Comments on: A birthplace for MMA’s Unified Rules may no longer be so welcoming

By: RIS

RIS — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 21:06:42 +0000

Herman Ngodjou and Demers are not the biggest boxing draws in Quebec. Lucian Bute is the biggest and fighters like Pascal, Diaconu, Alcine can also do good business.

This is just a guess but I don’t think that the QBC is motivated to destroy MMA in favor of boxing. Like it was pointed out in a previous post, boxing is very popular in Quebec and MMA is just another attraction.

This just sounds like a politician who likes to make headlines. Montreal and especially Toronto could be HUGE MMA markets, this is some very short sighted thinking.

By: Chuck

Chuck — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 18:36:11 +0000

Talking about moving to places, don’t move to New Jersey, except maybe south Jersey. Newark, Jersey City, North Bergen, Trenton, Camden, etc. are absolute SHITHOLES. No offense to those who live in those places, but they are awful. North Bergen might be the worst of them. I live in Scranton, Pa and it’s better, but it’s an over-all depressed area. But you wouldn’t know that considering that many people are proud that “The Office” takes place in Scranton. Even though it’s filmed in LA (yes, because LA and Scranton are SSSSSOOOOOOO similar!) but whatever.

But I must say about about that Strikebox event, at least the promoter decided to do what most MMA “fans” want to see, which is stand-up rules with standing submissions and takedowns but no ground work, just like Shootboxing. Most MMA fans just want to see kickboxing with limited submission work and takedowns and no ground work, so now you got it…..until the fans threw beer cans in the ring. Personally I love ground work, but most MMA fans don’t want that unless there is a submission immediately when things hit the ground.

By: Matthew Watt

Matthew Watt — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 05:47:03 +0000

Zach,

To say the boxing has made a comeback of sorts in Quebec is not entirely true. The sport has never left, Quebecois’ have always loved boxing and will continually support it. In my knowledge, that fascination with the sport really has never left.

By: Ultimo Santa

Ultimo Santa — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 00:53:28 +0000

Icemuncher – you’re selling me on Phoenix…in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) where I live, a 4000 sq ft house would run you – conservatively – $850k Canadian. In a more prime location with a larger yard, 1.5M-2M, easy.

Last week the snow outside my house was 6 ft high, and the wind was so cold I was wearing thermal socks and two pairs of gloves…and was still frozen.

I didn’t realize it was such a close drive to Vegas! I would be hitting several UFC events a year for sure.

Well, in the next couple years we might be neighbors.

Toronto has a ton of museums, bars, clubs, stores, sites…it’s just not for me. I’m a suburbanite. Montreal is kick-@$$ for partying, but I would not live there (even though I speak French – a benefit of being educated north of the border).

I just wish we’d get some goddamned live MMA here. We have SO MANY muay thai, BJJ, boxing and MMA schools its ridiculous. EVERYONE loves the sport here, and it’s just a shame that it’s still illegal.

By: Jeremy (not that Jeremy)

Jeremy (not that Jeremy) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 21:55:47 +0000

Hm, my preferences are entirely flipped between Toronto and Montreal. Toronto is an utterly soulless combination of the worst of Chicago and some other useless midwestern or southern city (this from a vet of Chicago). Talk about a waste.

By: IceMuncher

IceMuncher — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 21:46:32 +0000

In Phoenix, $380k gets you about 4000 sq ft, and it’s going to be a balmy 70 degrees on Sunday. It’s a very nice city, and it’s only a 5 hour drive to Vegas (good for catching UFC shows if nothing else) and a 4 hour drive to LA.

By: Ultimo Santa

Ultimo Santa — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 19:34:54 +0000

45 Huddle, that’s exactly how I see those two cities.

Aside from loose women and the most rockin’ strip clubs on the planet, there isn’t much happening in Montreal. If you’re a young single guy it’s definitely the place to go party…not the best place to live (for a variety of reasons that I won’t go into here).

Toronto is definitely just like a cleaner US city – reminds me of Chicago. I work in Toronto’s business district and I rarely see the ‘dark side’ of the city, but there are definitely some shady parts here as well.

California, I know, is ridiculous with housing prices. Some of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been are in CA (I would move to the Bay Area in a heartbeat), but I want more bang for my buck when buying a house…

By: 45 Huddle

45 Huddle — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 19:05:38 +0000

I’ve been to both Toronto and Quebec. Quebec felt like a foreign country. Toronto (while technically it is), did not. It just felt like a really clean and over polite American City.

Quebec was kind of shady actually. At least that was the vibe I got from it.

By: IceMuncher

IceMuncher — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 18:52:08 +0000

There’s a lot of places the UFC can hold a show at and sell out. If he has to reschedule UFC 97 because of this stunt, I can easily see Dana saying “You know what, F&*% Quebec, we’re never doing a show there again.”

Considering how fast the Montreal show sold out, I don’t know why the QBC would risk alienating the UFC.

By: spacedog

spacedog — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 18:50:59 +0000

380 k gets you more than a town house? ha ha Keep going south, try Mexico. (full discloser, I live in CA, land of the over priced everything).