My Dream Career Mode – Part 1: So You Want to Be A Fighter?

[Galgorian]

Hey EA Sports UFC fans and developers,

Over the next few days I plan on detailing my dream career mode for EA Sports UFC 3. This is simply one fans opinion of what he would like to see in the upcoming games. Career mode is likely my favorite mode in sports games. I’ve experienced Career mode in WWE games since the N64 days, and have played through all MMA/UFC titles throughout the years. These posts will be lengthy, but if you read nothing else please take a look at these key points and themes below.

KEY POINTS / THEMES
- Career mode should first and foremost be based on player choice. Give me choice in when I decide to go to the UFC, which fight I take, which camp I train at, or which weigh class I’m competing in.

- Career mode needs to do a better job at encompassing the overall depth of the MMA world. Include small promotions as you work your way up (WFA, RFA, Strikeforce, Cage Rage, etc.) and layers of UFC shows (Fight Pass, FOX, PPV)

- With player choice comes a better Cause and Effect relationship with events that happen in career mode. Don’t randomly tell me I twisted my knee in training and can’t train jujitsu and therefore I can’t train that. The choices that I make throughout my career or the events that take place in my fights should be the determining factor of what effects my training. I should have the choice to bring in key sparring partners, take short notice fights, participate in a media tour before my fight, etc.

- Special events like feuds or a promoter approaching you to compete in a kick boxing only tournament, a pride revival show, open weight fight, or jujitsu match would add tremendous depth to career.

Part 1: So You Want to Be A Fighter?

Character Creation & Choosing a Team
Career mode begins with the player being given the option to create a new fighter or choose a real fighter from the game.
After the player creates their fighter or has selected to use a real fighter, the player is given the option of various camps to join. The list of camps might look something like this:

North America

American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) – San Jose, California, USA
American Top Team (ATT) - Coconut Creek, Florida

Cesar Gracie Jujitsu - Pleasant Hill, California, USA
Jackson Wink Academy - Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
Kings MMA – Huntington Beach, California, USA
Long Serra MMA – New York, New York, USA
Roufusport - Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Team Alpha Male - Sacramento, Califronia

Tristar Gym – Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Europe

Straight Blast Gym (SBG) – Dublin, Ireland
Wolfslair MMA – London, England
Team Rough House - East Midlands, England

Asia

EVOLVE MMA – Singapore
AKA Thailand - Phuket, Thailand

South America

Black house - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Nova Uniao - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil


Introduction, Tutorials and Amateur fights
Once the player has decided which team they would like to start out with, they are introduced to the head coach. The head coach asks the player they would like to go over the basics (In game tutorials) or if they are ready to show off what they can do.

If the player selects that they are ready to proceed, they are then paired up with a computer-generated fighter to fight in a two round amateur fight in the gym.

If the player loses the fight, the gym’s head coach suggests that they go over the basics (in game tutorials) before being offered another amateur fight against a computer-generated fighter.

If the player wins the fight, they have the option to fight another amateur fight in their gym, or start their professional career.

STARTING YOUR PROFESSIONAL CAREER
Depending on the gym the player has selected to start with determines which promotions offer fights to the player. All of the promotions listed have a relationship with the UFC through Fight Pass. (Note: I realize some of the promotions are no longer active, but I still love the idea of being able to fight in them)

If your gym is located in North America, you are offered fights/contracts by…

King of the Cage




RFA




Titan FC


Victory FC

If your gym is located in Europe, you are offered fights/contracts by…

Cage Warriors

Cage Rage


Eurasia Fight Nights



If your gym is located in Asia, you are offered fights/contracts by…



Shooto Japan
Pancrase

If your gym is located in South America you are offered fights/contracts by…

Shooto Brazil


International Vale Tudo Championship


Once the player has accumulated 4 professional MMA wins, the player starts getting larger contract offers with bigger MMA organizations (PRIDE, Strikeforce, WEC or Invicta for Female fighters) or an opportunity to fight on The Ultimate Fighter.


Gaining the UFC’s Attention
If the player continues to win in the smaller promotions, they increase the interest the UFC has in singing them. The UFC offers players more in terms of Salary, position on the card and potential title shots if they have made a name for themselves in the smaller shows. For example…

A fighter with over 4+ professional MMA fights with a 50% or more winning rate can receive offers to fight on the Ultimate Fighter.

A fighter with of 8+ professional MMA fights with a 65% or more winning rate can receive a shot to fight in a UFC prelim or UFC Fight Pass show.

A fighter with 15+ Professional MMA fights with a 70% or more winning rate can receive offers to fight on a UFC Prelim, Fight Pass, or Fight Night Main card.

A fighter with 15+ Professional MMA fights with a 80% or more winning rate who has won a title in a smaller organization can receive offers to fight on Fight Pass, Fight Night or FOX cards (including main events)

A fighter with 15+ Professional MMA fights with a 90% or more winning rate who has won a title in a smaller organization can receive offers to fight on Fight Pass, Fight Night, FOX (including main events) or PPV main card (Up to the Co-Main event).

A fighter with 15+ Professional MMA fights with a 90% or more winning rate who has won titles in multiple organizations may receive offers to fight on FOX or PPV main card, Co-Main Event or receive an immediate title shot.

What is important to stress here is that the player has the CHOICE to decide when they go to the UFC, or if they go to the UFC at all (think Fedor Emelienanko here). The more attention they create for themselves outside of the UFC by winning in smaller organizations determines how badly the UFC wants to sign them.

[willendorfs]

I agree this would be amazing, I could play this kind of career mode over and over. It would also be cool to start off our career in like 2002, and fight guys from certain era's that won't be around in like 2011 ect. Guy's like Keith Jardine, Matt Hughes, Tim Sylvia. It gets wierd fighting a 45 year old Daniel Cormier who has a record of 50-20 in 2025 lol. The only problem is licensing those guys and it would take forever.
I would also like to see our created fighter be able to drop and move up in weight depending on our body types. Like a 265 jacked Brock esque guy would be limited to Heavyweight, but a LHW chubby Larkin like guy could drop two weight classes to WW.

[HereticGabriel]

There should also be weigh ins, and options to taunt, be respectful etc during the stand off, as well as if you want to touch gloves or not as the ref goes over the rules, and the session with Joe after you win or lose a fight depending on where you're at on the fight card.

Career mode should be just that. It should be as close to realistic and have as much as possible included as if you were really your fighter living it.

[Shogun474]

This is an insanely g00d idea, i love it

[Haz____]

Amazing Idea!!!!

[Trillz]

Great idea, would defo play this multiple times.

I also want more media interaction e.g. post fight interview/press conference.

Weigh ins for title fights.

Promotional Events outside the UFC to increase popularity/earn more cash e.g. Inivited to Kickboxing event - Knockout mode / Jitsu tournament - Just ground game grappling (timed rounds) submissions is instant win but whoever controls top position longer wins.

Make money useful - be able to hire a fighter from another camp to learn moves you cannot learn in your gym. E.g. Straight Blast Gym you may get the best Boxing attritubutes/moves there, however you might want to hire demain maia for advanced Ji-jitsu moves. Or being able to upgrade gym equipment for the gym for better progression attributes for your stats

Real occurences - sometimes you may be fight a guy on PEDs, and he will have upgraded stats for that fight and most times he will pop after for steriods. If you did lose you will get a No contest or if you win you will get extra popularity.

Please make it so we cant max out our fighter and make it 100 ovr because in real life no one can be perfect. Either add stat decay if you train other skills or something. Also make it so we can use him in Exhibiton/event mode/quick fights/knockout mode.

[Kasel]

That's what i'm talking about.

Also let's say that gyms are in UFC 3, i'd love there to be freedom to do whatever you want, like for example if I joined Roufusport I'd like to be able to offer Anthony Pettis to have a striking sparring session, or ask him to teach me the showtime kick. Give us lots of options like it's an RPG almost, that's the type of **** that could make this game a 10/10

[Bigg Cee]

I'm going to burst everyone's bubble and say "Ya right!" It's never going to happen. NEVER!