Please do not fall for the hype. We all do it in almost every aspect of our lives and we are usually disappointed. I am specifically referring to the grudge matches in MMA. Fights consistently get hyped based on the fact that two fighters due in fact hate each other. This is a natural marketing campaign for a sport where the core objective is conquer and destroy your opponent. However, since that is the main objective the hype is pointless.
The game play is noticeably different in other sports when the two opponents have a heated rivalry. Whether it is pitching high and tight in baseball, elbows in basketball, or the plethora of dirty plays in football the hatred shows. Hatred between two teams/players is exciting and fun because of what might happen that normally would not. The potential for more is what catches our attention. However, what more do we want in MMA. Elbows, punches, and all around ass beating are part of the rules and we are going to receive all this with or without the rivalry hype. Any extra-curricular activity is dangerous and detrimental to the sports mainstream success. Case in point, the Babalu/Heath fight. Babalu was cut from the UFC and fined by the commission for not releasing his choke when Heath tapped.
The quality of the fight is dependent on the style and skill level of the two fighters. If these two components are lacking then grudge match will not matter. Hughes vs. Serra is a perfect example of this. I will ignore the fact they were awarded fight of the night because me rambling for 20 minutes is not good stuff. It featured one of the most intense grudge matches in recent memory, but the fight did not come close to living up to the hype. It featured one fighter who got lucky and another fighter who is on the downside of his career. We need to band together and watch/pay for the fights between quality and exciting opponents as opposed to manufactured rivalries that do not live up to the hype. All this being said I cannot wait for the Hardy/Davis fight, those dudes hate each other.
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