I am going to to stop posting stuff about MMA , it seems you all have chips on yoru shoulders and are always on the defensive. People are allowed opinions but as soon as anyone gives one about MMA you all start crying. I won't waste my time in anymore posts about MMA.
P.S> I was simply stating that MMA is just a quick money maker and loads of people are jumping on the bandwagon. It will fizzle out and be gone in 5-10 years so I am not worried about it.
I'm still curious what MMA you were watching pre UFC. I honestly want to know, I'm not flaming or baiting you, but asking an honest question.
The early UFC's were a marketing gimmick for BJJ, but a marketing gimmick that showed a glaring weakness in most martial arts systems (groundfighting). Before the UFC"s were around, most people disregarded groundfighting and grappling altogether by saying they'd just KO the grappler before they hit the ground. Then people find out that it's not that easy, so people started adding in groundfighting or at least learn how to stop a takedown. This wake up in martial arts thinking in the US came from the UFC. Before it, tournaments that allowed grappling and striking were rare and obscure and the level of athletes involved was not high.
Today the sport is going more mainstream and getting more attention in the US. The result is higher pay, better fighters, and better fights (for the most part). It's still an entertainment industry though, so some matchmakers and promotors choose to use circus sideshow events to get more attention. The problme is, they want to get a wider audience to watch it, and they do this by capitalizing on big names for the common people. Kimbo x Shamrock is one of those matches.
FWIW, before boxing got big money involved in it, they had matches like this as part of prelims and even more absurd things, such as fighting all comers from the audience. People fighting bears, etc.
I doubt that MMA will fizzle out (or at least hope not), it's been gaining in popularity and recognition since 1993, and even more so in the last few years. I think as a sport, that it's here to stay, and will hopefully just keep on growing and getting better.