The NFL Lockout: Big Win for the UFC?

There… that was simple.

It just isn’t going to happen.

But if it does, I think what would help MMA would be the fact that there is just one less sport for the sports channels to talk about. If there was a lockout maybe we will see more MMA on ESPN.

Other than that, i doubt the majority of Football fans are going to start watching MMA in droves, they are two completely different things.

Boxing has more in common with MMA and we don’t see a massive amount of boxing fans tuning into MMA bouts

and actually have a short one, but, in the end, I believe they will simply implement their “last, best offer” and force the players to strike to get a new deal. The owners have the right, upon impasse, to simply implement their last offer, and make the players’ association go to court to fight it. I’m betting that’s what they do.

A lockout, the owners have a hard time winning public opinion. But a players’ strike to nullify the last , best offer would put them in the position of denying fans NFL football. Even if the owners don’t completely get what they want, they will get a lot closer by implementing the “make the players strike” strategy than a lockout.

for the taking, like having a few more eyes on the sport, but long term, I don’t know. And I don’t think you’ll see any significant NFL players coming to MMA because of the lockout. I think what you may see are the players on the fringe who were thinking of trying their chances in MMA coming over, but they would probably have come over anyway once they realize the NFL won’t work out for them.

Now if you had someone like Walker who already has the ear of the major sports media outlets, was fighting in the UFC combined with a lockout, you might have a case for some instant magic there. It might be an opening for a network deal also. But overall, I don’t think MMA will really thrive under a lockout situation the way some might think it might.

Not Anderson vs. Ocho, but SF is loving the freakshows, if I had to guess on one it would be Ocho vs. Hendo.

I love MMA but I’m not going to root for a lockout. I hope we’ll see some of the 97% of college football players that aren’t drafted coming into the HW division over the next few years anyway.

Speculating about how the UFC might or might not see a short-term bump from the lack of NFL seems to miss the more important point. This labor dispute will be a huge precedent-setter for collective bargaining between athletes and leagues in all USA sports for years to come (if not decades). A particularly league-friendly outcome could kill the idea of an MMA fighters’ union while it’s still in the cradle, and I don’t think that would be a good thing.

NFL fans, like my self, will watch MMA if we want to regardless of other sports. I’m a diehard NFL/MLB/NBA AND a diehard fight fan. The biggest fight cards are always on saturdays so it’s not like it’s been going head to head against the NFL. Really, I don’t see any way how the NFL has stopped people from watching the UFC.

Matter fact, if any sports org. can benefit from no football in Aug-Oct, it’s the MLB. With no other choice of pro sports from the end of NBA Finals till november when the NBA season starts, Americans might actually rediscover their love of the national pastime again.

they will most likely have mediocre stand up and suck at groundwork…
theres only a few exceptions and meathead is one of them…but if this becomes a trend among atheletes it will dilute the sport…Your welcome! : )

 David Doty is the Federally appointed judge that has presided over numerous NFL vs NFLPA cases. The decertification of the NFLPA would mandate that David Doty preside over the case. Since the time Doty was appointed, the NFL owners have cried foul, accusing Doty of favoring the players. Now, on too the impact it could have on MMA. I don’t think the players or owners are dumb enough to turn off their fans. If they do lose games as a result of a lockout, I have already made up my mind. Im gonna turn even more attention to MMA. I am already an avid MMA fan, but, this would be the death nail. I have refused to watch MLB ever since their lock out. I don’t care to watch the NBA and have only recently picked up an interest in the NHL. The irony here is, I used to be a major football, baseball, basketball and hockey fan. For now, I will continue my loyal following of my Indy Colts. But, if we see a work stoppage, lockout, strike or anything else to interrupt the season. I’m done with the NFL. ’
  For the record, I could see a prolonged lockout helping MMA. Their are many former football players that wrestled in high school and college. Plus, the Atlanta Falcons use an MMA based off season conditioning program for their team. There are many football players that have a martial arts background. Also, if you look at the top of the UFC HW division, you will see the impact Brock Lesnar has had. His natural athletic ability is why he is so successful. Brock wasnt good enough to make it in the NFL. So, by default, I would assume some of the NFL players would possess skills and athletic ability not yet seen in MMA>

that part of the dispute involves the introduction of an 18 game season despite the public pressure of curbing its violence. Seems like Goodell still hasn’t got the message even when his Super Bowl teams had bruised rosters. It’ll be interesting to see how that issue is resolved.

unless Smith is a complete fool – and he is not – there is no scenario aside from an agreement on a new CBA that does not have the union decertifying.

There is zero real risk – the owners would lock them out if they didn’t, and that way they stay under Judge Doty. The NFL IS a monopoly, and I don’t think there is one owner who would risk the triple damages that come with antitrust law, in a case their attorneys have surely explained they would be highly likely to lose.

Not decertifying and getting locked out means the owners have won (a la the NHL) and the players will eventually cave.

As for athletes crossing over to MMa, of course everybody brings up LeBron James, at 6’8 265 pounds, and as fast and athletic as any guard. But I’d be pretty interested in Corey Brewer. 6’9 185 pounds with nasty athleticism.

Anyone think he, or any current player for that matter, could make some noise in MMA?

Is there anyone who DOESN’T think there are tons of NFL players who would be great for MMA? If NFL players converted to MMA en masse and started training only for MMA, there wouldn’t be all that many current MMA fighters left near the top within a couple of years tops. They are vastly better athletes, it’s just a numbers/interest game—-the best athletes in this country go into football and basketball. Matt Mitrione is a 32 year old, “barely was an NFL player 6 years ago”, and he’s really light on his feet for a HW in MMA….what would Mario Williams look like? Or DeMarcus Ware? Or Adrian Peterson/Andre Johnson at LHW, or Troy Polamalu/Ed Reed at MW etc. And these guys are just as crazy in terms of wanting to deliver punishment and playing through pain. With a couple years of training, it’d be ridiculous.

Let’s get his ass in a gym, so that we can see him fight Brock, even if it’s just just a wrestling match to see if Brock can get revenge for the ’99 NCAA national championship.