MMA: Fighters Should Either Evolve or Find a Different Sport

"Wrestlers are killing MMA."

This idea has been vigorously debated amongst fans, pundits and fighters for years, but how can one aspect of fighting set an entire sport back?

MMA isn't boxing. It takes more than one aspect of fighting to be successful. There is striking and grappling to learn on various levels.

As true professionals, fighters should be willing to go above and beyond to master every aspect. It's a shame to see grown men place the blame on others for their own failures or shortcomings.

If a fighter is kept on his back for an entire bout, it's the top guy's fault for not "taking chances" or "lay-and-praying" for a decision.

What about the guy on bottom? Shouldn't he be held accountable for his inability to work off his back?

Fighters on the bottom are far from helpless, but as if they were being swayed by some inherent altruistic motive, fans tend to side with the downed guy.

Unless a fighter is doing significant damage on top, the arena generally explodes in a chorus of boos within seconds of a ground struggle.

As human beings, we like what we understand. Every person understands the concept of punching another human being in the face. It's pretty much embedded in all of our DNA.

People tend to not like what they don't understand. Unless you've actually trained, it's hard to understand the chess match that takes place on the ground.

To an average eye, it just looks like one guy laying on top of another guy, but to a trained eye, there is a constant struggle for positioning.

While certain fighters continue to point fingers at others for developing game plans that involve takedowns, they fail to look around at their own peers. Why aren't guys like Fabricio Werdum, Demian Maia or Charles Oliveira being controlled by domineering wrestlers?

While others simply stall and beg the referee to stand fights up, these guys are always attacking from their backs. A fight is a two-way street.

The fighter on top can try to advance to a more dominant position, and the bottom guy will either attack from his back or lock down his guard in hopes of a standup.

Some professional fighters have the luxury of training and working out full time to prepare for upcoming bouts. With all of that free time, it's hard to believe that none of it can be used to patch up weaknesses.

There are plenty of aspiring MMA hopefuls that would love to have the same opportunities, but unfortunately, they are forced to work part- or full-time jobs in addition to training and fighting.

Some of these guys make thousands of dollars to train with world class coaches in top notch facilities, and they still complain because another fighter exposed a weakness they refused to work on.

"Fighters should take more risks."

Maybe Kobe Bryant should shoot more half-court shots to give other teams a chance. How about Peyton Manning relying solely on his running game?

It's ludicrous to think that a competitor would actually deviate from their strengths to give opponents a fighting chance. The mental aspects of competition are just as important as the physical ones.

It's always a chess match. Competitors do their homework beforehand, and they come in hoping they can implement a successful strategy.

MMA trainers like Greg Jackson have taken the brunt of the blame when it comes to game planning and manufacturing "boring" fighters.

Why wouldn't a coach or a fighter game plan for a fight? This isn't Never Back Down or Fight Club. If MMA is to be considered an actual sport, it must be approached and treated as such.

People watch sports because they want to see the best in the world compete at the highest level. While this won't include the "Just Bleed" fans, true MMA fans have more love for the sport than just watching a couple of Neanderthals swing ham hocks at one another.

There is a beauty to watching a fighter train in multiple aspects and blending everything together on fight night.

This is what makes guys like Georges St-Pierre and Jon Jones so intriguing. They are good at so many different things, and it's nearly impossible for an opponent to guess what they're going to do.

A major problem for MMA veterans is their refusal to evolve with the sport. When one thing has worked for such a long time, people tend to become fixated on a certain routine, and they don't have any real interest in changing it.

There are a multitude of strikers at the highest level that simply refuse to add to their limited arsenal, whether it be kicks, clinch work or a ground game.

The same thing goes for wrestlers. There are great wrestlers with amateur level striking.

The new breed of fighter is more well-rounded and willing to train in every aspect possible. Parents are getting their kids involved in wrestling, boxing, and BJJ classes at an early age.

This is the MMA of the future.

With so many other sports to choose from, why put yourself through the agony of getting exposed in a particular aspect that you have no interest in training in?

There are a plethora of professional boxing, kickboxing and karate organizations all over the world.

Wrestlers aren't killing MMA. If anything is killing MMA, it's fighters with the time and the resources to become better versions of themselves, but they simply choose not to.

MMA fighters should either evolve or find a different sport.