The fact is this:
American Wrestling is so dominant a fighting style that the UFC doesn’t want elite practitioners on their cards because they nullify almost every other martial art and make fights boring.
That’s objective fact. I’m not saying it’s the most enjoyable style for the average fan to watch- just that as a style, wrestling dominates in MMA. How many current and former elite organization Champions were wrestlers? Probably more than any other martial art.
How many current champions in the UFC are wrestlers?
Are you saying the UFC is actively PREVENTING Americans from dominating MMA?
I missed gable is making his debut Saturday…
Can anyone speak intelligently on the bum he is facing?
I’m shocked at how ineffective Bo Nickal is at using his wrestling .. it’s borderline useless at this point .. I really hope Gable is able to utilize his wrestling much better
He’s not a bum, but he is undersized and he is not a good wrestler from the fights I’ve seen. Accepts the clinch and doesn’t try to pummel for underhooks. Seems like a counterpunching kickboxer type who doesn’t move his feet much. Pretty good match up for Gable.
My worry for Gable is him falling in love with his boxing - he has already shown glimpses of that … if he continues down that path he will get flatlined even on ufc hvwt division
I actually think wrestling is very enjoyable to watch. It has more to do with the fighter than the discipline. So many people have reduced wrestling to the point of laying on top of somebody. When a fighter uses it to land gnp, advance or submit, I love it.
Strikers can be boring fighters, too.
I’m saying that the UFC is a business. Sports Entertainment is that business. Even if an athlete is the best in a sport, if they’re not entertaining, they won’t remain in the UFC very long. Even if they’re pretty much dominating competition, they’ll get cut eventually. Look what happened years ago with John Fitch.
These days, if guys like Austin DeSanto, who was never even a D1 Champ wanted to fight MMA, he’d likely run through all but the top 4-5 in his weight class. If Gable wanted into the UFC, he’d do the same. Most good D1 wrestlers would.
The UFC isn’t keeping them out, but they sure as hell aren’t out courting them to get involved either.
Like others have said, wrestlers have more ways to make money now than they did 10 years ago, much less 30 years ago.
Also, name/pedigreed wrestlers come into MMA wanting a big payday without even proving themselves.
It’s not just solely about how exciting a fighter is, but also how big their social media following is. A lot of people think Khabib was boring as hell and killing the sport with his style, but he had a massive social media following.
The UFC wants to pay the fighters as little as possible. They want the fighters to build their own fanbase. They want to benefit from the fighters having a big fanbase.
Hmm I disagree. The days of elite wrestlers coming into mma and just going right to the top of the division via their wrestling are long gone. We see great wrestlers like Nickal and Pico that can get a takedown but their opponent is back to the feet in seconds .. the sport is at a very anti-grappling stage - I’d love to see grappling make a comeback
This is heavyweight we are talking about. That loser Hokit is considered a legit threat. Imagine him in Pride, or even in the UFC in 2010. He would be on an undercard fighting Pat Barry or some shit, not talked as the next big thing.
Current heavyweight division is bad enough that a dude retired after looking horrible a few times, randomly goes up and obliterates the current champ, which is a juiced to the gills giant kick boxer, then comes back and spin kicks the gizzards out the “greatest of all time” (which is the biggest bullshit lie ever), retires again, now the dude he beat in a minute is champ, the other champ has been out after a minute fight with this guy, and the former 185 champ just fought for the title.
What is this.
Hokit would dump Cro Cop on his overrated ass
The threat of a takedown would open his ass up and he would get his head taken off like Randleman did
I don’t thinks he’ll go as far as some of you do.
Also, that is one ugly fucking mongoloid…
Bo took down his last bum down immediately and was on top for over 2 minutes while cutting him with elbows…
Bad stand up because backward hat meatheads “fans” then TKOed him a minute later…
It is almost like you just make up shit…
All the time…
poetry. well fucking said.
Ironic considering their inception, the UFC’s rules are practically tailor made for the American wrestler. The only rule I can think of that hurts them is that you’re banned from wearing wrestling shoes. Other than that, you have a massive ring with no corners, fencing that for whatever reason you are allowed to push someone against to assist a takedown, but not allowed to grab to stay up, judging perimeters that heavily favor takedowns even if they do not result in damage, disallowed knees on that ground that really lessens the punishment for a failed takedown, elbows are allowed on the ground, but not to the top of the head where is coincidentally where they would land if thrown with someone in your guard. I have no idea how every top 10 fighter isn’t a wrestler, it’s just incredibly stacked in their favor.
Dude couldn’t even put Curtis blades down and has the explosiveness of Cole Miller, Not Kevin Randleman