MMA Favorites By The Numbers

One of the most popular arguments for new MMA fans to make is that they love the sport because it's so unpredictable. Anyone can win any fight, they say, and odds in the ballpark of 60-40 are usually put forth as proof to this lack of disparity in MMA. As an expert in the field, I too believe that MMA is unpredictable, but not because of who wins the fights. Tito Ortiz's mouth is unpredictable, Clay Guida's hair is unpredictable, but the sport itself? No. Although 2007 was often called the year of the upset, MMA (and the UFC specifically) offer less of the unknown than most sports do. In just about every other professional sport, a season can be as tumultuous as a Britney Spears night on the town. In MMA, however, there is much less year-to-year change and fighters rarely change who they are. For example, Chuck Liddell will never turn into a grappler. Keith Jardine will always put his palms out and look for the leg kicks. The point is that MMA is far more predictable than people think. To ... (link)