Silva, Nogueira and Griffin all catch the KO bug...when will they be healthy enough to return?
UFC 92...WOW...What an amazing night of fights!! The UFC truly has an exceptional product and delivers it in a spiffy little package. For $50 bucks (a lot of money...I know) it gives very respectable value for the entertainment dollar.
With the type of money that the UFC is taking in (reportedly $3.47 million on the live gate alone + surely another $25 - $30M in ppv) I pray that they are doing all that is reasonable to adequately protect its' greatest asset...no not the logo...the roster of talent.
'Wandy' Silva experienced another spectacular KO. Big 'Nog' unbelievably got stopped (man he's been involved in more wars than I care to remember). Forrest Griffin caught a beating at the concrete hands of 'Sugar'.
When will it be safe for them to return to contact?...hard to say.
Bloody, gushing facial cuts from elbows and broken bones are certainly attention grabbers; but the most potentially dangerous common injury in MMA are concussions. Therefore as a responsible business, protecting their fighters with respect to concussions should be a primary concern and a never ending pursuit.
What makes sense?
- Continue the ban on knees and kicks to the head of a grounded opponent.
- Progress fighters early in their careers slowly, despite their box office appeal.
- Mandate yearly baseline psychomotor testing for all UFC fighters.
- Mandate that all fighters whom suffer a KO or TKO must 'pass' their
psychomotor re-test before they are allowed to return to contact.
- Allow aging stars past their prime to end their careers with dignity and not as
grizzle for the latest crop of young and hungry rising stars.
- Fund concussion research.
What's good for the UFC roster of talent is ultimately good for the UFC bottom line.
With the type of money that the UFC is taking in (reportedly $3.47 million on the live gate alone + surely another $25 - $30M in ppv) I pray that they are doing all that is reasonable to adequately protect its' greatest asset...no not the logo...the roster of talent.
'Wandy' Silva experienced another spectacular KO. Big 'Nog' unbelievably got stopped (man he's been involved in more wars than I care to remember). Forrest Griffin caught a beating at the concrete hands of 'Sugar'.
When will it be safe for them to return to contact?...hard to say.
Bloody, gushing facial cuts from elbows and broken bones are certainly attention grabbers; but the most potentially dangerous common injury in MMA are concussions. Therefore as a responsible business, protecting their fighters with respect to concussions should be a primary concern and a never ending pursuit.
What makes sense?
- Continue the ban on knees and kicks to the head of a grounded opponent.
- Progress fighters early in their careers slowly, despite their box office appeal.
- Mandate yearly baseline psychomotor testing for all UFC fighters.
- Mandate that all fighters whom suffer a KO or TKO must 'pass' their
psychomotor re-test before they are allowed to return to contact.
- Allow aging stars past their prime to end their careers with dignity and not as
grizzle for the latest crop of young and hungry rising stars.
- Fund concussion research.
What's good for the UFC roster of talent is ultimately good for the UFC bottom line.
Those are some very good points, especially the things you point out about the aged fighters that are past their prime: The climate in MMA and almost every sport really, is affected by the psychology of rank and hierarchy, and that is very hard to change, if its even possible. One could argue that it is the nature of all physical sports, to mirror the natural drama between old, slower alpha males and young, strong and healthy males gunning for their position. This will always atleast be a factor.
However, the dichotomy of young vs old brings a set of values into this discussion that might be just as, or even more harmful to fighters as it is beneficial. By definition this will put a label on an "older" fighter, a label that we associate with something negative, atleast to some degree. I belive that fighters can still have the same chance to defeat a younger and stronger opponent, as an MMA-fight is not just a test of these characteristics.
What im trying to say is, that besides the good point you make that matchups should keep age and healthstatus in regard, I also want to point out that the generalization of being past ones prime also brings this set of values into the decision, that im personally not sure should be there.
Im glad I found your blog, Johnny. I've seen your visits to Bas and Kenny on Inside MMA and have always enjoyed your insightful and valueable commentary there. Now I can take part of this commentary to MMA here as well.
Regards
/Peter, MMA-fan from Sweden
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Great article again Doc! Spot on in my opinion!
As an avid follower of boxing and now boxing and MMA the statement you made "Allow aging stars past their prime to end their careers with dignity and not as grizzle for the latest crop of young and hungry rising stars" really rings true.
It horrible to see aging legends (De La Hoya, Ali, Tyson, Ken Shamrock) take a beating at the hands of a younger, faster more aggressive fighter. Its not nice to see and it holds no value to either fighter.
Keep up the good work Doc!
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