters don’t know how, or can’t handle the wrestling ability of good wrestlers. These wrestlers are taking full advantage of this, and getting easy wins. But, the next generation, and even younger fighters out there today competing are working on wrestling harder than the predecessors, and with time, this issue will fade.
The good news for MMA is, even though powerful wrestlers are dominant at the moment, there are still PLENTY of fights that aren’t “two guys rolling around”. I get annoyed with wrestlers just like any other fan, and they’re not the only problem. The amount of MMA fights going on waters down the events, and I haven’t watched an MMA fight that had a “big fight” feel that delivered in a while.
I think MMA has a bright future, so long as the sport doesn’t hit a drought that lasts for so long that any sort of decline gets out of hand. In the end, plenty of boxing and MMA fans will take shots at each other. Promoters will talk smack. The sun will rise each morning. Business as usual, to use one of White’s favorite new lines. I have my fingers crossed that one day soon, the UFC will clean up their style, and evolve completely rather than being some fringe 90’s sport that has been adding year 2000 features. As Fenix said above me…Gladiator promo from the 90’s? The Fear Factor guy? Bruce Buffer overacting while announcing? Tacky as hell. Strikeforce definitely has some quality aspects that the Showtime team has helped with, and I think they beat the UFC in some aspects of presentation and production.
Twitter me @kkelchner621
Read me at Cageside Seats
by Kaleb Kelchner on Jun 16, 2011 11:49 PM EDT reply actions
I’m a big sports fan. I watch soccer, football, basketball, baseball, hockey, etc. I’ve tried to get into MMA and I appreciate the skills involved, but find it just doesn’t do it for me. Boxing on the other hand, from the first moment I watched as a kid, had me hooked… and even though the sport has done everything possible to chase fans away, I’m still kind of hooked.
TheBoxingBulletin.com
Duuuuuude
I haven’t logged into SB Nation in a long ass time (I got sick of Bloody Elbow’s overall theme of smug writers & commenters), but this sucked me back in (for better or worse).
I’m not going to say 1 sport is better than another b/c that is ridiculous & juvenile. I will say that I was a big boxing fan (nothing beats Morales vs Barrera I for me). And I was an MMA fan (or more properly, a UFC fan) since UFC 1. When it got kicked off cable, I stopped being an MMA fan. I got back into it thanks to some co-workers that were still rabid fans & I’m glad I did. It was thankfully back on cable (PPV) & although The Ultimate Fighter hadn’t started, it was getting easier to find fights or fight news. I WAS STILL A BOXING FAN that enjoyed the bloodlust that MMA can provide.
All that changed about 5-6 years ago. It was incredibly frustrating to wait for the top guys in boxing to agree to the big fights before their “expiration date”. I would catch a great fight every now & then but not often enough. And rarely by the elite guys. Everything started to feel like a money grab or dumb politics between promoters. I was sick of it & my patience wore out.
During that time, MMA was growing rapidly & the UFC in particular, started putting free content out there to satisfy my desire for action. In the last few years, I have seen so few entertaining boxing matches (not b/c they don’t happen, but b/c I don’t watch nearly as many fights) & all of the big name guys aren’t putting on the type of fights I hope to see (looking @ you, Mr. Dawson).
So my heart now belongs to MMA. It’s true, boxing is a more mature sport. But at the peak of my boxing fandom, I never wanted to watch 6 hours of fights. For a UFC event, I will gladly log into Facebook @ 6pm & then Spike @ 8pm, then PPV from 9pm to 12am. I have never been able to say that about boxing. MY PERSONAL OPINION.
Regarding grappling, there’s no question it can be boring. It’s a chess match where sometimes there’s a stalemate (see Guida vs Pettis) & sometimes there’s an unexpected reversal of fortune (see A.Silva vs Sonnen). Much like a Dawson fight lately (the last fight was very enjoyable) or a typical B-Hop fight (he’s probably my fave), they can be just as boring & tactical. I still enjoy the nuances but it doesn’t mean I should jump out of my seat over a handful of significant punches landed over the course of 12 friggin rounds. BOTH SPORTS ARE UNIQUE & HAVE THEIR OWN GREAT QUALITIES.
Regarding Dana—>he’s a carnival barker. But he’s damn good @ it & you are all underestimating his business acumen. My boss is the same as Dana. When he started a 2nd division of the company I work at, I scoffed at him for the decision. Well, 10 years later, he grew that joke of a division to over $100 million a year. So I guess the joke was on me (luckily, he likes me & buys every PPV so I can watch for free!!).
Regarding commentary team & XFenix—>I agree about Couture & Florian. Florian in particular is excellent & definitely has a future in broadcasting. He’s articulate, intelligent & a student of the sport. Disagree about Rogan. You need a color commentary guy. Someone who is allowed to get excited over a big punch or great submission escape. Flip him into Goldy’s seat who is only a corporate shill, & put Couture or Florian in the other seat. I used to like Mir but he lost focus his last few times out & seemed to be off his game.
I haven’t logged into SB Nation in a long ass time (I got sick of Bloody Elbow’s overall theme of smug writers & commenters), but this sucked me back in (for better or worse).
Haha.
I totally agree on that one. That Jonathan Snowden guy banned me for daring to question his logic. :)
I’m glad he did because the insults would have only got worse and i really needed to stay away from the site for the reasons you mentioned. I can’t stand people who are just average Joe’s getting all high and mighty, although i did find 1 or 2 of the writer’s and posters to be OK, in general “smug” sums it up well. :)
Big MMA fan here.
The only thing I take exception to is the idea that it’s easy for DW to get his “followers” to believe whatever he says. Millions of MMA fans hate DW’s guts and assume that everything he says is a lie. I happen to be one of those fans. True, there are UFC drones who think anything without that logo is useless, but I think that what you wrote does not accurately characterize Dana White’s status among MMA fans.
I am also the only person on Earth who didn’t think the GSP-Shields fight was boring. To start with, keep in mind that GSP fought most of the fight while blind in one eye. But I rarely see a boring MMA fight. There have been so many sudden reversals in so many matches that I find most matches tense from beginning to end. As for the ground game, it’s part of the sport. Some guys get position and then do nothing, and they should be penalized in the scoring for that. But if you don’t find that sort of grappling interesting in itself then a lot of MMA will definitely bore you.
I have just started watching boxing after a break of about twenty years and it is also not boring.
I thought GSP- Shields was a pretty good fight, certainly not one of the worst i’ve seen.
I also think GSP was the clear winner and this 3-2 in rds from two of the judges was bull.
Maybe Shields deserved one rd at the most, imo, but like you say, he only started to come into it after GSP’s was nearly blinded by Shields’ “finger jab”.
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