MMA in the Olympics?

The post the other day with the interview with Dana White only touched on the Tito side of the interview.  MMA in the olympics were also discussed in the interview and it deserved a post of it’s own.  Do we need it?  Is it good for the sport?  When will we see it?

Unfortunately, all those answers aren’t available but we can surely speculate right?  In the interview Dana had the following to say (we’ll break down each question and answer):

You’ve said in the past that it would be good thing for MMA to be in the Olympics. How so?

If you look at any of the sports out there, whether it’s basketball — the best scenario I can come up with is the old days of Olympic boxing. Guys who go in and win the Olympics are seen as the potential to be some of the best fighters in the world. Countries rally behind these guys and when they turn professional, it’s at a much bigger scale.

OLYMPICS: Pankration backers keep pushing

Plus, to be in the Olympics means we have an amateur level, too, that there’s a full-blown mixed martial arts amateur level. And these amateurs get so good they go to the Olympics, win the gold and hopefully someday become world champions. I just think when it becomes an Olympic sport it takes it to a whole ‘nother level.

I fully agree.  Olympics can take the sport to the next level for MMA.  While it wouldn’t work for other sports, the success for MMA in the Olympics would bring it to a much bigger stage than it’s currently on.  I also agree on the amateur level but I’ll discuss that below.

There are any number of successful sports, including your own, that have done pretty well without the Olympics. The NFL doesn’t really need it, NASCAR, things like that. Do you really think it would add that much to the industry?

Oh, yeah. It would totally create awareness. The whole world would know about it then. This is the fastest-growing sport right now, but we have a lot of work to do it. People don’t understand how hard we work behind the scenes to grow this sport. To get in the Olympics, it would literally explode overnight.

Yes, it absolutely would create awareness.  I’m not sure about the whole world as other countries have greater awareness than others and wouldn’t increase in those countries but it surely would increase it in countries that have little exposure and awareness.  Exploding overnight probably not entirely accurate.  But after a couple Olympics, sure, the potential growth is unknown.

Fencing is an Olympic sport, but it’s fair to say that most people in the United States still don’t care about fencing …

Fencing sucks. (laughs)

(laughs) Well, I’m not going to agree or disagree, but the point that some people are making is that being in the Olympics doesn’t necessarily translate into a big surge of interest.

Yeah, I disagree. Comparing MMA to fencing is like comparing, you know, NASCAR to watching paint dry. … Fighting is in our DNA. It is. Everybody gets it. It’s part of what we are as human beings.

Fencing is not. Football is not. Fighting is.

I’m not sure how to feel about this.  “Fighting is in our DNA”.  This sounds like Michael Vick’s reasoning behind dog fighting.  I don’t know if it’s in our DNA, Dana but sure everyone gets it.  To compare ANY sport to Fencing is retarded so we won’t even comment on that.

You talked about the amateur level. I was talking to Dan Henderson about the Olympics and he felt that if MMA gets into the Olympics, it should be something that top-level pros should be taking part in. Do you share that view?

No. I don’t think professionals should be. I don’t even think that professional basketball players should be playing in the Olympics.

His argument basically was “Professionals do play in the Olympics, so why can’t we?”

I don’t think they should. You going to see Oscar De La Hoya in the Olympics now? That’s not the way it works.

I agree.  If you do MMA in the Olympics it has to be at an amateur level.  This is where Holyfield started his boxing career.  It’s a great way to get your name out there.  It ultimately could become the “college” of MMA.  Allowing event organizers to scout potential fighters and sign them.  Winning the gold in the Olympics in MMA could be compared to getting the 1st overall pick in the draft for the NFL or NBA.  It would be a BIG way to get your name out there quick.

That said, let’s say, hypothetically, Dan Henderson wins the argument and pros are allowed in. Would you be averse to letting your guys compete in the Olympics?

No, nope. It’s a huge honor.

So if your middleweight champion, whoever it would be at that point, says to you, “Hey, they say I can fight in the Olympics, so I’m going,” you would have no problem with that?

Yeah.

I mean — well, that’s the other thing, too. That would be the issue, when Dan Henderson says stuff like that. These guys are under contract, they’re part of a business already and making money; it’s just so different. At the amateur level, you’re competing to show everybody that you’re the best in the world, and then from there, you go out and compete against all the professionals that are out there. It makes much more sense. There’s no money involved in the beginning.

I think it’s cool that Dana would let fighters go over and fight if they allowed professionals.  I don’t like the fact that it would be professionals.  As Dana said, you don’t see Oscar De La Hoya fighting in the olympics.  Olympic MMA events should be for amateurs.

Let’s not get too excited over this though.  The transition of MMA in the Olympics isn’t going to be overnight.  There are a lot of details that have to be worked out, weight classes, rules, style of fighting (team or individual), etc.  It will be a long process and I would say you shouldn’t expect it before 2020.

Last 3 posts by Mat Houchens

• Gina Carano is Back! Carano vs Cyborg August 15
• Kimbo Slice on TUF 10
• Affliction 3 Press Conference June 1

Similar Posts

• ESPN MMA Live: 5-14-09
• My concerns with “Fight Nights”
• ESPN MMA Live Episode 31