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By: Frank Hyden, MMATorch contributor
The Flyweight division is coming to the UFC sometime in 2012. That's great news for people like me, who love seeing the lighter fighters. MMATorch columnist Jason Amadi brings up a good point in his latest piece. The UFC hasn't done a good job showcasing the lighter fighters so far. These are some of the most entertaining fighters in MMA. Hyden's Law states that the lighter the fighter, the more exciting the fight. There are exceptions, of course, but by and large that's true. The reason is that these guys have better cardio than the larger fighters. Better cardio almost always means a better fight. I don't care what a guy is doing as long as he's trying to win the fight. If he's constantly trying to advance position, or doing something to ensure victory, I'm all for it.
When I use the term lay-and-pray I use it in the actual definition of the phrase. If a wrestler takes an opponent down, but is constantly moving and trying to advance into side control, or full mount, I don't consider that lay-and-pray. If he keeps trying submissions, even if they're unsuccessful, I appreciate his effort. It's the ultimate coach-speak, if you try hard, that's all we can ask for. To use another cliche, I want guys who try to win instead of guys who try to not lose. I believe that this happens with the lighter fighters much more than heavier fighters.
Seeing flyweights in the UFC will be great, but it will be even better if they actually use them in a way that showcases them correctly. I know there are people out there who aren't interested in seeing the lighter fighters because they think that size matters when it comes to fighters. Even if you subscribe to that theory, some of these guys are all roughly the same size so why does it matter if they weigh 135lbs. or 245lbs.? Wouldn't you want to watch the more exciting fight?
I know there's some 200lb. gym rats out there who think they could beat up these guys just because they're smaller. Not many, but I've talked to some of these idiots and it's not fun I'll tell you that. What these guys don't realize is that the average UFC bantamweight would hand them their ass in a few seconds. I'd love to see that myself.
The thing is, this isn't like sports like basketball or football. There's a big difference between college football and the NFL, same as college basketball and the NBA. Lots of people will watch the NFL but not college football, I'm one of them. I'll watch Notre Dame because I grew up watching them, but otherwise I don't care for college football. I watch the NFL. The reason is that college is inferior to the pros. Don't get me wrong, college sports have their charm, and professional coaches could learn a lot from their college counterparts like how to best utilize certain athletes (Tim Tebow, Terrelle Pryor, etc.), but if I watch to watch football I'll watch the NFL. However, the lighter weight classes aren't the JV version of the heavier divisions. It's not like Jose Aldo or Frankie Edgar are going to graduate to a heavier division.
You can have your favorite fighters and guys you root for, but to not want to watch a division just because the guys are lighter is kind of dumb. That's especially true when the lighter guys usually have more exciting fights than the larger ones, and definitely at least as exciting.
The UFC needs to put a larger focus on the lighter divisions. If they give these guys a chance to shine, I guarantee you that they'll be rewarded with great and exciting fights.
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A quick note to anyone who may not already know this, Kurt Angle is one of the worst pathological liars in sports. Anyone who asks Angle about anything MMA-related is just trying to get a headline. Nothing that guy has ever said about the UFC has ever been true. He couldn't compete in the UFC right now or the Olympics, for that matter. He's too old, too injured, and has too many...outside issues.
Kurt Angle may be a great guy, I don't know him, but when it comes to things he's said about the UFC, it's best to not even listen.
Comments and suggestions can be e-mailed to me at hydenfrank@gmail.com
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STAFF COLUMNISTS: Shawn Ennis - Jason Amadi
Frank Hyden - Rich Hansen
Chris Park - Matt Pelkey
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