Comments on: Friday fight notes

By: Preach

Preach — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 13:08:34 +0000

Since the comments on the radio show thread are still off: Happy belated Birthday, Zach!

By: Brian Cooper

Brian Cooper — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 12:23:20 +0000

I agree with the realities facing DSE, but regardless, Dan Henderson challenging Wanderlei still has potentially a better chance of drawing more buys from the casual audience than any Brazilian or Japanese challenger could.

By: The MMA Critic

The MMA Critic — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 12:17:23 +0000

Outside of a very central hardcore fanbase, Pride FC does not have casual fans. They could put on a card with Fedor/Barnett, Silva/Nogueira, Rua/Arona, Gomi/Melendez, Henderson/Misaki, & Kang/Filho. And you know what? It would still have around the same number of PPV buys, and attract only a little bit more of a crowd. That is the reality of Pride in America.

This is the same thing that was happening to Zuffa between UFC’s 30-50, minus the Ortiz/Shamrock PPV.

By: Brian Cooper

Brian Cooper — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 11:58:06 +0000

Exactly, what was the point of a tournament saw by perhaps 10,000 people tops in the US? I predict PRIDE will draw 7,000-8,000 fans at the live gate regardless of who is facing Silva. It’s the PPV audience that will be important, and I still stand by Silva – Henderson being more marketable to that audience then BOTH Silva – Arona AND Henderson – Misaki.

By: JThue

JThue — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 11:20:55 +0000

Bah, this isn’t about PRIDE disdain or UFC-favoring. It’s about PP and FO’s fortress being to be the leader of bringing the Japanese headlines and rumors to a western news site. When does FO ever “break” a big UFC-headline? Pretty much never. Because Zach Arnold is in UFC’s pockets? No, because everyone else is doing that to a “T” already, and it’s a market this site can not compete in. When it comes to Japan however, Zach Arnold w/ sources(even with the sources being headline news in Japan, it still needs to be dug out) still lead the way(here), and so that becomes the focus and ’speciality’. If Zach Arnold had the ultimate exclusive source inside the UFC, we’d probably see the same, more business-related and critically opinionated coverage of them.

Does all this make what we see right? Absolutely not. It’s a site portrayed to be a general MMA-site that instead offers skewed coverage with an intense tendancy to over-analyze anything to do with it’s main drawing point, and of course one can only speculate on why that is maintained. But does it boil down to PRIDE and UFC? Ehm, not even close.

By: Zach Arnold

Zach Arnold — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 11:09:17 +0000

I’m not buying Henderson as a strong attraction in Las Vegas. At least with Mark Coleman, you had a former UFC champion. Fedor was the unstoppable monster. Silva’s coming off a vicious loss to Mirko (the guy who jumped to UFC) and Henderson, the Welterweight champion, is relatively unknown in American circles. Plus, he’s the Welterweight champion who lost in the ‘06 GP tournament and isn’t booked to face the guy who won that tournament (so what’s the point of the tournament?).

By: Brian Cooper

Brian Cooper — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 11:00:51 +0000

The big picture is making money. DSE will attract more mainstream fans with Silva vs. Henderson then BOTH Silva vs. Arona AND Henderson vs. Misaki.

By: CapnHulk

CapnHulk — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 10:38:33 +0000

“This just in! UFC loses deal with HBO and Spike TV and Dana White and the Fertitta brothers suspected in dealings with organized crime. Financial troubles loom as fighter contracts end and competing organizations offer refuge.

But, oh boy, doesn’t that New Years Eve show look exciting?!”

Sounds silly to me.

By: Zach Arnold

Zach Arnold — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 10:35:59 +0000

And I hardly see the lack of follow-up to the Kazuo Misaki – Dan Henderson story as particularly important. DSE are attempting to break the US market, and what percentage of this target audience actually viewed the Bushido in question?

You’re missing the big picture with PRIDE, Brian. The bigger issue is their matchmaking having continuity and a direction. Great fights are great fights, no question. But ultimately it’s the promoter’s job to lead fans into a certain direction as far as storytelling and feuds. What is the storyline behind Silva vs. Henderson other than they had one previous fight? There’s no transition to set up that fight. In the PRIDE 33 ad just released for that 2/24 Las Vegas show, the tagline is that Dan Henderson “is the only American champion brave enough” to fight Silva, which is a cheap shot at Chuck Liddell. The Japanese pro-wrestling style tactics work in Japan for a reason and don’t necessarily apply in America.

It’s all about putting together a complete package in the American marketplace and marketing characters.

By: Tony

Tony — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 10:03:39 +0000

I wish that instead of perpetuating the ongoing battle between yourself and Pride fans, you’d at least address some of the issues they have with you.

Obviously the guy in the email is an idiot, but there are plenty of fair minded, balanced posters on here that feel you are overly critical of Pride and often display a clear disdain for the company.

I wouldn’t consider myself any more a fan of Pride than I am of the UFC (or K1 for that matter), but your attitude towards them frustrates the life out of me.