The MMA Thread

[Bakker1964]

I still watch from time to time. I don't have fight pass, and I'm not going to get ESPN+, or whatever the pay ESPN channel is called. Not having those two streaming services limits how often I watch UFC. I haven't put the effort into figuring out what show I need to watch on ESPN to get updates on the UFC.

And If I'm being honest, the money making strategies from Dana and company have turned me off of the sport. I was never a fan of Connor McGregor and his antics. Trying to bring Brock Lesnar back for a super fight with anyone who will fight him was a straight up cash grab.

I didn't know GSP retired again.

This, at least from the standpoint of broadcast rights. Being in Canada, it used to be you could watch anything except the PPVs on the main feeds (basic cable) of the channels that carried MMA/UFC. Slowly, as the UFC gained market share, those rights contracts (a better deal for the fans) ended up seeing those fights that used to be free get bumped to upper tier channels that required added payment. No thanks . . .

Then, as noted, the UFC switched from a "ladder system" of fighter progression, to whatever the heck you want to call what they are doing now. It used to be that a given PPV would show you a title fight in (say) the Middleweight Division as the Main Event, but lower on the main card would be an obvious title eliminator fight in that same Division. So you could see where fighters were on the ladder, in terms of the old "one win away from a title shot" fights. It made it easier to latch onto particular fighters in the early stages of their careers, and track their progress, setbacks, etc. It drove interest. These days, you have idiots like Covington parading around with his belt (purchase yours at UFC.com) acting like he actually represents some sort of accomplishment in the sport.

So yeah . . . I have about as much interest in the sport these days as I do with pro wrestling. Pro wrestling is at least more honest about their crap.

And I cannot blame GSP for retiring. There isn't anyone fighting today who could hold his jock-strap, except maybe Khabib.

 

[MrLara]

I still watch from time to time. I don't have fight pass, and I'm not going to get ESPN+, or whatever the pay ESPN channel is called. Not having those two streaming services limits how often I watch )UFC. I haven't put the effort into figuring out what show I need to watch on ESPN to get updates on the UFC.

And If I'm being honest, the money making strategies from Dana and company have turned me off of the sport. I was never a fan of Connor McGregor and his antics. Trying to bring Brock Lesnar back for a super fight with anyone who will fight him was a straight up cash grab.

I didn't know GSP retired again.

Agree 100%

I usually watch the highlights on youtube these days.

Good on GSP for retiring. He had nothing else to prove, and he's forever cemented as the Welterweight G.O.A.T

conor retired, yet again today. I never liked him. So good on him for making all that money, but good riddance.

With dillashaw popping. There's no denying that most of these guys are on peds.

I miss the days of chuck, randy, and most of GSP's reign.

 

[Sullybob]

Agree 100%

I usually watch the highlights on youtube these days.

Good on GSP for retiring. He had nothing else to prove, and he's forever cemented as the Welterweight G.O.A.T

conor retired, yet again today. I never liked him. So good on him for making all that money, but good riddance.

With dillashaw popping. There's no denying that most of these guys are on peds.

I miss the days of chuck, randy, and most of GSP's reign.

Me too! I also miss Rich Franklin.

I didn't know that Connor retired the first time, but good riddance. I don't think he did anything positive for the sport.

I heard that the UFC is going to stop doing PPV and all the fights are going to be on ESPN+ now. I'm not sure if you will have to pay more for some fight cards on fight pass or not. I still don't think I'll end up getting ESPN+.

 

[MrLara]

Me too! I also miss Rich Franklin.

I didn't know that Connor retired the first time, but good riddance. I don't think he did anything positive for the sport.

I heard that the UFC is going to stop doing PPV and all the fights are going to be on ESPN+ now. I'm not sure if you will have to pay more for some fight cards on fight pass or not. I still don't think I'll end up getting ESPN+.

Rich is the head of operations over at One FC, and they put on exciting fights.

Oh wow, didn't know that. Funny thing, espn has been posting highlights from each card on their youtube channel. I hope they don't stop. I won't be getting it either.

 

[Bakker1964]

Me too! I also miss Rich Franklin.

I didn't know that Connor retired the first time, but good riddance. I don't think he did anything positive for the sport.

I heard that the UFC is going to stop doing PPV and all the fights are going to be on ESPN+ now. I'm not sure if you will have to pay more for some fight cards on fight pass or not. I still don't think I'll end up getting ESPN+.

Conor's first "retirement" was a prelude to the Mayweather fiasco. Credit to him for lasting as long as he did in that farce, but it's not like Floyd was going full steam from the get-go.

I have a feeling this one might be for real, though. Khabib exposed him, and when that happens to a fighter who seems unwilling to adapt and grow (why, hello Nick Diaz), they are basically done for. And, it's not like he needs the money, despite the legal troubles he has brewing.

 

[bray144k]

The UFC has some issues right now. Masvidal hitting people with a three piece and a soda, Conor retiring and having legal issues all over, Ferguson losing his mind. It's becoming more and more WWE/Pro Boxing where everything seems to be only good for promotion.

 

[Bakker1964]

The UFC has some issues right now. Masvidal hitting people with a three piece and a soda, Conor retiring and having legal issues all over, Ferguson losing his mind. It's becoming more and more WWE/Pro Boxing where everything seems to be only good for promotion.

Those are all issues affecting individual fighters as opposed to the UFC itself.

While it does impinge on them somewhat in terms of marketing the affected Divisions going forward, the UFC has shown since the buy-out of Zuffa that this is not exactly a priority for them. About the ONLY thing that could worry them is if Conor is serious about retirement, because he is a cash-cow for them in terms of PPV buys.

BUT, if this ESPN deal is the end of PPV cards anyway, then a Conor retirement is not as damaging in the long term for them.

 

[Doc4]

BUT, if this ESPN deal is the end of PPV cards anyway, then a Conor retirement is not as damaging in the long term for them.

The general impression I get is that the UFC is struggling due to the high purchase price from the Zuffa buy-out, Hopefully they don't get into a Toys-R-Us debt-servicing problem situation.

They seem to have a lot of PPVs. A lot. I'd say too many ... it's overkill. But with the PPV model, the fans who tune in and pay to see Conor ... they only buy two or three PPVs a year at most (and here we have to go back to 2016 for anything other than the one loss to Khabib). That probably doesn't move the needle on any of the other PPVs.

Now, if they move to a different model (and I don't know the actual specifics but let's suppose ...) where you pay a yearly subscription rate to see all the tournaments on the exclusive tv channel ... now anyone who wants to see Conor has to buy the whole thing including all the non-Conor content. So I'm guessing UFC would rather have Conor (and other big-name athletes) to draw the casual fan into buying whatever subscription channel they end up offering. It makes their product more attractive to the viewers if there are fights they actually want to watch.

I can see, though, that UFC wants to move away from the current situation where high profile fighters are getting a lot of fame and "power" in negotiations, including in being able to point to the buy-rates for "their" PPVs. Currently, I could see their financial year being made or broken on whether or not they can put together one or two really successful PPVs with big-name stars to headline. Risk and reward are both options, and they don't want Conor or whomever to feel they "have UFC over a barrel" in negotiations "if I headline your PPV you will make a profit this year, and if I don't you won't ... now, about that paltry twenty million you laughingly propose to pay me, Dana, well ... "

Yeah, they'd like to get away from that.

 

[Bakker1964]

I will say this . . . ZUFFA sold at the perfect time. I see UFC floundering in the next couple or three years, and that will impact MMA overall. Will it go back to being as niche as it used to be? Doubtful, but I think it's growth is going to be seriously hindered.

I am starting to wonder if pushing Dana out the door, and installing a League/Union set-up within UFC might actually be a position that renews interest and growth at this point.

 

[bray144k]

Great night of fights Saturday night. Really wanted Max to win, but it was awesome to see two classy fighters go toe to toe, and show great professionalism after the fight as well.

 

[MrLara]

Great night of fights Saturday night. Really wanted Max to win, but it was awesome to see two classy fighters go toe to toe, and show great professionalism after the fight as well.

Also really liked that this card didn't need trash talking. Their skill sold it.

What a main card that was.

 

[bray144k]

Anyone else concerned that the UFC is having Tony Ferguson fight with the recent news of what seems to be very serious mental issues?

 

[Bakker1964]

Because the UFC has shown such grave concern over the health of their fighters independent contractors in the past?

 

[Bakker1964]

Wow . . . I know there are certain websites that will show videos of people being killed in various ways, but I never thought that a public execution would ever be broadcast on PPV until this past weekend.

If there isn't a warrant out for Jorge Masvidal . . . there should be, because he straight up murdered Ben Askren's career.

 

[bray144k]

Wow . . . I know there are certain websites that will show videos of people being killed in various ways, but I never thought that a public execution would ever be broadcast on PPV until this past weekend.

If there isn't a warrant out for Jorge Masvidal . . . there should be, because he straight up murdered Ben Askren's career.

"He thought he was going to get the three piece but got the whole buffet."

 

[MrLara]

Fastest murder... i mean KO in UFC history.

5 seconds, but it should have been 3. The ref took a few to get there.

Never liked asskren, and happy he got his. Karma for acting like destroyed robbie lawler in that fight. Herb messed up bigtime in that fight, he even told lawler sorry right after the stoppage.

 

[Bakker1964]

It's always nice to see a pompous tool get put to sleep.

 

[ronald90]

Askren was good at the pre-match trash talk but Masvidal was the one who won the psychological battle. He knew a wrestler would go low and try to grab the legs straight away. He read Askren like a book

 

[bray144k]

Masvidal vs. Mcgregor next hopefully.

 

[Bakker1964]

Askren was good at the pre-match trash talk but Masvidal was the one who won the psychological battle. He knew a wrestler would go low and try to grab the legs straight away. He read Askren like a book

Truth. Askren is the Rousimar Palhares of today, just without the lethal submission game.