Comments on: No Country For Old Fighters http://www.total-mma.com/2009/03/25/no-country-for-old-fighters/ Completing the perspective on Mixed Martial Arts Sun, 12 Feb 2012 06:57:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Fraser http://www.total-mma.com/2009/03/25/no-country-for-old-fighters/#comment-25262 Fraser Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:34:44 +0000 http://www.total-mma.com/?p=615#comment-25262 Excellent article, and I too am intrigued by the new stars vs. old stars question. We're really at a point in MMA where we have never been before due to the young history of teh sport where a LOT of the marquee fighters of the past are no longer able to be at that top level of competition. Realistically Sakuraba, Hughes, Liddell, Wanderlei, Couture, Coleman, Ken Shamrock, CroCop are all guys who used to be top contenders and just aren't anymore. But they can still draw, and that's the catch. I'd say the most similar experience from the past is when the UFC lost Shamrock, Gracie, and Severn in the early years. Granted there were significant other factors at play there, but at the end of the day, with those major names gone, the UFC very nearly died. We're not at that level anymore, as the sport is better established, but I can easily see Zuffa looking at the past and being hesitant to close the doors on their old guard. But if they look at the past, they should probably look outside their own past as well. There's plenty of reasons not to compare MMA to pro wrestling, but in terms of promoting stars and the struggle between old and new, wrestling has some lessons to impart. The graveyard of wrestling promotions is littered with companies that never found that balance and held onto their aging stars clear to the grave. I don't think Zuffa is headed down that road, but I do hope they are using caution in finding that balance. Excellent article, and I too am intrigued by the new stars vs. old stars question. We’re really at a point in MMA where we have never been before due to the young history of teh sport where a LOT of the marquee fighters of the past are no longer able to be at that top level of competition. Realistically Sakuraba, Hughes, Liddell, Wanderlei, Couture, Coleman, Ken Shamrock, CroCop are all guys who used to be top contenders and just aren’t anymore. But they can still draw, and that’s the catch.

I’d say the most similar experience from the past is when the UFC lost Shamrock, Gracie, and Severn in the early years. Granted there were significant other factors at play there, but at the end of the day, with those major names gone, the UFC very nearly died. We’re not at that level anymore, as the sport is better established, but I can easily see Zuffa looking at the past and being hesitant to close the doors on their old guard.

But if they look at the past, they should probably look outside their own past as well. There’s plenty of reasons not to compare MMA to pro wrestling, but in terms of promoting stars and the struggle between old and new, wrestling has some lessons to impart. The graveyard of wrestling promotions is littered with companies that never found that balance and held onto their aging stars clear to the grave. I don’t think Zuffa is headed down that road, but I do hope they are using caution in finding that balance.

]]>