Manhattan Project wrote:
Do you still love MMA as much as you used to? I know you cover it and probably the most knowledgeable person I know in regards to MMA. Do you see the UFC has a dying sport, or it's better than ever because of the ever expanding skill sets of fighters? I just feel right now that the injuries and substance abuse for some are really hurting the brand from establishing big names. Guys like Mighty Mouse and Max Halloway should be much bigger names, yet because their now Light Heavyweights don't seem to get much love from the casual fan.
I love the sport as much as I always have, but the UFC as a promotion is a huge disappointment since being sold by the Fertita brothers. The Fertita brothers were a lot more focused on putting together the best fighters and having a sink or swim mentality. Once it switched up, the premium has gone from having a good PPV every month to making one quarterly blockbuster surrounded by forgettable cards. I buy the majority of these things but I refuse to pay for tonight's card in spite of the two main event fights being incredible. The rest of the card just doesn't live up to it. Next month Rockhold/Romero is the only fight that's worthy of its slot on the card. It's the first time in years that I wouldn't be worried if I missed it live.
Now as a fight fan though, I'm pretty excited about what we're seeing. There's a new generation stepping into the slots that the older guys once occupied and there are a bunch of up and comers that are really exciting. We're seeing more Olympic level athletes and this next generation is basically the first group that have spent their entire lives in a world with MMA. For a fight geek like me, there's also a lot of cool developments in the specific disciplines. Kickboxing and muay thai is more accessible on tv these days and the Eddie Bravo Invitational along with Flo have turned BJJ events into more entertaining affairs. Plus as you mentioned, skillsets are expanding. Grapplers have added leg locks more and more, footwork and boxing fundamentals are incorporated into every new fighter's striking and we're seeing guys who would have been specialists in the past that are showing much more well-rounded abilities...think Brian Ortega, a Gracie Jiu Jitsu guy who is overwhelming great fighters when he grapples with them, but who has also developed into a striker that can stand with Cub Swanson and be competitive.
Top that off with the fact that other organizations are getting deeper. Douglas Lima beat Lorenz Larkin after taking the belt from Koreshkov who dominated Benson Henderson; now he has a chance to beat Rory MacDonald who has been UFC elite for years. Bellator's up and comers are able to threaten a lot of the older UFC guys coming in. Meanwhile Rizin is starting to feel more or the PRIDE influence and I LOVED PRIDE fighting. They're doing smaller divisions right. Invicta, WSOF and FNG are all putting on some nice events, I think FNG had an event where something like 9 out of 10 fights were stoppages (lots of highlights too).
For the avid MMA fan there's a lot to enjoy, but the UFC has taken itself out of being must see tv whenever they're on. That could be worse for the sport long term than anything else thanks to UFC's influence but if they keep bleeding out quality guys like Horiguchi, Mousasi, MacDonald, etc. we could find ourselves in the good ole days where the champions of multiple promotions all have a claim to best fighter in their respective divisions and also an era where the UFC isn't a monopoly that fighters have to acquiesce to. I'm excited for the future tbh.