Mike Brown not impressed with UFC trend to entertainment over merit

Mixed martial arts began as a serious, sober effort to prove Jiu-Jitsu was the world’s dominant martial art, via sporting matches with the least rules possible. Almost immediately it became a spectacle promising that for $14.95 that “anything can happen, and probably will.” Even death.

Then it moved hard towards a sport. In a real sport, championships are determined on merit. The New England Patriots made the Super Bowl because they beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, not because they sell the most apparel, and were likely to get the largest television audience.

The UFC is under pressure to realize a return on a four billion dollar investment, and the balance is tipping increasingly towards entertainment. Saturday will crown the inaugural women’s belt at 145. It will be contested by bantamweight Holly Holm, who is on a two-fight losing streak, vs. the #10 ranked contender at bantamweight Germaine de Randamie. This fight makes a little sense at 135, at 145 it doesn’t. For a belt in a higher weight division, it makes less sense than a football bat. But title fights make money.

ATT coach Mike Brown is now retired, hasn’t fought in three years, and is in New York to corner Denis Poirier vs. Jim Miller. In a conversation with Chuck Mindenhall for MMA Fighting, Brown said he is not impressed with the change.

I think it used to be you would find it was 80 percent merit, and 20 percent entertainment/money to make the fights, he told MMA Fighting at the UFC 208 Ultimate Media Day. Now I think that it’s almost 80 percent money [rather than] than the merit of who deserves the fight. I honestly didn’t see it coming so quickly.

That was not something I was very good at myself, so I’m not the best guy to give advice in that department. I used to look at [it] this way. I remember when, in small shows coming up, promoters would ask me, ‘would you sell tickets’ or whatever, and I’d say, ‘Absolutely not. I’m the fighter, you’re the promoter, I’ll do the fighting and you be the promoter.’

But I didn’t realize how important it is. You see guys who are so good at it, you see them rewarded very well for it. So there is something to it.

It’s so in the opposite direction in the sport of wrestling. In wrestling you’re taught to be humble, to wrestle your match, and don’t celebrate, and get out. That’s what’s been ingrained in your head for so long. And then now, it’s now you want to put on a show and be cocky.

I still love the sport of course. I wish it was more merit and we knew exactly what was going on, and that if you beat this guy you’ll get this, and this will get you a title shot, or a No. 1 contender always fought for a title.

Even the rankings are made sometimes off the popularity. It’s more about how many Instagram followers you have than your skill set.”