Scoring in MMA

[BobPlumb]

Which speaks directly to my point, as you will observe that those fighters do not display (don't have the opportunity to display) those skills at such a high level in a MMA match because it is such a different context. All well and good, but if you're looking for top-level wrestling or boxing or submissions you are not likely to find it in a MMA match. You will find it in those particular specialties. This is not to disparage MMA by any means, but to explain why I think its popularity has a ceiling that may be fast approaching.

And I think just the opposite. The early days saw guys who could get by on one or two well disciplined arts. Now they need to be at least semi skilled in boxing, jiu-Jitsu, wrestling and anything else. As time goes on, guys and gals will get more and more highly disciplined in many arts and the fights will get better.

Fighters will get better at MMA, but not at those specific fighting arts in themselves. In the very best MMA matches you will see amazing athletes who excel greatly at what they do, but you will not see anything approaching the striking skill in even a decent boxing or Muay Thai match, little real wrestling beyond basic positional awareness, and submissions that usually come as a result of the opponent attempting to strike rather than a superior technical advantage in submissions in and of themselves. All of which is fine - necessary even - as MMA is not any one of those arts, but a different fighting context unto itself. I just think that people who want to see any or all of those areas of fighting at a very high level are eventually going to conclude that they won't get that in watching MMA. A real MMA fan wouldn't be looking for that, but many people out there are. Boxing has been popular for a very, very long time and wrestling is just about the oldest sport there is. I hope I'm wrong, as I'd be pleased to see these great athletes get a shot at bigger paydays for all the hard work they put in.

IMHO those so called superior techniques are just a facade if they cannot be performed while defending against the varity of techniques available in MMA. That is what makes MMA more of a chess match than any single dicipline. I will concede that you will often see fancier looking techniques when watching a single dicipline. You will also see the fighter who tries to look fancy get his ass knocked out in an MMA fight because he doesn't have the skill or strategy to defend against the other arts. That being said, there is a niche for everything. Look how big WWE is which is fake fighting. Half the battle, just like in boxing is the promotion. Channel Sonnen has made a name for himself without winning a championship in MMA because he is good a running his mouth and making people want to send his ass kicked.

 

[Unkotare]

And I think just the opposite. The early days saw guys who could get by on one or two well disciplined arts. Now they need to be at least semi skilled in boxing, jiu-Jitsu, wrestling and anything else. As time goes on, guys and gals will get more and more highly disciplined in many arts and the fights will get better.

Fighters will get better at MMA, but not at those specific fighting arts in themselves. In the very best MMA matches you will see amazing athletes who excel greatly at what they do, but you will not see anything approaching the striking skill in even a decent boxing or Muay Thai match, little real wrestling beyond basic positional awareness, and submissions that usually come as a result of the opponent attempting to strike rather than a superior technical advantage in submissions in and of themselves. All of which is fine - necessary even - as MMA is not any one of those arts, but a different fighting context unto itself. I just think that people who want to see any or all of those areas of fighting at a very high level are eventually going to conclude that they won't get that in watching MMA. A real MMA fan wouldn't be looking for that, but many people out there are. Boxing has been popular for a very, very long time and wrestling is just about the oldest sport there is. I hope I'm wrong, as I'd be pleased to see these great athletes get a shot at bigger paydays for all the hard work they put in.

IMHO those so called superior techniques are just a facade if they cannot be performed while defending against the varity of techniques available in MMA.

That makes absolutely no sense. That's like saying the skills of a great running back in the NFL are a "facade" if you don't directly apply them to a tennis match.

 

[BobPlumb]

Fighters will get better at MMA, but not at those specific fighting arts in themselves. In the very best MMA matches you will see amazing athletes who excel greatly at what they do, but you will not see anything approaching the striking skill in even a decent boxing or Muay Thai match, little real wrestling beyond basic positional awareness, and submissions that usually come as a result of the opponent attempting to strike rather than a superior technical advantage in submissions in and of themselves. All of which is fine - necessary even - as MMA is not any one of those arts, but a different fighting context unto itself. I just think that people who want to see any or all of those areas of fighting at a very high level are eventually going to conclude that they won't get that in watching MMA. A real MMA fan wouldn't be looking for that, but many people out there are. Boxing has been popular for a very, very long time and wrestling is just about the oldest sport there is. I hope I'm wrong, as I'd be pleased to see these great athletes get a shot at bigger paydays for all the hard work they put in.

IMHO those so called superior techniques are just a facade if they cannot be performed while defending against the varity of techniques available in MMA.

That makes absolutely no sense. That's like saying the skills of a great running back in the NFL are a "facade" if you don't directly apply them to a tennis match.

When I'm watching MMA I think of it as watching a fight, hand to hand combat. I want to know which fighter has the skills and abilities to win the fight. We have been discussing combat sports. The skills of all these combat sports can be used in a fight which makes it different than comparing football to tennis.

Joe might be a better boxer than Tom and kick his ass in a boxing match using strickly boxing rules. So what! What I am more interested in is who would win the fight if there were no rules. In otherwords, anything goes. Well, we have to have rules because we don't want people fighting to the death or becoming critically injured. The rules that govern MMA are IMHO the closest thing to having a real fight without being savages (although some would debate that point).

 

[Unkotare]

"Real fights" are most often brief, one-sided, and not particularly comparable to any organized sporting venue, even such as MMA. In real fights more often than not one or more people are completely unprepared and unaware; sucker punches are common, bottles over the head, two or three friends jumping in, chairs, tables, beer-slick floors, concrete, cars, knives, etc. MMA is not a "street fight" and trying to paint it as such is not only juvenile, but insulting to the athletes and very detrimental to the sport.

If the future of MMA rests in the hands of a fan base that wants to see "real fights," it is doomed to obscurity.

 

[Smilebong]

"Real fights" are most often brief, one-sided, and not particularly comparable to any organized sporting venue, even such as MMA. In real fights more often than not one or more people are completely unprepared and unaware; sucker punches are common, bottles over the head, two or three friends jumping in, chairs, tables, beer-slick floors, concrete, cars, knives, etc. MMA is not a "street fight" and trying to paint it as such is not only juvenile, but insulting to the athletes and very detrimental to the sport.

If the future of MMA rests in the hands of a fan base that wants to see "real fights," it is doomed to obscurity.

True.

When i was younger and stupid, I was in quite a few. And most of them ended in less than a minute.

 

[BobPlumb]

"Real fights" are most often brief, one-sided, and not particularly comparable to any organized sporting venue, even such as MMA. In real fights more often than not one or more people are completely unprepared and unaware; sucker punches are common, bottles over the head, two or three friends jumping in, chairs, tables, beer-slick floors, concrete, cars, knives, etc. MMA is not a "street fight" and trying to paint it as such is not only juvenile, but insulting to the athletes and very detrimental to the sport.

If the future of MMA rests in the hands of a fan base that wants to see "real fights," it is doomed to obscurity.

Closest thing to real (but fair) fight without being savages. Please keep what I wrote in context.

 

[Unkotare]

"Real fights" are most often brief, one-sided, and not particularly comparable to any organized sporting venue, even such as MMA. In real fights more often than not one or more people are completely unprepared and unaware; sucker punches are common, bottles over the head, two or three friends jumping in, chairs, tables, beer-slick floors, concrete, cars, knives, etc. MMA is not a "street fight" and trying to paint it as such is not only juvenile, but insulting to the athletes and very detrimental to the sport.

If the future of MMA rests in the hands of a fan base that wants to see "real fights," it is doomed to obscurity.

True.

When i was younger and stupid, I was in quite a few. And most of them ended in less than a minute.

Exactly.

 

[Unkotare]

"Real fights" are most often brief, one-sided, and not particularly comparable to any organized sporting venue, even such as MMA. In real fights more often than not one or more people are completely unprepared and unaware; sucker punches are common, bottles over the head, two or three friends jumping in, chairs, tables, beer-slick floors, concrete, cars, knives, etc. MMA is not a "street fight" and trying to paint it as such is not only juvenile, but insulting to the athletes and very detrimental to the sport.

If the future of MMA rests in the hands of a fan base that wants to see "real fights," it is doomed to obscurity.

Closest thing to real (but fair) fight without being savages. Please keep what I wrote in context.

Ask yourself why you enjoy watching MMA and not just hanging out at dive bars waiting to see the inevitable 'action.'

 

[BobPlumb]

"Real fights" are most often brief, one-sided, and not particularly comparable to any organized sporting venue, even such as MMA. In real fights more often than not one or more people are completely unprepared and unaware; sucker punches are common, bottles over the head, two or three friends jumping in, chairs, tables, beer-slick floors, concrete, cars, knives, etc. MMA is not a "street fight" and trying to paint it as such is not only juvenile, but insulting to the athletes and very detrimental to the sport.

If the future of MMA rests in the hands of a fan base that wants to see "real fights," it is doomed to obscurity.

Closest thing to real (but fair) fight without being savages. Please keep what I wrote in context.

Ask yourself why you enjoy watching MMA and not just hanging out at dive bars waiting to see the inevitable 'action.'

You are certainly putting a negative spin on what I said. I want to see a fair fight in which both fighters have available as many possible techniques to draw from a possible while maintaining reasonable safety standards. It is as much a strategy match as anything else. A good boxer/stricker better be able to defend takedowns and submissions. A wrestler better be able to defend against a KO. I'm wanting to see hand to hand combat (no weapons). Get the picture?

That being said, if you would rather watch boxing in which the fight is from the waist up and the fighters don't have to defend against takedowns and submissions, there is nothing wrong with that. It's okay if my favorite combat sport is MMA and yours is something else. Different strokes for different folks. With the diversity of what can an does happen in MMA fights, MMA is here to stay.

 

[Unkotare]

With the diversity of what can an does happen in MMA fights, MMA is here to stay.

You sure?

Has MMA peaked in the United States? - Las Vegas MMA | Examiner.com


UFC on FOX 11 Results: Is It Time to Admit MMA Will Never Be Mainstream?

 

[BobPlumb]

Yep, I'm sure. I agree it isn't going to be as big as the football, basketball or football. But compared to the other combat sports, yes it is here to stay. Boxing isn't what it used to be since Mohammed Ali and Mike Tyson, at least not in the US. If you consider the world market, both boxing and MMA are going strong.