5 Biggest Problems in Mixed Martial Arts Today Part one: Fighter Pay and Performance Enhancing Drugs

The Sport of Mixed Martial Arts is often praised by its fans for being the fastest growing, most exciting and complex sport in the world. However, if asked, many fans will admit that the sport is far from perfect. It is a very young sport and it has multiple organisational and infrastructural flaws which we will look into today.

Problem number 1: Fighter Pay

Low fighter pay is perhaps the biggest problem in the sport today. An undercard fighter who earns 10 grand a fight before tax and fights three times a year (if he/she is lucky) can hardly make a living.

Participating in one of the hardest sports in the world and taking risks in training every day for so little money in hope that everything will go extremely well and perhaps one day 10,000 dollars a fight will turn into 100 grand does not seem like the most clever career option for a young person. There are examples of fighters who realised that the risk is not worth it and have retired very early into their MMA careers. Last year an undefeated Bellator Heavyweight champion Cole Konrad retired at the age of 28. The fighter decided to take up a job with the North Central Trading where he started working as a financial trader specialising in milk products.

One of the Greatest Champions of All Times and a New Superstar

For the first time in his career Jon Jones, in his match up against Alexander Gustafsson has been put in a fight which did not provide him with a comfortable control of the distance.

Staying in the pocket often complemented sweede’s style and staying outside just proved what an important factor the size of Gustafsson was in this fight.  Alex’s constant target reaching jabs, wonderful footwork and unbelievable wrestling defence in his fight for the Light-heavyweight title of the world has shocked the community of Mixed Martial Arts. Behold, a new superstar has emerged.

Chris Weidman and His Dubious Train of Hype

With UFC 162 fast approaching the organisation is trying to sell Chris Weidman as an unbeaten phenom, a perfect storm to blow away the most dominant champion in the history of the sport. While it sounds very exciting, the reality is quite different. Numerous fans have expressed negative opinions on Weidman as a contender to the Middleweight title. Today we will examine the legitimacy of Chris Weidman as a number one contender.

Chris Weidman is being advertised as a young talent with a whole glorified career ahead of him. With only 9 professional fights on his record it may appear to be true, however in reality he is already 29 years old. In the MMA of today, a fighter in his late twenties is usually only a couple of years away of reaching the hay day of his career. Compared to a 23 year old welterweight Rory MacDonald who at the moment arguably does not get half of the hype Weidman is getting, he should be a seasoned veteran in the fast evolving environment of today’s mixed martial arts. However, Chris is not a veteran, he has a decent 9-0 record with 5 UFC victories, but at the moment his career leaves an impression that the contender has not been tested at the highest levels of the competition. 

The Ethics of Testosterone Replacement Therapy in Mixed Martial Arts

It is natural that a human body slows down in its mid-thirties. It is also as natural that some elite athletes will not be excited to accept the fact that they will not be able to practice and perform at the same pace and level as before. That is where the question whether something about it could be done arises. When natural methods seem to be inefficient, and steroids are unhealthy, risky, unethical and flatline stupid, an athlete may realise that retirement may be the best solution to his/her issue. However, it can be a hard decision to make to some athletes, especially in a sport like Mixed Martial Arts where fighter’s financial security is more of an exception than a rule.

Fortunately to some, a magical way to slow down the aging process has been found. Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) has proven to be a go to move for the fighters who have either made a decision to prolong their careers, have normal lives or even stay alive. Fighters such as Chael Sonnen, Frank Mir, Dan Henderson and Forrest Griffin have gotten exemptions that allow them to use testosterone therapy and have formed an infamous TRT club of mixed martial arts.

A Different Look at Jon Jones’ Defensive Strategy: Can Mixed Martial Arts be Compared to Basketball?

The shenanigans that have surrounded the cancellation of UFC 151 event in Las Vegas have not been seen in the world of MMA in a very long time.  A wave of criticism has been launched at Jon Jones and his coach Greg Jackson for not accepting the short notice fight against Chael Sonnen. While it is very easy to attack the hesitant champion who has probably wasted months of training and thousands of dollars of fellow fighters, dozens of dozens of their training partners and coaches and ruined the weekend of thousands of fans, the following article will suggest taking a look at the situation from a different angle. The question is whether Jones should care about the other fighters and the fans. The proud Christian is in this sport for money after all.

What is Next for the Winner of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Tournament?

The Strikeforce heavyweight tournament has finally ended and we have got a winner. It is safe to say that the victory in the Grand Prix puts Daniel Cormier in the top five of the heavyweight rankings, which could mean that it is about time for him to fight for the UFC title. However, that will not happen yet as Strikeforce (SF) and its host – Showtime have signed the winner of the tournament to have one last fight in Strikeforce. That means that the number one contender for the UFC heavyweight title could very possibly be determined in the Cormier's last fight in SF. ZUFFA have decided to shut Strikeforce's heavyweight division down and send their best heavyweight talent to the UFC. The main question now is who will be Daniel's opponent as at the moment he is the only heavyweight on the Strikeforce roster. It appears that ZUFFA has only two options – they can either bring one of UFC's elite heavyweights, or get a serious free agent to face Daniel Cormier.