SuperFights: How much value do they have?

How much value do you think Super Fights would have for a young sport?  In other sports, many, many of the best competitions never happened.  And the sports world was the poorer for it.  

The boxing community may never see Floyd Mayweather fight Manny Pacquiao?  Would it really be that much of a loss if they never got it?  

The MMA fans never saw Fedor Emelianenko fight Randy Couture or Brock Lesnar.  We did get to see Brock fight Randy and it was interesting if not that competitive.

So here are my questions for the house.

Would you get excited if GSP announced he was moving up to MW to fight Anderson Silva?

If that fight happened, would you get excited if Anderson Silva announced he was moving up to LHW to fight Jon Jones?

If that fight happened, would you get excited if Jon Jones announced he was moving up to HW?

Would you get excited if Renan Barao was moving up to FW to fight Jose Aldo?

Would you get excited if Jose Aldo were to move up to LW?

Besides exciting the fans, do SuperFights really bring that much value to a sport?  Is the sporting element that important?  After all, a sport will go on whether or not the best people ever meet in competition.  

I've heard over and over here that many fans are sick of talk of SuperFights and I wonder how deep that sentiment really goes.

Any thoughts?  Discuss.

* Edited at 08.04.2012, 3:04 PM ET *

This is actually a great topic to discuss now since there is so much talk about Anderson declining Jones and GSP declining Anderson. Let me allow this to sink in and I'll respond back w/ something educated.

@bill i always read have your post then need to refresh with a sip of coffee you the man when it comes to threads !weather you agree or disagree with bill gotta respect this guy he puts hardcore thought in to his posts!

I'd be excited for all of those fights except for Renan Barao vs Jose Aldo because people who think Renan Barao is the next Jose Aldo obviously know nothing about MMA.

The only fighter in that list that should move up in my opinion is Jose Aldo, I think he'd dominate the LW division too that's why. I don't see that happening with any other UFC fighter. GSP vs Silva would be nice to see but again, GSP does not want to lose ever again so he will NEVER take that fight.

Jon Jones will move up eventually, it's inevitable.


Oh and Anderson isn't ducking Jones. Jones has even said that he would refuse to fight Silva because it does absolutely nothing for either of them.

* Edited at 08.04.2012, 3:08 PM ET *

You, again, are out of your mind.  I guess I know nothing of MMA... I believe in Barao.

GSP vs Anderson - Yes.  Very interesting match up.  Anderson might be able to do a catchweight.  I'd love to see it.

Anderson vs Jones - No. Super dangerous fight for Anderson. Jones would certainly take him down with ease and annihilate him with elbows.  Anderson has already accomplished so much.  There's no need for that.  GSP would be a more competitive fight. 

Jones at HW - Yes.  He's clearly way ahead of the pack, and running out of contenders already.  In another year or two I think well see him take a fight or two up there.

Do superfights have value?  Sure, any marketable fight has value.  Superfights usually more so.

Bararo probably wouldn't fight Aldo since they're from the same camp.  It would be cool to see though. He also isn't even really the champ of his class yet.   I'd be more interested in Aldo vs Cruz.

Aldo at lightweight would be awesome.  Lot's of great fights up there for him.  He should probably defend his belt a few more times first though.

* Edited at 08.04.2012, 3:15 PM ET *

Well I have always been a fan of super fights. PRIDE imo did them the best.
Strikeforce did that one good fight.

I mean Really 

Royce vs Shamrock
Smart

Hendo vs Fedor
Pretty ****en Smart

Fedor vs Cro Cop



but yeah i would liked to see
Randy Couture vs Fedor
Bas Rutten vs Wanderlei Silva
Jose Aldo vs Frankie Edgar
Anderson Silva vs GSP

@analias so you would rather see 2 guys fight that are ridiclously far apart in size (Silva/GSP) then seeing 2 guys that are much closer in size (Silva/Jones) because you're worried Silva would lose?

I'm pretty sure there's a bigger size difference between Jones and Silva.  I could be wrong.

Regardless, Silva vs Jones would be a lopsided destruction.  Silva vs GSP could be competitive.  It has nothing to do with not wanting to see SIlva lose.  I just want to see the more competitive and interesting fight.

* Edited at 08.04.2012, 3:18 PM ET *

As an older fan (60 years old), I personally think SuperFights are very important to every sport.  A sport needs to have its best meet in open competition, on as level a playing field as possible.

In baseball in the 50's, it was just so important to have the Yankees meet the Giants and the Dodgers each year in the World Series.  It was equally important to have Ali meet Joe Frazier not once, not twice but 3 times!  Their last fight, the Thrilla in Manilla, was the greatest boxing fight ever.  

Coming from a track and field background, I was the best runner in my HS in my junior and senior years.  I was just so disgusted that the best middle distance runners so rarely faced each other in races.

Bayi/Walker, Jim Ryun/Gerry Lindgren, Marty Liquori/Steve Prefontaine, Prefontaine/Lasse Viren, Steve Ovett/Seb Coe, Said Aouita/Steve Cram, Said Aouita/Noureddine Morceli, Steve Scott/Eamon Coughlan, Haile Gebrsellassie/Daniel Koman, Gebrsellassie/Paul Tergat, and on and on and on ad nauseum.  

Sports lives and dies by its authentic drama.  And drama is never more intense than when the best meet on the field to duke it out and see who is the best.

Don't we all want to see who's gonna come out on top?  Who's nerves are gonna crack under pressure and beat themselves?  Of course we do!

That is why I am just so disappointed that my idol, GSP will probably never get his courage up sufficiently to move up to MW to challenge those guys who are more on his own level.  Feel even more disappointed that Spider never will either.  Too much protecting of one's record or legacy might be understandable, but still disappointing.

Oh how I wish I could get both GSP and Silva into a room and talk to them from a fans' perspective!  With passion!!! Give them my special sauce of Burgessian Divine Heart Fire!!!  They talk about how they love their fans, so maybe they need a fans' input.

* Edited at 08.04.2012, 3:33 PM ET *

Jones would destroy Silva but it wouldn't be due to size. Jon Jones is 6'4" and walks at 235. Anderson is 6'2" and walks around 220-225. GSP is 5'10" and walks at 190-194. There is a huge size difference between Silva/GSP. Jones is bigger then Anderson but not that much.

I would say Jon Jones has a bigger height/reach advantage on Anderson than Anderson has on GSP.
Anderson height 6ft 2in       reach:77.6in
Jones      height 6ft 4in       reach: 84.5in
GSP       height: 5ft 10in     reach: 76in

SOOOOOOOOOOO. Anderson has a 3 inch height advantage on GSP, while Jones has a 2 inch reach advantage on Anderson. BUT Anderson only has a 1.6 inch reach advantage on GSP, while Jones has a 7 inch reach advantage on Anderson. So you size argument for Silva/Jones is actually an argument against you, buuuuuuuuuuutttttt you didn't even check the facts.

Also that walk around weight is a stupid argument. Anderson balloons in weight like Rampage while GSP is ALWAYS in shape. Anderson is probably about 20 lbs lighter at the least, when in shape.

* Edited at 08.04.2012, 3:27 PM ET *

@Kalibo Do you think Barao's the next Jose Aldo? Are you serious? Have you ever WATCHED a Jose Aldo fight?

Here's a perfect example, watch Barao vs Faber and then watch Aldo vs Faber.

@AnAlias Aldo would DESTROY Cruz and it would break my heart to watch. Cruz would beat Barao though.

@p4pgoat LOL. you crack me up.

@Anik.. I've been watching MMA longer than you have been alive... do not ever question what I've watched :).  I said I believe in Barao. 

 

This coming from the guy picking Fitch & the spaniard... :)

I didn't question what you watched, I said to watch them right now back-to-back and then tell me whether Barao is the next Jose Aldo or not.

Oh and by the way...WAR FITCH. WAR THE AWESOME ONE.

"Have you ever watched a Jose Aldo fight"... I believe is what you said.  You know I have.  I just buy into Barao like you buy into Fitch.  Don't hate for it :)

has the UFC ever done a superfight?

i wonder how much more PPV would they sell.
i mean Anderson and GSP can go boh to the 1 million sells fight in their division.
but i dont know if they would sell more than that fighting against each other.
i dont think the math works like this Silva = 1M, GSP = 1M so GSP + Silva = 2M

the way i see it, its the fighter who has to decide for a superfight.
i dont see any champion calling other champion out, all i see is fans and the media pressuring for it.
if people wanna stay in their divisions, then so be it.

@Kalibo i think Barao looks to have stronger punches and hes more dangerous on the ground. 
maybe you are right and we get another brazillian champion before Silva retires.

Who the **** cares about reach? Jones has a huge reach advantage on everyone he fights. Anderson is 4" inches taller and weighs about 40 more pounds then GSP when they're training. Even Ed Soares says for GSP to take a fight with Silva would not be smart due to the HUGE size diference. I'll post the video of him saying that if you'd like cuz I'm sure you won't believe it. There is a really big size seperation between Silva/GSP but if you choose not to recognize that then that's your problem.

The UFC has done many huge fights.  The first was Royce Gracie vs. Ken Shamrock.  They did Gracie / Severn.  And dozens of huge fights since.  

Which is why we are all here and hooked as fans.