Friend of our site


MMA Headlines


UFC HP


Bleacher Report


MMA Fighting


MMA Torch


MMA Weekly


Sherdog (News)


Sherdog (Articles)


Liver Kick


MMA Junkie


MMA Mania


MMA Ratings


Rating Fights


Yahoo MMA Blog


MMA Betting


Search this site



Latest Articles


News Corner


MMA Rising


Audio Corner


Oddscast


Sherdog Radio


Video Corner


Fight Hub


Special thanks to...

Link Rolodex

Site Index


To access our list of posting topics and archives, click here.

Friend of our site


Buy and sell MMA photos at MMA Prints

Site feedback


Fox Sports: "Zach Arnold's Fight Opinion site is one of the best spots on the Web for thought-provoking MMA pieces."

« | Home | »

We want entertaining radio

By Zach Arnold | October 2, 2007

Print Friendly and PDF

We have a taping of Fight Opinion Radio this week. It needs to be entertaining and draw good quarter-hour ratings.

So, we’re turning the format over to you this week. You pick the MMA-related topics you want discussed. We listen to your suggestions and build a show around what you suggest.

Pick the topics for the main segments on the show. The format will be written Thursday afternoon.

Topics: Fight Opinion Radio, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 31 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |

31 Responses to “We want entertaining radio”

  1. David says:

    In that case I will call in

  2. Boco_T says:

    It might be a lot of research work, but I’d be interested in hearing some kind of segment talking about the history of a lesser-known or “more popular years ago” fighting organization. A history of RINGS or Pancrase or something.

    As far as interviews go, maybe you could get Adam Ryland on to talk about his World of Mixed Martial Arts game at some point?

    Also, based on my experience with the show it seems like you would do your best rating in history if you had a World Famous Grab Bag consisting entirely of Erin talking about Andrei Arlovski’s chest.

  3. 45 Huddle says:

    Here are a few topics. Not sure if any of them are worthy of an entire segment (or even a mention at all), but I will throw them out there anyways.

    1. With many Pride fighters coming to the UFC with poor success, should this automatically push Fedor Emelianenko away from the #1 spot until he proves himself again? Both for Heavyweight & P4P.

    2. Report Card or Top 10 list on the Commentators of MMA. Mauro with his 25cm comment. F. Shamrock saying that Josh Thomson is the first openly gay fighter. I think the time could be now to rate them.

    That’s all I can think of for now.

  4. Rollo the Cat says:

    I would definitley like to hear anything else you have to say about the fightsport/mma situation in Japan. Is K1 serious about becoming the new Pride? Can any other group emerge? Has anyhting changed lately? Is MMA itself dead and buried in Japan?

    UFC 78….discuss why I am in tears about this card. What happened and what can be done to fix it. The only first class match is Edgar v Fisher and that isn’t for a title or a title shot.

    Female MMA. Will Bodog go all femme? Will the UFC create a seprarate women’s MMA organization, since Dana doesn’t want it in the UFC. Is Female MMA popular as a sport or as a thinly veiled sexual fetish?

    Pretend you are Mark Cuban. What is your plan? What must he avoid doing and what must he do to succeed?

  5. jgass says:

    Do a what if? segment. What if Fedor were to sign with EXC or IFL and they consequently got an HBO deal. What if Ed Fishman had been able to purchase pride? What if Nevada had licensed MMA when SEG owned it? What if New York licenses MMA?

    Have Erin do a top ten sexiest fighters list. Arlovski has to be excluded as she will just spend the whole time talking about him.

    Have an MMA most wanted segment. What athletes in other sports (don’t have to be other combat sports but I would expect most to come from jujitsu, boxing, wrestling, etc.) would bring the most to MMA in their crossover.

  6. Mr. Phelps says:

    I’ve enjoyed Ivan Trembow’s reports in the past on UFC’s PPV buys and the recent blog Payout by Adam Swift has brought the issue of PPV buys as well as tv cable ratings for the TUF shows, UFN shows, and UFC on Spike shows back to our collective attention. I would enjoy a discussion between Adam, Ivan, Jeff, and Zach on how these numbers are evolving (or dissolving) and what kind of impact this should be having on Zuffa’s ad and cable rights revenue. This also seems to be the best indicator to the health of the sport of MMA in general. Is the upswing over? Has it just begun? What needs to happen next? Are marquee names making a difference in the number of eyes turning to the shows? or is it the matchups? Has the investment in Pride fighters, in terms of gaining MMA mainstream viewership, paid off yet? Will it ever?
    Would Fedor actually make ANY difference whatsoever to the UFC’s bottom line?
    There has also been little talk of these numbers in terms of IFL, Strikeforce/Pro-Elite, and WEC. Can Ivan and Adam provide any insight into these organizations’ numbers?

  7. The Citizen says:

    How about a current rundown of the top 10 promotions? With so many promotions propping up these days, and many being bought by other major ones it is getting confusing for the general public.

  8. Euthyphro says:

    Man, it isn’t the same seeing Boco_T post without his “Bob Sapp eating a cue ball” custom icon over at Something Awful.

  9. Zurich says:

    How about you focus the show on “The Aftermath of PRIDE”. Such topics could include the shakeup it caused in Brazil (e.g. how it hurt Chuteboxe/BTT), the void it left in Japan and/or the change in perception of MMA in Japan, the UFC’s obligation to give these fighters a shot, and the cultural shift in MMA from Japan/Brazil to US and the changes its brought (e.g. fighters are no longer superhuman, but rather “hard working athletes”).

    Just a thought?

  10. Zurich says:

    p.s. FO Radio is till the best out there, but Jeff/Erin/Zack are such a great team that some of the guests you’ve brought in the past haven’t meshed so well… interviews are ok, but guest commentators tend to stick out.

  11. Jeff says:

    Horror stories. I love that story about the biker gang that started a riot.

    Worst fights ever. Not mismatches, but just disreputable, fixed, worked, bizarre fights. For example, Kimo and Bob Sapp. Or when one fighter is so stoned he can barely stand, but they let him fight anyway.

    I saw a set of fights once where there was a wet t-shirt contest during one of the intermissions. They had the contest on the ring, so the canvas was soaking wet for the next few fights. Nothing like BJJ done in a bathtub.

    You know, horror stories.

  12. Boco_T says:

    Jeff your idea is awesome, I second it.

  13. Jeff says:

    Actually, a mismatch might be good, depending upon the outcome.

  14. MMA Game says:

    I think you should have a full 15 minutes without being allowed to criticise anyone, I bet you can’t do it 😛

    I know it’s not exactly exciting but I would like an explanation of what people mean by MMA wrestling and the difference between that and regular wrestling, whatever that may be. Basically when you hear “well, his wrestling is great but it doesn’t really translate to MMA that well”. What the hell are people on about when they say that?

  15. Ernest Helwig says:

    What Do You Think Akiyama’s Return to Hero’s Will Be Like??? Great and Grandious?? or Do You Think His Image is Too Tainted??

  16. Daniel Prokosch says:

    I would like to here your opinion’s about MMA Titles be sanctioned by a separate body like a World Boxing Association. What would be advantages and disadvantages about this. Right now you have a promoter controlling the titles with UFC. This would be like Top Rank Boxing having the only world title.

    Other Ideas for Topics

    How does someone become a MMA Ref or Judge?

    What was the first MMA fight you watched? How has the sport changed since then.

    Keep up the great work, I have been listening since the old PPH shows. I miss the Lottery Machine.

  17. Rollo the Cat says:

    I want you to crank call Fightlinker.

  18. Zack says:

    Interview Joey Odessa. As a book maker, he has a interesting perspective on the game and was always one of the best interviews on the old MMA Weekly radio show with Ryan Bennett. Zach & Whaledog could pull off one of the better MMA related radio interviews ever.

  19. Zack says:

    “Have Erin do a top ten sexiest fighters list. ”

    With all due respect, 45 Huddle should be able to give his opinion as well. After all, he is the resident expert on the FightOpinion.com comments section when it comes to analyzing men’s bodies.

  20. Nolan says:

    I think you should discuss the 10 point must system.

    I see lots of talk about how it’s screwing MMA, but most people (myself included) fail to even begin to understand the criteria a judge has to look at when scoring a fight. I’d be interested to hear why the athletic commissions or the promoters were in favor of the system and why. Most importantly, there needs to be more discussion about alternatives to the 10 point system, their pros and cons and a look into promotions that have used other criteria and how well it went over. With the caveat that I’m not really keeping up to date with every little bit of fight news that emerges, from where I’m sitting, I’m seeing a whole lot of finger pointing but no one offering any legitimate solutions.

  21. Jason Bennett says:

    Why not talk with Eddie Goldman or at least discuss his absurd stance that the UFC does not matter; his take basically would be like saying, “I don’t like how the NFL commission is running things, so we should only watch CFL (Candian, whatever it’s called). The NFL doesn’t matter in football.” I know his opinion is biased by his hatred for the Zuffa suits but he does continuously keep this stance and is never challenged by anyone. I know a lot of Pride-huggers agree with his thoughts too, so it would no doubt be a heated discussion/aftermath.

    An Erin segment would be awesome as well, she reminds me of my wife and I love hearing her take on things; it’s nice to see how non-obsessed fans (like myself) see things.

    FO Radio is the best – by a landslide. I enjoy most other shows, except MMA Weekly – can’t bear them anymore, but FO has true insight and critique that it doesn’t even have a competitor. So much more than bland interviews with cookie cutter Q&A, mixed with uninspired takes on fight news the other guys have. Note: Close second place – Jordan Breen show, for same reasons.

  22. I think a segment called “I LIKE STUFF” which is like the grab bag but is only for one item of news you like. When it comes to Zach he will scream and explode because he is physically incapable of liking anything. It is hard wired into him, like one of Robocop’s prime directives or something.

  23. Jason Bennett says:

    Fightlinker- You are almost correct. But there are 2 things Zach likes, Shayna Baszler and Josh Barnett.

    We love ya. Arnold!

  24. Grape Knee High says:

    What do you mean? Zach likes plenty of stuff. Bad news. Failed drug tests. Yakuza. Controversy. He loves that shit.

    Here’s a topic:

    PRIDE fighters have had relatively poor success in the UFC. Why is this considered any different from all the UFC elite that have also had poor success recently: Hughes, GSP, Franklin, Liddell, Sylvia, Babalu, Ortiz. All of the “old guard elite” in the post-TUF UFC have failed (and failed miserably in many cases). Why is this treated differently?

  25. The Gaijin says:

    B/c its not as sexy or controversial of a topic.

  26. ColumbiaLou says:

    Why is Matt Hughes trying to force his religion on the fighters? Matt was in a position of power on the show. The contestants probably felt forced to listen to Matt.
    What does employment law say about this? Could the contestant’s complain to the E.E.O.C? Could the contestants sue Spike TV or Zuffa?

  27. cyphron says:

    PRIDE fighters have had relatively poor success in the UFC. Why is this considered any different from all the UFC elite that have also had poor success recently: Hughes, GSP, Franklin, Liddell, Sylvia, Babalu, Ortiz. All of the “old guard elite” in the post-TUF UFC have failed (and failed miserably in many cases). Why is this treated differently?

    Do you feel that the UFC fighters were NOT criticized for losing? Wasn’t GSP criticized severely for losing to Serra? Wasn’t there cries of Franklin being overrated and that Pride fighters exposed the UFC for being second-rate?

    News will always be reported and analyzed. It’s only when a favored fighter /organization is criticized are there cries of bias or witch hunt. The news media/fans/keyboard warriors give equal opportunity lambasting to everyone/everything.

  28. S.R. says:

    I would like to hear a discussion regarding training methods. Karl Gotch style training, Gable training, Weight training, different approaches of the major fighter camps, etc.

  29. Jonah says:

    Choose 10 fighters for an MMA Hall of Fame, citing reasons and achievements.

  30. jgass says:

    How about your picks for a Mount Rushmore of MMA, four faces representing four fighters that influenced/inspired the game more than any other. My picks:

    Royce Gracie
    Dan Severn
    Kazushi Sakuraba
    Maurice Smith

  31. klown says:

    I’m also interested in refs and judges. Interviews with or stories about.

    I’m interested in your opinions on how to best care for and protect fighters in this sport. Not just as fighters, but as humans and workers. Is a union the answer? What would be the downsides and what obstacles block the fighters from unionizing?

Comments to Fightlinker.com

*
To prove you're a person (not a spam script), type the security word shown in the picture.
Anti-spam image