Would A Death In The Octogon Mean The End Of The UFC?

Drexal · 07-23-2007, 01:16 PM

I was thinking about the recent steroid scandal the other day and thought how steroid use probably increases the risk of death to another opponent. Then I started wondering what would happen to the UFC if there were a death in The Octogon, would that mean the end of the UFC, especially if the guy(the perpetrator, not the victim) was found to be juicing too?

How likely is a death in the UFC anyway? I know it is always said that the sport is way safer than boxing, but:

Surely with all the slams and chokes it there must be a chance that this will happen?

GeorgeXVX · 07-23-2007, 01:29 PM

there is a chance... but there is also a chance in hockey soccer and football. people in football break their necks all the time... hockey a guy had his throat slit.... soccer its only a matter of time before two people headbutting a ball actually headbutt each other and someone cracks a skull. i dont see a death ending the UFC or MMA but it will bring it to a level i hope it never goes. Some people are working very hard to get knees to the head of ground opponents and soccer kicks made leagel in the US... and i can see that and some other things going right out the window if some juice bag kills someone or gets killed.

LinvilleGorge · 07-23-2007, 01:54 PM

I don't know if it'd be the death of the UFC, but it'd be a HELLUVA setback. The biggest setback I could imagine. Any state considering sanctioning MMA would probably ditch that thought immediately. Any state that has recently sanctioned MMA would probably revisit the decision. In the end, it's possible that MMA would only be sanctioned in Nevada. The ruckus of banning "human cockfighting" would start up among vote mongering politicians. It'd be ugly. Boxing, football, etc. would be better able to absorb such an event as their is a precedent set for it (it has happened before) and the sports are more entrenched in our national culture. It'd be ugly for MMA.

My GnP is Sick · 07-23-2007, 01:59 PM

Other sports have been able to survive it however for some reason I think people would come down harder on the UFC then any other sport since its not very accepted yet. Either way it would be a HUGE set back for them, lets hope it never happens.

lambo84 · 07-23-2007, 02:04 PM

The refs are real good at stopping fights when they need to be stopped, I dont expect to see a death in the octogan any time soon.

IrishRage · 07-23-2007, 02:11 PM

A death will occur sooner or later , maybe not to the UFC It might be one of the smaller organizations out there , and then you will have southern states and republican religious governments wanting and demanding the stoppage of the sport at once, they tried It with boxing alot of the southern states after the sport had a death , they demanded head gear even for professional fights LOL which didn't last long when they started losing money . Same morons that want hockey to get rid of fighting , are the same morons that see MMA as two angry violent people fighting to the death . These of course are the same type of people who somehow take everything personal and but there nose Into everything possible because there BORED and 90% of the time these Idiots complain about this that and the other yet sit there kids Infront of a tv for free babysitting .

I heart LNP · 07-23-2007, 02:27 PM

I think a death is inevitable in all sports sooner or later. Just last night (I think it was last night) a minor league baseball player was killed when a ball hit him in the head.

I think if a death happened right now in MMA it would do more damage then it would in a couple of years just because MMA is still a new and controversial sport but it still wouldn't be the end of the UFC. There are enough hardcore fans to keep the sport going even if the fringe fans are turned off of the sport. We just have to hope that a death doesn't come until MMA is solidified as a mainstream sport.

p19101 · 07-23-2007, 02:33 PM

I think it's just a matter of time before it actually happends. Myabe not in the UFC specifically, but in sanctioned MMA all together.

name goes here · 07-23-2007, 02:47 PM

I think a death in the octagon would be most likely caused by a fighter being unfit to fight - perhaps due to steroid issues or weight cutting issues. And as such would not end the ufc. If some fighter killed another with a punch or choke, then that might be the end of the ufc. (But chokes aren't normally lethal)

LinvilleGorge · 07-23-2007, 02:49 PM

Yeah, it's just a matter of time before there's a death. I personally think the slam is the most likely thing to cause it. Just look at Randleman's slam of Fedor. That was extremely close. Even something like we saw on the TUF finale where Maynard KO'd himself. That could've ended in a broken neck. It's going to happen sooner or later, but I still think that boxing and football are more dangerous than MMA.

Moonpie · 07-23-2007, 04:06 PM

Of course there is always a change to that happen but i don't believe it would mean the end of the sport. At least if it would happen just once.

bisp-king! · 07-23-2007, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by I heart LNP

I think a death is inevitable in all sports sooner or later. Just last night (I think it was last night) a minor league baseball player was killed when a ball hit him in the head.

I think if a death happened right now in MMA it would do more damage then it would in a couple of years just because MMA is still a new and controversial sport but it still wouldn't be the end of the UFC. There are enough hardcore fans to keep the sport going even if the fringe fans are turned off of the sport. We just have to hope that a death doesn't come until MMA is solidified as a mainstream sport.

"We just have to hope that a death doesn't come
until MMA is solidified as a mainstream sport"

dude you are talking like this is nothing, its a human life someone who has a family. please think outside of the mma world this effects a lot more than a sport we love to watch.

bisp-king! · 07-23-2007, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LinvilleGorge

Yeah, it's just a matter of time before there's a death. I personally think the slam is the most likely thing to cause it. Just look at Randleman's slam of Fedor. That was extremely close. Even something like we saw on the TUF finale where Maynard KO'd himself. That could've ended in a broken neck. It's going to happen sooner or later, but I still think that boxing and football are more dangerous than MMA.

your spot on mate the slam is so dangerous its exciting to see but it should be banned fighters dont have a lot of control as to how the opponent lands if they land with there weight coming down on there neck its asking for trouble

wgs2005 · 07-23-2007, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeorgeXVX

there is a chance... but there is also a chance in hockey soccer and football. people in football break their necks all the time... hockey a guy had his throat slit.... soccer its only a matter of time before two people headbutting a ball actually headbutt each other and someone cracks a skull. i dont see a death ending the UFC or MMA but it will bring it to a level i hope it never goes. Some people are working very hard to get knees to the head of ground opponents and soccer kicks made leagel in the US... and i can see that and some other things going right out the window if some juice bag kills someone or gets killed.

happened at beginin of last season, chelsea keeper peter ciek (spel?) colided with players knee, had to have plate, was really bad.

Kaledonia · 07-23-2007, 04:36 PM

I dont think there would be any serious fallout from a death in MMA, sure there would be a ton of media coverage over it and the usual idiots will rant and rave about the dangers of MMA but in the end nobody will care for their misguided views and the prospect of money will probably just make it an even bigger buissness.

HaVoK · 07-23-2007, 07:01 PM

At this point in time when MMA is really starting to poke its head through the big time media, a death would really hurt its positive look and help the words of all those media guys calling it "barbaric".

The-Iceman-Chuck-Liddell · 07-23-2007, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drexal

I was thinking about the recent steroid scandal the other day and thought how steroid use probably increases the risk of death to another opponent. Then I started wondering what would happen to the UFC if there were a death in The Octogon, would that mean the end of the UFC, especially if the guy(the perpetrator, not the victim) was found to be juicing too?

How likely is a death in the UFC anyway? I know it is always said that the sport is way safer than boxing, but:

Surely with all the slams and chokes it there must be a chance that this will happen?

That's kind of funny since this was posted on mmaforum yesterday lol. Anyway there already has been a death in MMA

AikaImmortal · 07-23-2007, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The-Iceman-Chuck-Liddell

That's kind of funny since this was posted on mmaforum yesterday lol. Anyway there already has been a death in MMA

in an unsanctioned bout in the ukraine.. guy knew he had a brain problem couldnt fight here so he willingly went there to compete.

The-Iceman-Chuck-Liddell · 07-23-2007, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AikaImmortal

in an unsanctioned bout in the ukraine.. guy knew he had a brain problem couldnt fight here so he willingly went there to compete.

Ya it's on youtube. I heard he wasn't sanctioned in the US so he went there.

Jras0001 · 07-23-2007, 08:39 PM

I dont think that if a death were to occur in mma competition, it would kill the sport. I think it would have some people taking up the "its too brutal" cause again but I dont think it would stick.

Also, it really depends on the circumstances of the death. If a guy just up and collapses and its later revealed that he had an irregular heart beat or something, then thats one thing thats easily explainable. He could have kicked the bucket while playing ping pong.

However, if its due to a fight that should have been stopped and the ref / doc let the fighter continue or let him take unanswered trauma, then there would be room for discussion and what it meant for mma at that time.