In 2001, when the UFC bought to new house owners led by Frank and Lorenzo Ferttita, the promotion held a complete of 5 occasions that includes 80 fights for the whole yr. On the finish of 2023, the UFC held 43 occasions with 520 whole fights, together with 21 title bouts between January and December.
The expansion of the UFC has clearly meant growth each in scale and scope for the occasions but in addition within the sheer quantity of fighters signed to the roster. With Dana White’s Contender Collection routinely including dozens of fighters every year, together with actuality reveals like The Final Fighter and simply necessity requiring additions to assist fill out a mess of occasions with playing cards working virtually each week now, the general variety of athletes underneath contract has ballooned to over 650 in latest months.
UFC welterweight Matt Brown, who earned a spot on the roster again in 2006, remembers what it was like in these days to get the decision that you simply’d be becoming a member of essentially the most prestigious MMA promotion on the earth. It was an achievement simply to name your self a UFC fighter.
In fact that also issues, however Brown can’t assist however discover that it looks like so many fighters as we speak have a a lot simpler check to ace with a purpose to earn a passing grade to achieve entry into the UFC.
“It’s not like I essentially don’t have that respect for the fellows as we speak, however the barrier of entry is a lot decrease now,” Brown defined on the most recent episode of The Fighter vs. The Author. “Once I was developing, the UFC was a dream. It was the Tremendous Bowl. You get to the UFC, you’re the f****** man.
“Now, it’s not that it’s small, it’s not a small feat, however in case you’re an athlete and also you get into MMA and also you prepare exhausting, you’re going to have an opportunity on the UFC. Once I was developing, the prospect to get to the UFC was an enormous factor. Now it’s like everyone will get the prospect now.”
Whilst he coaches fighters at his personal fitness center, Brown struggles to supply the identical recommendation to athletes as we speak that he would have given just some years in the past when the last word aim was attending to the UFC.
“These days, I don’t even know what to inform up and coming fighters,” Brown defined. “They’re like ‘I wish to get 4 or 5 fights after which get to the UFC.’ A pair years in the past, I’d be like don’t be a f****** fool! Now I’m sort of like yeah, you would possibly have the ability to do this.”
In actuality, Brown is aware of a number of fighters get a shot on the UFC to assist fill roster spots because the variety of occasions from yr to yr at all times appears to extend. The issue is a lot of these fighters aren’t actually prepared for that degree of competitors they usually get bounced out after just a few fights.
The problem then turns into doing sufficient to really earn your means again.
“I don’t actually know what to inform them,” Brown mentioned. “You’re additionally not going to be prepared in 4 or 5 fights. In fact, you might have these anomalies, the fellows which are [ready], nevertheless it’s simply such a unique world.”
As a result of there are such a lot of new fighters becoming a member of the UFC on a yearly foundation, it’s getting so much more durable to distinguish one particular person from the following outdoors of the celebs that actually do a very good job standing out from the remainder of the pack.
An enormous variety of new fighters get an opportunity to show themselves within the UFC and that results in a number of inexperienced athletes adorning lots of the occasions all year long. For instance, the upcoming UFC Vegas 89 card options 12 fighters with 4 fights or much less contained in the octagon together with 5 athletes with that resume on the primary card.
Brown admits that within the early days when the Fertitta brothers took over the UFC, everyone was begging for extra occasions however these days it’s almost unimaginable to maintain up.
“These days, not even saying it’s essentially a nasty factor, however we don’t actually give a s***,” Brown mentioned. “Like these [UFC] APEX playing cards, there was one final weekend. I didn’t even realize it was taking place till I believe some folks texted me about it, ‘oh this man did this’ or one thing. I used to be like I didn’t even know there have been fights tonight. I’m simply enjoyable at dwelling watching a f****** film.
“We wished fights each weekend! Like why do we’ve to attend one other f****** two months to observe this battle? Now we’ve acquired it.”
As a result of the group solely continues to develop larger, Brown understands that his issues are in all probability solely going to get met by increasingly fighters being signed to the roster who in all probability aren’t actually prepared for the UFC.
That’s why he tries to supply recommendation to younger fighters that may higher put together them for an opportunity to not solely make it to the UFC however to remain there for greater than just some appearances.
“Folks ask me what’s your recommendation for a younger fighter?” Brown mentioned. “One of many issues, I’ve a complete listing of issues that I say as a result of I’ve been requested this query 10 gazillion instances now, however one of many issues, in case you’re actually critical about it, it’s essential to get the expertise of competitors.
“You could know the best way to compete. The weirdest factor I see these guys are available on a regular basis they usually wish to battle straight to MMA. They’ve by no means accomplished boxing or kickboxing or jiu-jitsu they usually’re like ‘I wish to battle MMA.’ So that you need your first competitors to be essentially the most harmful one with the very best degree of consequence? It doesn’t make any sense, proper? You don’t know the best way to compete.”
Brown additionally advises the following technology of fighters to grasp what they’re entering into when competing in a sport as unforgiving as MMA. Even essentially the most gifted fighters in historical past have confronted super adversity together with the danger that you simply would possibly get knocked out chilly in entrance of tens of millions of individuals watching all over the world.
The cruel actuality that comes together with the game might be the opposite lesson that Brown most hopes he can impart on anyone making an attempt to get into the UFC.
“One of many steps is know your rattling self,” Brown mentioned. “For one, first this isn’t for everyone however second whoever you might be goes to get uncovered while you do go on the market. You’re going to get uncovered in some unspecified time in the future.
“For those who’re not comfy with that publicity, in case you’re insecure about that, you’re going to have a significant downside in some unspecified time in the future.”
Hearken to new episodes of The Fighter vs. The Author each Tuesday with audio solely variations of the podcast out there on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and iHeartRadio
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