MMA is a violent sport; fans have no qualms about that. For some, it’s what draws them to the sport, while for others it is an example of how society has changed in its taste for entertainment. Yet there are times when it can be too much for even …
MMA is a violent sport; fans have no qualms about that. For some, it’s what draws them to the sport, while for others it is an example of how society has changed in its taste for entertainment.
Yet there are times when it can be too much for even the most ardent fans. This list is a homage to the best of the worst breaks, cuts and swells, and those unfortunate enough to have suffered them.
I have limited this list to the UFC only, though there is one honorable mention from Pride. If this list proves to be successful, I may go forward and do a Pride-only list.
With last Saturday’s showing of UFC 147, another season of The Ultimate Fighter came to an end as new winners were crowned in the Middleweight and Featherweight divisions. Since its inception in 2005, there have been 24 TUF winners and 240 total castme…
With last Saturday’s showing of UFC 147, another season of The Ultimate Fighter came to an end as new winners were crowned in the Middleweight and Featherweight divisions. Since its inception in 2005, there have been 24 TUF winners and 240 total castmembers, many of whom have become stars within the UFC. Yet, for every Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans, there is a Phillipe Nover and Luke Cummo.
And while there have been lists talking about the best winners from the show or best seasons, this list will discuss those guys who failed when it came to becoming a UFC fighter. Whether it was on the show or in the UFC, these guys failed to deliver the goods, and for that we’ll always remember them.
When it comes to fighting in the UFC, the consensus is to have a great debut in order to ensure that you continue to fight in the promotion. Now, while a win will almost definitely ensure a future with the UFC, a great debut will push you further up th…
When it comes to fighting in the UFC, the consensus is to have a great debut in order to ensure that you continue to fight in the promotion. Now, while a win will almost definitely ensure a future with the UFC, a great debut will push you further up the ranks and into the minds of fans. Whether it’s a great knockout, snappy submission or dominating decision, fans like seeing a new fighter make a splashy entrance into the octagon.
This list is a tribute to some of those impressive debuts.
How I came to the entries on the list including the following guidelines:
2012 has proven to be a year of growing pains for the UFC. With the deal with Fox adding more shows throughout the year and changes to The Ultimate Fighter, there have been obvious issues. From low ratings for The Ultimate Fighter Live and some of the …
2012 has proven to be a year of growing pains for the UFC. With the deal with Fox adding more shows throughout the year and changes to The Ultimate Fighter, there have been obvious issues. From low ratings for The Ultimate Fighter Live and some of the fight cards onFX and Fuel TV, along with the increasing rate of injuries to top stars, including Jose Aldo and Dominic Cruz, something obviously needs to be done to help the UFC ease into a brighter spotlight.
With the recent talk from Dana White following the UFC on FX card, he mentioned that there is a possibility of women fighting in the UFC as long as there are enough fighters to fill the division. Well, with the recent addition of Flyweights to the UFC and how much Dana has been talking about current Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey, the next logical move for the UFC would be to have a female version of The Ultimate Fighter.
If you think about it, it makes sense. What better way to introduce a wider audience to WMMA than to have an entire cast of hungry fighters willing to show off their skills to a national audience? If the original season of TUFcould bring a new audience to the UFC, why couldn’t it happen again?
Not only would it bring wider attention to WMMA but it could solidify Rousey as a legitimate MMA star. She would be an obvious candidate to be a coach, and there are options as well. Miesha Tate would be an obvious choice, with the feud that the two had in the buildup to their recent match. If the UFC is willing to wait, the league could see if Cyborg Santos was clean and could drop down in weight to have her settle the war of words that had started after Santos tested positive and was stripped of her Featherweight Title.
The less likely options include former champion Sarah Kaufman, which could help build her marketability, though this matchup doesn’t have the same panache as the previously mentioned ones. Yet, the only one that would be very interesting—but most likely will never happen—is if Gina Carano were to coach opposite Rousey. The problem lies in the fact that Carano has had medical issues halting her return to fighting, along with the fact that she’s had problems making weight to compete at the Featherweight level, so shaving off another 10 pounds could be problematic.
Yet, if the UFC was to go through with a plan for a female Ultimate Fighter, it could really benefit even if it doesn’t become a ratings hit. If it works, then Dana and the UFC have the fighters to create a division and a champion to spearhead it. If it fails, then the UFC can say that they gave it a shot and that the fans just weren’t responding to the content; though they may try again further down the road.
When it comes to combat sports, fans want to see all-out wars. Whether it’s in the boxing ring or inside a cage, fans never want to see a fight go to the judges’ scorecards. Now there are those rare examples where fans are entertained by a decision, l…
When it comes to combat sports, fans want to see all-out wars. Whether it’s in the boxing ring or inside a cage, fans never want to see a fight go to the judges’ scorecards. Now there are those rare examples where fans are entertained by a decision, like Edgar/Maynard 2 and Henderson/Rua, but that was because those were packed full of excitement from beginning to end.
What fans really want is a finish, whether it is a knockout, TKO, submission, or even the occasional referee or doctor stoppage. They want that rush of excitement that comes with seeing a tapout or a strike that levels a person. They don’t want a controversial decision or a fight decided by lay and pray.
This list is designed to honor those who work towards giving the fans what they want. These finishers don’t want their fate decided by three people at cageside. Their careers are in their hands and they show it almost every fight.
In MMA, like any sport, the participants want to become iconic for what they do within the confines of their sport if not iconic outside of it as well. Yet for the majority of fighters, they may never become truly iconic, but they may have signature m…
In MMA, like any sport, the participants want to become iconic for what they do within the confines of their sport if not iconic outside of it as well. Yet for the majority of fighters, they may never become truly iconic, but they may have signature moments that define certain parts of their careers. These signatures can be good or bad depending on who’s looking, but they are there nonetheless. This list is of the signatures of a wide range of fighters, from future hall-of-famers to tomato cans.
The way that I chose the signatures listed is if you showed someone who had never seen much of MMA videos covering the entire careers of the listed fighters, what would they most remember? Those moments are what make up this list.
2012 has proven to be a year of growing pains for the UFC. With the deal with Fox adding more shows