MMA questions

[Jordan]

I have been learning a lot about MMA as of late in particular Pride and UFC, I can't decide which I like better. But none the less I am curious which companies are the top and in what general order... like a few years ago maybe it was WWF, WCW, New Japan, All Japan, ECW, AAA.... something like that. I just want to know which promotion has the best fighters and their rival promotions, things like that. Any help is appreciated.

[HeartBreakMan2k]

UFC is the biggest, Pride and UFC are now the same company so talent pool is a moot point.

[Jordan]

How about King of the Cage, Bodog Fight, and Pancrase, are there any other big ones?

[McLegend]

No none of them are big.

Bodog should be bigger then it is, but it's not casue they are dumb and have no idea how to advertise.

[HeartBreakMan2k]

Yeah, nothing else is of noteworthy site. IFL is growing after years of being an unknown. King of the Cage had a small surge at the start of UFC getting large (mostly due to association with UFC from people assuming they were the same) Bodog could be big but as mentioned don't advertise and market the wrong matches. Pancrase could be big, but it's so much tamer than the rest atm that it never will

[Rob]

Just stick to UFC and Pride for now. K-1/Heroes do MMA shows too including a huge one in June with Brock Lesnar's MMA debut (probably before he signs with UFC) and the long awaited Royce Gracie vs. Kazushi Sakuraba rematch.

[Apocolyptik1]

WEC is another rising promotion. They are to UFC like Ohio Valley is to WWE Jordan.

Really, you dont have to follow anything else, because all those other promotions are just wading grounds (or really seperating grounds) for fighters wanting to get into Pride Worldwide or UFC.

[Rob]

WEC isn't like Ohio Valley. It's not a feeder group. It's a group for smaller fighters.

[Apocolyptik1]

WEC isn't like Ohio Valley. It's not a feeder group. It's a group for smaller fighters.

Yea, that is owned by the Zuffa LLC. It is very much a feeder group.

[Rob]

How is it a feeder group? Aside from a few welterweights, nobody in WEC fights in a weight division in the UFC. If they used the 5 UFC weight classes, it could be a feeder group. But it doesn't and it's not.

[Apocolyptik1]

How is it a feeder group? Aside from a few welterweights, nobody in WEC fights in a weight division in the UFC. If they used the 5 UFC weight classes, it could be a feeder group. But it doesn't and it's not.

They do use all the weight divisions the UFC uses, and they have weight classes they dont use. They have lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, light heavy, and heavy. People that fight in the UFC wont fight in WEC, thats going down a step. You send people to WEC from the UFC if they are not doing so well. John Alessio, Joe Riggs, Jason Miller, Brian Gassaway and Jamie Varner to name a few. Its the people that step up from WEC to fight in the UFC that makes it a feeder group. They have names in WEC that will eventually fight in the UFC. Guys like Urijah Faber, (whom could gain 10 pounds easily and be in UFC's lightweight division) Brock Larson, and Carlos Condit could easily move into the UFC after some exposure in WEC.

We will see more people in the future move from WEC to UFC. The organization itself isnt very old. The argument is moot anyways, because any smaller organization outside of UFC and Pride would be considered a feeder group. People eventually all want to end up in those organizations. Unless the UFC stays with the 5 aforementioned weights, I could see half of WEC's roster end up in UFC. Its like the foundation of their feather and bantam weight classes.