Roundtables
ROUNDTABLE (pt. 1 of 2): Is encouraging excitement vital and more important to MMA than fighters simply fighting to win above all else? Hansen, Lee, Hyden, Matthew, Hobaugh, Leet, Amadi
Oct 8, 2010 - 1:15:09 PM ROUNDTABLE (pt. 1 of 2): Is encouraging excitement vital and more important to MMA than fighters simply fighting to win above all else? Hansen, Lee, Hyden, Matthew, Hobaugh, Leet, Amadi

DISCUSS ALL THIS IN OUR NEW MMATORCH FORUM

...OH, ONE MORE THING - PLEASE BOOKMARK US & VISIT DAILY!

Is encouraging excitement out of fighters via the "Fight of the Night" bonus vital to the survival of MMA, or should fighters be worried about winning above all else for MMA to be considered a "true sport."

RICH HANSEN, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

On one hand you have Chris Lytle, who is always going for the bonus, and who has made it clear that being an entertainer is more important to him than becoming a champion.  On the other hand, you have everyone who worships at the altar of Greg Jackson.  I'm not a fan of either extreme.

How about a $70,000 penalty for each fighter of the biggest dog fight of the night?  Or better yet, penalize Greg Jackson $70,000 every time one of his fighters fights competes in an athletic competition.


ERIC LEE, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Fight of the Night is a great bonus and great initiative for fighters to give it their all. It is much more enjoyable for the fans to see fighters actually going for a finish. I think fighters being too concerned about just winning is what will cause less interest in MMA.


FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

It is absolutely vital to encourage excitement out of the fighters. It's true that winning is the ultimate, and perhaps only, goal for a fighter. However, excitement is generated by effort. If you're trying to win, and you're doing all you can, fans will respect that and cheer you. I think excitement and winning can go hand in hand. Brock Lesnar isn't exciting because he has the best stand-up, or the best Jiu-Jitsu, he doesn't have those things. Rather, Brock is exciting because he's constantly giving 100% in an effort to win. Trying to win is first and foremost. However, by trying to win, you make yourself exciting. If you're constantly trying to advance your position to give yourself a better chance to win, that is exciting. Lyoto Machida showed both sides of this. When he was trying to win, Machida was exciting. When he was hanging back, and trying to not lose, he was boring as hell. Fighters who try to win are exciting to watch.


ERIC HOBAUGH, MMATORCH SPECIALIST

As long as Dana White and Joe Silva can choose the match-ups without anyone standing in his way, he will choose what he perceives as the most exciting fights.  Not the most deserving fighters.  You can win as many fights as they put in front of you and still not get a title shot, like John Fitch. Factor in injuries and sometimes boring fights are unavoidable. Exciting fights sell pay-per-views. UFC 119 was a disaster. I think encouraging the fighters with a bonus is an excellent way to help keep our sport more entertaining.


LARAMEY LEET, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

MMA is a spectator sport. It always will be so the most popular fighters will normally be the most exciting. I think that it does not hurt the sport when a fighter goes for a finish. Sometimes you have to risk it to get the win and that's why the bonuses are there. Fighters should always go for the win, but if they can finish in dramatic fashion they need a push to go for that big win.


JASON AMADI, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

First and foremost, MMA will be a “true sport” when people stop bringing its legitimacy into question. As for the incentive bonuses, fighters who succeed in finishing the fight should be rewarded and placed in higher regards than fighters who don’t. The “win above all else” philosophy is fine, but the fact of the matter is that fighters trained not be finished. They train not to get knocked out and not to be submitted. Fighters who are able to undo their opponent’s training and finish them have displayed a higher level of skill than a fighter who simply wins a decision.
The bonuses aren’t so much encouraging excitement as they are a reward for demonstrating skill.