MMA the Evolution of Fighting? Give Me a Break Already

Is it just me, or is the world of MMA (mixed martial arts) really this boring?  My apologies to all the diehard fans of UFC and other MMA organizations, but what I am seeing are brawlers, not skilled combatants. 

When I think of the epic battles in boxing I grew up watching as an X-generation sports fan, it makes me nostalgic...and a little angry.

Now before I ruffle the feathers of all you MMA diehards out there, let me just admit that at one time I was just as big a fan as any of you.

I was a devoted fan of the fledgling UFC in the days of Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, and Oleg Taktarov.  But things have changed since then.

In the beginning, UFC was presented as a contrast of styles and fighters where the best man won...literally.  There was no regard given to weight class, and the fighters at that time were truly experts in their chosen art, be it Jiu-jitsu, wrestling, Thai Boxing, etc.

It was quite a spectacle to see a man of about 175 pounds, a la Royce Gracie, submitting fighters twice his size or men who looked as though they could snap him like a pencil.  But that was then, this is now.

Today, in an effort to be well versed in multiple styles, the fighters have become masters of none.  They are "jack of all trades" fighters who differ only slightly from one to the next. 

If what I'm saying makes your blood boil then just consider: Does anyone truly dominate in MMA?  The man most generally regarded as the greatest MMA fighter competing today is Anderson Silva. 

Anderson Silva is, without a doubt, a skilled fighter. In fact, he just set the all time record for consecutive wins in UFC...a staggering nine straight victories! Wait, are you suddenly feeling underwhelmed by this?  I know I am.

The fact is that there are so many like skilled fighters in MMA today that no one individual truly dominates the sport....in any weight class. 

The closest I have seen to a true dominator in MMA is Fedor Emelianenko, but unfortunately he fights in promotions that are not mainstream in America, and he is little known except among MMA loyalists. 

Whenever I tune in to an MMA bout, be it UFC or any other promotion, it is like watching a movie I have seen 100 times before.  Fighters come out, circle each other throwing occasional jabs and wild punches hoping for a quick knockout. 

Even among so called "strikers" the defense and footwork seem amateurish at best compared to truly skilled boxers....but more on that later. 

If a looping punch fails to connect and floor one of the fighters within the first two minutes, then I know it is just a matter of seconds before another shoot, another take down, another "ground and pound," or arm bar/choke tap out. 

Hey, if you think I'm exaggerating just watch 20 or 30 matches and tell me what I missed. Boring. 

If you want to start telling me what "gladiators" these fighters are and how I am too stupid to appreciate the techniques involved then answer me this: Do you think the ancient Romans, the greatest gladiatorial audience of all time, would enjoy seeing men win fights laying on their backs?   

But the problem is not the heart, conditioning, courage, or even strength of the fighters involved. The problem, quite simply, is that these are not truly gifted athletes fighting in these events.  

The majority of these fighters are opportunists who have taken a natural propensity for brawling and a smattering of martial arts skills and parlayed this into a chance to make big bucks in the world of MMA. Does Kimbo Slice ring a bell?

But it makes me think about my response whenever one of my European friends chides me about Americans not being any good at soccer. I always tell them the same thing I am saying here: Our best athletes don't care about soccer. 

It is the same with MMA. Anyone who thinks that a truly gifted athlete is going to pass up a chance to make millions playing football, basketball, or baseball to take up MMA is kidding themselves. 

The day may come where MMA is lucrative enough to attract these kinds of super athletes, but we are not there yet.

Now, contrast this to the sport of boxing which has been a storied sport for decades.  The inclusion of boxing in the Olympic games has provided a steady stream of world class athletes taking up the sport to achieve Olympic glory...or just plain riches.

Unlike MMA, boxing has produced some of the richest athletes, of any sport, in history.  The smell of money is a powerful persuader for some athletes who could just as easily have been superstars in other sports. Case in point: Roy Williams. 

No matter how many times we want to believe there are "Rocky Balboas" out there who can win the championship on guts and courage alone, history has proved otherwise.  In boxing, as in all sports, the cream rises to the top and the best of the best emerge. 

So it is that a supremely skilled athlete, like Floyd Mayweather, can dazzle us with reflexes, speed, and quickness like no fighter I have ever witnessed in MMA...and Mayweather is only one example among dozens, if not hundreds.

If you think for one minute that one of these MMA "strikers" would ever land a punch on someone of Mayweather's caliber then you are sorely mistaken.

The simple truth is that MMA is a sport rising to prominence at the expense of boxing. However, mainstream MMA fighting is still in its infancy and has not experienced the infusion of world class athletes necessary to make MMA events truly compelling...yet. 

If the sport can continue to attract new fans, sponsors, blockbuster pay-per-views and multi-million dollar gates, then the natural exodus of athletes chasing big money from boxing to MMA will have truly taken place. 

Perhaps then we will see the epic contests of skill and bravado that are always hinted at, though seldom delivered.  Until then, count me out.