MIKE CIESNOLEVICZ - There are not enough women to actually have competitive divisions IMO. Women in the UFC is about 10 yrs away at least. They need more numbers of talented women.
Besides the few world class athletes that are out there most of the mid level womens MMA looks like back yard brawls I was in at 10 yrs old.
I've got nothing but respect for you mike and normally agree with your posts but I have to disagree here. Granted there isn't the depth in wmma that the men's divisions have overall but there is enough at 125,135 to field legit divisions.
Maybe if they just made one division, 135lbs and thats it. Still there are maybe 6 chicks top that could all rotate fighting each other but it would always been McMann, Rousey and Cyborg at the top rotating for title shots. Coenen, Tate, Kaufman would fall right below them. There are a few others here and there but none that would beat the above mentioned.
goku - i think the article pretty clearly addresses the "lack of division" argument that everyone just parrots from dana..if they put ronda on a card tomorrow, it would sell...if they never do another women's card again after that, who carres? what is the damage?
ABE FROMAN - LOL @ using the term 'PC' to keep women in their places.
Sad that so many idiots dont' see themselves as sexist.<br type="_moz" />
This coming from the guy who defaults his support to the darker skinned fighter.
You're a sad man.
Is this your latest angle, you pathetic, lying motherfucker? 2 can play that game then, we know that the only reason you support Chael is because he isn't the 'darker skinned fighter'. Now, do you really want to play this game, dummy?
And congrats on another votedown, which you will get every time you stalk anybody who supports Anderson Silva.
HELWIG - "but there is also a market of women who want to watch female athletes competing on TV. Take the WNBA, for example, which has been up and running for the past 15 years and usually brings in more viewers than UFC shows on FUEL TV. And let's face it, the WNBA is a horrible product"
This is intentionally deceiving.
The WNBA is not self-sustaining and there is no serious large scale demand for most women's sports.
The public at large likes watching females doing feminine sports like gymnastics, skating or tennis.
The WNBA is kept alive by piggybacking on the NBA's profit money and being subsidized.
There is no shot of that shit flying in the UFC.
Fist-fighting is not a female activity. Nobody wants to see smaller, weaker, less skilled people fight for 50 bucks a ppv.
The ONLY female fighters to this day that people have cared to see are the ones that are either hot or willing to take their clothes off. Or both.
This. The author forgot to research whether or not the WNBA actually makes money.
I've always said that if the UFC puts women's fights on PPVs, even the undercard, people will quickly lose interest. There will be no sustained interest in women's MMA when it's not a free/cheap and novel experience.
If it's not Rousey, Carano or Cyborg then fans simply don't care, and they shouldn't. Why watch a lesser skilled athlete only due to the fact that they're women when better talent is being sidelined?
valetudosuperfight - There were not enough good HW's in the UFC for over a decade to really 'make' that division but that never forced the UFC to shut it down.
the division argument being shallow is stupid.
you've been destroying people in this thread, great job.
Great article. The level of writing in the recent UG blogs are top shelf, I like what's going on here.
Women belong in the UFC. Make it happen ZUFFA. Stop bullshitting with the neanderthal, stone-age sentiment that the mouthbreathers here are trumpeting and let's see a women's division. Don't worry gorillas, letting women fight in the UFC isn't going to ruin your precious sport. If you don't want to watch them fight, then leave the fucking room when they are on (you won't, because women's fights are exciting as hell).
they have no place. they proved already they are not a draw aside from 1 or 2 of them. the rest none watches. they can stay over in strikeforce. we don't need anymore watered down cards with subpar fighters
If everyone here shouting NO were to ACTUALLY LEAVE when women make it into the UFC, not only would the sport be better in general, but it would be more credible also.
"How is fist fighting and fighting in general not a female activty, Helwig?"
Fighting is the rawest, most dangerous, most demanding form of competition humanly possible.
Not a single culture Im aware of ever having existed had this role delegated to it's females.
If you want to play PC Pete and claim recognizing observable human difference is sexist, you can. But youre basically expecting people to pay to watch smaller, weaker, less skilled, less durable human beings compete in a sport that already exists featuring the best, biggest, strongest, and most skilled.
What is in it for the viewer? The novelty? Being able to oogle the rare female fighter with good looks?
What is the merit or selling point?
Nobody is entitled to the chance to compete in something there is no demand for.
Not a fan of female mma but I wouldnt be against a female 135 div.
Fact is Ronda is too big of a star to fold SF and let her go to Bellator/Spike.
She is one of the most popular fighters in the sport and is so marketable.
Honestly thats the ONLY reason they would bring in a womens div is to keep her signed.
You dont want to let her go to Bellator/Spike and hepl them.
Not enough talent for multiple female divs but one single div at 135 pounds, let RR, Tate, Cyborg, SK, sign McMann, SF, MC and a few others, build a div of about 12 to 15 girls, I wouldnt have a problem with it.
Most of the fighters except for Ronda or Cyborg would be prelim fighters on FX cards or Fuel cards so it wouldnt take up alot of main card sports.
if rousey is put on a UFC card at any point that will be shark-jumping moment for me (and i absolutely love her)
not enough depth in division and to be brutally honest, i have no interest whatsoever in watching women fight. I dont know why there is so much pressure to have women in MMAs premier league when there is not equal pressure for women in the NFL, NBA etc. Please dont do it UFC
So u don't watch women fight but u love rousey. Interesting. Are u omniscient.
if rousey is put on a UFC card at any point that will be shark-jumping moment for me (and i absolutely love her)
not enough depth in division and to be brutally honest, i have no interest whatsoever in watching women fight. I dont know why there is so much pressure to have women in MMAs premier league when there is not equal pressure for women in the NFL, NBA etc. Please dont do it UFC
So u don't watch women fight but u love rousey. Interesting. Are u omniscient.
i like her as an athlete and as a personality, if shes on the tv i wont turn over but i wont ever sit down to specifically watch a womens mma fight unless i have to for work, it just holds no interest for me whatsoever
if someone wants to do a separate womens league like Invicta, ace, good for them, but to insist that its some sort of sexist agenda to not have them in the UFC well, lets see the NFL take the first step
i actually have no interest in womens sports at all, and i think that goes for a lot of male sports fans. Maybe gymnastics and beach volleyball (the latter as eye-candy though) ; other than that, nothing
so u will watch her if shes on and you "absolutely love her" but you dont have interest whatsoever in watching women fight? seems kind of inconsistent to me...seems like u have at least a passing interest in some women fighting
if u dont like women fighting, why would u want a whole org of women fighting..i am actually against that...if its one girl fight every few ufc cards or so i would actually like that much more than having a whole org of women fights - i would not watch that
