Is the MMA / BJJ Craze finally over?

[diego]

you guys think the sport that is second only to the NFL is "over"?

it is bigger than NASCAR

how many race car drivers are out there?...oh wait laughs at the old guy in the vette trying to get college chicks who moonlight as strippers...

besides street kids and jocks i don't see mma getting too too big you know...now tkd nerds look cool doing that...

[MightyB]

you guys think the sport that is second only to the NFL is "over"?

it is bigger than NASCAR

Actually- that's one that is also in decline: http://www.scenedaily.com/news/artic...V_ratings.html

Living minutes away from Michigan International Speedway - and managing a marketing and entertainment company... well, let's just say that the NASCAR numbers are down and have been for quite some time. It is somewhat of a problem for our local economy. Just not enough mullet heads and soccer mom redneck wannabees anymore.

[TenTigers]

that's what MMA needs-good sponsorship. Get a company like Skoal to pick you up and you will get all the NASCAR fans into MMA.

[lkfmdc]

I know most here are kung fu nerds so I'll start with the most obvious example, MMA is getting big IN CHINA

There are like 5 or 10 people over there you know, they could have a fan base

The UFC shows in Great Britain have been all sold out, and they have a local league that is very successful

"RINGS" and similar MMA leagues are still very active in Holland

Like I said, in the US it is the second largest sport only next to the NFL

And, hate him or not, when Tiger Shulmann changes his name to TSMMA you can be darn sure that it's a sign

[MightyB]

I don't doubt that it will always be around. I just think the "craze" is gone. And, just like NASCAR - it's ratings are in decline. I think they could fix that by: having a unifying body or governing organization. Stop with the reality show tie-ins (They're disgraceful to the sport). Develop a real farm system similar to how boxing does it with the golden gloves and AAU. Have a star that people can believe in and relate to. NASCAR's success came by attracting the 35 yr plus women crowd. That's the real target demo for success. Guy's 18 - 35 are always being pushed - that's really a "joke" crowd considering that Nascar didn't hit it big until it attracted mainstream soccer moms. MMA isn't going to do that because it can't. TMA can. Others listed the obvious reasons why. The question is, how are people (TMA instructors) using this information to their advantage?

[TenTigers]

No, I agree. It's far from over.
Oshkosh B'Gosh just came out with a line of Affliction rompers.

[MasterKiller]

that's really a "joke" crowd considering that Nascar didn't hit it big until it attracted mainstream soccer moms. MMA isn't going to do that because it can't. TMA can. Others listed the obvious reasons why. The question is, how are people (TMA instructors) using this information to their advantage?

I don't know about you, but I don't want to rely on soccer moms to keep my doors open.

[MightyB]

The sport isn't. It will always be around like tattoo parlors. Slightly unsavory, a little disreputable, but always cool.

But the newness has worn off. It's an aging brand. Look at BJJ. It lost out to MMA. It's still there, it's still cool, but it's not the BJJ of 1994 - 2000. MMA is following a similar pattern and it's going to eventually end up as the lead in for celebrity poker tourneys on ESPN 4.

Plus - it's boring TV. I think San Da has more TV appeal. Skilled striking with bad@ss takedowns... isn't that what Dana White has been pushing behind the scenes with striking and KO bonuses?

Also- TCMA has a back door tie in with San Da. It's actually better for us Kung Fu-ers for marketing and branding and as a product offering that goes with TCMA.

[MasterKiller]

Plus - it's boring TV. I think San Da has more TV appeal. Skilled striking with bad@ss takedowns... isn't that what Dana White has been pushing behind the scenes with striking and KO bonuses

Also- TCMA has a back door tie in with San Da. It's actually better for us Kung Fu-ers for marketing and branding and as a product offering that goes with TCMA.

Kickboxing as a spectator sport in America is deader than soccer. Get over it.

[Jimbo]

I don't feel the craze is over at all. It's further establishing itself in the U.S. mainstream, if anything. It's eclipsed pro boxing, which has definitely lost a lot (most of?) the public limelight it once enjoyed. The difference is that MMA is no longer seen as the odd spectacle it may have been seen as when the sport first began. In terms of who actually wants to become a professional fighter, that will always be limited to young men (and a few women); but there are huge numbers of people who train in it who will never compete as pros. There are large MMA gyms and franchises. But also a lot of regular MA schools have jumped on the bandwagon and offer some type of MMA classes, similar to several years ago when MA schools jumped on the cardio-kickboxing craze. Of course, there will come a time when there are no longer a dozen (it seems) or more magazines on the newsstand dedicated to MMA. But IMO it's yet to reach its peak.

And sure, the novelty of BJJ may have worn off, but it still seems to be one of the most popular, sought-out MAs, and rightfully so. After any MA has its special craze period, it either will become firmly established or mostly fade away from the limelight. BJJ is now firmly established and is not going away.

[Pork Chop]

I think the craze is over when Affliction drops the price of their shirts and people are embarrassed to be seen wearing them at the club, that hasn't happened yet.

[golden arhat]

I think the craze is over when Affliction drops the price of their shirts and people are embarrassed to be seen wearing them at the club, that hasn't happened yet.

affliction is a DISGUSTING brand. i cant see why anyone would wear it.

MMA will never die out it may level off but people will always want to see someone get their ass kicked in the most brutal way possible.
people get tired of combat with big gloved and rules etc, MMA may reach a point when peoople start to tire
but then it will loosen up the rules introduce roup matches etc
the basic human truth of it is that people love fighting. and MMA is currently the most unrestrained form of professional fighting around.

its the reason pro football (american) does so well

because its a bunch of people representing your town!! (yay) basically fighting a group of people from another town! (boo) with a ball in their as an excuse basically to make it OK and a few rules but its appeal is basically that people can relate to wanting to kick the **** out of someone and being proud of where they are from

MMA just needs to incorporate town spirit and the need to support a group into the sport and the social element of baseball (going to the arena with your mates etc having a few beers, it needs to move away from the PPV focus and into the merchandising and group involvment of course PPV will always have a place
especcially for big matches)

mma is more than likelye going to do even better
but there is a chance it could do worse.

[Pork Chop]

They tried the group idea here with the IFL and it never took off.

American Football's successful because it's a mini war played out in around an hour, complete with pretty advanced tactics, strategists, and leaders.

The American public likes a good brawl and likes excitement.
Glove size really has very little to do with it, a good brawl in boxing still captures plenty of excitement - the Diaz/Marquez fight practically gave both fighters a lot of exposure overnight & few athletes garner the following that Pacquiao does.

Boxers still make a lot more money than mma folks.
Kermit Cintron was considering the jump to mma a few years back, but never did, apparently the 200k he's making as a non-main event light middleweight makes mma money look like a joke.

MMA can have boring fights too, just ask Kaleb Starnes.

I think bareknuckle Burmese Leitwei would actually do much better in the US than mma; if it ever got sanctioned here.

[Knifefighter]

The sport will stay around because it has spectator appeal.

The actual training is probably starting to fade among the people who participate for other than professional reasons, mainly because the training is too tough for most people.

The average joe who wants to feel tough without having to work too hard will go back to kung fu and TKD.

[MightyB]

The sport will stay around because it has spectator appeal.

The actual training is probably starting to fade among the people who participate for other than professional reasons, mainly because the training is too tough for most people.

The average joe who wants to feel tough without having to work too hard will go back to kung fu and TKD.

Yeah baby- that's what I'm talking about... or-
you could look at it as - The legit TMA schools realized they had to step it up a notch and the average Joe could go back to a TMA school and get the training that they desired and craved in the first place.

Not every kwoon is filled with chi blasting talk monkeys- some are actually quite good.