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ROUNDTABLE (pt. 2 of 2): Is encouraging excitement vital and more important to MMA than fighters simply fighting to win above all else? Perez, Sutcliffe, Williams, Marsh, Shelby, Carter and Penick
Oct 11, 2010 - 3:53:03 PM ROUNDTABLE (pt. 2 of 2): Is encouraging excitement vital and more important to MMA than fighters simply fighting to win above all else? Perez, Sutcliffe, Williams, Marsh, Shelby, Carter and Penick

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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."

ANWAR PEREZ, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

For the sake of the sport, both should come out evenly for the survival of MMA.  As fans, we want to see good fights, and we want to see winners.  You have fighters that only care about putting a good fight on for the fans (Jorge Gurgel being one of them), and who couldn't care less about wins and losses.  Then you have fighters such as Rashad Evans and Georges St. Pierre who are going to fight the fight their way, and not worry about what the fans want to see.  Right now, as fans, we have a good mix of both fighters that always try to deliver an astounding fight, and fighters that continue to win and dominate in ways fans care most about.  Though Clay Guida and the aforementioned Jorge Gurgel are popular fighters among the hardcore fans, you see more GSP and Brock Lesnar shirts.  Why?  Because they win.


STEVE SUTCLIFFE, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
 
I was debating this same question with my buddy the other day in the context of the Serra-Lytle fight.  "The Terra" essentially made it a stand-up war against his good buddy "Lights Out" to prioritize putting on an entertaining fight.  Serra even admitted that he could potentially have used his BJJ to grind out a decision but it wouldn't have been too exciting.  I think in general, it is vital for the sport of MMA to continue to put on exciting fights but, if you are a fighter, winning is priority number one.  Even though the average Jon Fitch fight is about as exciting as watching grass grow, he still has a job; whereas more exciting but perhaps less successful fighters are less fortunate (although I have a growing suspicion that the second Fitch loses, he's getting cut).

ALEX WILLIAMS, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

In these sort of disputes, I generally side with whatever keeps MMA closer to being a pure representation of a fight.  However, I'm willing to make certain concessions for the sake of the business side of the game.  The fight night bonuses are one of those concessions.

GRIFFIN MARSH, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

At this point in the sports progression I feel there's more room for the technical aspect of fighting.  Exciting fighters make promotions money and Mr. White will always push his fighters to fight exciting fights rather than fight to win.  But from a fighters aspect, I'd much rather see the technical side emerge in the future

TOBEN SHELBY, MMATORCH AUDIO CO-HOST

If MMA is purely a sport, than winning is all that matters and that’s all fighters should be concerned about. Bonuses are nice and serve as an incentive to fight a certain way, but at the end of the day fighters might have to make the choice between fighting for bonuses or fighting to win. MMA will survive even with "boring" decisions – it just might not have that coveted "mainstream" appeal. I can live with that.

ALVIN CARTER, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

I am not sure if everyone needs every fight to be a "slobber knocker." I personally do not mind the mental chess game aspect of fights. I have been training MMA, and I see how it can be hard to throw your whole toolbox at someone right off the bat. Now fighters are being cut for two losses, and some are being cut for what seems like lack luster performances coupled with those losses. It might be in the best interest of fighters to make sure they add some flair to whatever they do in the cage, and of course fight like they are getting that bonus.
 
The reality of a sport that is real is that you cannot account for peoples emotions, actual physical state, and the course/outcome of a fight.  If this were the WWE, I would say I want to see people fly off the top turnbuckle with a folding chair every match.  But this is real, and realistically every fight cannot be "fight of the night." I think a lull or string of uninspired wins will not hurt the sport, because there will most likely be a string of impressive finishes around the corner.

JAMIE PENICK, MMATORCH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The reality of all sports is that they are there for entertainment. If spectators don't derive entertainment from a sport then there's little reason for it to exist. The major sports in the U.S. have all tweaked their rules throughout their history to allow for a more entertaining experience for fans. The NHL eliminated the two line pass rule and added shootouts so games would not end in a tie; the NFL has adjusted rules throughout the years to open up the passing game, and these are just a couple of examples. The idea of "pure sport" I think is a false one, and figuring out ways to make things more exciting are inherent to making a sport or an organization successful. Urging fighters to compete in the most exciting way possible is conducive to keeping the most fans interested, and thus I believe extremely vital to the sport. That said, even more than bonuses, having the rules adjusted or at the very least having scoring criteria in MMA applied correctly can also be used to make the sport more exciting and give fighters more incentive and opportunity to finish.

RELATED ARTICLE: Part one of this roundtable with responses from Hansen, Lee, Hyden, Matthew, Hobaugh, Leet, Amadi: [CLICK TO READ FULL ARTICLE]