BY MICHAEL GOODPASTER
(FOUR) STORYLINES
I know people who have and will continue to beat the hell out of other people and themselves in caged fighting. I know MMA in general is not faked and is very real. My main focus here isn’t those fighters, but rather the group UFC. So before you get your machismo riled up and get all “I’ll fight you right now and you tell me it’s fake” or “let me put you in (place boring move here) and tell me it’s fake” on me, stop. Take a breath, grow up, and realize that you’re a schmuck. I respect martial arts, but demonstrating your skills in a cage is barbaric and like a bad 80’s Van Damme movie. UFC went from being “fighter A vs. fighter B” with only guys like Seven, Shamrock, Tank Abbot, and those early guys being the marquee fighters. Sure, the MMA geeks will know everyone else like a wrestling mark would know those who lost qualifying “King of the Ring” tournament matches in 97. Still with the pioneers of the mainly illegal company at the time were notable because of their fighting. Then casually the company watered itself down. The rules were dimmed down and the company became very accessible to basically the same demographics as NASCAR, WWE, and domestic beer. With that something happened. There were more preshow interviews, more trash talk, more “personalities” coming out of the wood works. With this, the “personalities” clash over words and it goes back and forth like build up to a WWE “Summerslam” match. This is not a coincidence. Boxing has been around since before trees and while it’s had its own share of personalities, it’s never been as gimmicky and over exaggerated than UFC. You can throw a list of “gimmicky” boxers at me all day, but there’s still a time frame issue and more boxers to potentially label. It’s even almost safe to say that UFC has even MORE characters now than some of the more “pure wrestling” independent professional wrestling companies.
(THREE) QUESTIONABLE DECISIONS
Each show has judges sanctioned by their respected state. These guys are normally Boxing judges and don’t have much MMA knowledge. This is all fine and dandy for an excuse a few years ago, but UFC is a nationally known product now. The judges are becoming more and more informed about the sport of MMA. It’s popular than ever and a judge should know the rules and regulations of it now. But still, there are questionable decisions. There are also accusations that judges are sometimes swayed or influenced, but no one has come out and admitted it or presented proof. I question the results of the bigger matches. The company has to have so sort of vague plan for their shows and have to figure out what big fights to headline a PPV will sell. With this, I think there MUST be some sort of “swaying”. Especially now with how many “storylines” pop up.
(TWO) MONEY OVER GLORY
UFC fighters talk about “getting’ paaaid” more than welfare mommies with salon appointments. Like the Wu-Tang Clan so wisely proclaimed “Cash Rules Everything Around Me”. Don’t think pro wrestling started off as the predetermined art form that it is. In the early days it was a “shoot fight” and was definitely real. Then they realized if they start manipulating the results then they could milk more money from their fans. And then it evolved into a predetermined results to “hey, don’t hurt him too badly we have more shows coming up”. UFC is slowly evolving in this direction. UFC fans don’t want to believe this. It’s as if they’re a child who is in denial about their father being in that Santa outfit. Their “reality” show produces new characters for them to “push” to the crowd. The fan favorite marquee fighters get more money, extra favoritism, and more attention. Brock Lesnar anyone? Then with every big fight, win or lose, there always seems to be rematch talks. Why? Why not just move on to different fights? Was the fight that just happened holding something back, maybe? Folks, you’re being “worked”.
(ONE) DANA WHITE
Dana White is more like Vince McMahon than Shane McMahon is. He’s a loud mouth asshole who pushes his product to the masses with a balls-out approach. In interviews he comes off like an all-knowing douche bag and has a bigger ego than any of his fighters. Sure, a UFC fan will stick up for him and claim nonsense like “that’s just how he is” or “you don’t get it”. No, as a wrestling fan, I do. Wrestling fans stick up for Vince McMahon the same way. White is all about big publicity stunts. The whole Boxing Match Challenge he issued to Tito, the bashing of certain fighters that AREN’T in his company, and just basically “big-dicking” anyone and everyone to make himself come off macho. Dude is obviously trying to overcompensate for something. There were reportedly MUTLIPLE meetings between Dana White and Shane McMahon (Vince’s son) a few months back. Why? What would a McMahon be talking to the President of a “Legitimate Fighting Company” about? I’ve heard from a few people that this was specifically about writing and how to market the product. Why would UFC need writers? White is slowly transitioning his company into something predetermined. I’m sure the blows and submissions will always hurt, and hurt badly in many cases. Like it or not, the blows, submissions, and impact of “bumping” (falling) in wrestling doesn’t f**cking tickle. At this rate, UFC better have a big back up plan in its back pocket because it’s only a matter of time before this company is exposed as the bullsh*t that it is. Believe it if you want, it’s your intelligence.
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