Is it common for fighters to move back and forth between pro and amateur? I was watching a fight (Genesis MMA:Ring of Fire) and while looking at the Full Contact Fighter database noticed that most of the fighters had amateur fights after they had pro fights. Is this a common occurrence? I thought it wasn't proper?
It really isnt.. Not IMO. In order to develop any legitimacy in the sport amateur HAS to have no pay, and Pro needs to be paid. The only way to insure that is to liscense pro fighters. People dont like to hear that because its a pain in the ass, means more expenses etc but thats the truth. Once you go pro you should NEVER be allowed to go back. I started pro because I new I had the skills to compete at the level, and going into an Amateur match against a guy who hadnt competed was sand bagging. This whole, one day I am fighting pro the next day I am fighting amateur shit is rediculous. You get the amateur fights you think you need, then when your ready you make the decision to go pro, when you go pro and your done your DONE. You retire, your finished, you dont go back to beat on newbies. Just my two cents.
used to be you could until your fifth pro fight,but there wasn't as much regulation as is coming into our sport now,so that will probably change.
I was surprised as some of the guys had a pretty decent number of pro fights only to be fighting at an amateur event, and having amateur fights recently. I didn't think it was okay to do but it wasn't just one or two guys and they were also from decent camps which made me ask the question.
Thank you!
I'm not sure I would be too happy to make an ammy debut and find out my opponent had participated in several pro fights. I guess if you know it going in that is one thing...I mean, it doesn't seem as if anyone is hiding it from what I am reading.
Some of them were fighting eachother but others were fighting guys with low amateur only records. I typed in the first couple of names on the full contact fighter database as they are in my husbands weight class and we just wanted to see what their records were which was how I (and anyone else could have) discovered it.
As far as I know, once a fighter is LICENSED in a state that requires one
pro MMA fighters they are no longer allowed to fight as amateurs. A
guy that gets licensed to fight pro in California can't fight as an
amateur in Washington or Oregon anymore. THAT'S NOT TO SAY IT
DOESN'T STILL HAPPEN.
Some pro fights happen in states where MMA is unregulated (Alaska
for example). Guys can fight there and get paid without legally
jeopardizing their amateur status.
Also, fights that take place on Indian land that aren't sanctioned by
State commissions can be pro...but the guys don't get licensed...etc
etc.
I think the biggest issue is that there still an assload of promoters that
don't bother getting their events covered and results to the two
databses used by regulating authorities - Sherdog's Fight Finder and
the Full Contact Fighter database. there's guiys with 20+ fights that
are treated like rookies because so many of their fights weren't
recorded.
You have to wonder why there isn't a better way to regulate records ...
sometimes databases are incorrect for example I have only fought amateur but they have me listed for fighting pro too. They also dont have all fights either. While i would say that there are some that may jump back and forth i would be more inclined that it is just a database error
Brune - that's because the promoter diud not identify his event as pr or
amateur. Sherdog ONLY lists pro bouts. Full Contact Fighter's database
is as acurrate as the reported events allow it to be.
FIGHTERS - Make sure the promotion you're fighting for reports it's
results to one of those two databases or your bouts won't count when an
athletic commission checks your record.