Has MMA peaked?

[dcrjradmonish]

The reason I was drawn to early UFC's was:

1) It didn't have wieght divisions

- You could have a 150lb guy fighting a 400lb guy!!!

2) No GLOVES!!!

3) Not everybody looked "COOKIE CUTTER" the same. i.e. as if they focused on MT and BJJ ect ect.

- So you got to see a traditional karate \ Kung fu \ " whoever " guy fight someother strange matchup.

- That's makes for something very exciting to see.

4) The only 2 rules back then was No Biting and No Eye Gauging. Bring it back to those 2 simple rules +....
- Allow head butts again
- Allow Small Joint manipulations again

and finally bring back the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIJLEmITPtg


of Jo Son getting punched repeatedly in the NUTTS. Hahahah

100% Agree with you. I have to add more rules make it more boring and for those who want more rules to make it safer that is what tapping is for. Less rules = quicker fights. Plus we will see another boom when the women start fighting in the Ufc.

[Hebrew Hammer]

I'm not convinced it's peaked, it's had a great long run, over a decade of growth. What is has suffered from is a loss of big names stars to retirement and inactivity.

GSP has been out until recently, big personalities like Lesner, Randy Coutoure, Tito Ortiz, etc have all retired. Some of the potential superfights are not happening like Jon Jones vs Silva. In my opinion, they've suffered from a lack of compelling match ups in the promotional phase. I'd like to see a legends division for older fighters...its silly to match them up against the top younger fighters expecting a great fight...it rarely happens but I would like to see them battle each other.

They also had to cancel one event recently.

There are still some up and coming fighters of note, just saw this brazilian leg bar submission animal who has potential, the Diaz bros always put out good fights. Maybe a resurgence of big time boxing fights has drawn away from it?

[mooyingmantis]

I predicted it on this forum about 2 years ago. In my four plus decades of training I have seen many MA fads come and go.

Some gyms will survive and prosper. I wish them well. MMA has had a good run and has brought some life back into MA in general. It has also brought back realistic training to some schools that had lost it and shattered some widely held myths about the "lethalness" of some techniques.

I can't wait to see what is the next "must learn" martial art.

[Syn7]

I predicted it on this forum about 2 years ago. In my four plus decades of training I have seen many MA fads come and go.

Some gyms will survive and prosper. I wish them well. MMA has had a good run and has brought some life back into MA in general. It has also brought back realistic training to some schools that had lost it and shattered some widely held myths about the "lethalness" of some techniques.

I can't wait to see what is the next "must learn" martial art.

Ok, so how many more years do you figure then? Since you "called it" and all.

It's not going anywhere, this I guarantee. There will always be ups and downs, but the real fans are loyal enough. It's the people who just want to see KO's that are walking away. They will always come and go, it's their nature to always be on the next fad.


I say we bring back some pride rules into N American MMA. No knees or kicks on the ground is retarded. The only one that maybe i understand is the full on face punt or stomp. But even then, is that any worse that being hit with a massive standing round kick? The stomp is worse coz of the whole head on the ground thing. At least with the punt your head has somewhere to go, which GREATLY reduces the effect of the impact.

Another thing about N. American MMA that ****es me off are the breaks and the standups. Two guys grappling and boxing on the cage, and some **** ref pulls them apart? Some guy is working slowly but surely to his opponents back and the ref is yelling WORK, and then stands them up? WTF, so basically they are giving a striker a better chance to win because fairweather idiot fans want to see KO's? That bothers me. I realize its a business and they have to make money, but it would be nice if people wouldn't COMPLETELY sell out for the almighty dollar once in a while.

[pateticorecords]

Here is my idea... make it game in an closed out urban environment with cameras everywhere, so don't miss the action.
Have weapons available in different areas but they have to get the weapons via an obstacle course ala Ninja Warrior. Now the weapons would be stun weapons that could be used as knives, swords, and others as staffs, etc.
A very limited amount of armors and shields will also be available.

The participants would encounter each other an engage in hand to hand combat, weapons against empty hands, weapons vs weapons, etc. in specific locations. The participants would use non lethal force but are able to use whatever tactics would allow them to win their matches. Each match would last 15 straight minutes no breaks. If another opponent comes in proximity they would also have the opportunity to jump in... join forces with another player or fight everybody. In the end there can only be only one like Highlander anyways so no matter the alliances they will have fight each other.

Only one participant will win once all others have been "offed"...

Heck make a 30 day thing with limited food, water, etc like Survivor.

NOw, that would be a show I would watch...lol

[David Jamieson]

Here is my idea... make it game in an closed out urban environment with cameras everywhere, so don't miss the action.
Have weapons available in different areas but they have to get the weapons via an obstacle course ala Ninja Warrior. Now the weapons would be stun weapons that could be used as knives, swords, and others as staffs, etc.
A very limited amount of armors and shields will also be available.

The participants would encounter each other an engage in hand to hand combat, weapons against empty hands, weapons vs weapons, etc. in specific locations. The participants would use non lethal force but are able to use whatever tactics would allow them to win their matches. Each match would last 15 straight minutes no breaks. If another opponent comes in proximity they would also have the opportunity to jump in... join forces with another player or fight everybody. In the end there can only be only one like Highlander anyways so no matter the alliances they will have fight each other.

Only one participant will win once all others have been "offed"...

Heck make a 30 day thing with limited food, water, etc like Survivor.

NOw, that would be a show I would watch...lol

Alternately you could join the armed forces and get shipped out to fight a rich mans war somewhere?

[pateticorecords]

Alternately you could join the armed forces and get shipped out to fight a rich mans war somewhere?

hahaha... absolutely but if you are afraid to die then this wold be a better avenue...

[David Jamieson]

hahaha... absolutely but if you are afraid to die then this wold be a better avenue...

If you're afraid to die, you shouldn't cross hands with others at all.
lol.

[Kevin73]

Here is my idea... make it game in an closed out urban environment with cameras everywhere, so don't miss the action.
Have weapons available in different areas but they have to get the weapons via an obstacle course ala Ninja Warrior. Now the weapons would be stun weapons that could be used as knives, swords, and others as staffs, etc.
A very limited amount of armors and shields will also be available.

The participants would encounter each other an engage in hand to hand combat, weapons against empty hands, weapons vs weapons, etc. in specific locations. The participants would use non lethal force but are able to use whatever tactics would allow them to win their matches. Each match would last 15 straight minutes no breaks. If another opponent comes in proximity they would also have the opportunity to jump in... join forces with another player or fight everybody. In the end there can only be only one like Highlander anyways so no matter the alliances they will have fight each other.

Only one participant will win once all others have been "offed"...

Heck make a 30 day thing with limited food, water, etc like Survivor.

NOw, that would be a show I would watch...lol

didn't they do that and call it "The Running Man"?

[pateticorecords]

didn't they do that and call it "The Running Man"?

hahaha... many plots have been written like this including the latest "Hunger games".

[GeneChing]

Naaah, that was Battle Royale.

We've had plenty of discussions here already about the value of MMA, as a martial art, as a spectator sport and as a pop phenomena. What I'm more interested in with this thread is whether or not it has peaked. MMA has been the fastest rising sport for several years, but it stands to reason that it will peak eventually. Now there's some evidence of waning popularity, which is why I launched this thread. Note that I'm not talking about the decline of MMA necessarily, just the end of the rise. I'm curious if any of you have made similar observations lately.

[Bacon]

Naaah, that was Battle Royale.

We've had plenty of discussions here already about the value of MMA, as a martial art, as a spectator sport and as a pop phenomena. What I'm more interested in with this thread is whether or not it has peaked. MMA has been the fastest rising sport for several years, but it stands to reason that it will peak eventually. Now there's some evidence of waning popularity, which is why I launched this thread. Note that I'm not talking about the decline of MMA necessarily, just the end of the rise. I'm curious if any of you have made similar observations lately.

I'd just like to remind our venerated MOD that MMA is a ruleset and not a style.

As to whether it has peaked, I think it's been in decline for the last few years because a lot of the good talent pool came from the guys who fought under the harsher rulesets ergo the worse fighters were eliminated and the guys who survived were the Anderson Silvas, Randy Coutures, Chuck Liddells, Mark Colemans, Tito Ortizs, etc.

[GeneChing]

I'd just like to remind our venerated MOD that MMA is a ruleset and not a style.

I just called it a 'sport' above. I can foresee a point when it might evolve to a style, but I've always considered it a sport.

Good point on harsher rule sets. Very good point.

[pateticorecords]

[QUOTE=GeneChing;1201464]Naaah, that was Battle Royale.

hahaha... true dat...

Movies:
THE RUNNING MAN
BATTLE ROYALE
DEATH RACE 2000
ROLLERBALL
GAMER
GLADIATOR
ARENA
The Most Dangerous Game
Hard Target
The 10th Victim
Das Millionenspiel
Le prix du danger
Series 7: The Contenders
The Condemned

are other movies with similar plots

[pateticorecords]

We've had plenty of discussions here already about the value of MMA, as a martial art, as a spectator sport and as a pop phenomena. What I'm more interested in with this thread is whether or not it has peaked. MMA has been the fastest rising sport for several years, but it stands to reason that it will peak eventually. Now there's some evidence of waning popularity, which is why I launched this thread. Note that I'm not talking about the decline of MMA necessarily, just the end of the rise. I'm curious if any of you have made similar observations lately.

But to answer to real question...
Of course it is on the decline, it is the common trend with all martial arts and their sports variables.
In the 50s it was judo, 60s it was karate, in the 70s, kung fu, 70s & 80s Kickboxing, in the 80s ninjutsu, in the 90s tae bo, the 90s to present MMA... something else is brewing, not sure what it is yet but it will come...lol