Stage 3: The Strategic Battleground

At this stage, fighters are no longer facing random opponents—they know exactly who they’re up against and must plan accordingly. The goal is to secure at least 2 wins out of 4 fights to advance, but the structure introduces strategic risk and endurance management to ensure fairness.

  • Fight Format: Full MMA rules but with Kumite-based striking protections. Victory can be achieved through points (striking) or submission (grappling).

  • Fight Schedule: Fighters compete once per week over the span of a month, allowing minimal recovery time while maintaining intensity.

  • Advancement Criteria: Fighters must win at least 2 out of 4 fights to progress to the next stage.

  • Draws Count as Losses: There is no safety in a tie—fighters must decisively prove their superiority.

The Forced Pass – A Risky Lifeline

Fighters have one chance to strategically pass on a fight, allowing them to rest for a week and avoid a potential loss. However, this comes with a major risk:

  • If a fighter uses the pass, they are automatically down to just three fights left to qualify.

  • This means they must win their final fight to continue—losing that fight ends their tournament run.

The Defensive Engagement Rule

To prevent fighters from coasting through the tournament without actively engaging in combat:

  • If a fighter is over 55% defensive across all four fights and more than 40% defensive in their last two fights, they will be eliminated from advancing.

  • "Defensive" is defined as excessive retreating, lack of offensive engagement, or stalling tactics that avoid fighting intent.

  • This ensures every competitor is actively pushing for victory rather than just surviving.

Stage 3: 4-Fight System with Variable Advancements

  • Starting Fighters: 250

  • Fight Frequency: One fight per week for 4 weeks

  • Win Requirement: Fighters need 2 or more wins to advance

  • Matchups: Fighters face fresh opponents each round when possible

Elimination Breakdown (Variable Cut System)

Instead of eliminating exactly half each round, we can structure eliminations as follows:

WeekFighters StartElimination RateFighters RemainingWeek 1250~35% (88 fighters)~162Week 2162~30% (49 fighters)~113Week 3113~20% (22 fighters)~91Week 491~10-15% (10-15 fighters)~76-81

Total Fighters Advancing to Stage 4: Between 76 and 100 fighters, depending on fight outcomes.

Key Adjustments for More Survivors

  1. Dynamic Elimination Rates:

    • Instead of cutting exactly half each round, we start with a higher elimination rate (35%) and gradually reduce it as fighters get closer to Stage 4.

    • This ensures that fighters who fight strategically but lose early still have a path forward if they secure late-stage wins.

  2. Priority Matchmaking System:

    • Fighters with 0 wins after two weeks will be prioritized against other 0-win fighters to avoid early wipeouts.

    • This prevents instant elimination of potentially great fighters who had tough first matches.

  3. Survival-Based Advancement:

    • Some fighters who end with just 2 wins but had strong performances (aggression, high activity) may be considered for advancement even if they barely met the win threshold.

    • The Defensive Engagement Rule still applies, ensuring fighters don’t coast to survival.

Outcome:

  • Instead of exactly 125, we get a range of 76-100 fighters advancing to Stage 4.

  • This keeps the competition fair but slightly more forgiving, allowing high-skill fighters who had tough matchups to survive longer.

  • It also prevents rapid, unfair eliminations due to one bad fight early on.