Fighter's number of fights per year... UFC vs PRIDE

Things don't quite ever add up for a certain promoters argument's.

I also keep hearing the mantra "the best meet the best 3 - 4 times year from him. It's more like 2 times and many times just barely. The fans are getting screwed by the watered down UFC cards because of this. Especially if you're there live or paying for the PPV's. I'm sure the name fighters would also love to get 1 or 2 more paychecks per year.



UFC - Number Of Fights Per Year
Anderson: 2.8
GSP: 2.8
JDS: 2.7
Lesnar: 2.4
Cain: 2.3
Couture: 2.1


Pride - Number Of Fights Per Year
Big Nog: 4.8
CroCop: 4.8
Overeem: 4.7
Sakuraba: 4.2
Wandy: 4.1
Fedor: 3.8



Zuffa has a set budget of 5%, 10%, or 15% of event gross for labor costs. This has to be the most profitable major sports business model in the world. For sure it is from a profit margin perspective. Probably by 2X, 3X, or more. Thus, you'll never see stacked cards with top draws like JDS, Cain, Lesnar, Silva, & GSP on the same card. In PRIDE you got this kind of depth with top-tier stars every event.

I guess I should get over all this as this is the much evolved new era of MMA with it's new breed of fighters.

Very good thread Dagwood. You just busted another myth.

Let's not forget that guys like Fedor for example were still fighting in other sports while all this happened too, which bring things to another level, since fighters are always competing and not fighting just a couple of times a year only on UFC's Wrestlesloppyboxing.

Myth exposed. I have no idea where Dana comes up with his sayings, best fighting the best 3 times a year made me lol back then.

Lol GSP hasn't fought 3 times a year since 2007. More bullshit from Dana White, fuck that troll.

Cain and Lesnar's numbers are skewed by the fact that they've both had extended absences due to health issues, elbow surgery and diverticulitis respectively.

JDS would have fought for the title a lot earlier, but the complicated situation at the top of Heavyweight (the interim championship, Brock's illness and Cain's injury) delayed that. It had also lead to Velasquez taking a pretty long break before his title shot.

As for GSP, he used to fight a lot, but then he cleaned out his division, and now they're struggling to find contenders. That's how people like Hardy end up with title shots. At the time, there was not a clear contender that GSP hadn't already beaten in a hilariously one sided fashion. Now, with three up and comers (Condit, Ellenberger and McDonald) that may change.

In Andy's case, there's only one question mark in the entire division, and that's Sonnen. They're so desperate at middleweight that Michael Bisping was being talked about as a contender. Think on the horror of that. In his first 2 years with the UFC, Andy fought 6 times, and if you extend it by a month, he also fought James Irvin at light heavy, but since we're talking "the best against the best" I won't count that.

So how often do the champs fight? If you look at the only one who's been pretty healthy this year in divisions that aren't cleaned out (Cruz, Edgar and Aldo have all had surgery as well, it's almost like full contact fighting is dangerous or something) You are left with Jon Jones, who, at year's end, will have fought four times, three times for the belt.

You're actually specifically wrong on that last point. GSP and Lesnar have been on the same card twice (UFC 87 and 100) GSP has also been on the same card as Couture (UFC 129). UFC 117 had Andy and JDS (though you could argue about whether he was much of a star at that time)and UFC134 had Andy and Shogun (and Big Nog) Even If we stick to who you define as big draws, there are plenty of exceptions.

Dagwood wrote:



UFC - Number Of Fights Per Year
Anderson: 2.8
GSP: 2.8
JDS: 2.7
Lesnar: 2.4
Cain: 2.3
Couture: 2.1


Pride - Number Of Fights Per Year

Big Nog: 4.8
CroCop: 4.8
Overeem: 4.7
Sakuraba: 4.2
Wandy: 4.1
Fedor: 3.8

lol troll. what you going to tell me next. pride had better ring girls as well?