Funny analogy but not quite the same thing. I'd relate it more to signing up for a local golf tournament after hitting a few balls on the range and playing with your friends.
I don't know. I can only speak for myself, but I always felt that the "can't find a fight" frustration is that, sometimes, it can feel like the ONLY way to find one is to sign up for one ahead of time (be that 5 minutes ahead of time or 5 days).
I mean, the people who have been harping on for years about the lack of fights are certainly also the same people who are part of a network of regular dueling partners. None of us has to go a single night without having a good fight. The problem is the regularity that one has to leave the MA to have one.
So respectfully I'm not sure it means much that "they" aren't regulars in these competitions. It's not necessarily what they're looking for when they complain about a lack of fights.