why arn't we seeing more ufc fighters who started mma as kids

[GiSP]

what is the closest to all around mma fighter at a high level who started training in itleast four different combat disiplines as a kid

Maycee Barber might be a great example of an up and coming real good fighter that as far as I know is exactly what this thread is about. Trained mma from the start.

Even now where I live in Edmonton Canada traditional martial arts studios still get the lion’s share of the students that are kids. They cater more to kids. I can’t remember even seeing a full mma gym here til after 2005.

 

[ImmigrantMentality]

Because of the gym costs, the majority of kids you see training are from well off middle class families, the gyms know this so they aren't really trying to build these kids up like real fighters the way you'd see a boxing gym in the inner city or a muay thai gym in Thailand train their kids. The trainings really watered down, day care type stuff otherwise a lot of these middle class families would run off and take their kid somewhere else. On top of all that, a lot of these kids have other options, so they just focus on other things when they get older, unlike poor kids who grow up boxing and don't really have other options.

 

[THEfightsAREfixed]

What age do you guys think these Brazilians start training at?

Vitor Belfort is a great example of how Brazil was already doing this for a while.

 

[Congo66]

It should be happening but the fact that it's not makes no real sense. Even if you go by TUF and 2005, why aren't there 20-23 year olds who started in MMA gyms at 7-10 after seeing TUF?

Other sports have an official structures and governing bodies but MMA has nothing really just a few promoters. The UFC and Bellator exist for the UFC and Bellator and not for MMA.
AIBA exists for boxing for example (ignore it's current problems) and it coordinates with USA boxing and the other countries boxing organisations to get fighters to the Olympics and then onto the Pros. MMA has nothing similar so it's just a chaotic free for all.

 

[Benedict XVI]

Because MMA isn't a real sport and it can't get you a college scholarship, dumb ass.

 

[Tylerl90]

Kids are more likely to focus on one "thing" rather than the whole of "mixed martial arts."

Wrestling is a good example.

 

[nebulousned]

nothing but admiration to those who do compete but thank god i have alternate career paths than competing

 

[justbetter]

I remember my first MMA class. 12 out of the 20 kids there said NFL/NBA are better paying so they all left and became pro athlete multi-millionaires.