The disturbing truth behind the success of MMA?

[Guest Jack]

I didn't really want to make this post, but I thought it might create some good discussion.

 

On a boxing website I go on, there was a post several weeks ago, which gave a link to a Stormfront thread. For those who don't know, Stormfront is a white supremacist board, and the gist of that thread was, people were getting behind MMA because of the dominant fighters in MMA all have a common bond. Their skin colour. Chuck Liddell, Matt Hughes, Tito Ortiz (Who they seemed to like :lol), Tim Sylvia, Randy Couture, Fedor Emelianenko, Mark Coleman etc..

 

I kinda wrote it off, because it was a singular thread on a board full of moronic reprobates. However, after Rampage beat Liddell, on every MMA/boxing forum I go on, there was some connection to the race issue.

 

Will MMA continue to rise, if, like boxing, the sport becomes dominated by black and foreign (non-American) fighters? Do you think a part of the success of MMA is that these fighters are white? Not nessecarily on a racist front, but just that whie people can connect more to white fighters?

 

I'd certainly hope not, but you never know. Obviously there is a lot of massive names in sport who are black, but it may be different in MMA. I can't see a black driver being that popular in NASCAR, personally.

[Paul 584]

Interesting point.

 

But the guys I like tend to not be white....no thats wrong. Hispanic counts as white doesnt it? I am a big fan of the Brazilian guys.

But a sport that has Tank Abbot and Scott Ferozzo as one time BIG players will always appeal to the 'lowest common denominator'.

[Guest Christof]

Funnily enough there was a similar point made on WO.com some time ago about how the UFC crowd usually only roots for white fighters unless they have good reason to otherwise.

[Fidel Cashflow 130]

Honestly, I can see it. In sports, a lot of people look for someone to relate to, and it has to be much easier for a white kid to identify with Matt Houghes than Kobe Bryant.

 

And I imagine white supremacists love MMA as yes, most of the top fighters are white.

[Guest Nemesis Enforcer]

To some it will be about race but if you look at other hightly popular sports such as NBA or NFL then the vast majority of the top names and just general players are black

 

I think its more down to the fact that in UFC which is what most Americans see the majority of fighters are white but more importantly outspoken and opinionated which is easy to relate to and get behind for most, a cocky self loving fighter is alays going to draw a crowd becuase half want to see him win and the other half want to see him get knocked out

 

If more black or general non white fights started to take the belts and having the big fights I think the sport would stay just as popular

[Guest Twig]

I've seen this talked about on a predominantly black forum that I go to. It seems that there are certain crowd who will boo any and all black/Japanese fighters. But I wouldn't be surprized if it put a smile on some nazi dickhead's face seeing Bob Sapp crying like a baby in his fight with Mirko CroCop. Mirko's got that constipated Aryan look that white supremacists cream their acid-wash jeans over.

[Dead Crow 370]

EDIT Edited September 30, 2018 by DraVen

[Guest Raj]

True to an extent. It is only a minority probably, I can see why people would think that as the typical UFC fan, is usually described as a "redneck". If the sport goes mainstream and does collect more non-white fighters there'll be more than enough fans to keep it going.

[Guest Danny Styles]

i understand the point but personally i don't believe it- it would be like saying NFL is so succesful because the majority of the players are black- so all the (trying to Politically correct here) black people are getting behind it due to the large numbers of black players

[Guest Boyo]

Hmmm, interesting question.

 

Even though there is no inadmissable evidence to support the theory, I cannot help think that there is probably a modium of truth behind it. Perhaps American fight-fans do secretly want a non-ethnic-populated code/federation to support. Perhaps white-supremacists have latched onto MMA in some misguided attempt to make something in to a race issue.

 

But then I think of all the other very non-white sports like tennis (despite the Williams sisters), Car racing (despite Hamilton) golf (despite Tiger), ice-hockey, wrestling even...and think that it probably is not true.

 

Americans like MMA because it is MMA, not because it is non-black. White supremacists are trying to hijack MMA.

 

It just seems that black people are better at some sports than other sports.

 

Cheers!

[Guest tazz13]

anderson silva and rampage jackson are two of the more popular ufc fighters so i don't buy it

 

if you want to attribute the rise of mma to something, attribute it to vince mcmahon, wwe, and specifically monday night raw which served as the lead in to the first season of the ultimate fighter, thus exposing millions of new people to the product and converting many wrestling fans in the process

[Fidel Cashflow 130]

anderson silva and rampage jackson are two of the more popular ufc fighters so i don't buy it

 

if you want to attribute the rise of mma to something, attribute it to vince mcmahon, wwe, and specifically monday night raw which served as the lead in to the first season of the ultimate fighter, thus exposing millions of new people to the product and converting many wrestling fans in the process

 

Silva and Jackson aren't even the most popular UFC fighters in their division. That honor still resides in the men they knocked out, Rich Franklin and Chuck Lidell. Forrest Griffin also has more fan support than Jackson.

[Guest Jack]

anderson silva and rampage jackson are two of the more popular ufc fighters so i don't buy it

I've never thought Silva was too popular. He does OK, but nowhere near the top in the UFC. And I don't know what proof there is in saying that Rampage is popular too. He may be, but right now, it's not certain. There is zero proof he is a draw.

if you want to attribute the rise of mma to something, attribute it to vince mcmahon, wwe, and specifically monday night raw which served as the lead in to the first season of the ultimate fighter, thus exposing millions of new people to the product and converting many wrestling fans in the process

It's nothing to do with McMahon at all. As soon as people started watching MMA, the buyrates went up. It's not because they have always been aware, but avoided it because wrestling was good. When people found MMA, they watched it. Simple as. The UFC put out a good product, so that's why people buy their shows, not because wrestlign is poor right now.

[Fidel Cashflow 130]

I've never thought Silva was too popular. He does OK, but nowhere near the top in the UFC. And I don't know what proof there is in saying that Rampage is popular too. He may be, but right now, it's not certain. There is zero proof he is a draw.

It's nothing to do with McMahon at all. As soon as people started watching MMA, the buyrates went up. It's not because they have always been aware, but avoided it because wrestling was good. When people found MMA, they watched it. Simple as. The UFC put out a good product, so that's why people buy their shows, not because wrestlign is poor right now.

 

Yep. MMA in general has everything wrestling has, but then add in the fact that it's real full contact fighting and it's always going to outdraw wrestling.

[Guest tazz13]

I've never thought Silva was too popular. He does OK, but nowhere near the top in the UFC. And I don't know what proof there is in saying that Rampage is popular too. He may be, but right now, it's not certain. There is zero proof he is a draw.

It's nothing to do with McMahon at all. As soon as people started watching MMA, the buyrates went up. It's not because they have always been aware, but avoided it because wrestling was good. When people found MMA, they watched it. Simple as. The UFC put out a good product, so that's why people buy their shows, not because wrestlign is poor right now.

 

 

watch silva's last fight against marquardt and he got the biggest pop of the night outside of tito ortiz....no he may not be as popular as franklin, but popular nonetheless

 

your second sentence about sums it up..."as soon as people started watching mma, the buyrates went up"....that is my exact point

 

the mma explosion is a direct result of the ultimate fighter and the product finally getting on cable television....the lead in to to that season was monday night raw (one of the top rated shows on cable and not so coincidentally the exact demographic that the ufc attracts)

 

it is ridiculous to say that monday night raw didn't help that show tremendously

 

Rampage is popular too. There is zero proof he is a draw.

.

 

except for the fact that he co-headlined what is expected to be the biggest mma buyrate ever....granted it was against chuck liddell, but you can't draw the biggest buyrate ever without both fighters

 

Silva and Jackson aren't even the most popular UFC fighters in their division. That honor still resides in the men they knocked out, Rich Franklin and Chuck Lidell. Forrest Griffin also has more fan support than Jackson.

 

 

so? that doesn't mean that silva and rampage aren't also popular, because they are

Edited July 21, 2007 by Paul

[Guest Danny Styles]

Silva and Jackson aren't even the most popular UFC fighters in their division. That honor still resides in the men they knocked out, Rich Franklin and Chuck Lidell. Forrest Griffin also has more fan support than Jackson.

 

but you can't really blame the fans for getting behind Franklin and Liddell, the majority of UFC fans are still getting to know Jackson as he's been in the UFC for a short time and Anderson has little to no personality so it makes him hard to get behind

 

but compare that with Franklin who oozes charisma and is easy to like, and Lidell who UFC fans have been watching for years now and if one of UFCs figureheads

 

and everyone loves Forest Griffin who can blame them, the fans feel like they know him due to his time on TUF and also the fact that the guy is exciting to watch in a fight

[Guest Craig]

and Anderson has little to no personality so it makes him hard to get behind

And more importantly, he can't speak English, so it's kinda hard to connect with him.

 

and everyone loves Forest Griffin who can blame them, the fans feel like they know him due to his time on TUF and also the fact that the guy is exciting to watch in a fight

I'll love Forrest always and forever just for that one interview he did after he lost to Jardine "Well, he did what I wanted to do. He knocked me the **** out, lets go home!" and then he ran backstage.

[Guest tazz13]

you don't have to speak english to be charismatic...silva has alot of personality and its a testament to him that the fans have received him well given the fact that he can't speak english

 

again watch ufc 73 and he received the best reaction on the show outside of tito ortiz

 

race has nothing to do with it

[Fidel Cashflow 130]

but you can't really blame the fans for getting behind Franklin and Liddell, the majority of UFC fans are still getting to know Jackson as he's been in the UFC for a short time and Anderson has little to no personality so it makes him hard to get behind

 

but compare that with Franklin who oozes charisma and is easy to like, and Lidell who UFC fans have been watching for years now and if one of UFCs figureheads

 

and everyone loves Forest Griffin who can blame them, the fans feel like they know him due to his time on TUF and also the fact that the guy is exciting to watch in a fight

 

I didn't say anything other than they were the most popular guys in the company. Nothing else.

[Guest selfsidagogeta]

halfkast

 

whats up people i new in here this my 1st post

 

Im a half white, half samoa new zealand man . I think its natural to back your own, myself i back mark hunt-pride ray sefo-k1 & david tua-boxing no matter who they fight but dont get me wrong i know fedor's the best out there & randy coutures the man but put mark hunt in there with them & i want hunt to knock them out YEAH HARD

 

These ballheads or anyone watching for the sole purpose of thinkin 1 race is better is watching for wrong reasons its not MIXD RACIAL ARTS

 

dont quote me but didnt most martial arts descend from the asian nations anyway?

Edited July 28, 2007 by Paul

[Omega 354]

All most every nation on the planet has some kind of "fighting Style" to their name. Usually it's down to the begining of culture or the highly organized Arts like you see in Japan etc. Queensbury rules is the british way, in africa there are many different ways that young warriors fight. Wrestling itself is a fighting style popularised by Ancient greece but around in the himalayas and mongolia for just as long. It's all just rules of engagement which is why MMA is kind of seperate from any regular "style" of combat.