Walker vs Canseco is good for MMA.

Sell me on how this would harm the sport. What "damage" would some old timer sports writers not liking the sport do to it anyway?

Talking to Wolf is like talking to a wall sometimes.

You're babbling make believe premises. How would this fight harm the sport really?

You obviously can't read twice I said it would hurt STRIKEFORCE!!! But hey by now I realize there is no rationalizing and we each have our opinion no point in beating a dead horse.

How does it hurt Strikeforce? Brand awareness doesn't hurt anyone.

It hurts SF by giving Dana ammo, with which he will drive into the heads of his UFC legion, who make up the bulk of the MMA audience, that SF is not legit.

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It hurts SF by giving Dana ammo, with which he will drive into the heads of his UFC legion, who make up the bulk of the MMA audience, that SF is not legit.

I could buy that, but he about to sign James Toney, and is giving Kimbo Slice a fight with another former nfl player and a guy Walker would probably walk right through even at his age.

I still think the net benefit of mainstream coverage and interest from non-mma fans would offset any trash some nerds on bloody elbow or sherdog would say.

captain organic wrote:

It hurts SF by giving Dana ammo, with which he will drive into the heads of his UFC legion, who make up the bulk of the MMA audience, that SF is not legit.

As if Dana needs to be "given" ammo to talk shit about Strikeforce. He'd call Fedor a fucking freakshow if it's not in his company.

Who fucking cares what Dana says about Strikeforce? anybody who wants to watch mixed martial arts and is more than just some dumb casual fan who only watches if it's on at the bar...they will watch Strikeforce.

Dana lost all credibility a long time ago when it comes to what he thinks of the competition. People only pay attention to it because it ruffles some feathers here and there...but nobody actually considers the content as any more than mindless shit talk. Especially after the whole Kimblow Slice fiasco.

If Strikeforce hadn't shown themselves to be commited to also finding new skilled fighters, producing quality fights and getting champions that are worthy of their title that would be a valid criticism. But considering by our rankings HW, LHW, and MW has at worst the 3rd best worldwide fighter and at best the number 1 fighter in the weight class in coming title fights, it would be a hard sell for the UFC to convince anyone besides the most staunch of pro-Zuffa Strikeforce haters, which would bag on Fedor and whoever else anyway.

The UFC has no business talking about freakshows at this stage.

As long as it remains a side attraction and not a main event, this could only help MMA and Strikeforce.

If the UFC was the one putting on Walker vs. Nudge and discussing Walker vs. Canseco you'd be singing a completely different tune. I can only imagine your reaction if it was the UFC putting Walker on the main card.

And honestly, you can't act like the UFC does anything remotely close to putting on a freakshow. It may have been difficult to justify giving Brock a title shot at the time, but he backed it up and has since vailidated the fact he is legit. And you can't have it both ways with Randy, fact it he's still competitive. After losing to Brock, he puts on a real close exciting fight with Nog, then strings a couple wins together against Vera and Coleman. Even at 44, he's also legit.

Freakshows bring the wrong kind of attention.

And I loved how Matt Millon came out after the Walker fight saying he wouldn't mind giving MMA at try.

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If the UFC was the one putting on Walker vs. Nudge and discussing Walker vs. Canseco you'd be singing a completely different tune. I can only imagine your reaction if it was the UFC putting Walker on the main card.

Not at all. I never once criticized the UFC for Kimbo and long before everyone accepted him I was on the Kimbo ship. I also want them to sign James Toney. You could go back into my past and find my views on Kimbo and Walker have changed completely from where they were when we chatted at ESPN. I don't mind freakshows at all anymore. I've done a 180. The only thing I still don't like freakshow wise is TUF.

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And honestly, you can't act like the UFC does anything remotely close to putting on a freakshow. It may have been difficult to justify giving Brock a title shot at the time, but he backed it up and has since vailidated the fact he is legit.

Several issues here.

First, perception is reality to the people we're trying to impress or not offend or whatever by making a "mockery of the sport" right?

In that case, giving a pro wrestling champion with a 1-1 UFC record in Lesnar a fight for the HW title in the UFC(note - the highest belt in the sport in it's biggest promotion - the biggest and most prestigious belt in the entire sport) against a 45 year old man just feels more freakshowish than two former athletes competing on an undercard to any observer who doesn't have their finger on the pulse of MMA, the very mythical demographic we're walking on "freakshow eggshells" around. No one like that knows/gives a shit really about his NCAA past, that isn't why he got his shot or gets eyeballs. To casuals and outsiders, he is just a pro-wrestler, and Randy is a 45 year old man. The fact old guys still hold titles or fight for title shots like in Coleman/Couture reflects worse on the real athletes in the sport that sideshow attractions like Kimbo and Walker.

The UFC isn't Strikeforce, and I don't see why we should hold them to the same standards. The UFC should be held to the higher standard. They are the flagship promotion of MMA, while Strikeforce is the little guy trying to make some noise.

But besides the point, the UFC has done nearly the exact same thing. If building a reality show around the already exposed street brawler Kimbo Slice and a bunch of washed up second string NFL practice squaders isn't a freakshow, I don't know what is. This is the same reality show where people pee in eachothers fruit.

Kimbo, the original freakshow everyone hated, is fighting an 1-0 NFL washout with half the athleticism that even a 47 year old Walker has. How the hell is that any different?


What really reflects bad on the sport is when you have two ancient guys who are clearly over the hill and not competitive with the young, fast and hard punching guys that make up the LHW division headlining a card for a supposed title shot. Then only to cut the loser because they're too old all of a sudden?

The UFC has bigger freakshows.

I did say it was hard to justify giving Brock that title shot, but the point is moot, he won the belt, and then defended it in brutal fashion against a consensus top 5.

Randy 's age is simply a number at this point, like I said, since losing to Brock he's went toe to toe with another top 5 HW and won two straight. Did Shogun destroy Coleman like Randy did? And these old guys are former champs and all-time greats.

Kimbo has freakshow qualities, but less so then when he was in EliteXC. Dana said no way does he get in the UFC unless he competes on TUF, and he did so, boosting the ratings much to Dana's pleasure. But he already had fights under his belt, and he wasn't put on the main card of a big event immediately was he? No, he competed on TUF first, then was put on the Finale, much like many other TUFers have before. And at this point Kimbo is a real fighter (might not be good) these are your words.

On TUF, not seeing how it's a freakshow. How many great fighters and some UFC Champs have come out of TUF? Only in the most recent season did they deviate from the original TUF model. They brought in some former football pro's just to see if they had any game, and what did they find out? they don't. If anything the most recent season gave true fighters more credabilty, as the most talented fighter with the most experience cruised to become TUF.

Of the new viewers who tuned in to watch SF because of Walker, do you think that many of them remember any of the fighters names besides Walker and the fact it took place in SF?

I'm gonna laugh when regardless of opponent Walker's next fight is on the main card again. Why not Matt Millon?

I'm moving on from this thread, think what you want Wolfy

Tons of long term MMA fans have been created thanks to Kimbo and Brock, why not Walker?