David Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 You get my point though, don't you? It really doesn't matter what fighters look like. It's insignificant.It mattered enough for Hardy to make changes to his image, and for him to list that as his reason for doing so.You mention Leben, and he is a big part of why the UFC boomed. Almost ten years ago. The sport has evolved since then, and the guys who were creating havoc, getting drunk and providing the drama in shows like Ultimate Fighter simply don't make the cut anymore. There is too much money involved, be it through sponsorships with reputable sports companies and suchlike or via external sources linked to an athletes involvement in the sport. We're seeing what Joe Rogan refers to as the "new breed" of MMA athlete, who approaches the sport as an athlete would basketball, baseball or football. Their concern is their image, their brand and ensuring they make as much money as possible. "Throwing down" and the old fashioned chest-beating statement of taking on anyone, anytime, anywhere is dying off.The main point I was making is that shows such as TUF & this new show from Bellator will more than likely feature guys who put sport and progression before acting like spastics for the benefit of the viewing audience. It may not be great for viewing figures, but I'm not sure that there's anything that the likes of the UFC or Bellator can do short of intentionally choosing less skilled morons to appear on the show in order to draw in the Jerry Springer viewers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Egg Shen Posted June 23, 2013 Author Paid Members Share Posted June 23, 2013 it's a silly argument, we're contstantly having this 'what's good for the sport' talkt, but a reality based show is all about entertainment, the balance thing is correct in that you need to cover all bases because too much craziness leans itself towards car-crash tv, but having colourful characters in the sport and on TUF/Fight master is a good thing in my opinion. This whole stance that it needs to be a squeaky clean sport is bullshit, boxing has some of the craziest personalites to ever compete in sport and they help make the sport what it is....and the best seasons of TUF have always been the ones with the most insane cast (insane in a good or bad way). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimufctna24 Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 (edited) There is a bit of a myth that craziness creates ratings, which in recent years is not really true.Look at the highest rated season of TUF being TUF-Heavyweights in 2009, this season drew the most as it had name value in Rampage, Kimbo and Rashad that drew in the masses. People card about the feud, and they cared about Kimbo. There was little craziness other than James McSweeney being a cock end and Rampage vs Titties feud. It was the name value and attachment to the chracters that drew in the ratings for that series, not the craziness.In contrast, the other seasons like the Nelson vs Carwin season seemed to invite that sort of craziness with that guy who David posted. It bombed in the ratings, as neither Carwin or Nelson are drawing cards on their own merit and the craziness is now passe to the MMA and casual audience.You need characters and audience attachment really, that is it. TUF 1 did partially draw on the antics of Leben, but it also drew interest due to the novelty of having a free fight on TV, the third season of TUF it was all down to Tito vs Ken it was not any pranks or craziness in the house why the viewers tuned in, in my opinion.Of course, the Lesnar vs JDS season proved you need to follow up name value with some sort of feud or hook to drag from week to week, but it is worth noting that cast was very dull in general, they could be pissing in each others faces and it would be boring. Edited June 23, 2013 by jimufctna24 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan2710 Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 Bellators next show looks seriously stacked. Is that their last show for the summer?I always look forward to seeing Chandler fight. I kind of dip in and out of the seasons, but a handful of guys will always draw me back in (Chandler, Curran, Pitbull brothers, Mo). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted June 23, 2013 Paid Members Share Posted June 23, 2013 According to MMAJunkie's schedule after the next show (July 31st), that's it until September when they return with Shlemenko vs Marshall (which is going to be wild). I could swear I read that the weekly shows were starting up again soon but it seems I've dreamt that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Egg Shen Posted June 23, 2013 Author Paid Members Share Posted June 23, 2013 there were originally meant to be 3 summer shows (one each in june, july, august), they've scrapped the August show though and instead will start up weekly in September.I'm assuming they scrapped the August show due to last week's ratings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 it's a silly argument, we're contstantly having this 'what's good for the sport' talkt, but a reality based show is all about entertainment, the balance thing is correct in that you need to cover all bases because too much craziness leans itself towards car-crash tv, but having colourful characters in the sport and on TUF/Fight master is a good thing in my opinion. This whole stance that it needs to be a squeaky clean sport is bullshit, boxing has some of the craziest personalites to ever compete in sport and they help make the sport what it is....and the best seasons of TUF have always been the ones with the most insane cast (insane in a good or bad way).I'm not talking about what's best for the sport though, Ebb, I'm talking about the fact that the calibre of athlete that we see applying for shows like TUF are much higher, and are much more professional than they were back in the day. The guys who are winning their way into the house aren't the colourful and crazy guys anymore.Competitors with the mindset of the likes of Uriah Hall & Mike Ricci are the future, simple as that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Egg Shen Posted June 23, 2013 Author Paid Members Share Posted June 23, 2013 Yeh i agree with that, but theres nothing saying crazy people cant be talented. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted June 23, 2013 Paid Members Share Posted June 23, 2013 (edited) Yep   Youngest heavyweight champion of the world. Yet absolutely crackers. Edited June 23, 2013 by wandshogun09 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 Yeh i agree with that, but theres nothing saying crazy people cant be talented. Indeed. The talent will always rise to the top, I'm just commenting that maybe one of the reasons for more "sports oriented" shows could be down to the level of fighter applying for these shows, that's all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted June 23, 2013 Paid Members Share Posted June 23, 2013 (edited) Funnily enough, I remember reading an article a while back about some of the current middle-top level MMA talent that never made it past the TUF auditions. Â Jon Fitch and Denis Kang apparently tried out for TUF 1. Frankie Edgar and Clay Guida were supposed to have auditioned for TUF 5 and Jon Jones got turned away from the trials one year because he was a year too young. The UFC also offered Nick Diaz a spot on TUF 4: The Comeback, but he turned it down (as well as turning down the UFC's hilarious attempt to get him on Blind Date). Â Amazing some of the names that we narrowly missed on TUF. Guys like Edgar and Guida were probably deemed UFC-ready at the auditions because they were both signed around the time TUF 5 began filming. Obviously they'd never pick a guy like Wayne Weems or Alan Berube over those two on skills. Â So while I totally get where you're coming from Dave, that shows there was always high level talent trying out for TUF, dating all the way back to the first season. But they're looking, or at least they were back then, for the perfect mix of serious guys, pricks, underdogs/no hopers and characters. Take season 5, there was no shortage of talent in that house. A fair few are still under contract 6 years later. They'd throw some good fighters in there like Nate Diaz, Maynard, Lauzon etc, throw some cannon fodder and pricks in there for 'reality TV' purposes, then the other standouts from the tryouts like Edgar and Guida get signed outright to UFC contracts anyway. Â You don't have to have everyone be the same on the show and it's not necessarily a mutually exclusive thing of serious fighters or entertainment. Many past seasons of TUF have shown that with the right mix and the right coaches, you can have both. Edited June 23, 2013 by wandshogun09 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Egg Shen Posted June 23, 2013 Author Paid Members Share Posted June 23, 2013 the thing people also forget is how hard is it go get through TUF and win it, the guys fight like 3-4 times in a 6 week period (i think), they have no home comforts, suck it up through injury, not have their own coach and generally be around people they may not like...i think it's safe to say that some of the time the best fighter going into the house doesn't win the thing. Â Many good fighters have fallen at the elimination hurdle too, you basically show up and get drawn to fight someone you probably don't know and you have to just go in and do the best you can, it's not an easy situation and i guess it's one that some adapt to more than others. Â If you get through TUF you nab a pretty sweet deal as an entrant level UFC fighter but it's probably easier to get in via the normal route than actually go through it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Egg Shen Posted June 27, 2013 Author Paid Members Share Posted June 27, 2013 King Mo does not like Jacob Noe: Â He looked like some trash to me. I wasn't impressed at all. Babalu should have beaten him. His (Noe) takedown defense is trash, and I hope he tries that against me, because if he uses that trash, he'll get taken down with ease. That shit was garbage. He's a bitch. Jacob Noe is a bitch. He's a f*cking bitch. Â Babalu should have beaten him. It was tied up 1-1, and Jacob was complaining about low blows. One was low, but the other one wasn't even low. Babalu hit him in his soft ass stomach. He gonna try and complain about getting hit low to take a breather and shit. That's all it was. Dude got tired because Babalu touched him up to the body, and hit him with the fast jab. He didn't have no answer for it, then he got hit in the stomach, and tried to claim it was low. Â He talked all that shit. Did he think I wouldn't find out? I got boys in Memphis, too. Talking about fighting me and this and that, but whenever I see his punk ass, he won't even make eye contact. F*ck him and f*ck whoever is down with him and f*ck whatever gym he trains at. F*ck all them. Â I'll put it like this; they call him the psycho, but I've got some Lexapro for his ass. It's my fist and it's gonna help him get his mind right. I seen him backstage after we had both lost our fights, and he was crying like a little bitch saying, 'Man, I just gave up. I quit.' I'm gonna tell you something, I ain't losing to somebody that just gives up. Straight up, when I heard that shit, I knew it then, he ain't a real fighter. Â I guess he was seeking something out by saying my name. He's gonna get something come July 31st, and it's gonna be easy. It's gonna be an easy ass whooping I'm gonna hand to him. Trust me. This dude was talking about me, and saying shit about me for a while, but when I see him, the motherf*cker looks away. He won't look at me. Â I guess Jacob moved out to Vegas, and three weeks ago Amanda Lucas' husband, he owns The Syndicate, he came up to me and said, 'Mo, we have a situation. Jacob Noe joined the team, but we'd like for you to train here still. Maybe Roy, and whoever else is with you, can work out before or after the time that he's here.' That was cool. Â Then, John Woods came up to me and says [in a very affected voice], 'Hey homie, we've got a little situation here' you know how them Orange County white boys talk, 'Hey dude, hey homie, we've got a little situation here. My homeboy Jacob Noe just joined the team, so I guess you can't train here anymore.' Â I was like, 'Okay, cool, because the real owner just told me a different story, but if that's how you want to play it, cool. I'll bounce.' There ain't no secrets in MMA. A jab is a jab. I'll even train with the dude. I don't give a damn. I don't have a problem training with someone I'm gonna fight. Ain't no secrets to combat. I'll still whip his ass. You should interview him, because all you're going to hear is bitch in his voice. He ain't shit. Â looking forward to that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimufctna24 Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 Fightmaster was decent again this week, Frank Shamrock and Joe Warren are made for TV. Sleazy Couture is like a disgruntled father to Warren, it seems Warren is a bit too lively and in your face for old Sleazy. Â I like that wrestler who just came out of jail to do well, Eric Bradley I think his name was. Complete steal for Jackson's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted June 28, 2013 Paid Members Share Posted June 28, 2013 I still haven't got around to watching the first episode yet. I'll have to catch up soon, before I get to the stage I did with TUF Brazil 2. It got to episode 5 or something and I just thought 'I'm too far behind, fuck it'. I'm determined not to make that mistake with this. Â I love angry Mo. And I read that in Mo's voice. Is there a video of that interview? I want to hear the 'Hey homie' bit about the OC white boys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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