[Fieos]

We talk a lot about the passing of the torch from our favorite UFC fighters to the new era and how the sport grows. Check this video out (watch it for a while)

I'm saving for future PPVs now...

Next Gen Fighter

 

[Foose]

I have noticed the same thing at my gym. The kids keep getting younger and younger coming in there and grappling, sparring, etc. Both my boys are blackbelts. They have both been taking karate 3-4 days a week since they were 4. It is a good base for them. They are used to sparring and getting hit. I have been teaching them basic grappling for a couple years and it amazes me that they can pick up (and remember) some of the things I teach them. Now they are 12 & 9. But, I have seen 6, 7 & 8 year olds come in that knew twice as much jits as my boys. It's amazing. There is another good video on the TapOut website of two young boys, brothers I think, that are going to be beasts if they stick with it. We are definitely going to keep seeing the talent pool grow and grow. In 10 years, I suspect that we will see the face of MMA change even more. We will have a full roster in every organization of GSPs and Anderson Silvas and Fedors, lol. How exciting will that be?!?!

 

[Hiro]

Is it me or is the kid hitting ridiculously hard for a 3 year old? He's one mean looking kid with natural boxing technique to go with it.

His dad should get him kicking, wrestling and doing BJJ too :thumb02:

 

[Foose]

Is it me or is the kid hitting ridiculously hard for a 3 year old? He's one mean looking kid with natural boxing technique to go with it.

His dad should get him kicking, wrestling and doing BJJ too :thumb02:

No, it's not just you, I noticed the same thing. Also, watch his technique, it is close to perfect. Notice how when he throws the right he pivots his back foot. Also, when he throws the left hook he pivots on his front foot. That is beautiful for an adult much less a 3 year old.

 

[Mckeever]

what the hell, that kid is a little savage.

 

[chinwaggler]

Speedy little demon as well isn't he?

 

[DJ Syko]

the thing am most worried about in the future of MMA, is that everyone has everything mastered and it makes for boring fights. Everyone will be too scared to make a mistake, so fighters wont probably commit to things as much, it will be all defensive fighting with not much action going on. There's more too it than that but i think you get my point, i just hope am completely wrong.

 

[Sduff05]

Spartans eat your hearts out

 

[chinwaggler]

the thing am most worried about in the future of MMA, is that everyone has everything mastered and it makes for boring fights. Everyone will be too scared to make a mistake, so fighters wont probably commit to things as much, it will be all defensive fighting with not much action going on. There's more too it than that but i think you get my point, i just hope am completely wrong.

Come on if it hasn't happened in Boxing and other sports why would it happen in MMA. There'll never be more than a couple of people that are both amazing and even cause you get people who don't train as hard, who aren't as gifted etc....

 

[Spec0688]

There wont be many fighters with the skill/athleticism of GSP,Silva and Brock Lesnar.

 

[rabakill]

Come on if it hasn't happened in Boxing and other sports why would it happen in MMA. There'll never be more than a couple of people that are both amazing and even cause you get people who don't train as hard, who aren't as gifted etc....

in a lot of boxing, it has happened. 95% of the boxing matches I watch are incredibly boring

 

[DJ Syko]

in a lot of boxing, it has happened. 95% of the boxing matches I watch are incredibly boring

Exactly, you have the occasional fighter here and there that is exceptionally good and just destroys everyone like Pacman, but generally all top flight boxing is pretty boring because all of them have mastered the art and just cancel each other out, so most fights just end up going to boring decisions.

 

[munkie]

My 1 year old niece, I'm sure I'm reading way too much into this, but anyways, she's already trying to pull guard while controlling the wrist. Granted, she's way too small for it to be effective in anyway, at all. And I know she's just wrapping her legs around my arm because it's what babies do. The thing that gets me is that she naturally grabs the wrist and tries to control it against her chest. She is tiny and I realize that it's probably just her doing what babies do. I've been Wrestling since I was 4, Catch Wrestling since I was like 9, and got into Jiu Jitsu about 6 years ago. I'm 25 and have been teaching submissions for the last 2 years. I'm stoked that she controls the wrist the way she does because lately that seems to be a problem for the older kids, young men that I teach.

 

[dav35]

Exactly, you have the occasional fighter here and there that is exceptionally good and just destroys everyone like Pacman, but generally all top flight boxing is pretty boring because all of them have mastered the art and just cancel each other out, so most fights just end up going to boring decisions.

It's unlikely that MMA becomes boring with more evolution. Look at how much MMA has evolved since the early 90s. I'd argue it's more exciting now than it was 15 years ago.

The chances of having someone with world level skills in several arts is quite rare no matter what age you start. A lot of that is genetics. Think about 5 tool baseball players and running backs.

Furthermore, elbows, 4oz gloves, and jj will keep exchanges from going to decisions for the most part.

That's my 2 cents.

 

[The505Butcher]

Ok Boxing fights are not all boring. You have Pacman always putting on a performance but the thing is that the promotions do not let them fight interesting fights anymore. As long as the UFC is still the top with a couple of other organizations keeping UFC honest, as well as someone like Dana White controling it will be fine because we will have fighters actually fighting competition and not old champions. What might happen though is that there could be so many really good fighters that the UFC can no longer control them all like it has been and you will have 5 great fighters that won't fight each other like Fedor not fighting in the UFC.

 

[Ansem]

thats a little Lyoto in the making, Machida was just as old as him when he started training just because they havent shown you any videos of him that old doesn't make it any less credible.

 

[No_Mercy]

Ok...I thought this was a joke at first...WTF. That's a MAN MIDGET not a three year old kid. He's got his gloves in the right position, right cross is strong, and he pivots with his left hook...hahah. His dad must be a trainer...lolz.

Oh man if this kid doesn't burn out from the Spartan training he's probably being put through there's no doubt he'll be an elite competitor.

 

[slugfest]

Ok...I thought this was a joke at first...WTF. That's a MAN MIDGET not a three year old kid. He's got his gloves in the right position, right cross is strong, and he pivots with his left hook...hahah. His dad must be a trainer...lolz.

Oh man if this kid doesn't burn out from the Spartan training he's probably being put through there's no doubt he'll be an elite competitor.

Thats what I am afraid of, early trainig and hitting hard like that will render the kid usless by the time hes 25, trust me,he may shine for a short while but his longevity will be hampered.
I stared sparing with my boy when he was four, very casual, no regimen, just playing around. I wanted to teach him the very simple techniques of defense and some offensive striking, just enough to take care of the bullies if they come around. Its amazing how fast they come around, the little f-er hits like a brick, now at 8 1/2 I can't take a hit to the chest without wincing in pain, and laughing my ass off as my wife looks at me hurdled on the floor in pain. All good fun, and i feel sorry for the first little bastard that messes with him.:thumb03:

 

[NZL]

There is a simple answer to this. It is all relative!

If you put any of our current champs in UFC 1, the results would be catastrophic – each and everyone of them, from BJ to Brock would absolutely demolish the old competition.
Royce Gracie didn’t get old and fall out of his ‘prime’, the sport just outgrew him – and he didn’t evolve at the same rate.

It is actually hard to appreciate how good fighters are – because we have nothing to reference it to, besides other good fighters. Unless we could jump into the cage, and go 5 minutes with someone like Elvis Sinsonic – who by our standards is a piece of crap – BUT he would still kick your arse so badly you would be pissing out your belly button.

So in conclusion: Yes fighters will get better, but it will be a subtle change over time, and we won’t notice that much. And, as most people do, just think when ex good fighters start losing, it is because they are old and out of their 'prime' and not because the sport, simply, outgrew them.