I recently attended a professional MMA show, and while there were several very good fights, I found myself wondering if there needs to be some sort of benchmark before being able to turn pro. There are some rules regarding this (number of amateur fights), but it’s not enough to really impact the development of fighters. To be a professional athlete means something. I personally hold that in high regard. There are a great number of guys who train like real professionals, but there are many more who do not. We (MMA) are striving for mainstream acceptance, and we should produce a mainstream product at all professional levels.

I’m not pointing fingers, merely raising the question of whether more qualifications should be adapted.

I can’t simply pay for a license to play in the NFL because I played high school football.

What do you think?