Should non-English fighters be expected to practice improving their English speaking?

Discussion in 'MMA Forum' started by Haggis McJackass, Jan 1, 2012.


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  1. Grillinnap

    Grillinnap Flomos are morons Full Member

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    Carlos Tevez is laughing at this thread.
     
    Grillinnap, Jan 1, 2012
    Grillinnap, Jan 1, 2012
    #16
  2. thejokerswild

    thejokerswild Guest

    Ofcourse not, what a stupid question. Ufc should promote better in non english speaking countries
     
    thejokerswild, Jan 1, 2012
    thejokerswild, Jan 1, 2012
    #17
  3. scurlaruntings

    scurlaruntings ESB 2002 Club Full Member

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    Fantastically stupid thread. The UFC has been all around the world. Likewise PRIDE built umpteen stars none of which could speak more than two Japanese words and the fans haven't had a problem yet. What a ridiculous question. To be expected though from ESB's very own closet racist.
     
    scurlaruntings, Jan 1, 2012
    scurlaruntings, Jan 1, 2012
    #18
  4. Haggis McJackass

    Haggis McJackass Semi-neutralist Overseer Full Member

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    I know there are a lot of dumb, aggressive assholes who watch MMA, but some of you guys have no ****ing reading comprehension at all. :patsch

    Nowhere did I say that anyone should be REQUIRED or FORCED to learn English. I was very clear about that. That's ****ing ridiculous.

    I asked, should it be a part of being a top-level fighter?

    It makes you more marketable.

    It puts more money in your pocket.

    It (I can only assume) makes the UFC happier to give you opportunities when you can directly engage interviewers in press conferences, film promo spots etc.

    People wonder why Anderson isn't a HUGE star, considering his dominance and his highlight reel. Why does Machida draw more on PPV when he headlines than Anderson does? A lot of it is because Anderson refuses to learn or speak English. So he can't do **** to promote his fights, and he doesn't connect with audiences outside of Brazil. Whereas someone like Lyoto or JDS can and does.

    :hat
     
    Haggis McJackass, Jan 1, 2012
    Haggis McJackass, Jan 1, 2012
    #19
  5. Haggis McJackass

    Haggis McJackass Semi-neutralist Overseer Full Member

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    As far as Rampage etc not learning Japanese, that's a completely different ****ing culture and scenario. They have a completely different mindset.

    PRIDE marketed Rampage as a homeless street person. I'm sure that'll work just great when the homeless black guy from America takes the microphone and starts speaking to the crowd in Japanese. :patsch

    The UFC invests a lot of money into its headlining fighters. And there is a lot of money for the fighters to make. If you are working for an American company, and a huge part of your job is doing press work for American media, then I can't understand why you would be at the top level of the sport for five years and still be unable to speak basic English. To me it seems like you're shooting yourself in the foot.

    :hat
     
    Haggis McJackass, Jan 1, 2012
    Haggis McJackass, Jan 1, 2012
    #20
  6. Vitor Belfort

    Vitor Belfort Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    :thumbsup

    yep
     
    Vitor Belfort, Jan 1, 2012
    Vitor Belfort, Jan 1, 2012
    #21
  7. Will Cooling

    Will Cooling Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Except when in Brazil of course.

    Seriously people need to remember that Anderson has a screw loose and likes to **** with people.
     
    Will Cooling, Jan 1, 2012
    Will Cooling, Jan 1, 2012
    #22
  8. scurlaruntings

    scurlaruntings ESB 2002 Club Full Member

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    Remember at one of the PRIDE shows he came out dressed up as Michael Jackson? :yep
    I wouldn't say he has a screw loose but he's definitely an eccentric comic.
     
    scurlaruntings, Jan 1, 2012
    scurlaruntings, Jan 1, 2012
    #23
  9. Haggis McJackass

    Haggis McJackass Semi-neutralist Overseer Full Member

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    Awesome. How about letting the English-speaking fans see that side of his personality?

    Instead we get a sullen, aloof champion who can't be bothered to learn basic English after five years of being the champion of an American organization. He's a multi-millionaire because of American fight fans, but he can't be bothered to tell the crowd in the arena "Thanks for coming here to see me fight."

    Insead the only "eccentric comic" stuff we see out of Anderson is when he takes our money and decides that he'd rather dance around the cage, refuse to fight hard, and just generally troll the **** out of the fans who paid $50 to watch him in the main event. :-(

    That's his choice, sure. He can't be forced to learn English.

    But it's a bull**** choice. And if I was an American who was putting millions of dollars in his pocket every year, and trying to get him more visibility in the States, I'd be pissed if my champion of 5 years STILL needed a translator to say "He runs his mouth too much. I'm going to kick his ass" for the talking-head soundbite at the start of the PPV telecast. :-(

    JDS not only learned English, but also worked hard to overcome his natural quiet personality, in order to put himself out there and make it easier for English-speaking fans to warm to him. That does a lot for his fan following, for his visibility and for his bank balance. IMO it's part of being a modern high-level fighter.

    I can't understand why any foreign-language fighter wouldn't put some effort in. Especially when almost everyone they are dealing with in the company they work for is a native English speaker. :conf

    :hat
     
    Haggis McJackass, Jan 1, 2012
    Haggis McJackass, Jan 1, 2012
    #24
  10. Ne5ville14

    Ne5ville14 Rationalist by default... Full Member

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    Cause they arn't here to talk....

    If they were paid to talk then fine learn english.

    I consider myself a MMA fan....and I ****in don't give a single **** what any MMA fighter has to say.

    This is the ****in problem with american culture, I don't give a single **** what J-Lo and Brangolina are doing....same ****in thing with MMA fighter. I don't watch TUF, young adult drama queen and ******* don't interest me in the slightest.


    Just imagine a world where ****in Chael Sonnen would just STFU....maybe I wouldn't root for him to get brutaly KTFO each and every ****in time he is fighting...

    Maybe you liked what Volkam had to say last friday night ?


    Why is this a thread ?

    Are you here to watch people fight ? Or ear what they have so say in the post fight interview ?

    And just wow...2 pages of this....incredible
     
    Ne5ville14, Jan 1, 2012
    Ne5ville14, Jan 1, 2012
    #25
  11. AJAX

    AJAX war sonnen! Full Member

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    would boxing have been as big as it was back in the day if it wasn't ali, like him or hate him people listened and either wanted to see him win or lose. There will never be another ali but sometimes guys like sonnen get peoples interest. I never thought much of Sonnen until he dominated Okami, then Marquart and then his fight with Silva he went on his promotion thing.....I actually thought there is no way a guy can do this much talking and get killed......so i bet on him.....he did almost exactly what he said he was going to to.....until he got caught.

    Sometimes an outspoken guy is a breath of fresh air.
     
    AJAX, Jan 1, 2012
    AJAX, Jan 1, 2012
    #26
  12. Vic-JofreBRASIL

    Vic-JofreBRASIL Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    It´s important to learn, and I like when the fighters try to speak in english....
     
    Vic-JofreBRASIL, Jan 1, 2012
    Vic-JofreBRASIL, Jan 1, 2012
    #27
  13. Ne5ville14

    Ne5ville14 Rationalist by default... Full Member

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    For the promotion of the fight yes I can agree with you.

    It would be much better if a guy can trash talk in english, at least it would be funnier but for everything else, can you honestly tell me that you give a single **** if it's coming from a translator or the guy himself ?

    Are you waiting anxiously at the end of the fight to know what Okami or Shogun or any non english speaking fighter has to say ?

    Do you buy the UFC magazine to have the latest gossip on the MMA world ?
     
    Ne5ville14, Jan 1, 2012
    Ne5ville14, Jan 1, 2012
    #28
  14. AJAX

    AJAX war sonnen! Full Member

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    No, I rarely even see a TUF episode and by the time the after fight interview comes on I'm so drunk it doesn't matter to me personally. But to some it does matter especially if they are trying to promote their next fight.
    Anderson doesn't have to talk **** he does it in the ring and that's the way he prefers it even if he can speak good english. It's easier for him to let his opponent do the talking....
     
    AJAX, Jan 1, 2012
    AJAX, Jan 1, 2012
    #29
  15. Ne5ville14

    Ne5ville14 Rationalist by default... Full Member

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    Like I said for promo I agree, but most of the time you see some video with a guy dubbing for the fighter, so it really doesn't botter me at all, subtilte could be good too.....but does the new fanbase of UFC know how to read, that is the question... !:good

    Humm...tbh I rarely watch pre fight press conference, but I can't remember a pre fight press conference with a non english speaking fighter.......but I could be really wrong about that !!!


    Does it ring a bell for anyone ???
     
    Ne5ville14, Jan 1, 2012
    Ne5ville14, Jan 1, 2012
    #30
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