Gimmick Matches

[Mr. TM]

Many non UFC fans say they are not interested in the product because the find it boring. These are wrestling fans I assume, as they are on this very forum. Now one thing I notice about wrestling fans is this fact. We love to see a gimmick match thrown into the mix. We love our ladder matches, our hell matches, our no DQ matches and what not.

Now how would you feel about the UFC using matches that have a gimmick. UFC is a legitimate sport, unlike the WWE and so they would have to be more tasteful with these gimmicks. As we have seen before, there have been gimmick matches in the WWE that did not involve a ridiculous assault on a normal one on one wrestling match.

The closest that I typically see from UFC relating to a gimmick match is having the Ultimate Fighter coaches fight each other. Most even simple gimmick matches could not happen in UFC, I can't even see a two on two match being regulated. Now one match that I could see the UFC using is having two fighters fight over something unique to them. Have Guida fight someone in a hair vs hair match. the match could be build as something more than just a lightweight match and could draw more people in.

What are your thoughts? Any gimmick matches possible for UFC?

 

[Tenta]

TM Told me to come here... I don't have much of an idea about MMA, but I'll give it a shot.

Um, I'd go with a capture the flag concept, kind of like what they did on American Gladiators. You have to wrestle or fight your opponent into a corner, and then retrieve that person's flag. First one to do so, and bring that flag over to his corner, wins the match. Or, you know, you could win a match via knock out. Whichever works best. But it's just that scramble to the flag, which would be pretty cool to watch, and see these men back each other into corners, kind of like in Capture the Flag.

Only problem is that it reduces the chance of a knockout, which we all love. But hey, it's a gimmick! Opa!

 

[SavageTaker]

I honestly don’t think “gimmick matches” would actually help them get wrestling fans or anyone else to become permanent/long-term MMA fans. Why? Because it would still be basically the same thing with or without a gimmick added to the fights.

For example you pointed out that they could have hair vs. hair matches, but what would that really do? They still have to fight in order to decide who loses their hair, and the fighting is what those fans who don’t watch find to be boring. No one who isn’t a fan already is going to watch MMA suddenly because some guy is going to get their head shaved. It just isn’t something I can see getting new MMA fans because no one is suddenly going to care if someone gets their head shaved, why? Because they still have to watch the fight.

You also mentioned the having two fighters fight over something unique to them idea. That’s actually a good idea if it’s something other than the title but it still wouldn’t attract new fans because they would still have to watch the actual fight. I don’t think anyone is going to buy or waste their time on a stream just to see who wins a fight. I assume most MMA fans mostly watch to see the fighting, not to see who wins the fighting.

TM, on paper this a good idea but it’s just not something I can see attracting new fans because they would still have to watch the actual fighting, which is what they find to be boring about the sport of MMA. Unless some weapons are thrown in then I don’t see something working. And let’s not kid ourselves, we are more than likely never going to see a weapons match in an MMA Fight because of the fact that it’s real. Can you imagine how much harm someone could do to someone with just a steel chair? I certainly wouldn’t want to imagine that.

 

[Mantaur Rodeo Clown]

Obviously the easiest one to imagine would be the submission match. A match where the only outcome that can be achieved is via Submission would be pretty easy to imagine inside the UFC. Of course, there is the problem of the fight getting so heated that the rules are broken and someone just gets knocked out. This could also be the problem in a fight where it's Knockout only. One person just gets the shits and just locks on an armbar, where his opponent cannot tap. Devastating.

Since they already have the steel cage, I began thinking of what you could add into the ring to make it more exciting. Things liek ladder and tables would obviously be a big no no, but what about an easily breakable Singapore cane? They could rig it so that after a few hit the stick snaps and cannot be used again, to prevent absolute assualts on a prone fighter, but it would work, if the referee immediately steps in to relieve the fighters of their weapon to get the fistfight underway.

Another idea I though would be good was the idea of multi-man matches. Tag team matches would work well, where you tag out of the cage when you begin to tire or think he's about to knock you out. Another idea is a fatal four way match, although dangerous. My idea would be to tweak it, so that what happens is that during the first round, fighters A and B go at it. Bell 2 rings so that C and D fight it out. Then A steps in with C and they fight for a round. D replaces C and A and D fight it out. The swaps can be made until a fighter is knocked out. Then the freshest fighter must step in. Last Man Standing Rules.

Oh god, Last Man Standing matches. Knockout are just the beginning

 

[jmt225]

This could most definitely work in Japan; in fact, one can make the argument that it already does. But in North America and Europe? Absolutely not.

I think a small gimmicky promotion could find a niche audience with something like this if it's truly creative, but a major promotion would never risk it. Big promotions like the UFC and Strikeforce wants MMA to be taken as seriously as possible, and adding gimmicks to fightss would definitely turn a lot of people off. It'll never, ever happen.

That said, I've always wondered what would happened in multiple man MMA fights like a Triple Threat or even 2 on 2, lol. But I guess that would be too complicated to work out; however, I'm sure some moron with a couple of dollars will one day start a promotion based around that kind of concept.