MMA the best in the West?

[Tez3]

I imagine that would make it hurt more. And don't forget, the compitors are probably mostly Martial Artists. The rest are freestyle. Do you guys even allow freestyle fighters, or is that something thats more American idiocy?

I'm not sure what you mean by freestyle? All the fighters on the shows over here are martial artists. We don't let people come in off the street as it were to fight. We do get people phoning up saying they've had fights on the street and want to take an MMA bout but they are told to go forth and multiply as it were. It's not in the rules but just about everyone trains at and represents a club or team. There are a few independant fighters but they are still martial artists.

 

[CuongNhuka]

I don't really understand what a freestyle fighter is myself. From my understnading it's basicly some knuckle head who leaened pseudo-MMA from wathcing televised fights. Like the guys you get who have been in steet fights. Watch the UFC, they have a couple freestylers.

 

[Tez3]

I don't really understand what a freestyle fighter is myself. From my understnading it's basicly some knuckle head who leaened pseudo-MMA from wathcing televised fights. Like the guys you get who have been in steet fights. Watch the UFC, they have a couple freestylers.

No we don't have them! We are trying to present MMA as a professional and respectable sport so we don't take mavericks. We tend to know if not the fighters at least who they train with. The fighters train very hard and very seriously so the fights tend to be technical as well as entertaining.

 

[CuongNhuka]

No we don't have them! We are trying to present MMA as a professional and respectable sport so we don't take mavericks. We tend to know if not the fighters at least who they train with. The fighters train very hard and very seriously so the fights tend to be technical as well as entertaining.

If only that were the same on this side of the pond.

 

[Ybot]

I was reading another thread and thinking to myself: Here in the US you often hear people say that "MMA is the best." But you don't hear people saying "Pancration is the best," or "Shootfighting is the best." Is this simply because MMA is FAR more popular than Pancration and Shootfighting in the US, or is it because of the sort of "we're #1!" attitude that Americans tend to have about their favorite sports (fight sports in this case)?

If your talking about people claiming that the "style" of MMA is better then everything else, then I think that is ridiculous, because I look at MMA as a set of rules for martial arts competition.

If your asking why Americans love the sport of MMA more than pancration, or shootfighting, its probably more a matter of exposure and personal preference. Why do Americans like American Football more than rugby or aussie rules football? I think if the latter two sports had more exposure and history here they might be more popular. Also, there is always personal preference involved too. I like MMA as a sport, but personally enjoy watching sub-grappling, brazilian jiu-jitsu, and Judo more. It sucks that those sports get little exposure here in the states.