# 21 times UFC showed they're entertainment



## The Best Around (Oct 18, 2011)

Found this Cage Potato article my friend sent me interesting:

1. Firing Jake Shields.

2. Firing Yushin Okami.

3. Firing Jon Fitch.

4. Not firing Dan Hardy (“I like guys who WAR“)

5. Giving Chael Sonnen a title shot coming off a loss.

6. Giving Nick Diaz a title shot coming off a loss.

7. Bringing a 1-0 Brock Lesnar into the UFC.

8. James Toney.

9. Signing Sean Gannon after he beat Kimbo Slice via exhaustion in an illegal bare-knuckle street fight.

10. Putting Kimbo Slice on a main card after he went 0-1 in the TUF House.

11. Allowing alcohol in the TUF house.

12. Telling Ben Askren to win some fights.

13. Basically refusing to sign Cris Cyborg forever.

14. Lying about all the fighter’s credentials and accomplishments for UFC 1.

15. Lying about all the fighter’s credentials and accomplishments in the modern day.

16. Instant rematches when the wrong guy wins.

17. Interviewing Hulk Hogan and the Undertaker whenever they show up at events.

18. The fact that you can buy Arianny t-shirts on the UFC website.

19. Every single time when they brought a potential opponent into the cage to square off with someone who just won their fight (this is our favorite example).

20. Bringing back Tank Abbott in the early 2000′s.

21. Dana White vs. Tito Ortiz.

********
I lol'd the most at #17 & #18.


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## Joabbuac (Jan 31, 2009)

Cyborg would be a plus for entertainment.


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## Soojooko (Jun 4, 2009)

21 instances over a 15 year period. Hmmmm....

What about the 2371 times when the UFC has provided us with some fecking awesome fights? Which oddly enough are also entertainment. I know which carries more weight with me.

I tire of all this focus on the negatives.:thumbsdown:


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## rabakill (Apr 22, 2007)

The Werdum/Browne fight was one of the most entertaining fights I've ever seen. As long as fights like that keep haopening I don't care about that other crap.


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## BrianRClover (Jan 4, 2008)

This list is accurate, and the UFC is just in every move. Speaking specifically on the firings. Whether people want to acknowledge it or not... this isn't some underground tournament where secret invitations are sent out to the most accomplished fighters... getting Ws isn't the only thing that matters. You're in the public spot light, and if you're not crowd friendly or incredibly crowd unfriendly you're not going to last long or ever become a draw. Being neutral just doesn't work.


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## M.C (Jul 5, 2008)

There's no doubt that the UFC sometimes goes heavy on the entertainment side of "sports entertainment". I mean they literally pay guys more and keeps guys on the roster longer if they are exciting, even if they don't win as much as a guy who is boring. Entertainment/entertaining the fans is a huge priority for the UFC, yes sometimes even more of a priority than the sports side of it.

However, I'm okay with it. I learned long ago that this is a sports *entertainment* business, so when they bring in WWE stars to fight with little to no experience whatsoever, I just shrug at this point.

We still get great fights.


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## Woodenhead (Jan 5, 2010)

Agree with OP's list 100% - and it's only a small/partial list. I'm OK with a bit of that kinda stuff, but it's too much/often for me to take this "sport" seriously any more.


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## GDPofDRB (Apr 18, 2013)

Good start, but dedicate enough time and research to the topic and this would just be a scratch on the surface. 

People advocating for entertainment over sports seem to miss the point that it is the actual sports that make the entertainment aspect viable to begin with. What happens between the bells is the entertainment that made MMA a demanded product.


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## 3DLee (Aug 30, 2006)

Soojooko said:


> 21 instances over a 15 year period. Hmmmm....
> 
> What about the 2371 times when the UFC has provided us with some fecking awesome fights? Which oddly enough are also entertainment. I know which carries more weight with me.
> 
> I tire of all this focus on the negatives.:thumbsdown:


I agree with this fella. The UFC isn't perfect, Dana drops too many F bombs and they try to revise history and they may or may not pay their fighters enough. All that aside, I love the sport of MMA and the UFC does the beat job putting together exciting cards that are fun on paper and in action. As long as they keep pumping out the most awesome real fights, I'll stay a fan. Let the fighters and their managers figure out the rest. In the words of Chael P. "this is a volunteer army." There are other ways to make a living if the guys dont feel compensated enough.


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## Sportsman 2.0 (Jul 10, 2012)

Soojooko said:


> 21 instances over a 15 year period. Hmmmm....
> 
> What about the 2371 times when the UFC has provided us with some fecking awesome fights? Which oddly enough are also entertainment. I know which carries more weight with me.
> 
> I tire of all this focus on the negatives.:thumbsdown:


Dude got laid with men only 21 times in a 15 years time span. He is still gay... 
Zero problem about that, let me emphasize.

Jokes aside, I don't consider being *entertainment* a negative aspect in UFC. Maybe a characteristic. After all we all got entertained by some crazy fights they made happen out of nowhere.

I loved Toney/Couture and I loved Brock coming and I still think there should be more purely entertaining super fights mixed together, even cross categories open weight challenges. Why not?


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## TheAuger (Jun 30, 2011)

Instances of good business decisions. I see no problem with most of these decisions/statements.


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## SM33 (Sep 22, 2009)

My idea of entertainment is great fights, you're highlighting everything but.


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## Soojooko (Jun 4, 2009)

When it comes down to it, you are in charge of yourself. Complaining about something that's easily avoidable seems plain doh to me.

If you dont like Couture vs Toney, dont watch it. Its easy. Go make some coffee. Fast forward the recording. Whatever.

Dont watch the countdowns when they feature idiots. Dont watch TUF. It'll melt your brain and dribble that shit out your ears. Dont click on links featuring anything that you consider dumb. Dont open that fecking thread. Just bloomin' stop for fecks sake. Take your eyeballs and point them somewhere else for 5 minutes.

Honestly, its like deliberately stepping in dogshit and then standing there with your foot in the shit ranting about how much you hate dogshit.

The UFC is giving us more great fights then ever before. At least thats how I feel about it. The other dumb stuff? Who. The. Feck. Cares.


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## LizaG (May 12, 2008)

Those are 21 dumb thing the UFC has done yes, but I'm with Sooj in looking past the bad as there have been some awesome fights over the years...and I think those outweigh the bad/silly things the UFC have done with MMA. But saying that...it still hurts that they cut Fitch and Okami


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## Soojooko (Jun 4, 2009)

CupCake said:


> Those are 21 dumb thing the UFC has done yes, but I'm with Sooj in looking past the bad as there have been some awesome fights over the years...and I think those outweigh the bad/silly things the UFC have done with MMA. But saying that...it still hurts that they cut Fitch and Okami


Yea... I have to confess that seeing fighters I like getting cut is painful...

Ok, I'll revise my rant; Moaning about fighters getting cut is totally back on.


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## edlavis88 (Jul 12, 2009)

Hmmmm the UFC have certainly done some shameful things in their existence but I agree with the people above that there are far more positives than people like to acknowledge and focus on.

I can certainly see the main problem the UFC has - they want to be recognised as a legit sport by having the best guys but not sacrifice PPV buys by having boring fights. Sometimes the 2 just don't work together.

Even in boxing where you have independent organisations that manage the world titles and rankings you don't often get the most worthy guys fighting. 

At the end of the day, no matter which sport were talking about, money talks and will drive most decisions.


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## Toxic (Mar 1, 2007)

How about 15 examples of how the UFC is a business. The brought in the guys the fans wanted to see and let the guys the fans were not paying to see who did justify there pay level go. Hell even Dana vs Tito was about giving Tito who was a huge draw what it took to get him to sign.


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## aerius (Nov 19, 2006)

Soojooko said:


> When it comes down to it, you are in charge of yourself. Complaining about something that's easily avoidable seems plain doh to me.
> 
> If you dont like Couture vs Toney, dont watch it. Its easy. Go make some coffee. Fast forward the recording. Whatever.
> 
> ...


This is why I haven't watched TUF since the Shonie Carter season, and why I watch only around 1 out of 5 UFC events these days.

And that's fine, watching UFC events is something I do for fun, and if it's not as fun as it was in the past then I'm not going to do it as much.


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## GDPofDRB (Apr 18, 2013)

It's been a gradual phasing out of MMA fans in place of garnering UFC's new fans. I know a lot more people who used to be MMA fans then I do today and it's stuff like what is on that list that has done it for a large part.


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## SmackyBear (Feb 14, 2008)

Some of these examples aren't as good as others.

Refusing to sign Askren is a good one, refusing to sign Cyborg is a terrible one. She was under contract and offered a fight with Rousey at 135 lbs. She asked to be released, so she was.

That said, all sports make decisions for entertainment purposes. The NFL used to ban linemen from extending their arms on a block. They changed it to make passing easier and the game more entertaining. I'm sure some fans bitched about how that was ruining the sports integrity.


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## GDPofDRB (Apr 18, 2013)

> 1. Firing Jake Shields.
> 
> 2. Firing Yushin Okami.
> 
> ...


I wonder how big we could actually make this list?

22. Giving a fighter a TUF gig and a rematch with the champ who beat her only a two fights prior to her last fight, one she lost, based off of nothing but physical attractiveness and junior high drama.

your turn.


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## Sportsman 2.0 (Jul 10, 2012)

23- Saying how *inexcusable* Wand and Sonnen brawl at TUF was while using those same "regrettable" images over and over again to promote the show and the fight. :dunno:


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## Swp (Jan 2, 2010)

HEY GUYS SHUT UP >> UFC ITS BAD OK !! SZTOP ARGUING !! .. UFC ITS THE WORST THING EVER THE "C" IN UFC stands for "communist" !!


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## Joabbuac (Jan 31, 2009)

24. Giving Randy Couture a shot at Tim Sylvia.


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## Sportsman 2.0 (Jul 10, 2012)

Swp said:


> HEY GUYS SHUT UP >> UFC ITS BAD OK !! SZTOP ARGUING !! .. UFC ITS THE WORST THING EVER THE "C" IN UFC stands for "communist" !!


Hey, man. Not everything must be black or white. Absolutely love UFC, but pointing out a few facts is fun as well. I think this thread is great for that purpose and in no way a statement UFC is all garbage, which is not. :thumbsup:


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## js1316 (Jun 17, 2007)

The UFC does rely on entertainment but its always a healthy dose. Nothing too crazy dramatic. People are just noticing this more now because the sport is kinda boring at the moment. Pride focused more on entertainment than the UFC ever has but never took as much criticism.


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## Rauno (Nov 20, 2009)

Soojooko said:


> 21 instances over a 15 year period. Hmmmm....
> 
> What about the 2371 times when the UFC has provided us with some fecking awesome fights? Which oddly enough are also entertainment. I know which carries more weight with me.
> 
> I tire of all this focus on the negatives.:thumbsdown:


Mojority of the list applies to modern MMA. Great list.


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## _RIVAL_ (Mar 7, 2008)

UFC is pure entertainment. Don't get it twisted. The hype machine will make you think that a mediocre fighter is the baddest top 5 mofo you've ever seen.

I remember so many of these guys on the regional circuit that people would say "No way would they last in the UFC, they'd get smoked in the first round by any top 15"! Now the same fighters are making runs at title shots and are top 5ers.

It's all about exposure and media hype. Before you get to the UFC you are a can, after you leave the UFC your on the "downside" of your carreer. 

They UFC is a wonderful hype machine which boasts to have the best fighters in the world. Some of which are, a lot of them aren't. Either way, Zuffa heads, (including myself) have been brainwashed by countdown shows, UFC rankings, interviews with Rogan and entertainment shows to believe that the UFC is "as real as it gets"

And that is basically a crock of shit.
But I will buy the next pay per view. Because I love MMA and I love watching guys that I have followed compete.

And yes the UFC is is 90% based on entertainment.


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## Soojooko (Jun 4, 2009)

Rauno said:


> Mojority of the list applies to modern MMA. Great list.


Hardly surprising considering they put out 10x more fights now then they did before.

People need to step back and look at the reasons the watch MMA: For the fights. Ask yourself, are you seeing enough good fights throughout the year? If you feel like you are getting less quality fights then before, then you might have a good reason to complain. But who here really feels like that? If you strip away all the bullshit, you are left with a lot of very good fights. More then ever before. Yet we don't see thread after thread highlighting this. Instead we get whiney threads focusing on the bullshit.

Its not as if other sports are a beacon of fair play. Far from it. We have the worlds most popular sport ( footie ) being run by the most corrupt dogs you can imagine. Racist, sexist, greedy cocksuckers. People that far surpass Dana. And yet the sport still flourishes. Because at the end of the day, we like watching football far more then we hate these wankers.


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## sucrets (Jul 8, 2007)

Of course they are entertainment. What else would they be?


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## rabakill (Apr 22, 2007)

You could compile an embarrassing list about any sport. I like hockey but some times the refing is embarrassing, superstars getting preferential treatment and fourth liners treated like animals.


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## systemdnb (Dec 7, 2008)

Why is Cyborg even on that list? Fathead got her released from her UFC contract so she could go fight some 145'er...


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## Sportsman 2.0 (Jul 10, 2012)

Yep, but this is MMA forum, UFC section, so good lists and bad lists are about MMA/UFC, not anything else.


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## systemdnb (Dec 7, 2008)

MMA-Sportsman said:


> Yep, but this is MMA forum, UFC section, so good lists and bad lists are about MMA/UFC, not anything else.


That's not what I'm saying. She was under UFC contract and it was reported on the cage potato website, the same people who made this list, that she wanted out of it. Then claim the UFC never offered her a contract. She had one. Oxymoron?

http://www.cagepotato.com/cristiane...c-fight-with-rousey-officially-not-happening/


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## Sportsman 2.0 (Jul 10, 2012)

systemdnb said:


> That's not what I'm saying. She was under UFC contract and it was reported on the cage potato website, the same people who made this list, that she wanted out of it. Then claim the UFC never offered her a contract. She had one. Oxymoron?


That wasn't meant for you at all, my friend. You was just half sec faster than me and when I pressed enter, your post was already there. :thumb02:

BTW. I totally agree with your points regarding Cyborg.


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## Soojooko (Jun 4, 2009)

MMA-Sportsman said:


> Yep, but this is MMA forum, UFC section, so good lists and bad lists are about MMA/UFC, not anything else.


The occasional good list would be nice though, don't you agree?

Point stands. When the good fights *far* outweigh the stupid matchups, why so much focus on the dumb stuff?


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## Sportsman 2.0 (Jul 10, 2012)

Soojooko said:


> The occasional good list would be nice though, don't you agree?
> 
> Point stands. When the good fights *far* outweigh the stupid matchups, why so much focus on the dumb stuff?


Agree 1000%. I am all for a thread featuring a list of great moments in UFC just to balance things, then. If you start it, I'll follow your lead. :thumbsup:

I just don't give too much at this "whole negative" thing. As I said before, There's nothing wrong about being entertainment, IMO, and this list here is not something straight negative, then. Just facts that show entertainment moments in UFC, which is fun to list and comment.

The sad part I always been against is the one you and Liza spoke about here too. Cutting winning fighters because they are not "entertainers". Being entertainment? Totally OK. Cut sportists based on that? Not so much.


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## systemdnb (Dec 7, 2008)

MMA-Sportsman said:


> That wasn't meant for you at all, my friend. You was just half sec faster than me and when I pressed enter, your post was already there. :thumb02:
> 
> BTW. I totally agree with your points regarding Cyborg.


Haha. All good. I was like there is NO way someone could disagree with that. Cyborg makes a handful of poor decisions. It is 100% her fault she isn't in the UFC. It's gonna turn into one of those Fedor things where it gets talked about to death and nothing ever comes of it.


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## Woodenhead (Jan 5, 2010)

Soojooko said:


> The occasional good list would be nice though, don't you agree?
> 
> Point stands. When the good fights *far* outweigh the stupid matchups, why so much focus on the dumb stuff?


Agreed on "nice stuff list"

Disagreed on the last part. I myself prefer to continue to improve in all areas, rather than merely ignore negatives & continue the status quo.

Personal opinions will vary, OFC. :]


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