Talk:Bellator 55

Keep: The debate concerning whether to keep or delete these articles seems to turn on (1) whether each event deserves its own separate page and (2) whether such events are notable enough to belong in Wikipedia. The first problem is really one of organization, whether our editors will allow this important information concerning international fighting events to be recorded in separate, easier to read pages, or whether it should forced into some less useful format. This seems of less concern than the second problem, which is whether to consider the individual events of Bellator or any similar mixed martial arts organizations as sufficiently notable for Wiki articles. These events are certainly notable and not merely "routine sports coverage." Each event of a tournament like those put on by Bellator are of great international historical significance for a tradition that reaches back to the beginning of human history. These articles describe match-ups between international fighters who have trained for most of their lives in various traditional and innovative martial arts systems around the world. They provide organized information regarding events, fighters, and fighting systems that are useful to a wide audience including the countless number of people who practice martial arts for health or self-defense purposes as well as sports fans and people interested in athletics generally. Perhaps most importantly, Wikipedia is fundamentally important to the legitimacy and prestige of mixed martial arts, and the articles that concern it are the most accurate and unbiased accounts of these events. It may be true that many of the sources cited in these articles are from primary sources; however, there are no almanacs or academic journals of mixed martial arts events, and it must be said that Wikipedia itself has become the most accurate source of information concerning the organizations, fighters and events of mixed martial arts. The policies that Wikipedia uses to ensure the accuracy of articles makes it the source of knowledge concerning the new sport of mixed martial arts as an extension of the tradition of martial arts world wide. To delete these articles would be an insult to the people who take great pains to make sure that every article is accurate and verified according to the organizations that put on each event, local news reports and people who were actually in attendance. To delete these articles would be bowing to the vanity of a few people's conception of "notability," not following the guidelines of Wikipedia. Please keep these articles as they are valuable and important sources of information regarding martial arts events of historical significance. 72.134.58.85 (talk) 20:17, 25 October 2011 (UTC)