>> | >>55983 Hello, and welcome! I'm thrilled about your interest in our niche sport. I think having read what others have posted you should have some degree of familiarity with the sport.
My brother trained MMA for several years, and he got me into it when we were living together at university. There are a lot of bad stereotypes about the fans of the sport, and they are few and far between. I'd usually only go to smaller venues to watch my brother fight, and when I did I'd feel kind of out of place, due to how different I was from the other fans. But I digress....
You've picked a good time to get interested, as one of the best cards is coming the weekend after next. You could go to a bar to see it, pay for it, or use... let us say "other" methods of watching it. Anyways, it's a fantastic card from top to bottom!
The main event is a championship fight between two contenders: Anthony Johnson and Daniel Cormier (Since the champion recently got stripped of his belt). Since you're a boxing fan I'd suggest you watch some of Johnson's striking, it's absolutely vicious. Cormier is a wrestler and tough grinder, but he's not boring. The fight is really a toss-up for me.
The co-main is the Middleweight championship fight between champion Chris Weidman and aging legend Vitor Belfort. Chris shocked the world when he defeated Silva twice, and then solidified his status by defeating Machida. Belfort has been destroying fighters lately, however due to TRT controversy the fight was postponed for like a year. I'm pretty sure Weidman will retain the belt here, but crazier things have happened, (See UFC 173).
Anyways I recognize that, that is a a UFC event and there are cards before then. I know I'll be watching Bellator this Friday, but the card isn't as spectacular; nor is the UFC Fight Night the next day. But since watching the sport and finishing up university is all I do these days, it's my one own escape.
As far as competitors for the UFC goes. I think the recent Reebok deal will hurt them, Bellator has some quality fighters (but Bellator also likes to put on "freak fights" which I watch, but most fans don't like). WSOF and ONE FC also have up-and-comers. But the UFC does definitely possess almost all of the elite fighters.
For me, as an MMA fan, a huge part of the entertainment is the suspense. Anything could happen, at any moment. I generally do not watch old fights, especially if I know the outcome. But if you just like watching fighting I'd suggest Pride fights with Hunt, Fedor, Big Nog, and other legends. More recent examples could be Jones vs. Gustaffson or Hunt vs Bigfoot.
As far as "up-and-comers" in the UFC I'd say Rockhold could definitely be champion, Hell Jacare could too in that division. A lot of fans like Conor McGregor, but I just find him annoying, granted his idiosyncratic striking is entertaining. Another future contender for me is Stipe Miocic, or Donald Cerrone. |