[ElShafto]

Good article here:
http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/...=3714&zoneid=2

I was hoping to start discussion about the last paragraph of the article above:
The ultimate goal is not to get elite college wrestlers or amateur boxers to start training in MMA. By the time they’re wrestlers or boxers, it’s already too late. The true goal is to get that athletically gifted teenager, the one who right now is most likely choosing football, basketball or other sports, to see MMA as a viable option. Only then will you see the highest athletic talent taking the longest time to train in the greatest number of disciplines. MMA is well on its way to reaching that point, but it will take time, continued exposure and a whole lot more money before the sport truly arrives. Let’s hope that the Pride acquisition is a step in the right direction.

My question is, how long will it be before MMA is a viable option? I would have to think that the best athletes will always go to the NFL, NBA, and MLB, but can MMA legitimately siphon off a couple of potential marquee-type atheletes? Is MMA a viable option right now? How much money would it take to really start a generation of athletes training MMA?

Look at any of the top 5 WWs or any of the top 5 LWs across UFC or Pride. These guys are world class athletes. I think they may have ended up in MMA because they're too small for the NFL/NBA. Will this continue to be the case or will a couple of HWs turn up that are legitimate world class athletes.

(No, I'm not saying that the current HWs aren't world class athletes, but I AM saying that many of the best HWs out there aren't American/Canadian where the NFL/NBA is dominant. Many of them are Russian or Brazilian where the NFL probably wasn't an option anyway.)

Long post, I know, but maybe it'll spark decent discussion.

[ElShafto]

ttt

[ViceStan]

Well most American athletes will go where the money is and so far they get paid alot more in NFL NBA and so on. I think once mma reaches that level of pay we will see the game change so much it might resemble boxing.

[Jonny Blaze]

If MMA continues to grow at the rate it has done over the past year it wont be long until the fighters will be earning mega bucks.

[redemption777]

An "athlete" can train for a sport, but he can't just pick whatever he wants and be the best at it.. Tyson can't join MMA and take out fedor.. Arguing that someone in the NFL or NBA CHOSE their sport over MMA is ridiculous.. Most athletes aren't tough in a fight sense..

[ElShafto]

Originally Posted by redemption777

An "athlete" can train for a sport, but he can't just pick whatever he wants and be the best at it.. Tyson can't join MMA and take out fedor.. Arguing that someone in the NFL or NBA CHOSE their sport over MMA is ridiculous.. Most athletes aren't tough in a fight sense..

I agree and disagree with you. I agree in that most athletes aren't tough in a fight sense. That's for sure. I disagree in that athletes in the NFL and NBA don't choose their sports. They definitely DO choose their sports, but it's likely as a kid (albeit probably not a conscious decision). The more kids that are exposed to martial arts and the more money that's available in MMA the more talent we'll get in MMA. Parent's have to be okay with their kid competing in BJJ and Karate tournaments as a kid though... that's more likely to happen the more 'mainstream' the UFC and Pride get.

The sports the kids go into in the first place have a lot to do with their parents...

[mikey6567]

the only reason that the brazilian guys go to BJJ is that their country is a proving ground for martial arts! Their national sport is practically jiu-jitsu. BTW, do you see any Thai guys trying to go out for football?? Not really, you train with what you know right?? Most american kids cut their teeth on pigskin... that's just the way it is.

[frat]

if dana continues to pay nothing to fighters, everyone will see mma as being not worth the risk. theres no point in training everyday while risking your bodys wellbeing for 20k a win. world class athletes who get to choose between american football, or a top ufc HW... theyd choose football, because even if youre some nobody in football, youre making 500k for in about 7 months of work.

[JP557CU]

great read

[McBride61]

I think it will always be a 2nd thought to most American's because we have sooo many other options in athletics. I think many other countries will train from a young age to be in MMA. There will be few kids that want to be an MMA star no matter the money. Money talks