Does anyone care Justin Willis (8-2) is released from the UFC for not taking Wilt Harris this summer? Does anyone care Elias Theodorou (8-3) was cut because of a lackluster couple of fights? Here’s why you should.
You have to take risks to be exciting in the cage. You also have to WIN. There’s no longer a three strikes and you’re out policy. That’s OVER. Now all it takes is ONE. The UFC’s fuck or walk policy is seen as a motivator.
Put yourself in their shoes. You’re walking out of the arena. Thousands of fans screaming at you. You know you have to win this fight. If you don’t showcase a spectacle you might not get inside this cage again. If you don’t knock out your opponent, you’re fired. If you get knocked out you’re fired. If you win a boring decision, YOU’RE FIRED.
Imagine a young GSP in this scenario. He would be CUT in today’s landscape. This is not the only deterrent. The UFC does not take kindly if you are injured and want to opt out of a fight. Ask Conor who was forces to fight Khabib while injured. What did he get in the end? Praise for being brave? Just a one way ticket to Palookaville.
What if ... you win? You win so much, your record CANNOT be denied. You have to fight for the title or there will be riots on the streets. Ask Tony Ferguson. He will tell you all about that...
The UFC has always tried to balance sport and spectacle but now the scales have TIPPED. Endeavor (company that owns UFC) is going public with an IPO. What does that mean? So many things... Imagine Warren Buffet owning a large share and DEMANDING they bring back Mighty Mouse. That’s the kind uncertain future the sport faces.
Will Smith’s invisible hand guide the UFC to new heights? Or will the bottom line hurt the development of the new generation of fighters?
The only problem with your hypothesis is there have been quite a few "Exciting" fighters that will have 3 losses in a row and not get cut.
If you put on a show, swing for the fences, and answer all calls for a fight, then you can lose 3 in a row and not be cut. If you loose and rack up FON bonuses you don't get cut.
There are 2 aspects to this sport.
1) The "purity" aspect of the sport. Some fans, but mostly fighters, gyms and trainers care about this. This is the idea that the "best" holds the belt, and the next "best" fights that person. This aspect of the sport can be summed up with the idea that champions should be linear. They are the guy, who beat the guy, who beat the guy.
2) The "Entertainment" aspect of the sport. The company care most about this, and most fans are taken in by it. This is the part of the sport that comes with "selling" and "promoting" fights. This is what drives revenue, this is how people get paid big money, this is what expands the fan base and this is what the company is most concerned with. There will always be fighters who can control and hold down the best of the best for 15 minutes. But not everyone cares about that, barely anyone wants to see it, and certainly even less people want to pay for it.
Balancing these 2 things is vital to big paydays, audiences and the like. There is a reason there is no career path for college wrestlers in wrestling, if they want to use their skills as a career they have WWE or MMA... because no one wants to see wrestling. A promotion company has a delicate balance to keep. There is no room for fighters back peddling and making public statements they don't want to hurt people. There is no room for fighters who can't make their contractual weight limit in 60 days.
I don't care that Theodorou was cut, I don't care to watch his fights. There is life outside the UFC and if he starts making a claim for greatness we will see him again. If he continues with the same "don't fight to win, fight not to lose" mantra then it is likely he won't be around in any org much longer. I have been saying this since Jon Fitch was cut, I don't care who you can beat, if I start looking at my phone or going for snacks while your fight is on then you have failed to entertain me. Elias is good, but he didn't engage in the fight, how do you promote a guy like that?
I just think too many people forget the UFC is a promotional company, not a preserver of the purity of the sport. Everyone who has tried to start an org where that is the focus over entertainment has died. This isn't the NFL where the teams with the best records play each other for the title. Sometimes I want it to be, but for things like this I am ok with it. Like I said these guys can all make a comeback in other orgs and get new contracts. They need to reboot some things though and I think this is the best way for the UFC to impress that fact on them. The roster is too thick as it is.
