I mean professionally you can’t just fight anymore. You have to have a bit if you want to be a successful pro fighter.
And that is outside the skill sets of many people training today.
So should these prospects start training the banter?
Should theatre sports or improv or whatever be part of MMA development?
Asked and answered. UFC has always been a spectator sport. True fighters don’t seek screen time.
If you are getting paid. You want to be paid more. And screen time gets you paid more.
I wholeheartedly disagree with a true fighter who doesn’t do what he can. To earn as much as he can. In the very short time that he has.
I represent a few guys in the early part of their careers.
One of them is a current amateur champion who is defending this Saturday before he turns pro and the other became amateur champ at 2 weights and had his first pro fight last Saturday .
They are completely different characters , one of them has arrogant swagger and in combination with his talent as a fighter really sets him up to get certain opportunities not awarded to a less charismatic athlete with similar talent.
Being good looking can also help.
The other is allot more reserved but in the cage is a killer, doesnt mind getting hit (sometimes too much) but goes for the kill kinda like a Justin Gaetje style.
If i were to advise the quieter of the two to be different it would come across as fake.
Connor Mcgregor , Mohamed Ali where both natural shit talking arrogant big mouths and I truly thank God for them but the pretenders look awful.
Ultimately I encourage them to get good at interviews generally so they dont stutter and mumble ect… but this is a results business you have to win and anything that distracts you from that makes a difference.
I bet against Adesanya when I saw him pissing about with Zuckerberg on a boat and I bet against Volk when I saw him making silly videos dressed as an old man.
You can see when fighters are distracted and you simply cannot be anymore at professional level mma because the guy coming for you is likely obsessed with making you unconscious and training 3 times a day 6 days a week thinking about nothing else and thats what you have to assume.
This was all settled years ago in Rocky 1-4
I’ll add that the most important thing above all else to advise young up and coming guys before they become famous is that IF they become famous that under no circumstances regardless what happens must they ever upset 50 cent .
But I don’t think theatre sports is necessarily fakeness. More training banter in a live resisted manner.
I will go so far as to say the fakeness is a lack of exposure to that sort pressure.
Pro wrestling is probably the most elite martial art there is.
You have to not only be well trained physically, but also sell it emotionally.
Man, if I could ever make a dollar grappling, you know I would. Right now I don’t want to spend another dollar, so I work with what I have.
Puroresu
I did pro wrestling for a short time.
It was a lot of fun. And some interesting concepts.
One o remember was when you bounce off a rope. Hold it. Because every now and then they break.
Local circuit Pro wrestlers are a different breed.
Every single one I have met without exception is an absolute lunatic .
Not sure what it is about that profession it’s kinda like drummers in rock bands .
I’m pretty sure Holy Moment made this years ago.
If this montage doesn’t get you moving, you’re dead already. That’s the whole point of wrestling. Wrestling is life.
I have to be careful right now. Apparently my character has developed actual psionic powers. I have to bend the Iron Wire much slower or next time I might destroy the entire East Coast.
Psi-Rabbit.
