Do You Like MMA?

[Jason X]

It has often been said that Pro Wrestling and Mixed Martial Arts have similar fan bases.

Ever since sometime in the early-to-mid 2000's, MMA has been continually shoved down the throats of Wrestling fans. Everybody decided that since Dave Meltzer writes about UFC in The Wrestling Observer then wrestling fans must love MMA, after all they're they same thing, right? So now every site, source, and show for Wrestling discussion thinks that they have to cover MMA too.

Except try as they might, they have been unable to snare me. I don't like MMA. Every once in a while I'll stop on a fight during MMA's seemingly round-the-clock coverage now on basic Cable, hoping to see what everybody else sees in it. After 3 to 5 minutes of rolling around on the mat, fighting for control of a forearm and dry humping the air horn sounds to end the round and I change the channel, never once giving so much as a second thought to who may have won that boring bout of man-mounting.

[dombag85]

the whole, wrestling and mma are pretty much the same thing argument is stupid. i happen to really like both. that's like saying, 'oh you like hockey??? then you must like baseball' they swing a stick and the similarities end there. i still prefer wrestling, when it's done right, to me it's better than pretty much every sport, except hockey

[The Pod-Father!]

I think they obviously have an overlap in audience, and they both fall under the umbrella of "Combat Sports & Entertainment"...But I do think there are some distinct differences in the fanbases.

I like MMA...But I think much like the WWE's dominance hurt the wrestling industry, UFC's virtual monopoly is stifiling the growth of MMA.

[carmichael]

Apr 17, 2012 11:57:35 GMT -5 dombag85 said:

the whole, wrestling and mma are pretty much the same thing argument is stupid. i happen to really like both. that's like saying, 'oh you like hockey??? then you must like baseball' they swing a stick and the similarities end there. i still prefer wrestling, when it's done right, to me it's better than pretty much every sport, except hockey

They are very close though, as they both make money through building up fights using a variety of stories and angles.

[hitmanmike1]

I like UFC as much as I like WWE. If you ask the hardcore UFC fan they will say UFC can't do no wrong even if we can see the flaws. UFC is far from perfect and even they can have the odd stinker of a PPV. There TV specials is either a hit or a miss. Dana White is a lot like Vince where Dana has in a sense cleaned out the smaller MMA promotions which there isn't any competition for UFC. I loved Pride till it went under.

[Greg U]

I am not a fan of MMA at all and I was very disappointed when The LAW started covering it.

[Andrew O'Donnell]

Love MMA.

[Gee Hall]

If the guys are charismatic, they get my attention in any sport.

[Jack Raines]

I really don't like MMA at all. I just can't get into it.

[Reed Benzo]

I've gone back and forth on MMA. I remember when I first joined F4W Online as a subscriber, I was annoyed at all the MMA talk on the podcasts when I just wanted wrestling. After a short while, I got interested in MMA and enjoyed the mixture during the discussions. A couple years after that, I lost interest in wrestling and, though I sort of followed it because of the podcasts, I focused on watching MMA and following MMA news.

These days, my interest in wrestling has been rekindled and I'm cold on MMA. I don't mind hearing talk about it, but I can't decide whether or not I have moral qualms with a sport where the ultimate goal is to hurt another person. In wrestling, as in fiction, it's not (supposed to be) real violence, so it satiates my desire to watch fighting while allowing me the comfort of knowing that the fighters are actually working together.

[A-Rob]

YES! YES! YES!

[joeld]

I stopped watching wrestling around 2 years ago. I still follow what's going on through the podcast but don't watch any of it. Basically the Katie Vick angle is where I mentally checked out. I started watching wrestling with WM1 and after the end of the Monday night wars it was a slow deterioration to where we are now. It would take something huge to get me to watch again, I barely find time to watch anything nowadays.

[dante]

It might depend on why you like pro wrestling. I love the characters and the entertainment of pro wrestling, but I also have a thing for the technical and tactical aspects, like ("real") wrestling and grappling. I always mark out a little when I see original and well performed transitions and counters. By that means, pro wrestling and MMA is pretty much the same, though weighted very differently.

They can both deliver well on the entertainment/storyline side or on the sports side. But the thing is, they are both pretty much depending on delivering both aspects to be on their peaks.

[Jay Crisp]

I go through phases where I watch intently for awhile , but it doesn't have my full attention like wrestling does.I am not the most knowledgeable on the subject of MMA.
Maybe that's why I can't get dragged in 110% , I simply do not know everyone and maybe if I gave it a longer run of watching I'd like it more or maybe not.

I also have to get out of the wrestling mentality when watching , like thinking why are they fighting oh because they were told to..or he's champ he's #1 contender simple right.

[Michael savemgs G]

love it