Mixed Martial Arts and its flag bearer, the UFC, now stand on a road diverging into a proverbial yellow wood.
One path leads down a road remarkably similar to the path it now travels. The other leads to a future with unfettered growth, legions of fans in attendance and watching broadcasts, and a product that is universally appealing.
That path is paved on the backs of men who weigh in at 155 and less.
Too long have we been indoctrinated with this belief that bigger equals better. The heavyweight division, while improving, simply cannot offer the amount of excitement provided by “the little guys.” But until we learn that lesson, we may be pigeonholing ourselves and our sport.
We may be not only holding the better talent down, but also holding ourselves back.
It cannot be easily measured in how many matches we have watched two behemoths sucking wind after a mere three minutes and spending the next 12 throwing sloppy haymakers in between gasps for air.
Can anyone remember the last heavyweight to earn a submission victory?
…
Stefan Struve, to save you the trouble. He earned a submission of the night award, more for the rarity of the submission by a heavyweight than the relative complexity.
And Pat Barry, a man just as guilty of getting winded and sloppy, still has a job after numerous losses and no improvement. This is a clearer case of the lack of excitement at heavyweight than it is for his potential.
Yet we have Dominick Cruz and Demetrious Johnson headline a free card with a title on the line. Urijah Faber is a footnote on UFC 139’s card. Benson Henderson and Clay Guida put on a Fight of the Year candidate on Facebook, not national television.
It’s a travesty and one we have to correct. We can’t vote with our feet, but we can certainly vote with our cash.
Buy the PPVs of the smaller guys! Tweet about how exciting those two were last night! Demand more feather, bantam and lightweight fights!
They are the future! We can’t afford to stagnate and allow ourselves or the community to become complacent.
We need to realize what these dynamos bring to the table. Bulk is replaced by cardio. Height is replaced by speed. One-punch knockout power is replaced by flawless technique.
When these men fight, it more closely resembles two cats jammed in a bag than their heavyweight counterparts. Speed, combinations, transitions, escapes, scrambles and reset. Shots land flush or are perfectly countered. Submissions? Everyone is a threat.
They can’t rely on the “threat of a looming knockout” to gain interest. They can’t afford to skip a day of cardio. They don’t have the luxury of a safety net after two consecutive losses, so they fight like there’s no tomorrow.
And if we don’t start supporting them, there may not be.
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