An Attempt to Counter the Indoctrination of the Misinformed
by Convectuoso
Top competition.
The best in the world.
You’ve heard it. I’ve heard it. We’ve all heard it before; the wild catcalls heaped on the feet of the fighters competing outside of what is regarded as the premier organization in mixed martial arts. In a nutshell, top competition for some has become the not-so-distant cousin of ice cream—everyone’s apparently screaming for it.
Listen close, brothers and sisters, because I’m here today to tell you that we don’t have to deal in absolutes. It doesn’t have to be this way. The world of mixed martial arts does not have to be an old silent flicker show—there’s color, there’s static, and it is wonderful. Too many fans of this sport seem to attach themselves wholly to the idea that one certain organization is where all the best in the sport go to prove themselves.
In other words, many fans are playing by what I like to refer to as “Lord of the Rings rules”: One org. to rule them all.
The problem here, however, is that while the Ultimate Fighting Championship certainly does possess a good number of elite fighters, they do not hold the rights to all elite fighters around the globe. When you take a look at how well the UFC has managed to market itself and its product, it’s easy to see why so many believe that all the “top competition” is found within their company.
Don’t be fooled.
Do they have elite fighters? Yes. Are they the strongest/most promotional promotion around? Yes. Do they have the highest number of elite fighters on their roster? Absolutely. Do I have a problem with any of this? Not at all.
I do, however, have a problem with the idea that well-known fighters outside of the promotion simply do not have the skill-sets necessary to match-up favorably with their counterparts inside of the UFC. The biggest and most obvious example of this can be found in the form of the sport’s heavyweight division.
Much has been said about Fedor Emelianenko’s competition, strength-of-schedule, physique, religion, favorite breakfast cereal, receding hairline, etc. You name it and someone has likely spoken exhaustively about the subject. Don’t worry, I’m not here to talk about Emelianenko’s status or offer some apologist fare—the highly-touted heavyweight is merely a footnote here.
One of the most popular arguments used against the heavyweight is one that deals with the location of the elite fighters in his respective weight class. A large percentage of individuals are under the impression that the vast majority of these fighters are inside of the UFC, and their counterparts pale in comparison. For the most part, any talk of skill, record and actual accomplishments inside of the sport is regularly tossed out in favor of the more, um, “substantial” talk of brand recognition.
Shane Carwin is one such name that is bandied about whenever the subject of Emelianenko and (here’s that term again) top competition is broached. On the flipside, Fabricio Werdum—Fedor’s next opponent—is a heavyweight fighter that finds himself routinely panned and subsequently dubbed little more than additional padding for Emelianenko’s record. The problem with this sort of talk is that a simple examination of a fighter’s record—in this case, Werdum—and even a quick viewing of some of the fighter’s former bouts will expose this very line of thinking as nothing more than a foul chimera.
This sort of mentality is the very thing that people need to discard because it is toxic.
It is a cancer.
Pull that curtain back and see what’s really at play here.
A quick look at the records of both fighters shows a stunning disparity in terms of quality opponents. The list of notable opponents that Werdum has faced is as follows:
- Aleksander Emelianenko
- Andrei Arlovski
- Sergei Kharitonov
- Alistair Overeem
- Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
- Gabriel Gonzaga (twice)
- Brandon Vera
- Antonio Silva
- Junior Dos Santos
What about Carwin? His list is as follows:
- Gabriel Gonzaga
-(Mir)
I know it must seem to some that I’m attempting to discredit Carwin, but I must say that if offering a simple list of a fighter’s notable bouts is all it takes to “discredit” a fighter, well, something is amiss. Did Werdum win every one of those fights? No. He actually went 6-4, but only a single loss was a stoppage with the rest coming by way of decision. A mark that isn’t too shabby when considering the names listed.
The point of all this is that Carwin has yet to face the amount of elite fighters Werdum has encountered. So why is it that he’s viewed as a more appropriate test for Emelianenko when it’s abundantly clear he’s yet to accomplish anywhere near as much as Werdum?
It’s easy: brand recognition.
Many have largely accepted the propaganda churned out by the UFC. We have the best; they don’t. The truth, however, is much closer to: We have a lot of the best fighters in the world, but there are other fighters, in certain weight classes (namely heavyweight and lightweight) outside of our promotion, that are just as talented as many of our best.
Not quite as catchy, though.
Is this a problem? No. A company is expected to promote itself and its product as the best around. The real problem is that consumers are so unwilling to set aside branding in order to make a true comparison of the products offered by rival companies.
Now, in the case of perishable food items (soft drinks, for example), this can be tricky since taste can be a hell of a thing. It’s largely subjective and has the potential to change drastically from person-to-person. The same problem, however, is absent inside of mixed martial arts. The main products—if we put aside production value, etc.—here are the fighters themselves. Their records and performance against other fighters should serve as the true “taste test”.
Top competition should mean more than fighters housed within the largest promotion in the world. A fighter’s worth should be determined by more than the brand on his/her back and the dogmatic marketing of the company he/she belongs to.
Top competition.
The best in the world.
It’s time to wake up, folks.
