[OrangeGringo]

Mods,

I see where you removed PRIDE from the "heavyweights" forum. Makes sense, because there is no such thing as PRIDE any more. So, this is not a thread about adding the PRIDE designation back to the Heavyweight forum.

I've also seen where there is some controversy regarding whether posts re: Fedor belong in the heavyweight forum.

As it is currently designated, the heavyweight forum seems to only be for the UFC, so posts in the current heavyweight forum about Fedor do not make sense.

However, I question whether THAT setup and result makes sense. I think most posters on sherdog have always used the heavyweight forum to discuss the biggest orgs and fighters . . . in other words, mainstream-high-level MMA. When PRIDE and the UFC comprised the only orgs with mainstream MMA featuring high level fighters, it made sense to limit the heavyweight forum to discussion of those two orgs and their fighters.

Now, with a defunct PRIDE, this logic no longer makes sense. There are just too many top-notch, mainstream MMA fighters who are not fighting in the one org currently designated as a heavyweight. Kid, Gomi, Fedor, Barnett, Aoki, Aleks, Sergei, Randy, Saku, the entire Gracie family, and the list goes on and on. With that in mind, it is clear to me that you should change your thinking about the heavyweight forum.

Instead of determining whether a topic is a "heavyweight" appropriate topic or thread based on the org being discussed, it would really make more sense to open the "heavyweight" forums up to discussion of the mainstream, top-level MMA orgs, AND/OR any top-level, mainstream MMA fighter.

For example, to most users of sherdog, it would probably make more sense for a post about a rumored potential fight between Fedor and Barnett to be in the Heavyweight forum than for a post about whether the UFC is going to give Elvis Sinosic another shot on a dark match. Likewise, any upcoming Aoki fight is more of a Heavyweight topic than whether Tito really lost a street fight to Lee Murray.

There are benefits to this new approach too. First, let's just concede that the Heavyweight forum will always be the highest trafficed, most read, and most posted-in forum, no matter how you define the forum's limits. That means many people will only visit that forum. If you limit the Heavyweight forum to discussion of the UFC, then you're likely limiting many MMA fan's exposure to much of the top-level MMA going on in the world. I would imagine there are some new fans drawn to sherdog by the Lesnar fight who have no clue who Kid is, or that many people want to see him fight Faber, because they've planted themselves in the Heavyweight forum, and haven't ventured out yet.

That result is not good for the sport of MMA, and sherdog should be all about being good for the sport of MMA. The more exposure the good fighters and good fights get, the more people will get interested in the sport, the more people will come to this site, the more fighters can make, and the more your advertising will be worth.


Under the current Heavyweight-forum limits, a discussion of the L.A. fight between Royce and Saku would not be allowed. That makes no sense.

We could not talk about Royce's drug suspension, despite the fact that was one of the biggest stories ever in MMA.

Under the current setup, discussion of one of the best fighters in the world, Fedor, is technically out of bounds. That makes no sense.

Under the current setup, Fedor v Lindland was not a Heavyweight-worthy post, despite the fact that it featured two of the best in the game. Again, nonsense.

So throw Cage Rage, KOTC, and all of those other Tier II and Tier III orgs into their own forums, but please give the greenlight to discussion in the Heavyweight forum of all top-level fighters, top-level fights, and top-level events.

Perhaps you could limit it to discussion of the UFC, or any top-10 fighter. Perhaps you
could limit it to discussion of the UFC or any top-ranked fighters. Perhaps you could be a bit omre vague and limit it to the UFC, top fighters, or top events. It just seems some change is in order to reflect the diaspora of top MMA fighters outside the UFC since the end of PRIDE. As things stand now, you are not considering them to be "heavyweights" and they deserve to be.

PS It is comical to allow discussion of all WEC events or fighters in the Heavyweight forum, but not a discussion of Barnett, Monson, or Aleks. I'm sure Brock Larsen is happy about that, but I'm not.

[Emilius]

good . listen sherdog

[OrangeGringo]

don't usually do this, but ----- bump

[NaglfarCommando]

ttt

[Bylowe]

+1.

[M777CUS]

open letter, who do you think you are? Fedor?

[krjayhawk79]

I co-sign everything, great post!

[Hinch]

People will always nit-pick at a detail. If yuo were around for the old style set-up, you;d find that this is actually preferable, even if someone's favourite fighter might have to be spoken about in another forum.

[The Hug Dog]

Originally Posted by OrangeGringo

Likewise, any upcoming Aoki fight is more of a Heavyweight topic than whether Tito really lost a street fight to Lee Murray.

Good post. QFT. Whilst Pride did need to go from the main forum title, the revised version isn't anything like correct either

[turbozed]

Pretty good argument. It's pretty freakin stupid to relegate Fedor to the "Contender" forum when he's been the #1 HW for a few years now (and arguably #1 P4P for a few years).

Unfortunately, it's hard to draw the line between top fighters and medium tier fighters. This is the only way it's going to be manageable.