Looking Back Before Looking Forward Part I
Tournaments Stink
Josh Gross Oct 19, 2004
Tournaments Stink
Not much can change my mind on this one. Anytime fighters are required to compete more than once in an evening, it's a bad thing. First, the playing field is inherently unfair. Second, there's a better chance fans will be disappointed. Third, the risk to fighters' safety is increased by an immeasurable factor.
Oh, I know the arguments in favor of same-day tournaments: They're an homage to mixed martial arts past; They allow fighters to become stars overnight; As a spectacle, they're difficult to top.
I've heard it all. And I think it's all garbage.
You don't need to look further than the last two PRIDE tournaments. Where they stacked with unreal talent? Yes. Did they disappoint or leave numerous questions in their wake? Without a doubt.
In both cases, the brackets were unbalanced, especially in August's heavyweight Grand Prix. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Sergei Kharitonov waged a war worthy of both men. On the other side of the bracket, however, Fedor Emelianenko was handed a cakewalk against Naoya Ogawa. So when Nogueira and Fedor met in the finals, the Brazilian fighter was already in a hole.
Had the semis and finals been on different nights (like the opening two rounds) who's to say what would have happened. At the very least, two of the very best fighters in the world would have been rested, prepared and at the top of their game.
And it's not just the cream of the crop that deserve that sort of respect. Particularly at its lowest levels, mixed martial artists competing in local shows for promoters who couldn't care less about their safety or future, need to understand that putting themselves at risk isn't the best way to make it to the big time.
Not much can change my mind on this one. Anytime fighters are required to compete more than once in an evening, it's a bad thing. First, the playing field is inherently unfair. Second, there's a better chance fans will be disappointed. Third, the risk to fighters' safety is increased by an immeasurable factor.
Oh, I know the arguments in favor of same-day tournaments: They're an homage to mixed martial arts past; They allow fighters to become stars overnight; As a spectacle, they're difficult to top.
Advertisement
You don't need to look further than the last two PRIDE tournaments. Where they stacked with unreal talent? Yes. Did they disappoint or leave numerous questions in their wake? Without a doubt.
In both cases, the brackets were unbalanced, especially in August's heavyweight Grand Prix. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Sergei Kharitonov waged a war worthy of both men. On the other side of the bracket, however, Fedor Emelianenko was handed a cakewalk against Naoya Ogawa. So when Nogueira and Fedor met in the finals, the Brazilian fighter was already in a hole.
Had the semis and finals been on different nights (like the opening two rounds) who's to say what would have happened. At the very least, two of the very best fighters in the world would have been rested, prepared and at the top of their game.
And it's not just the cream of the crop that deserve that sort of respect. Particularly at its lowest levels, mixed martial artists competing in local shows for promoters who couldn't care less about their safety or future, need to understand that putting themselves at risk isn't the best way to make it to the big time.
