the_mole Posted December 6, 2015 Share Posted December 6, 2015 The UFC and orgs like Bellator pay the commission and they then pay the refs, the judges, medicals and a few drug tests. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted December 6, 2015 Author Paid Members Share Posted December 6, 2015 Yeah I know the commission pay the refs. Still fucking tight arses. Â I can't believe we're inside a week away from this show now! Wonder if it can top 189. It's going to be tough but on paper it's a strong enough card. Just need a mixture of the fights delivering, the right results and a white hot crowd to all come together. 189 had everything, proper lightning in a bottle show where everything just clicked into place perfectly. If 194 can replicate that I honestly think it'll be even better because, on paper, it's an even stronger card IMO. Big ask though. Â This time next week, eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Egg Shen Posted December 6, 2015 Paid Members Share Posted December 6, 2015 Yep, i think it's gonna be a special night. Im gonna indulge myself in the hype this, next Saturday is gonna be like Christmas. Joshua/Whyte earlier in the evening too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members ColinBollocks Posted December 6, 2015 Paid Members Share Posted December 6, 2015 With one big show left to go (and it's one of their best cards ever), where does everybody rank 2015 in the "best years of UFC"? Genuinely may be the best since I started watching in about 2010. Â For some reason 2015 has just completely wizzed by as such a speed that every big show is greeted with "bloody hell, a week away". Star Wars is out in less than two weeks, ffs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Supremo Posted December 6, 2015 Paid Members Share Posted December 6, 2015 For anyone who hasn't yet seen it. Â http://youtu.be/KfSAXxtw0V8 Â I don't know about it being the best year ever, but this year has definitely been the most fun the UFC has been in ages. Probably since Brock left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted December 6, 2015 Author Paid Members Share Posted December 6, 2015 I think 2013 was one of the best years ever. 2015 is up there though.  Just on pure fight quality, 2013 had;  Mark Hunt vs Bigfoot Silva 1 Jon Jones vs Alexander Gustafsson Gilbert Melendez vs Diego Sanchez Wanderlei Silva vs Brian Stann Ronda Rousey vs Miesha Tate 2 Dennis Bermudez vs Matt Grice Junior Dos Santos vs Mark Hunt  That's just off the top of my head.  For big fights (business wise, hype wise) you had;  GSP vs Nick Diaz Anderson Silva vs Chris Weidman 1 & 2 Jon Jones vs Chael Sonnen  You also had the introduction of the women to the UFC, more importantly Ronda Rousey. And 2013 also saw the UFC debut of some Irish bloke whose name escapes me.  2013 was a tremendous year on all fronts.  But yeah, 2015 is right with it for me. After a pretty lacklustre 2014, it really felt like the UFC just thought 'fuck it' this year and went above and beyond to not only make the fights people wanted to see (Jones vs Cormier, Anderson vs Diaz, Aldo vs McGregor), but also to make their product more fun to watch as well (the Aldo-McGregor world media tour, the Go Big press conference, the stadium shows in Sweden and Australia, the production and special touches for UFC 189). It's been a great year. Apart from Reebok. Fuck Reebok.  One thing I think the UFC really knocked out of the park this year is their promos. They have fucking nailed it this year in that regard. It used to be that the fan made promos pissed all over the official UFC ones but, while there's still the awesome fan made ones knocking about, the UFC themselves have really upped their game on their promos.  The Jones vs Cormier one with the off-air footage was brilliant and set the tone for all the phenomenal promos for the rest of 2015. The Silva vs Diaz ones were great. The Aldo vs McGregor stuff has all been gold. The Rousey vs Correia promos were great. The Rousey vs Holm one might be the best they've ever done, IMO. They've finally nailed it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted December 7, 2015 Author Paid Members Share Posted December 7, 2015 17-16 to McGregor in the poll so far. Such a hard fight to call. Â Who are the two people predicting McGregor submits Aldo though? That's the least likely outcome of any of the options on the whole poll! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimufctna24 Posted December 7, 2015 Share Posted December 7, 2015 2013 also had GSP vs Hendricks. Whatever is said about the judge's decision, you couldn't take your eyes of the action. It was the type of fight you could talk about for weeks afterwards.  One advantage 2015 has had over previous years, is who is at the forefront of the company. McGregor and Rousey have succeeded on all levels. Big fight atmosphere, fresh opponents, exciting fights, massive buyrates, etc. Rousey losing to Holm was not ideal, but it was MMA theatre at its finest. The level and length of the debate afterwards showcased how big a star Rousey had become. Not since Lesnar lost to Cain has there been anything quite like that. (even Anderson losing to Weidman did not evoke quite the same reaction)  Plus, as has been discussed in previous threads, the departures of GSP and Anderson have not really hurt the company. Middleweight is as exciting as ever, and the talent level has reached new heights. Welterweight has also moved on, with Lawler bringing the goods. Even Light Heavyweight has been decent this year with the shocking Gus vs Rumble fight (the deflating atmosphere made for an unforgettable scene), and the 5 round barnburner between D.C and Gusty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Egg Shen Posted December 7, 2015 Paid Members Share Posted December 7, 2015 I feel like 2015 is a year with fans have settled with the schedule. Much of last year was spent with fans bitching that there was too much on, bit of a trasitional phase, i think fans now gotten to grips with it and realised that they don't need to see every single thing the UFC puts on (which is what they were used to in previous years). Â Some massive occasions this year though, Conor/Mendes, Jones/Cormier, Rousey/Holly were some of my favorite MMA fights ever. The UFC are doing a great job of hyping it and making these fights feel huge, this weekend could top em all! Also the fact that the UFC has kept people happy despite the sheer amount of injuries that have amounted over the course of the year is a testament to the company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Bifkin Posted December 7, 2015 Share Posted December 7, 2015 It's been a very enjoyable year. Some big upsets as that have not been mentioned - Dos Anjos completely dominating Pettis and Werdum finishing Cain in his own backyard. I don't think anyone saw Joanna Jedrzejcyk beating Carla Esparza and dominating that division either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted December 7, 2015 Author Paid Members Share Posted December 7, 2015 I feel like 2015 is a year with fans have settled with the schedule. Much of last year was spent with fans bitching that there was too much on, bit of a trasitional phase, i think fans now gotten to grips with it and realised that they don't need to see every single thing the UFC puts on (which is what they were used to in previous years). True but last year was a bit cack as well. There's been way less shite cards this year than there was in 2014 and way more interesting/appealing fights booked. Â I don't think it's so much that people have stopped bitching because they're used to the quantity, I think it's more that they've stopped bitching because we've been getting more quality this year. It's a lot easier to be positive when you're getting to see great fights all year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Carbomb Posted December 7, 2015 Paid Members Share Posted December 7, 2015 It's not just the fights themselves, though. Maybe it's the McGregor effect, but the build-up of anticipation for fights this year has been better than ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted December 7, 2015 Author Paid Members Share Posted December 7, 2015 It's everything combined, I think. You're right that it's not solely the fights because last year still had some great fights like the Lawler vs Hendricks fights, Aldo vs Mendes 2, JDS vs Miocic, Weidman vs Machida etc. But this year has had more of them for me and nothing last year equals Lawler vs MacDonald 2 from this year, IMO. Â It's the quality of the fights but most importantly, and I think this is what you're getting at - the 'big fight atmosphere' returned this year. That's the main thing for me. Last year there were some great fights but there was never really that genuine goosebump excitement and counting down the days anticipation like there has been for so many shows this year. There was Dublin 2014 and UFC 178 which were great shows with amazing atmosphere (no coincidence both featured Conor McGregor) but there wasn't that same ball tingliness that fights like Jones vs Cormier, Anderson vs Diaz, McGregor vs Mendes, Rousey vs Holm and Aldo vs McGregor have provided this year. Â They've done a brilliant job this year to generate excitement in the UFC again. The upping their game with the promos is a big part of it and also their willingness to try some new things like the stadium shows, the Aldo vs McGregor World Tour and the Go Big presser. Stuff like that creates proper buzz. That's what was missing in 2014. You had to try and amp yourself up for shows last year and that just isn't the same. Genuine buzz just happens you shouldn't have to force yourself to get up for a show. Â 2015 has been ace. And they've saved the best until last. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Carbomb Posted December 7, 2015 Paid Members Share Posted December 7, 2015 Exactly. In fact, Rousey/Holm is probably the most representative example you could've named: on paper, it had absolutely no business having a big fight feel, but the build-up had us all really looking forward to it - sure, for the wrong reasons in hindsight, but the promotional machine got us more amped for it than it really warranted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Egg Shen Posted December 7, 2015 Paid Members Share Posted December 7, 2015 Add in the strides Bellator have been making this year, lots of enjoyable shows over and they look to be continuing the same next year. Chuck in the addition of Rizin MMA (which i hope takes off in some kind of way) and 2016 is already looking it's a gonna be more of the same! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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