Are you still "hardcore" these days?

[David]

I remember there was a time where I'd be watching pretty much everything MMA-related on TV or online. I used to watch the build-up shows, the interviews, the weigh-ins, the Facebook prelims, the early prelims, the footage of the fighters walking from their transport to the arena, the whole shebang.

Today? Not so much.

The weekend card I watched the main and co-main in their entirety, I skipped through most of the other fights on the PPV section, and I completely blanked the early and proper prelims altogether.

This weekends card from Russia will probably see me watch the main event, and not much else. 

Is anyone else falling away as much? Or is it just me? I personally think that with all of this extra content that they have to put out there, the UFC have signed a lot of mediocre level fighters. I recall a few years back it was a big fucking deal when a fighter got that call. Nowadays it doesn't seem to take much at all.

And don't get me wrong, my interest in the sport isn't waning. I still enjoy watching the fights, but I just find myself not as interested in watching much of the mediocre shite that we're being given these days.

[Egg Shen]

I feel the same way, i still consider myself a hardcore fan though. Following the sport a few years ago was a lot different, fight build ups seemed to take a lot longer and at one point a UFC card wouldnt go by where i didnt know every fighter on the card. It was nice then too because in the few weeks between UFC events i would watch all kinds of weird and wonderful MMA. These days shows outside of the UFC and Bellator hardly ever get a sniff from me because there just isnt any time to watch them. I follow boxing closer now than i ever have so something had to give.

The over saturation and growth of the UFC has made it pretty much impossible to follow it like i used too though, some shows you just have to let pass you by. Still, i watch/read MMA news daily, i'll browse the websites/twitter and all that stuff, its just routine now. Podcasts are a big one too.

[AdamTH17]

I really love watching the fights, just, as I think many will be able to relate with, can't be arsed with all the absolute drivel surrounding it all these days. TV deals, trash talk, brawls inside the cage, "champ champs" everywhere you look. It's just white noise to me now really.

If there's a PPV, or a fighter I'm interested in seeing I'll stay up to watch, like I did with Jones at UFC 235, but otherwise I'll just download and have it on in the background. My MMA intake is mainly this place, Ariel, and whatever the UFC puts up (Countdowns, Embedded etc).

[jimufctna24]

I think it was inevitable that most of us would eventually lose our appetite for MMA. How could we not? When most MMA fans got into the sport between 2005-2007 it was much easier to follow the top-end of the sport. You didn't have to set aside 6 hours every weekend to watch every fight the UFC put out. You could familiarise yourself with most fighters without taking up too much of your leisure time. And you also had time to breathe and build anticipation for the next show. Plus, MMA was new to all of us back then. Today, MMA isn't the fresh and vibrant sport it once was. 

My MMA viewing habits are much more selective these days. And have been since around 2014. I watch the major UFC and Bellator shows, and usually catch highlights of notable fights on the smaller shows. I read here (obviously), Breen's articles and occasionally Thomas's Youtube videos. I stopped consuming Helwani's content and other MMA media a while back. Nevertheless, I can still enjoy MMA as much as ever. When it's good, it's bloody great. This past weekend's event being a prime example. I only bothered to watch the top two fights on the bill. Whereas in say 2009, I would have watched the entire main card. Yet I enjoyed those two fights as much as I enjoyed the best fights from yesteryear. 

Am I still "hardcore" in relation to today's product? Probably not. But I don't think many people are these days. It's virtually impossible. 

 

 

 

[Zebra Kid Mark]

I’m as hardcore as I’ve ever been. I never miss a UFC show and despite the odd fight night not having a great card I still watch the main card. However, I don’t watch the prelims of any show or tune into TUF anymore. Only when former main event fighters like BJ Penn or Diego Sanchez appear on the prelims will I tune in. 

I’m starting to get into Bellator but the cards need a big name fighter to draw me in. I’m slowly getting more hooked  

I have never read any MMA news websites. Wandshogun posting on here is enough to keep me informed on  any upcoming card so I have no reason to go else where for news.

[Egg Shen]

i'll tell you what are quality little news sources these days if you find yourself strapped for time, them news videos on youtube on channels like MMAworld or MMAdigest. Just little 10 minute compilations of soundbites/tweets etc. very cool.

[wandshogun09]

I’m much the same as you lot. I think everyone is now. There’s just so much MMA these days it really is almost impossible to watch everything. I still probably am what you’d consider a “hardcore” fan in that I’ll never go a day without getting some kind of ‘fix’, whether it be watching a show or a fight or an interview or my general keeping up with news or posting here.

And as much as I thought I’d end up skipping some UFC shows when the increase in them really kicked in a few years ago, I don’t think I have actually skipped or missed any whole shows. When the increase in shows really got noticeable I’d say was around 2014. And I was down on it then and struggling to motivate myself to watch some shows. If you remember, 2014 wasn’t the best year as it was for fights and general overall interest and it didn’t help that some Saturdays they were actually doing 2 cards on one night! Remember that shit? So you might have a card in Germany from 7pm until 10pm. Then at midnight there’d be a show in Canada or Brazil or something. And they were spreading the roster so thin that these cards were pretty fucking weak. People moan now when a Fight Night is a bit thin but some of them 2014 shows were dire. Costa Philippou even headlined one against Rockhold and some of the undercards were awful. They’re much better at managing that now. They don’t do the 2 shows in one night and they do seem to have found a balance where the Fight Nights have a nice mix of names and prospects mixed in with some shitehawks. Whereas before you might get a card full of shitehawks with a couple of decent names main eventing and maybe one prospect if you’re lucky. It could always be improved but I definitely think they do it better now than they did. 

I do find it hard to keep up with anything non-UFC though. I watch every UFC and as much Boxing as I can fit in. The rest I have to just do on a show by show basis. Like I’ve long accepted that I’m never going to keep up with every Bellator or whatever. Just don’t have the time or inclination. I cherry pick what I like. So that MVP vs Daley show or if a Fedor or Mousasi or whoever is fighting, I’m not missing that. And that stacked ONE show last month with DJ and Alvarez debuts, I was all over that. But I’m not going to be watching every show now. Same with Rizin, KSW, Cage Warriors, ACB, Invicta and so on. I’ll dip in and out when something tickles my fancy. Even my Kickboxing/GLORY viewing has taken a knock the last couple of years and I love that shit. There’s just too much stuff now. I could probably watch it all if I really tried but, you know, I’d like to see my kids grow up as well. 

[Egg Shen]

Glory is something that had to give, which sucks. I haven't watched a Glory show in over a year i think, that needs to change. They just never fall on a weekend when theres not a shit load of other stuff on.

Spoiled for content these days. Its exactly the same for Pro Wrestling fans.

Edited April 18, 2019 by Egg Shen

[Ross18]

Oh im in deep still.

Never miss UFC (Contender Series & TUF as well), KSW, Cage Warriors, Invicta and Rizin events. All prelims & main cards. Used to watch Bellator all the time but got a bit fed up of them having a shit TV deal and only watched the bigger shows or fights that interested me. This has changed a bit now with the new tv deal and the addition of more European shows. Usually watch ONE, but missed a few shows recently because of work. Wanted to get into PFL, but missed a lot of there shows and just never had the time to really catch up.

Been to all the UK UFC events in the last few years and been to the last 3 International Fight Weeks, UFC 217 in NY and went out to Khabib v Conor in October and already booked up for this years IFW too.

Listen to a lot MMA podcasts throughout the week and always catch the Embedded, Countdowns and fighter interviews during fight week. Surprised I have time for anything else tbh, haha.

Although I only really got into MMA around late 2012. So maybe not as burnt out as some people.

Edited April 17, 2019 by Ross18

[d-d-d-dAz]

I guess it depends. I don't watch smaller federations, nor any produced content from anyone, but i'd say i'm as involved with MMA as i've ever been.

Obviously, with my job i do nothing but work on Bellator all day/every day, and I go to all the Bellator x DAZN shows but i'd also say my UFC fandom is at its peak - perhaps not emotionally (I'm not as invested, i don't have favourites and I don't cheer for winners etc..), but I definitely watch more stuff now out of habit, incl. paying for PPV's, watching all the fight nights etc..

I'd say by volume, I watch more than i ever have but i'm less emotionally invested,

Edited April 17, 2019 by d-d-d-dAz

[ColinBollocks]

I admire those that still can watch it all and not feel burnt out by it. I nearly forgot all about the show at the weekend, which tells you all.

MMA is still my favourite sport; weekends action solidifying why once more. When I was younger I'd watch a lot of the YouTube content and all the shows, but now I wake up Sunday morning, have a coffee and some fookin' boilers, then stick on the recorded show. Sometimes I'll watch the full show. but most of the time, these days, it's a case of skipping through until the last two fights (unless a scrap looks good in x1000).

I was really enjoying GLORY a few years back, but I never watch it now because I find it hard to give up more time to combat sports, as it means neglecting other interests (like staring at my screen waiting for David to post).

[Egg Shen]

what's a boiler? 😄

[IANdrewDiceClay]

I was never a hardcore fan. Closest I came was in the early days of UFC, when the WWF was promoting it on their TV and you had to get the videos because I was conned into thinking it was just an extension of WWF. As if it was Shotgun Saturday Night or some shit. I hopped back on the train when the Ultimate Fighter started. I'd just came out of college and went on a course to get some shite license thing for the warehouse I was working in. Anyway, me and this lad started chatting about Bez winning Celebrity Big Brother and then he suddenly said "did you see that Ultimate Fighting? Some bloke was in a house and he got sprayed with water after getting called a 'fatherless bastard.'" For me that was how the boom period began. That Ultimate Fighter was so good. Tito and Ken as well. Chuck, Randy, Rampage, GSP etc. That crop of stars was something else. I'll still watch the big fights, but to me that 2005-09 period was tremendous fun.