A "noob" question.

[Bolts_26]

Hey guys!
I have been watching UFC for a good three weeks now and I really, really enjoy it but still don't fully understand it. So If you could help me out it would be great!

1. Does a fighter have to work his way for a title shot? Or just has to/ agrees to defend it against someone?

2. Do the guys from USA vs. UK have anything to do with the guys you see at PPV events? Are they just guys who arn;t "big" yet and will soon be on PPV events and stuff?

3.What is the "Pride" Champion?

4. If you are the "interim" champion does that mean that you are like a contender for the real championship, if not, what is it?

Thanks guys, really wan't to continue being a fan of this but Wan't to know the rules a bit better...

[Stumbleweed]

Re: A "noob" question.

Hey guys!
I have been watching UFC for a good three weeks now and I really, really enjoy it but still don't fully understand it. So If you could help me out it would be great!

1. Does a fighter have to work his way for a title shot? Or just has to/ agrees to defend it against someone?

2. Do the guys from USA vs. UK have anything to do with the guys you see at PPV events? Are they just guys who arn;t "big" yet and will soon be on PPV events and stuff?

3.What is the "Pride" Champion?

4. If you are the "interim" champion does that mean that you are like a contender for the real championship, if not, what is it?

Thanks guys, really wan't to continue being a fan of this but Wan't to know the rules a bit better...

1. A fighter works his way up in the rankings (much like boxing) and then the promoters/schedulers will offer the fight to both the contender and the champion. Once they agree, then the championship fight is scheduled.

2. The guys on The Ultimate Fighter US vs. UK (and all the TUF seasons) will be signed to a contract by the UFC if they win the show. Also, in past seasons, many of the fighters on TUF who didn't win the show still got fights at Ultimate Fight Night, etc. and worked their way into contracts and are still fighting in the UFC. But yeah, these guys are generally lower-level pros or amateurs trying to get into the big show of the UFC. The Ultimate Fighter has basically turned into a public proving grounds for fighters looking to get into the UFC.

3. PRIDE was an MMA organization that is not defunct after being bought by the UFC. The replacement in Japan is DREAM, which is ran by the same company who puts on the K-1 kickboxing shows. PRIDE was the UFC's main competition for years and they'd often fight over fighters -- when Wanderlei Silva and others came over the the UFC it was because PRIDE was bought out, but previous to that, guys like Dan Henderson would bounce back and forth between organizations.

Aside from PRIDE (now DREAM), there is also World Extreme Cagefighting (owned by the UFC), Strikeforce/Affliction (main non-Japanese competitor for the UFC, they have lots of quality fighters), and Bellator (Mexican MMA org). There are others too, but those are the main national ones that put on televised events and PPVs.

4. They had in an interim heavyweight champion in the UFC due to Frank Mir's motorcycle injury. Previously the title was held by Randy Couture, who had a falling out with the UFC and left the title behind when he left the UFC. Anyway, Lesnar got the title after beating Couture when he came back, and so he was the official UFC Heavyweight champion. However, Mir beat Noguiera for the Interim Title, so now Mir and Lesnar have to fight to "unify" the belt and get it back to just the official HW Title. That fight will be on July 11th at UFC 100.

Yeah, that's confusing...

[sven]

Re: A "noob" question.

Hey guys!
I have been watching UFC for a good three weeks now and I really, really enjoy it but still don't fully understand it. So If you could help me out it would be great!

1. Does a fighter have to work his way for a title shot? Or just has to/ agrees to defend it against someone?

There really is no set in stone criteria for a title shot. If people will pay to see you fight for the title you may have a shot.

2. Do the guys from USA vs. UK have anything to do with the guys you see at PPV events? Are they just guys who arn;t "big" yet and will soon be on PPV events and stuff?

Yeah these guys on the show are up and comers who just havent had their big break yet. Well except Jason Dent who has already fought in the UFC twice and lost both times. Alot of the guys you see on PPV's these days came from the show just like the US vs UK guys. But I wouldnt expect to see many of the guys from this season stick around very long. Most of them aren't that good.

3.What is the "Pride" Champion?

Pride was the other big MMA promotion a few years ago. It was based out of Japan. But they lost their TV deal and started losing a ton of money and eventually the UFC bought them. Dan Henderson was both the LHW and MW champ in Pride when they were bought out.

4. If you are the "interim" champion does that mean that you are like a contender for the real championship, if not, what is it?

It means they are the champ while the other champ is unable to compete. If/When the original champ comes back they have a fight to unify the two titles. Its also a good excuse to squeeze in a few more 5 round title fights LOL.

[sb24]

Re: A "noob" question.

Hey guys!
I have been watching UFC for a good three weeks now and I really, really enjoy it but still don't fully understand it. So If you could help me out it would be great!

1. Does a fighter have to work his way for a title shot? Or just has to/ agrees to defend it against someone?
Yes you have to work you way to a title shot. There are always extenuating circumstances though.

2. Do the guys from USA vs. UK have anything to do with the guys you see at PPV events? Are they just guys who arn;t "big" yet and will soon be on PPV events and stuff?
You mean the ultimate fighter show? Well they are trying to make it INTO the ufc. So yea your close enough.

3.What is the "Pride" Champion?
Well the ufc is the ufc. Pride was an orginazation that the ufc bought. So there was a ufc hw champ and a pride hw champ.

4. If you are the "interim" champion does that mean that you are like a contender for the real championship, if not, what is it?
A guy gets hurt and stripped of his belt. Then 2 guys fight for the belt. Since they didnt beat the champ they are only the champ till the true champ returns. There are other ways it can happen but first one off the top of my head.

Thanks guys, really wan't to continue being a fan of this but Wan't to know the rules a bit better...

Ok fair enough see BOLD

Edit: nice you got lots of good info

[Bolts_26]

Re: A "noob" question.

Wow guys!

Thank you for all of the information. I will probably be hanging around the MMA section since I'm getting into it a lot so hope to talk to you all.

Well, thanks!

[Stumbleweed]

Re: A "noob" question.

There's no better way to get familiar with all the fighters than watching video of past fights...

A good place to watch old fights (PRIDE especially) is http://www.mmalinker.com -- they have a searchable video database by fighter name, so you can go back and watch some PRIDE wars like Wanderlei Silva vs. Dan Henderson or get freaky and watch Royce Gracie sneak out from underneath the girthy bosoms of Akebono or Minowaman dropkick Butterbean haha..

Japanese freakshow fights are so awesome.

[DueceDiggla]

Re: A "noob" question.

A lot of the guys you see on The Ultimate Fighter reality show train at the same gyms that UFC fighters train at, so its not like these coaches have never heard of at least a few of the guys already.

[biglami]

Re: A "noob" question.

exception to #1 is Brock Lesnar, who got a title shot after just 3 fights (2-1 record)

[sven]

Re: A "noob" question.

exception to #1 is Brock Lesnar, who got a title shot after just 3 fights (2-1 record)

Or BJ getting a shot at GSP he never came close to earning.

[biglami]

Re: A "noob" question.

Or BJ getting a shot at GSP he never came close to earning.

I think BJ earned that fight...he was at the time and still is the 155 champ, former 170 champ, and in the last fight with GSP which went to decision, I thought BJ should have won (BJ beat GSP up then GSP got a lot of takedowns...but like Bas Rutten says, takedowns without damage infliction are ought not award you points in an MMA match)

[sven]

Re: A "noob" question.

I think BJ earned that fight...he was at the time and still is the 155 champ, former 170 champ, and in the last fight with GSP which went to decision, I thought BJ should have won (BJ beat GSP up then GSP got a lot of takedowns...but like Bas Rutten says, takedowns without damage infliction are ought not award you points in an MMA match)

BJ hadnt fought at in the UFC at WW in 2 years and hadnt won a fight in the UFC at WW 5 years.

None of those weak reasons you listed should have been enough to get to get him a title shot without winning a few fights at WW first.

[Bolts_26]

Re: A "noob" question.

One Last Question:

Every time a title holder fights, will his championship be on the line?

For Example, BJ Penn will be defending his title in EVERY SINGLE match up or only if he wants to put it on the line?

[sb24]

Re: A "noob" question.

One Last Question:

Every time a title holder fights, will his championship be on the line?

For Example, BJ Penn will be defending his title in EVERY SINGLE match up or only if he wants to put it on the line?

Well Penn just lost to GSP in the ww division. But he didnt put up his lw title. So while they can do it, it wont happen often. Title fights bring in more money.

[MC Fatigue]

Re: A "noob" question.

Not always - but pretty much always. If it's at your weight class, it's a title shot unless you or your opponent fails to make weight.

This happened in the WEC when the MW cham Paulo Filho failed to make weight, and so his defense was lowered to just a regular fight; which he lost. I find that bull**** - he should have been come down on hard for missing weight in a defense. Sonnen beat him, and should have been given the belt.

If a fighter moves up or down a class, then it's not a defense, just a regular fight. You can't really defend your 155 belt in a 170 lb fight. However, you can fight for that classes belt - like how Penn moved up to 170 to fight an undeserved title shot against GSP. Had he won, he would have been the LW and WW champion.

[Bolts_26]

Re: A "noob" question.

Well Penn just lost to GSP in the ww division. But he didnt put up his lw title. So while they can do it, it wont happen often. Title fights bring in more money.

Ok. I figured it was something like that.

thanks for the help.