Author: Matthew Hemphill

UFC 145: Would Another Dominating Win from Jon Jones Be Good for the UFC?

Jon Jones will finally face Rashad Evans at UFC 145, but if he wins, he may just give the UFC some headaches on what to do with him next.After Evans, what is there left for him at light heavyweight?Jones has already torn through most of the division an…

Jon Jones will finally face Rashad Evans at UFC 145, but if he wins, he may just give the UFC some headaches on what to do with him next.

After Evans, what is there left for him at light heavyweight?

Jones has already torn through most of the division and the fight with Evans seems like the ultimate matchup. It is the fight that most fans have invested time and energy into and are ready to see take place. Much like the fight between Rashad Evans and Quinton Jackson, fans are ready to see the bad blood between these two fighters explode.

But if Jones does walk through Evans like he has his other opponents, what is the company going to do with him? He is still too young to move to heavyweight and hasn’t built the body mass he would need to survive.

At the same time, he doesn’t really have much in the way of challengers for his weight class. An argument could be made for Dan Henderson, but that is about it. Even then it would feel like a backward step, not because of the level of competition, but because there would b less of an emotional investment.

Dan Henderson is a great fighter, but he isn’t known for bringing drama outside the cage. In a sport like MMA that focuses so much on pay-per-view buys, both are important. It is a large part of why Henderson isn’t getting a title shot at light heavyweight or middleweight.

He may have had fight of the year in 2011, but he isn’t as interesting an opponent as Rashad Evans or Chael Sonnen—at least not from a media perspective.

So even if Jones wins against Evans, he is still faced with a problem because he has to face either taking opponents that casual fans won’t be as interested in watching or moving up in weight before he should.

Jones could wait until he gains a plethora of new challengers, though at this point in his career, that would possibly damage his growth and make him lose out on a large amount of revenue.

More importantly for the UFC, it would mean that they would lose a chance to make money off of one of their most profitable fighters. Jones has reached star status and there isn’t much more he can do to gain greater relevance in pop culture. He is a rare mixture of talent and charisma that comes around only once in a long while.

But the UFC won’t have any way to capitalize on his talents if he beats Evans—especially with such ease. He will evolve to a level, at least in most fans’ minds, where no one can challenge him.

Without a drastic change in weight or taking some time off, that notion won’t change.

People might stop buying pay-per-views because the money could go elsewhere and “Jones is just going to win anyway.” It might be a foolish line of thought, but one that plenty of folks have. Most hardcore fans know that no fighter is indestructible, but casual fans are impacted by marketing.

The same way that fans perceived Mike Tyson or view Floyd Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao today is the same way that Jones could be viewed shortly. Not as a fighter with flaws, but as a dominant force that can’t lose.

In an economy where money is tight, casual fans, the larger part of the UFC’s market share, might just spend their money elsewhere.

And that is the most important thing. Not the fights or the outcomes, but the bottom dollar. That is harsh, though reality is that unless the UFC turns a profit they have to shut their doors.

Even though the company isn’t in any trouble, that doesn’t mean that Jones doesn’t present a marketing problem if he is victorious.

The UFC may not have a favorite when it comes to two of their fighters squaring off, but it is in the company’s best interest to have Jones become human.

Otherwise, they will have a veritable Superman on their hands and a harder time convincing people that he is otherwise.

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MMA Is Dead: There Is Only the UFC

I find myself writing an obituary, thankfully not for any one fighter, but for MMA in general. That is because MMA is dead.That isn’t to say that fans will see a lack of submissions or cages in the next few years. In fact, if anything they will see it …

I find myself writing an obituary, thankfully not for any one fighter, but for MMA in general. That is because MMA is dead.

That isn’t to say that fans will see a lack of submissions or cages in the next few years. In fact, if anything they will see it grow. Along with that growth will be three letters.

UFC.

There is no more MMA. It has been replaced by the UFC.

That doesn’t mean fighters can’t make money in different organizations. There is Bellator for those that want to appear on TV. Regional shows still exist, though it might be hard to make a living in such a manner.

When it comes to the sport that people recognize, it boils down to the UFC. They are the events everyone plans on watching. They are the pay-per-views that articles are written about and media covers.

Every other promotion comes in second.

The irony is that the UFC isn’t a monopoly. Anyone could come in and start a promotion. With enough money a rival company could even give them serious competition on a fiscal level.

There just isn’t a way to threaten them where it counts because the UFC has become a part of pop culture. It is as much a part of the fabric of society as Google is. It has ceased to be a part of MMA and replaced it as an acronym for the sport altogether.

There are some fans who will watch Bellator and focus on smaller MMA shows, but they are in the minority. Most of those fans come from a time when promotions like Pride still existed. Precious few start out now scouring the Internet for every available MMA show.

Most fans who get into the sport now have one avenue to watch the best in the world ply their trade. To pay money to see anything else, especially in this economy, wouldn’t make sense. If someone is going to invest time and money into watching and enjoying MMA then they should do it at the top level.

And that is the UFC.

Pride is no more.

Sengoku disappeared into nothingness a while ago and DREAM might still be functioning though it is in critical condition.

Strikeforce was purchased by the UFC and is still functioning, but only as the minor league for the promotion.

The only contender left is Bellator and even though it is doing well enough and has maintained a healthy growth on cable and in its roster of fighters, it started too late. The UFC has mixed together with society on a level that makes it impossible for another MMA brand to compete with it.

The sport still exists.

It will continue to do well in the future.

And it will still be represented by three letters.

They just changed from MMA to UFC.

And that is something every fan is going to have to deal with.

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Tim Sylvia Deserves Another Shot in the UFC

Tim Sylvia is a shadow of his former self, but that doesn’t mean that the UFC shouldn’t give him a shot. In fact, it would be great publicity if they did.Even if he failed, the company would benefit from him fighting for them by matching him against an…

Tim Sylvia is a shadow of his former self, but that doesn’t mean that the UFC shouldn’t give him a shot. In fact, it would be great publicity if they did.

Even if he failed, the company would benefit from him fighting for them by matching him against any fighter they wish. He could start at the bottom and work his way up. If he failed they could cut him. If he won a bunch of fights in a row, they could claim that he is a success story.

It isn’t likely to happen at this point, with Dana White having said no in an article at MMAFighting.com

That is a shame, because for all of the disgraceful losses that Sylvia has had—like the one to heavyweight boxing champion Ray Mercer—he could still draw some interest.

Boxing is filled with stories of redemption, even if most of them are fictionalized on the silver screen. The precious few that do exist in reality become a big deal. Fans love to see a broken man, someone who was once on top, return to his former greatness.

Sylvia has already done his part, winning six of his last seven since being defeated by a boxer in an MMA bout. His only loss was three fights ago.

It is easy for fans and his former boss to dismiss Sylvia’s ambitions, but the fact that he is willing to start at the bottom and work his way up shouldn’t be ignored. After all, the very basis of combat sports is the fact that no matter how limited a man’s education or his ability to articulate, he can become wealthy with his own two hands.

Even felons and former convicts have become millionaires thanks to boxing, and one day the same thing will happen in MMA.

White might be trying to protect the UFC brand from becoming diluted and considered weak, but he is stopping the company from obtaining a great opportunity.

If Sylvia comes back and loses to an unknown fighter, then that fighter’s status goes up. If he wins, then he gets a chance to be the comeback kid and create a new chapter for himself.

Sylvia hasn’t made a lot of great choices in his career lately. He chose to do some pro wrestling and fought opponents that could be considered sideshows more than they could competitors. That doesn’t mean he should be barred from fighting at the top when his record and his terms to do so are reasonable.

Sylvia isn’t perfect or that exciting of a fighter, but he deserves a second chance.

That is one of the staples in fighting and it’s something that White and the UFC shouldn’t forget.

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The Arguments For and Against Legalizing PEDs in MMA

PEDs are a part of MMA—even though they are against the rules—because there are fighters who will always do whatever it takes to win.But what if PEDs weren’t against the rules? What if mixed martial artists were allowed to use steroids to h…

PEDs are a part of MMA—even though they are against the rules—because there are fighters who will always do whatever it takes to win.

But what if PEDs weren’t against the rules? What if mixed martial artists were allowed to use steroids to help them? Would it destroy the sport of MMA or would it help improve it?

Most who read about PEDs in MMA are opposed to the inclusion of such things, and while it is hard to blame them and officials for their staunch stance against them, it’s worth looking into.

Here are the pros and cons of allowing PEDs into MMA.

Begin Slideshow

The Arguments For and Against Legalizing PEDs in MMA

PEDs are a part of MMA—even though they are against the rules—because there are fighters who will always do whatever it takes to win.But what if PEDs weren’t against the rules? What if mixed martial artists were allowed to use steroids to h…

PEDs are a part of MMA—even though they are against the rules—because there are fighters who will always do whatever it takes to win.

But what if PEDs weren’t against the rules? What if mixed martial artists were allowed to use steroids to help them? Would it destroy the sport of MMA or would it help improve it?

Most who read about PEDs in MMA are opposed to the inclusion of such things, and while it is hard to blame them and officials for their staunch stance against them, it’s worth looking into.

Here are the pros and cons of allowing PEDs into MMA.

Begin Slideshow

Is the Win Bonus in MMA Making Fighters Avoid Risks & Ruining the Sport?

The win bonus in MMA is a double-edged sword that improves fights as much as it hurts them, removing some of the chances that fighters might otherwise take. It can lead to better fights, though it can also lead to slow-paced matches with neither fighte…

The win bonus in MMA is a double-edged sword that improves fights as much as it hurts them, removing some of the chances that fighters might otherwise take. It can lead to better fights, though it can also lead to slow-paced matches with neither fighter trying to finish the other.

Fighters should aim to make as much money as possible whenever they step into the cage. They have a very limited window in which to make money and a win bonus nets them a healthier profit. It also makes some fighters come up with a safer game plan.

This is most seen in wrestlers who will control their opponent for three rounds, but not try to finish them off. Fighters like Jon Fitch or Nik Lentz can grind decisions and rack up a decent paycheck that way.

The only problem is it makes the sport unwatchable for the casual fan.

As much as MMA is supported by the diehard faithfuls that have populated it since its beginning, it is the masses that really fund those that participate in it. They want to be entertained and skill comes second.

That doesn’t mean that MMA companies should cater to them or sell out, it just means that promoters need to be prepared for when fighters choose to win over looking good. In that sense, win bonuses cause a lot of problems.

But for every issue that there is with win bonuses, there is a poorer option in their place.

Boxing has never had win bonuses and while that means a fighter’s paycheck won’t fluctuate at any point, it also means that fans might see some competitors phone it in. It happened when Nonito Donaire fought Omar Narvaez on HBO. The fight was supposed to be a great one, but it turned into Narvaez running away for most of the fight.

Why?

Because he had been paid in advance and there was no way that the promoter could lessen his fee. He could do whatever he wanted as long as he didn’t throw the fight purposely and he showed up.

MMA stops fighters from being able to do this by making winning something that is financially rewarding. There might be some fighters who take this to extremes and choose to not engage in any risks while in the fight.

This seems oxymoronic, but more and more fighters are doing it.

They shouldn’t be blamed for it as they need to make money and there isn’t much promoters can do to change policy without making it worse.

Some companies like the UFC award bonuses for exciting finishes which cuts down on any possible monotony, but it is something that will always exist. Fighting cautiously for win money is something that is unique to MMA, but nothing that will ruin the sport in the long-run. 

And it’s better then the alternative.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com