Modern martial arts are becoming an increasingly vibrant and interesting direction. But some fights are downright disappointing for fans. In particular, war veterans are subject to a barrage of criticism. Older athletes continue to step into the cage or ring to earn extra money and remind themselves of themselves. However, this is often associated with enormous health risks. But one gets the feeling that fighters simply have no other choice. And this is especially evident in Russia, where fights between older athletes are practically a trend.
These kinds of battles only provoke an avalanche of criticism:
“It’s an insult to combat sports.” Everyone is already tired of the veterans’ battles.
In our country, many people have to fight until they are older. And there are several reasons for this. One of the key ones is the size of the fees. Of course, the best athletes in the top promotions receive good contracts. But there are only a few such fighters. The best, the strongest. They really get the best conditions. But everyone else has to go out and fight for quite a bit of money. Therefore, you don’t even have to think about saving up during your career. Fighters are forced to undergo training and pay for camps at their own expense. And this also becomes quite a big expense. Frankly, some people fight for a long time almost at a disadvantage.
One very important reason is that in Russia there is no system that allows older fighters to find themselves in other directions. Of course, there are commentators: Grigory Drozd, Nikolai Valuev. But only a few people engage in this work after the fights. And almost all promotions rely on young talents who are considered brighter and more interesting. Very few fighters try to train. That is why, after finishing a career, the only way to feed yourself and your family… is still the same fights. Just a slightly different state. That is why you should look at how Alexander Emelianenko endures and endures every new fight, and after leaving the cage he literally lets himself be carried by the arms. Or look at the fight between Jeff Monson and Oleg Taktarov, which eventually went from professional boxing… to a street fight with ground fighting and biting.
Alexander Emelianenko
Photo: Dmitry Golubovich, “Championship”
It is worth noting that not everyone is an “old man” forced into battle. Some people continue to fight with great pleasure because they really love this business. A positive example is Vener Galiev, who continues to perform in ACA. And he does not look like a statistic at all at 49 years old. The Russian has an impressive professional record of 38-16. And the most important thing is that Venus continues to defeat young opponents and teach them lessons. But Galiev is rather an exception to the rule.
Unfortunately, athletes are often faced with the fact that they have to earn money. There are more opportunities abroad to do this without any problems. In particular, there is wrestling, which attracts a large number of former professionals. There, the level of health hazards is not so high. But there is still the opportunity to support oneself. Moreover, apparently, the fees do not differ much from what the wrestlers earned during their careers.
Oleg Taktarov
Russia’s first UFC champion
“If they call me to wrestle, will I accept? I agree, I agree. I was offered a contract with WWE in 1999. I had to train for six months and then perform for a year. They offered me a contract for 600,000 dollars and in total I could earn about 2 million dollars. It was not the right time. Maybe if they had offered it to me in 2004, I would have accepted. By that time I had already lost a bit of interest in Hollywood movies. And in 1999 I was completely focused on that. And I was not interested in wrestling.”
True, these problems persist not only in Russia. Fights between older athletes have become fashionable abroad as well. Moreover, some of them seem even more absurd and dangerous. In particular, everyone is awaiting with horror the confrontation between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson. And all because it was decided to hold the fight with official status. The result will be recorded in the professional record, which means that the young blogger will try to fight with all his might against the legendary opponent. And many express concern that this could turn into a tragedy for Iron Mike.
The former champion puts his health at risk:
Memory loss, disability and more – what does Tyson face in a fight with a young boxer?
It is worth noting that Tyson will not be the only veteran fighting in the near future. Former five-division world champion Floyd Mayweather will face John Gotti III. Fortunately, it was decided that the fight would remain of an exhibition nature. And 45-year-old Manny Pacquiao received a new opponent at the Rizin tournament. The opponent will be Rukia Anpo, who is only 28 years old.
Manny Pacquiao
Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images
In the case of these guys, the situation has little to do with money. Rather, fighters simply cannot find themselves after leaving professional sports. They get used to constant attention. And then they find themselves in the shadows, which greatly affects their mental state. And former fighters perfectly understand that fighting is very dangerous, but they simply force themselves to step into the ring or octagon. They are aware that this is the only way to get a good portion of publicity and attention.
And yet, it seems that the promoters themselves, as well as the leagues, should intervene in such a situation. At least to minimize the risks. Firstly, the fights should be purely exhibition. Perhaps the ex-fighters themselves want to fight with the youngsters on equal terms. But this idea seems too dangerous. Secondly, we should take a positive example from those promotions where, after finishing their careers, many top athletes receive other opportunities to earn money and stay in the spotlight. The UFC seems to be a very positive example. Now the league is almost directly related to WWE, so it can send ex-fighters to wrestling literally in batches. In addition, it helps former athletes prove themselves as fighters and analysts. And some even broadcast on the official social networks of the best league on the planet. The main wish.
Conor McGregor
Photo: Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Interestingly, a positive example for all fighters who do not want to fight until old age is Conor McGregor. Throughout his career, he has developed his professional brand so much that he remains in the spotlight without even entering the octagon. The Irishman puts as much effort into business as he does into cinema. And all this is associated with substantial fees and financial gains. That is why, at 32, Conor could afford to finally retire from fighting. True, Notorius has not yet officially announced this. But there is a suspicion that it is only a matter of time.
Pathetic speeches, minor injuries: McGregor is simply delaying his official retirement:
“This is a deep pain.” Conor leads everyone by the nose and has no intention of returning.
Of course, veterans’ battles are also positive. They allow fans to look back at their idols, feel nostalgia and warm feelings. But I really want all this not to be accompanied by suffering, danger to health and even life. The first steps are already being taken to change the situation. It is important not to stop there.
