July 13, 201511 yr I am a fan of MMA....just not a huge UFC fan. Big difference. In the professional ranks, is there much MMA related left that the UFC has not bought up? Seems like in the last 5 to 12 years they have bought everything MMA related.
July 15, 201511 yr I'll watch the PPV main events for free or chip in with some buddies if I'm ever free when they are on tv.
July 15, 201511 yr Very little interest in it. None of my group of friends has any interest in it either. I don't get enjoyment out of watching 2 people try to seriously harm each other. Just how I see it. I TOTALLY agree. The only exception is with Rousey. If she ever fought a dude, I would pay to watch that. Besides that, I have no interest...
July 15, 201511 yr Why not? Just does nothing for me. No interest in watching a couple of muscle-bound dudes wallering on the floor with each other. I tried it early on, but it just didn't take with me. I love boxing, and that stuff ain't boxing. Over time, there's been a certain amount of disdain that I've developed for some of the types of fans it attracts (read: overly-aggressive wannabe MMA guys in Tap-Out T-shirts just dying to try out the latest move they saw on some unsuspecting Joe at the bar).
July 16, 201511 yr ^ I hear ya, Jim Schue, (love that handle BTW), but boxing attracts the same kind of people--those who think they are tough because their guy is good. This is especially true of the entourage of people that surround a boxer. Look at the people at weigh-ins and in the ring before and after the fight. The one thing I liked about UFC in comparison to boxing was the respect that opponents showed one another in the ring and outside of the ring. This is changing as some of the guys are seeing that bragaociousness sells a fight. You got MacGregor who seems intent on disrespecting everyone and there was bad blood between Jones and DC. But for many of the opponents there is a mutual respect and that is fostered in martial arts. My interest in MMA has been a guilty pleasure. I didn't want to like it because of the amount of blood and brutality involved--you have to admit that holding a man down and throwing elbows at his forehead is pretty brutal. But the level of competition between two guys, mano y mano (sp?), is compelling. I wrestled in high school and that is what I liked about the sport. It is you against the other guy and let the best man win. I enjoy the technical aspects of the sport. Everyone likes a good striking game but that can't guarantee a victory. You have to be good at other disciplines or you will get taken down and submitted. Action comes from so many angles and places. And the pace is something boxing cannot match. That may be part of the appeal for a lot of people. Boxing goes for 10 rounds or more and the guys dance around the ring looking for an opening. For those who understand the offense and defense of pugilism, this can be entertaining but for the average person, you just want to see 'em mix it up. This is one reason Marciano is so loved. He didn't stand around and he didn't run. Vinny Panzianza was a guy who took it to 'em. Hagler in many of his fights was super aggressive. Hearns couldn't stand up to him. Those are some notable fights but in MMA you will see fights that exceed that action multiple times on every card. One other thing, as a male, when watching most sports, I put myself in the game. I've played most of them either organized or for recreation. I can't really relate to boxing that well. It's a fighting sport, but nobody fights that way. A person fights more like an MMA match where you start out on your feet but it will probably go down to the ground at some point. That's much more like a real life scenario. I think people can relate to it on a more visceral level. Plus, it is easier to find a martial arts club than a boxing club in most areas. All kinds of people are taking up the sport. I don't think boxing will catch up again. Edited July 16, 201511 yr by oldgrappler
July 16, 201511 yr ^ My whole post was basically off topic. To answer the OP. I try to participate in threads on MMA. I don't have much time, it seems, to watch the fights so I don't see many of them. I do appreciate that Fox carries some fights on its regular network channel. I do not have cable. I use rabbit ears. I just can't bring myself to shell out that much money for something that was available free when I was younger. (It also took me years to pay for bottled water because I refused to pay for something I got for free at my kitchen faucet--we had a well and that water actually had its own flavor). I am old school. All of that to say this--when it is not televised via a regular network channel I can't watch it. So the more that happens, the less interest I will have. This is happening to me with college football, particularly the Bowl games. New Year's Day used to be a big football day at my house. Now they stretched it out over a week. And more recently, the big games are no longer on the networks. That really makes me mad. Therefore, I don't watch them. An exception--this year I went to QS&L to watch my Buckeyes win the 1st National Championship decided by a playoff. And they did it with a 3rd string quarterback. Yes, the players played exceptionally well, but how about that coach? Urban Meyer is something else. But I digress.
July 17, 201511 yr Age thing for me, I prefer boxing over MMA. My view is, in comparison, MMA is just a street fight by people that have martial arts training. Again, I fully admit, that's my age. Problem with boxing now is it isn't anything near what it was when I was young, so I get the draw for the younger crowd to MMA. MMA is much more than a street fight. If anything, it takes far more skill than that of a Boxer. A good MMA athlete trains daily in kick boxing, wrestling, jiu jitsu/judo, boxing, etc. These guys are the best FIGHTERS in the world. FWIW, I like Boxing. I'll never pay $100 or whatever it cost to see Mayweather/Pacqiao but I do like the sport.
July 17, 201511 yr Rousey can be sexy evil and ugly all at the same time. I try and post a thread on each UFC cars and I have also thrown it a Bellator card or two. Very few ever post on it. I tried some things with MMA a few years ago and it never got much attention. I think I even tried to run a contest once... I know I suggested it. I'm not sure if there was enough attention to ever get it started though. I should post here more, because I do love the sport. I've honestly been too busy, and broke to watch any of the latest PPV's, and there are so many free fights now that it's hard for me to keep up with when they're on :lol2: The sport has exploded since I first started watching (around UFC 40's I think)...
July 17, 201511 yr MMA is much more than a street fight. If anything, it takes far more skill than that of a Boxer. A good MMA athlete trains daily in kick boxing, wrestling, jiu jitsu/judo, boxing, etc. These guys are the best FIGHTERS in the world. FWIW, I like Boxing. I'll never pay $100 or whatever it cost to see Mayweather/Pacqiao but I do like the sport. You're over thinking my post. Remember, I said in my view. I don't like it, but don't begrudge that others like it. Is isn't for me. I know they're well trained athletes, just not my thing. Give me the great boxing matches of the 70s and early to mid 80s and I'm a happy guy. Once again, age thing for me.
July 17, 201511 yr There is not any interactions on the MMA threads here' date=' so why bother?[/quote'] That's the biggest thing for me. I try to post and interact in MMA threads but there is no back in forth. Only result posting and bragging.
July 17, 201511 yr Over time, there's been a certain amount of disdain that I've developed for some of the types of fans it attracts (read: overly-aggressive wannabe MMA guys in Tap-Out T-shirts just dying to try out the latest move they saw on some unsuspecting Joe at the bar). That's a big turn off now. I want to say before it exploded in popularity the people interested in it were more focused on the various skills of the guys rather than "I'm allowed to fight people if I call it MMA?" type, but I don't know if that's my own bias or what. I went to a small MMA promotion at the old Drawbridge Inn in NKY a few years ago. There was a lot of back-and-forth talk before one of the fights, and one of the guys ended up getting whipped pretty badly. When it ended via stoppage, the loser's dad ran up onto the mat trying to get after the other guy and then half the crowd broke out into a scrum. I just shook my head and got out of there.
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