Gatekeeping in MMA Explained – MMA Sucka

Gatekeeping has typically been thrown round as one thing with damaging connotations in an MMA context, but it shouldn’t be branded as an insult or a derision of a fighter’s skills.

A gatekeeper is a fighter that units the benchmark of talent wanted with a view to be defeated. The gatekeeper might have tried to determine themselves as a contender but for no matter cause have discovered their ceiling within the organisation and persistently hover across the identical benchmark.

Gatekeepers play an important position within the UFC and with out them, the organisation wouldn’t flourish the way in which it has finished. They’re pivotal to the rankings and be certain that a constant stream of development is at all times simply marked and viewable amongst the fighters.

Completely different Gatekeepers

There are totally different ranges of gatekeepers as in, not all gatekeepers guard the identical issues. Victories over ‘entry-level gatekeepers’ present {that a} fighter is worthy of getting a spot on the roster and isn’t misplaced within the UFC. 

The ‘prospect gatekeeper’ is a fighter that guards the entry to the highest 15. Typically this can be a person who previously was ranked at a excessive stage however on account of age and presumably different elements, they discover themselves additional down the pecking order. They typically have big-name worth and a win over them propels the prospect into the rankings.

The ‘superior gatekeeper’ sits among the many rankings, often hovering across the prime 10, a win over this fighter will arrange a person for a crack on the prime 5. Usually the superior gatekeeper will really be the check of a prospect’s skills and if they can defeat this fighter comprehensively then they are going to be seen as a professional risk within the division. 

Lastly the ‘elite gatekeeper’ is a fighter who fights on the very prime of their division, presumably even having a title battle prior to now but they appear unable to win the most important fights and are nonetheless only a rung down from the champion and primary contender. A win over this gatekeeper is sort of assured title shot.

Now let’s take a look at some examples of every stage of gatekeeper.

Entry stage gatekeeper – Gerald Meerschaert

Gerald Meerschaert is the proper instance of an entry-level gatekeeper. Within the organisation for seven years, Meerschaert has fought an entire host of names. With 17 fights within the organisation, Meerschaert has gone 9-8 with the promotion but when wanting on the defeats he has suffered they’ve all come in opposition to expertise who’ve gone on to determine themselves as strong fighters within the UFC.

The likes of Kevin Holland, Jack Hermansson, Thiago Santos, Eryk Anders even Khamzat Chimaev to call however just a few. The wins he has picked up have typically been in opposition to fighters who’re new to the organisation, maybe with anyplace between 1-3 fights already with the UFC. Meerschaert is usually the primary recognized title that these fighters face of their profession. As could be seen, when analysing his document right this moment, anybody who beats Meerschaerts typically goes on to turn into a longtime title throughout the sport of MMA and is really deserving their place within the roster.

Prospect gatekeeper- Andrei Arlovski

The following stage up from the entry stage gatekeeper is what I’d label because the prospect gatekeeper. It is a fighter that you would need to beat if you happen to want to subsequent battle a ranked opponent. Andrei Arlovski is a wonderful instance of this. Previously the UFC Heavyweight champion all the way in which again in 2005.

The Belarusian has had outstanding longevity on this profession and continues to be combating within the premiere organisation on the age of 44. Much more amazingly Arlovski has stayed as a viable and aggressive fighter presently, since 2020 he has gone 6-3 within the organisation and earlier than shedding his final two contests was 6-1. Arlovski suffered a comparatively steep skid in his profession through the latter a part of the 2010s when he misplaced 7 out of 9 fights between the start of 2016 and the tip of 2018.

Many believed that he was finished combating within the UFC and was previous it. But Arlovski merely dropped down from going through the highest-ranking expertise within the firm and as a substitute took pleasure in his new position of going through prospects and up-and-coming fighters trying to break into the highest 15. Arlovski proved to be greater than sufficient of a problem for almost all of those up and comers and between 2019 and 2022 for an 8 battle interval his solely losses have been to Tom Aspinall and Jairzinho Rosenstruik with the Belarusian veteran turning away all different contenders hoping to crack into that prime 15. 

Superior gatekeeper – Neil Magny

Neil Magny has been one of the vital constant forces within the welterweight division going again 10 years now. Making his debut in 2013, Magny has gone on to build up essentially the most wins within the welterweight division’s historical past. 30 fights and 21 wins has seen Magny set up himself as a pressure within the welterweight division and a fast scan of his document sees that Magny is just ever defeated by some high-level fighters within the division.

His most up-to-date losses got here in opposition to Gilbert Burns and Shavkat Rakhmonov. Maybe extra telling is the variety of younger prospects that Magny has put to the sword throughout his time within the UFC. Phil Rowe, Daniel Rodriguez, Max Griffin and Li Jiangliang have been all on win streaks of three or extra fights earlier than developing in opposition to Magny. A victory over the Haitian Sensation cements your house inside the highest 10 of the division and offers the proper springboard to problem a prime 5 fighter. 

Elite Gatekeeper – Derek Brunson

Though there are many choices for the ‘elite gatekeeper’ submit, Derek Brunson embodies the place like few others.

Brunson was a critical contender within the middleweight division and solely misplaced to a who’s who of the most effective names within the sport, Robert Whittaker, Israel Adesanya, Jacare Souza and Yoel Romero to call however just a few. Maybe transcending a number of ranges of gatekeeper all through his time within the UFC Brunson was really an elite-tier gatekeeper in direction of the tip of his profession with the organisation.

After derailing hype trains of Darren Until, Edmen Shahbayzan and Kevin Holland, Brunson would in the end be defeated by Jared Cannonier who was then awarded a title shot in opposition to Israel Adesanya. It’s value noting as effectively that after Adesanya’s defeat of Brunson on the finish of 2018, (other than a considerably ceremonial matchup in opposition to an ageing and barely ranked Anderson Silva) Adesanya would quickly obtain an interim title shot in opposition to Kelvin Gastelum. Likewise, Brunson’s most up-to-date battle, a loss in opposition to Dricus Du Plessis which resulted in his retirement, has seen Du Plessis be given what is probably going a number-one contender battle in opposition to Robert Whittaker. A battle during which a victory might maintain an analogous quantity of status to a championship bout. 

In abstract, the gatekeeping system creates a tiered type of development. If each fighter listed right here was in the identical weight class it might be real looking for a win over Gerald Meerschaert to result in a battle with Andrei Arolovski. A win over Arlovski might simply result in a battle with Neil Magny. A victory over Neil Magny locations a fighter within the cage with Derek Brunson and a victory over Brunson will possible be awarded with a championship battle or a primary contender bout on the naked minimal.

Hopefully, the extent of gatekeepers has been defined a bit bit extra clearly now. When you disagree with or consider some other fighters that match the classes on this record then make it recognized within the feedback under.