MMA & UFC General - Featuring Bellator MMA & Rizin Fighting Federation

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trent said:
That was a woeful event from top to bottom.
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I made a lot of money betting on it so I am not complaining. Undercard of shitty fight night cards are full of terrible lines if you do research. I got some picks for next weekend, too, since it's a pretty shitty card full of a lot of no-name guys.

I went 5-2 and would've gone 7-2 had I bet on Brady and Thainara like I was going to. I saw a lot of value in the lines and thought I was delusional so I limited myself more than I normally would. I got screwed on that Tybura/Parkin decision or I'd have been 6-1, too. Only real bad bet I made was Nelson which I was not confident in and shouldn't have placed and instead placed Brady.

Chris Duncan being a +280 underdog was the biggest "wtf" in the world. Should've been a -280 favorite to anyone who did research
 
Honestly Cain made out like a bandit. Only 5 years, and he got time served credit for his home confinement, is about the best deal he could realistically have hoped for.
 
Probably late, but it's now confirmed that Artem Vakhitov, the former Glory kickboxing champion, has declined the UFC offer because "the numbers have not satisfied their standards"

“… Unfortunately, when it came time to make the UFC contract, it transpired that the UFC has very strict conditions regarding fighters who come through DWCS. According to UFC protocols, they were not able to offer me more than the standard contract offered to all fighters who progress through this show. … My team attempted to negotiate, but the UFC rules were strict, and no changes were possible.”
https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2025/03/ufc-news-artem-vakhitov-return-kickboxing-glory

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I know UFC has always been like this but it still sadden me to see that D*na would rather fill the roster with 100 bums from china and obese fatties than signing real athletes. Business geniuses my ass.
 
Bakachev said:
Probably late, but it's now confirmed that Artem Vakhitov, the former Glory kickboxing champion, has declined the UFC offer because "the numbers have not satisfied their standards"

“… Unfortunately, when it came time to make the UFC contract, it transpired that the UFC has very strict conditions regarding fighters who come through DWCS. According to UFC protocols, they were not able to offer me more than the standard contract offered to all fighters who progress through this show. … My team attempted to negotiate, but the UFC rules were strict, and no changes were possible.”
https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2025/03/ufc-news-artem-vakhitov-return-kickboxing-glory

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I know UFC has always been like this but it still sadden me to see that D*na would rather fill the roster with 100 bums from china and obese fatties than signing real athletes. Business geniuses my ass.
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I would rather see Rico and Artem kickbox than Alex and Artem kickbox in MMA gloves.
Speaking of which:
Rodtang may actually be immune to CTE.
 
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DWCS is so bad for MMA. D*na is just using it as a feeder to find the next Sean O’Malley, while everyone else who “wins” (but doesn’t have the “star power”) gets offered an insidious contract, but they’ll take them because the UFC is the best, right? I don’t care about names, personally. I just like good fights. If someone puts on a good show, I’ll watch their next bout. The incessant need for personalities with combat sports is going to kill it.
 
Looney Troons said:
DWCS is so bad for MMA. D*na is just using it as a feeder to find the next Sean O’Malley, while everyone else who “wins” (but doesn’t have the “star power”) gets offered an insidious contract, but they’ll take them because the UFC is the best, right? I don’t care about names, personally. I just like good fights. If someone puts on a good show, I’ll watch their next bout. The incessant need for personalities with combat sports is going to kill it.
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I do think that names are important if they are well established elites from other promotions. UFC these days doesn't seem to even pretend they are having the best anymore, they do seriously value established names such as Artem and Doumbe as much as 5'7 Asian cans from Road to UFC, which hasn't even produced any single legit prospect yet and likely never will.
 
Bakachev said:
I do think that names are important if they are well established elites from other promotions. UFC these days doesn't seem to even pretend they are having the best anymore, they do seriously value established names such as Artem and Doumbe as much as 5'7 Asian cans from Road to UFC, which hasn't even produced any single legit prospect yet and likely never will.
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The answer is no. It’s the brand that’s important to them now over the “stars”. They don’t seem to know how to develop stars themselves anymore. All try and copy the O’Malley recipe which is stick him on PPV main card spots vs shit fighters or very favourable style fights and the hope they get a finish and push.

Did this with O’Malley, kinda worked. Trying this with Bo Nickal, not working so far because he sucks. Trying it with Pyfer as well to a lesser degree. Just seem to decide “oh this is a guy we want to be big - let’s do this”.

And the established names they pick up - all old. Pitbull at this stage? MVP? They are all geriatric at this point.
 
Bakachev said:
I do think that names are important if they are well established elites from other promotions. UFC these days doesn't seem to even pretend they are having the best anymore, they do seriously value established names such as Artem and Doumbe as much as 5'7 Asian cans from Road to UFC, which hasn't even produced any single legit prospect yet and likely never will.
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What it is turning into is a farming system like baseball. DWCS is almost like the draft combine to see if you are viable at all. Then they put you into the minors (unranked apex fights), until you finally break through to the majors (ranked fighters). It didn't always feel like that but they need to keep up their weekly fight quota. They flood the minors (unranked fights) with cans fed from DWCS. I really wonder if with a new Netflix/ESPN deal if they stop the weekly events and do more exciting cards but less often.
Bakachev said:
“… Unfortunately, when it came time to make the UFC contract, it transpired that the UFC has very strict conditions regarding fighters who come through DWCS. According to UFC protocols, they were not able to offer me more than the standard contract offered to all fighters who progress through this show. … My team attempted to negotiate, but the UFC rules were strict, and no changes were possible.”
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Lmao I see why they do this, they basically make a salary cap for ANYBODY coming through DWCS. And it's easy to justify "well you are a kickboxer not an mma fighter, we have to know if you are viable first". I think the biggest reason Dana wants people to come in through DWCS is to sell the success of DWCS (Jamall Hill being first champ from DWCS), and to downplay the other orgs. Thing is, if you want people invested in fighters, you HAVE to hype them up and low key hype up other orgs. With Artem you kind of have to hype up glory to make Artem look good. "He was the champ in the BEST kickboxing promotion". Dana doesn't wanna do that.
 
Bakachev said:
IMO a mismatch and I'd rather see Alex vs Artem instead. Still this will never happen in the future because D*na would rather promote powerslap.
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Rico is probably going to bulldoze Artem (6'1" vs. 6'5") if it's an openweight or heavyweight fight.

Still, I would be surprised if Glory paid Artem less than $100k to go on that suicide mission, compared to the 12/12 + two free PowerSlap tickets he was offered for being a 'Contender.'
Looney Troons said:
DWCS is so bad for MMA.
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TUF > DWCS. Prove me wrong (Spoiler: You can't).
The reason Dana & Co. prefer DWCS is that they have better control of the match-ups and outcomes than in TUF where somebody they don't like can come out of nowhere and beat the newest DWP prospect. Then you have the malcontents/independents who the fans love but the company brass don't (Nick Diaz/Tony Ferguson/Matt Serra).
Slimy Time said:
All try and copy the O’Malley recipe which is stick him on PPV main card spots vs shit fighters or very favourable style fights and the hope they get a finish and push.

Did this with O’Malley, kinda worked. Trying this with Bo Nickal, not working so far because he sucks. Trying it with Pyfer as well to a lesser degree. Just seem to decide “oh this is a guy we want to be big - let’s do this”.
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O'Malley is just a copy of the Conor McGregor formula (never stop being hilarious that he got a title shot off of beating Denis Siver and facing no wrestlers).

But the recipe has failed more often than it has worked (Sage Northcutt, Paige VanZant, Roger Huerta, Brandon Vera).

Bo Penny's fanbase consists almost exclusively of 'Freestyle Wrestling Is The God-Tier of Martial Arts" fanboys who ignore that he was absolutely terrified of getting on the ground against Paul Craig.
 
Pentex said:
Bo Penny's fanbase consists almost exclusively of 'Freestyle Wrestling Is The God-Tier of Martial Arts" fanboys who ignore that he was absolutely terrified of getting on the ground against Paul Craig.
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His career has been shocking given how much he insists on being pushed like he’s some Topuria level talent. Debut where he can’t get a guy down with the wrestling until he knees him in the balls.

Craig fight where he has no striking game at all (a leap in with strike or takedown game, without the takedown) followed by him seething at the crowd that “you can’t knock everyone out at this level”…my dude this is Paul Craig, you can chin him with ease.

If he was some average prospect this wouldn’t be a concern but they are so desperate to push him to be something he’s not equipped to be.
 
Val Bach the Cobbler said:
Lmao I see why they do this, they basically make a salary cap for ANYBODY coming through DWCS.
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Imagine getting to the pinnacle of your sport after years of dedication and skill. They tell you that the contracts are ready to be signed. You look at them and there is a penalty for being in the minor leagues that limits your pay to $12K with $12K extra if you win. Meaning if you fight twice per year and lose, including losing because of bad referring or corrupt judges, you make $24K per year. This $24K does not cover your trainers and coaches, agent or manager, and has limited health coverage because you are an 'independent contractor'.
 
TheHarbinger said:
Imagine getting to the pinnacle of your sport after years of dedication and skill. They tell you that the contracts are ready to be signed. You look at them and there is a penalty for being in the minor leagues that limits your pay to $12K with $12K extra if you win. Meaning if you fight twice per year and lose, including losing because of bad referring or corrupt judges, you make $24K per year. This $24K does not cover your trainers and coaches, agent or manager, and has limited health coverage because you are an 'independent contractor'.
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The funniest thing is that they have no problem hyping up kickboxing journeymen like Ulberg and Prates while threat Doumbe, a former Glory champ, like shit. Feel like it was almost intentional.
 
East_Clintwood said:
Honestly Cain made out like a bandit. Only 5 years, and he got time served credit for his home confinement, is about the best deal he could realistically have hoped for.
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I think it helped that he was a Mexican in California. Combined that with the fact that his intended victim was charged for child sex crimes, I'm guessing they were worried about a sympathetic jury using jury nullification and that it was better to get a small win instead of trying (and possibly failing) to make an example out of him.
 
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