Getting Bored Of MMA. What Do?

[don king]

Why would you want to force yourself to like entertainment that isn't entertaining you? Just move on. It's not something of even the least importance in this world. I don't really watch MMA anymore, because it bores me. I'm not saying it's boring, just that it bores me. It used to fascinate me, but no longer. Different strokes for different folks. Find something else to interest you. Learn a language or an instrument or a sport.

You may go through phases and get interested again later, or you simply may have outgrown it.

I do watch matches that are compelling to me, but there aren't many of them any more.

[seansloan]

If you want to start a formula 1,cycling or tennis thread,I'm here for you

[don king]

Cycling; isn't that what Overeem does? Hope you're better at it than him. I plan to play an absolute ton of tennis this summer. I have an amazingly hilarious tennis story to tell sometime when I'm in the mood, although it is one of those you had to be there moments.

[Humorless]

You picked a bad time to lose interest in MMA. NFL season is over, boxing is a joke, and no other sport offers any hope of violence.

Even if the names on the card don't excite you, watch it anyway and you'll probably see someone do something awesome you didn't expect. Then the next time you see their name on a card you'll be a little more pumped to watch them fight.

You may also wanna tune in to TUF, it's been pretty good so far. And if you're not looking forward to the Hendo/Machida fight I'd definitely say you've lost all interest in the sport...


*edit: the current state of boxing: (click it, it's only 39 seconds but you WILL laugh)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4p7AArwPZg

[tantryl]

If you're bored of it, you're bored of it. There isn't really anything you can do about that except move on to something you don't find boring.

[LordZardoz]

You picked a bad time to lose interest in MMA. NFL season is over, boxing is a joke, and no other sport offers any hope of violence.

Jay's profile says he is in the UK. I think that the amount of fuxks he gives about the NFL season would be minimal.

At the risk of putting words in Jay's mouth, it sounds like the fighters he gives a damn about are not showing up on enough cards to hold his interest. Jay mentioned watching alot when 'Chuck, Tito, Randy, Hughes, Ace' were all very active. Four of those guys are retired and Rich Franklin is a very long way from making any kind of title run. If Jay has not bought into any of the current crop of fighters it is not a surprise that he is not finding much to get excited about. A regular season baseball game between Colorado and Cleveland might be epic in terms of what happens during the game, but not many Yankee's fans will tune in to see it.

In my opinion the way a fan follows something like the UFC or Boxing is much different then following a 'Stick and Ball' sport. There are no teams in MMA and multiple divisions / titles instead of 'one big game at the end of the year'. People tend to identify 4 to 10 fighters they give a crap about. Some attention is paid to champions, especially champions of divisions that the fighters you give a damn about fight in; If your favorite light heavyweight fighter is Lyoto Machida, you probably give a damn when Jon Jones fights even if you think he reeks of douche. Beyond that a fan might decide to root based on your nationalist tendencies in liu of the home team guy.

If Jay ever reads this thread again, I would ask him the following:

1. What exactly held your interest beyond the simple violence of two men fighting in a cage for money when you first got into MMA?
2. What makes you a fan of the fighters you do like? (ie, finishing rate / excitement? Winning when expected to lose?)
3. What makes you root for one fighter instead of the other when you watch a fight you have no prior interest in?

To answer my own questions:

1. I like that any two fighters can have wildly different ways to win. Boxing is just 'who can face punch better'. In MMA you can stand and bang, or you can choke a guy out, you can kick his leg until he cannot walk, or you can grind out a win with top control.
2. Fighters who either shatter bones or finish with body shots get my attention. I became a Shinya Aoki fan after watching him destroy Hirota's arm. Unusual finishes also get my attention. The Korean Zombie got my attention when he finished Leonard Garcia with the Twister. Winning when they are not supposed to also helps. Jamie Varner finishing off Edson Barboza was a great moment.
3. The easiest way for a fighter to make me a fan is to get an atypical or unexpected finish. Liver kicks knockouts are awesome. Leglock specialists are awesome. Fighters who can effectively fight with something other than a 'wrestle boxer' or 'muay thai + BJJ' background also hold my attention. I also have an irrational desire to see Japanese fighters win.

Anyway, my final advice for Jay is to just watch as much as you will enjoy and leave it at that. Take advantage of time shifting, and just try to remember why you liked MMA when you first got into it. The reasons you liked it are still there.

END COMMUNICATION

[don king]

The reasons you liked it are still there.

END COMMUNICATION

Yeah, but maybe Jay is different now.

[TheIcon]

Why would you want to force yourself to like entertainment that isn't entertaining you? Just move on. It's not something of even the least importance in this world. I don't really watch MMA anymore, because it bores me. I'm not saying it's boring, just that it bores me. It used to fascinate me, but no longer. Different strokes for different folks. Find something else to interest you. Learn a language or an instrument or a sport.

You may go through phases and get interested again later, or you simply may have outgrown it.

I do watch matches that are compelling to me, but there aren't many of them any more.

I agree. I don't get forcing ones self to enjoy something. Its lke wrestling with me. I was hardcore into it. then for awhile I stopped watching. I got back into it and now once again I could care less. I do what I enjoy with my spare time I don't for myself to watch something I use to enjoy just because I use to enjoy it.

[BulldogWrestler]

I think this is all because Jay's hero and mancrush, Allistair Overeem, was finally exposed.

[Mephisto]

I think this is all because Jay's hero and mancrush, Allistair Overeem, was finally exposed.

He did live up to his promise of destroying Bigfoot didn't he?