That's why there haven't been any so far. It's a matter of time. MMA right now is where football or basketball was in the late 40s or boxing in the 1910s, its in its infancy and we've yet to see it blossom. It's gained traction but we just don't have that great superstar yet, that Jack Dempsey, or Bill Russell or Johnny Unitas. Maybe Khabib will be the one? Only time will tell.
Just so you realize there's a world outside america where the likes of bill russell and johnny unitas rarely rate a mention, as they are icons of what was back then basically an american sport.
When did I ever say it had to be global? All I said was that a great athlete is someone who is both the best of their era and a folk hero, a legend to people who don't even watch the sport. I'm pretty sure I never mentioned anything about having a global following. Virtually no athlete has a truly global following, nobody watches soccer in the Yukon that doesn't mean that soccer heros aren't great. Being a legend within your own group doesn't make you a great, because being great means transcending your audience and reaching a broader public. Walt Hazzard was a good ball player but he wasn't a great, Michael Jordan was a great ball player because he was damn good and turned heads, even of people who don't like basketball. Likewise, Fedor is a good fighter but he's not a great one. And I'm pretty sure, that if Fedor were a baseball or football player and pulled the same stunt he did in the Maldonado fight, he'd be lucky if he ever got a plaque in the hall of fame. Now, you can spin this all you like, that I'm some crazy American hater that's out to tarnish MMA or Russia, but all you've done is put words in my mouth and bombard me with links. I rest my case.
So? I never said you had to have a global following to be great, I only said you have to transcend your sport. So far, no phenomenal MMA fighter has transcended their sport.
Fedor is a global icon in MMA, people outside the United States know him, including East Asians. This makes him a folk hero to many people. The world is bigger than America, I know its hard for you to understand this, and yes, he is a great fighter. I destroyed you already, your entire argument was Muricancentric, I exposed it. Maybe if MMA was larger And as popular in the states, then surely Fedor would be seen greater, that I could agree with.
Many MMA fighters turn heads, you dont need to watch MMA to know who is doing well and excelling in their profession. When I watch basketball I get bored, including American football, to me it is absolute garbage. This entire topic is subjective, and your opinion is no more valuable than a homeless hobo who watches darts. So why are you preaching such a negative anti MMA stance on an MMA forum? Unless you wanted negative attention, which you are getting.
Nope, I said transcend the sport not transcend the country. Fedor hasn't done that, only the combat sports crowd know who he is and while that crowd might be larger in Japan and Russia than it is elsewhere, it doesn't count as transcending the sport. And I'm pretty sure Fedor's blatant corruption and cheating disqualify him from ever being considered a great athlete, despite his talent and skill he was a horrible sport.
Fedor never cheated you twat. And wtf? Fedor is not known as a horrible sport. When people who dont watch MMA see Fedor, they see an indestructible machine, how is that not transcending the sport according to your criteria, since you said its not about popularity? You yourself dont even know your stance.
Subjective? Duh... Do you read before you type? This is a thread about unpopular MMA opinions. I'm not preaching anti-MMA bias, I'm voicing an unpopular opinion that doesn't coincide with the views of most other MMA fans. And when did I say it wasn't about popularity? Nope, I said it wasn't about international popularity. If I ask someone on the street corner about MMA, they almost never bring up Fedor or Mirko. Their reputation does not extended outside the martial arts world. Oh wait a minute, I get it now, anyone who disagrees with YOUR opinion isn't a real MMA fan, they're a nasty fifth columnist out to preach anti-MMA bias. Fetch the pitchforks!
Your opinion is irrational. Fedor has caused so much people to turn to MMA because he was entertaining, everyone loved watching him, the same way you yankees love watching Some Michael Jordan guy toss a ball in a hoop. If MMA was more global and popular, like boxing is, Fedor would surely be rated even higher on the “transcending scale” you pulled from your arse.
Those arent just unpopular opinions, they are flat out ridiculous opinions. In... of course, my opinion.
Has the OP ever watched an MMA fight. when i read "There is no such thing as "combat sports" and MMA is a form of boxing and the name MMA sucks" i nearly spat my drink out.. I've never seen a form of boxing with so many tap outs via chokes etc...One of the best in the sport today Khabib who only hours ago kept his belt by taking a guy down and choking the life out of him for as long as it lasted. Considering the UFC has world champs currently and past from Russia, China, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Hawaii, Switzerland. Plus unlike boxing the top guys can't avoid fighting each other for near 10 years waiting for one to be on the slide, if you show potential you get tested. Boxing has many promoters and politics who duck and each other's fighters for their own pocket and ruins it for the fans. UFC shows going to other Country's and puts local talent on it to give them some exposure and the feel of being on the big stage, it get's them motivated to train harder and hungry for more, that expands the talent coming through more and more lately. How the eff is that bad for the sport...but then again you clearly don't watch it calling it a form of boxing.
