If the UFC rejected Gegard Mousasi and Rory MacDonald, then they're f'n stupid.
They got outbid, pure and simple.
They got outbid, pure and simple.
Who would argue that? You think the UFC is not capable of being stupid?
If they rejected top guys who went to another company, that doesn't make those guys unworthy, or knock them from being top guys. You can't say "Bellator did not poach anything" just because the UFC was too stupid to realize what they had.
And to throw a spanner in the works the last Bellator was delayed by ONE WEEK in the U.K. for tv.
However much we are told ‘just stream it’ it’s on at 3am for us so not feasible and we are 15% of the overall market. They will never be close in my eyes until they can sort out a tv deal in the U.K./Europe
However much we are told ‘just stream it’ it’s on at 3am for us so not feasible and we are 15% of the overall market. They will never be close in my eyes until they can sort out a tv deal in the U.K./Europe
Just because I didn't have a great place to post this and it's not really worthy of a new thread... I present to you one of main gap-closers that Bellator has.
View: https://twitter.com/rory_macdonald/status/959871288599875585
View: https://twitter.com/rory_macdonald/status/959871288599875585
That is exactly what I am saying.
Saying ufc rejected guys like Mousasi and Rory is like saying Liverpool rejected coutinho and Suarez
SO the UFC didn't reject them? I believe that the UFC wasn't willing to pay what they deserved so they went to Bellator. That means the UFC rejected them. Was it stupid to do so? yes, it shows that the new brass hasn't got a clue what they're throwing away. All Bellator can do is wait for crumbs to fall off the table.
Not true at all. Those guys are just the only ones you recognize, so that's all you think they have.
This man has a point.
Ufc didn’t reject all of them. Ufc held most of them through their restricted free agency. Offered most of them deals. Then let them walk when Bellator bid them up.
Top ten fighters are crumbs lol. Ufc fighters are top talent until they leave, then they are “crumbs”
Did Bellator reject Eddie Avalrez?
Did Pride reject Cro Cop and Rampage?
Did Deep reject the Korean Superboy?
I think they all wanted to go to the biggest league of their sport. The UFC does the rejecteing because they are in the position to do so, the other organization pick up the crumbs. If that crumb is Rory or Mousasi, I'd say it's your lucky day, because those guys belong in the biggest league fighting in-prime top ten fighters. Now I see those guys dominating wherever they are outside of the UFC.
Again, I don't see McDonald and Moussasi as a bunch of b-level rejects, I am a huge fan actually. Sad to see them fighting nobodies compared to their own status.
Maybe you think I use that term to somehow diminish those fighters, which would be false. I am saying that the UFC has all the power right now, and if the Bellator wants a fighter, it is because the UFC let them.
I got a general sense of what you meant.
The problem is that by the most literal definition of the word rejected(or at least the way you appear to be using it) if the ufc doesn’t bid a fighter up to infinity, then he was indeed rejected at some point(again, by the most literal sense of the word).
My point is that there are different implications or conclusions that people draw in the real world when using the word “rejected”
Not really how a bidding war works. I'm not in on the negotiations, but I don't imagine guys ending their tenure in the UFC and opting for free agency: get an offer from the UFC, receive a counter offer from Bellator, then take that offer to the UFC and see if they want to match or not and decide then and there. You go back and forth until one party says "too rich for my blood".
The way you word it makes it sound like every fighter in the world wants to be in the UFC, and if they aren't it's because the UFC didn't want them. Which is a false assumption.
If the UFC pays the same and matches up as any other organization you would be stupid not to get that exposure. Stupid. This is why they are in a position to fuck fighters over so much. If it wasn't they'd get paid a lot more. Bellator has little exposure if you consider out side of the US. I wish there was an organization that could go against UFC but there isn't. And I am not going to pretend they can just because of a few hardcore fans think they can.
Thanks, sorry if I was unclear. It was in no way a dig towards the fighters. Mousassi is one of my favorites, the last great Dutch hope. And Rory...come on, how can you not like that dude. When they we're "rejected" (as in, the UFC was stupid enough not to match their worth) it was a big loss for me as a fan. I will not see them fight again unless I get Spike TV somewhere... and fuck watching online, go on fucking Youtube then and I'll watch the fights for free.
I think calling someone stupid for choosing something other than the UFC is putting it a little strongly. If, say, a software engineer gets a similar job offer moneywise from Google and some other less prestigious company, he may choose the smaller company for lots of valid reasons (he likes the boss and colleagues more there, it's easier to advance, the work/life balance is better, he really likes the product and mission, etc.) That's not necessarily a stupid decision.
Well, an engineer has a lifetime to build on his career, and isn't relying on exposure. When your job depends on more things than just performance, like exposure, then it is wise to seek the most exposure. As an MMA fighter, being or having been in the UFC may be very helpful getting better pay from organization that would otherwise give you scraps.
M
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In theory I agree, but there are also guys who've had great careers and have made great money never stepping foot in the octagon. While it would be beneficial in North America fighting in the UFC, you don't need it to be successful.
Agreed, but I'd say those are exceptions to the rule, especially in today's MMA scene. It would be nice to have a Pride or Strike Force still in the game, but with those gone, it's UFC for now.
M
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You see, that's the thing that I debate... You look at a Ben Askren, Fedor, Kron Gracie, Sergi, Bibiano Fernandes, Aoki.... These guys have made money because they were successful.... Would they have made more in the UFC? Did the fact that they were successful outside the UFC force people to pay them (in the "homegrown" development sense)?
It all lends itself to the initial thought that Bellator is indeed closing the gap.... It may be 2/3 years to make it a neck and neck market... But I can see in 5 years (especially with their willingness to co promote, and allow their fighters to kickbox and promote that) Bellator pushing ahead of the UFC
Good point, the UFC may have forced other organizations to increase their pay to keep their talents. If the UFC keeps slipping up I see in 5 years a change of the guard, but Bellator has still a lot of work ahead of them. May the best organization be on top, because I do not have the time to watch it all anymore. The sport has taken a lot of hits over the last couple of years for me personally.
If I wanna watch unknown fighters I watch the local/smaller organizations (DEEP, etc). I will not watch UFC to watch lesser known fighters only for them to pretend they are well-known. The UFC will be a product I will turn away from, but Bellator has got to make sure I can turn to them, and on Spike TV, that will not happen.
You hit the nail on the head right there. Bellator needs to find its way to a better station. Maybe this rebrand of Paramount will help but I seriously doubt it. You can't expect to draw huge numbers on a network that is basically 24/7 COPS reruns.