It just doesn't feel the same anymore guys...

[EndlessCritic]

Rogan/ Goldberg

1 badass card a month, stacked from top to bottom, even the prelims

You were hyped all month for it, anticipation building day by day before fight night.

Every Hooters/ BWW packed with fight fans cheering with you

Spider, Rampage, BJ, GSP, Chuck, Bisping, Rich Franklin, Hendo, Shogun, Bork, Big Nog etc

There was something magical about the spectacle back then, that just isn't there anymore.


Anyone remember those days?

You really think the average PPV card was stacked top to bottom including the prelims?

This was the kind of shit the UFC used to pass off as a PPV: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFC_55
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFC_109

 

[Future GOAT]

Rogan/ Goldberg

1 badass card a month, stacked from top to bottom, even the prelims

You were hyped all month for it, anticipation building day by day before fight night.

Every Hooters/ BWW packed with fight fans cheering with you

Spider, Rampage, BJ, GSP, Chuck, Bisping, Rich Franklin, Hendo, Shogun, Bork, Big Nog etc

There was something magical about the spectacle back then, that just isn't there anymore.


Anyone remember those days?

The PrideFC days were even better than that, but yes, it was good too and those times are gone unfortunately.

 

[kevinramsdell]

For a period of time I would go to Hooters with a couple of friends man and have a blast. Like 2009-2013 were some great times watching PPVs at Hooters. Oh how the times have changed. Couldn't put together a good PPV if they wanted to.

 

[TAK47]

1 badass card a month, stacked from top to bottom, even the prelims

Lol wut

Anyone remember those days?

No, because they did not exist.
What you're thinking of is Pride.

 

[kungfu_taichi]

Anyone remember those days?

I don't remember those days because they never existed. (I've been along for the whole ride. I've got UFC 1, 2, 3, and 4 on VHS). Here's the thing. It's just not style vs style anymore. Plus or minus a Ben Askren, or Francis Ngannou, everybody does everything. You don't gat as many insane fight because fighters are BETTER. Any little mistake gets exploited.

Did ANYONE expect Cyborg-Lioness to end like THAT?
How about Cejudo-Dilleshaw?
DC vs Stipe?
Namajunes Jędrzejczyk 1?

The 'old days' when things were 'more exciting' are gone because the fighters are BETTER. Little timy miscalculations become gaping exploitable holes when you get to see ALL the tape on the opponent ahaed of time and get to fly in specific training partners to work on any perceived advantages. I'm a technician. Don't get wrong, I love brawling but I'm just too damn old. I fight adults every week who could be my grandkids. I need every trick in the book plus lying cheating and stealing to even hold my own. So I LOVE the modern UFC. It's a living library of techniques that evolves every day.

 

[bubbleboyjones]

Same, in 2006 you could switch back and forth between UFC and PRIDE. Best time ever to be a fight fan IMO

The Pride vs UFC debates were legendary back then. Exciting times as we slowly started to see the talent merge.

 

[Sweater of AV]

Nothing will ever top Pride era MMA.

 

[Luthien]

I remember being so hyped for Rashad / Rampage!

Good memories came home that Friday after school and did a little dance.

 

[Crimson Glory]

I've been feeling like it's not the same for awhile now.

MMA got me into other sports, now those other sports take up 99% of my interest.

NFL, NHL, NBA are just... better.

 

[Maiji]

Rogan/ Goldberg

1 badass card a month, stacked from top to bottom, even the prelims

You were hyped all month for it, anticipation building day by day before fight night.

Every Hooters/ BWW packed with fight fans cheering with you

Spider, Rampage, BJ, GSP, Chuck, Bisping, Rich Franklin, Hendo, Shogun, Bork, Big Nog etc

There was something magical about the spectacle back then, that just isn't there anymore.


Anyone remember those days?

I agree. I went to a few UFC events and watch Rich vs Silva, GSP vs Serra, Hughes. It did seem to have a much greater appeal back then.

 

[Chillez]

Those were the days man too bad those days are long gone now.

 

[dildos]

Yeah mma has lost its spark.

I am losing interest in it. I still watch the big fights but long gone are the days of watching all the broadcasted fights.

I’ll be a filthy casual soon.

 

[Chillez]

The Pride vs UFC debates were legendary back then. Exciting times as we slowly started to see the talent merge.

I remember those days the golden times of Sherdog and MMA discussion in general. I miss it..

 

[boss429]

I get you fam. For me the peak MMA days were 2006-2011.

These days there are multiple cards a month for the most part, I still enjoy watching don’t get me wrong but the cards don’t necessarily have that same vibe that they did back then to me, only some of these cards do that are more stacked. I really enjoyed the last PPV card though.

I feel the same way but it's possible that a part of it is that the fighters we loved watching and were excited about have either retired or aged out and started losing to the younger guy we don't have that same connection with yet.

You would get chills back in the day when Fedor's entrance song would come on the speaker or "It's dark and hell is hot" or "I'm gonna run this town" would come threw the speakers because you were so emotionally invested in these guys and maybe as we and they age that investment is just harder and harder to come by with a whole new crop of competitors.

It's kind of like when the last player you grew up watching is no longer on your favorite hockey team and you have to re learn an entirely new roster, it takes a bit of time to reconnect and get that passion back, at least until the playoffs start anyway (FUCK YOU BOSTON!!!).

But it's possible I'm just rambling and don't really know what I'm talking about, lol.

 

[Hatorade]

What's really weird to me is when I read shit like this and I begin to realize just how old I must be. some kid is talking about the old days, but it wasn't that long ago at all for me in the slightest because the old days fro me were over 20 years ago. The shit this thread is talking about feels like yesterday to me.

I feel the same way when I read the comments on youtube where someone is saying something like "this is when music was still great" in regards to some throw away song from like 2007. I can't even tell the difference between what was cool then and what's cool now because I was already not caring about new shit by that point. It feels fucking strange getting old and becoming more out of touch. The world is no longer mine or my friends anymore.

 

[CerebralKnievel]

Yeah. It’s over. It was good times though.

Shut it, cuckO.

 

[drbolony]

I thought the same at first, but I realized I like MMA and only very few characters. More MMA is a win for me.

UFC 232 and 236 where pretty great cards.

 

[TheToqueville]

Yeah mma has lost its spark.

I am losing interest in it. I still watch the big fights but long gone are the days of watching all the broadcasted fights.

I’ll be a filthy casual soon.

This. Back in the day, you wouldn't catch me missing a single card.

These days, minus cards like UFC 217, I can't be bothered to even watch free streams. I just catch the 1 or 2 good fights on each card the day after. The interest just isn't there anymore. I mean look at the next 4 or 5 cards....

 

[Jon Stark]

Stop romanticizing.

It’s as good as it’s ever been.

No it’s not. The MW champ hasn’t defended in 2 years this fall, Conor left, GSP came back and left, Khabib never fights, the number 1 middleweight contender was a fat welterweight (gas) Jones a known cheater is champ, need I say more?

 

[BC]

I feel the same way but it's possible that a part of it is that the fighters we loved watching and were excited about have either retired or aged out and started losing to the younger guy we don't have that same connection with yet.

You would get chills back in the day when Fedor's entrance song would come on the speaker or "It's dark and hell is hot" or "I'm gonna run this town" would come threw the speakers because you were so emotionally invested in these guys and maybe as we and they age that investment is just harder and harder to come by with a whole new crop of competitors.

It's kind of like when the last player you grew up watching is no longer on your favorite hockey team and you have to re learn an entirely new roster, it takes a bit of time to reconnect and get that passion back, at least until the playoffs start anyway (FUCK YOU BOSTON!!!).

But it's possible I'm just rambling and don't really know what I'm talking about, lol.

Thanks for sharing that bud. I echo your thoughts, change just happens over time, it makes you appreciate what once was that much more though.

I’m still a massive MMA fan don’t get me wrong, and I always will be, the golden age though in my opinion was hands down 2006-2011.

 

[TheToqueville]

I watched GSP vs Bisping in an oilfield camp movie room in Canada with about 75 other dudes.

First round the whole room was cheering and yelling feeling GSP taking the edge.

Round two even tho most of the people in that room where casuals at best... they where all Canadians... as the round went on and Bisping started to take over you could feel the worry rising and the hope lowering as GSP was appearing to gas and Bisping was taking over.

Round 3 this hopelessness and disappointment continued to rise and you could feel the tension in the room...

Then the left hook from heaven happened...

The entire theater was on there feet in an instant, screaming, stomping, hiting walls etc

This energy continued to crescendo as GSP took Bispings back and started working the choke...

When Bisping taped the entire room was shaking, complete strangers where hugging and high fiving each other.

I was trying not to cry, growing up with GSP as my hero in my teens/early adulthood.

The next day everyone on site was talking about it and even the hundreds who didn't attend where talking about how they thought there was an earthquake because the entire 600 man camp was shaking during that 3rd round...

I also cried at a bar proudly when Gabriel ko'd Cro Cop with that head kick because in that moment I truley knew anything was possible.

Casuals will never understand these kinds of things.

War GSP
War Bisping
War Gabeiel Gonzaga
War Cro Cop
War MMA

I watched this live at Buffalo Wild Wings and it felt exactly the same....it was packed. The first time in a while that it felt like the cards from the old days. I was pulling for Bisping, but either way it was an amazing night of fights. You just don't see that kind of thing anymore.