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Another money mark promotion enters into MMA
By Zach Arnold | January 10, 2007
By Zach Arnold
It’s a big company, too. SUN Management Group Inc. will start promoting MMA shows and will take over WEC’s TV slot on Mark Cuban’s HDNet. Their first show (co-promoting with a group called International Fighters Association) will run a 10-fight card on 3/9 at the big American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Bruce Buffer will be involved. Pedro Rizzo vs. Justin Eilers is the main event. Guy Mezger is the promotion’s matchmaker/booker. And yes, a major boxing backer (Lester Bedford) is behind event management.
Topics: All Topics, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 14 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Oh-kaaaaaaay. The Texas race is really on now.
http://www.artofwarlive.com/
I actually don’t mind the idea of more boxing promoters getting involved in MMA. Even if many of the promoters might be “one and done”. You have to think that at least some of these promotions will be around for the long haul. And even if even a couple of two of them survive, the fighters will benefit.
OMG Chris (this isnt to flame u mind u) but u should be dragged out on the streets and beaten by a gang of midgets with wiffle bats! Someone here with patients and wrestling knowledge should explain the faults in ur last comment.
If it’s anything like wrestling, the one-and-done promoters will ultimately cause problems for the industry’s respectability. If you’re one of the boys, you now look at all non-UFC promoters as simply money marks. A payday, nothing more nothing less. No emotional attachment to any new promotions. Why? Because the one you work for may be dead by tomorrow and another one will pop up somewhere else. This is exactly what has happened to pro-wrestling and it’s a bad omen if it happens to MMA.
Thank Mr. Arnold as always.
Lester Bedford is more of a hired gun for boxing promoters. Most of the big boys (Golden Boy, King, and Arum) use him to fill up the seats. Marketing is his strength. I believe he was responsible for Holyfields big gate in Texas. You can bet that the event will sell out with Bedford’s involvement. He has roots in Texas, so if this promotion stays regional, I think it can be successful.
So its going to be the UFC of Texas eh? Eh i guess its a start.
America still thinks of MMA as the UFC. Until this can be broken, the “money marks” will put on a few good cards, but ultimately lose money in the end. And the main event is pitiful. All smarter fighters who want to look at their career as a long term growth business have to know by now that the UFC is the place to be. Even Paul Buentello has gone on record that he wants back in the UFC (or Pride) because to have good competition on a regular basis, you have to be in the big shows.
And I agree with the past comment that these promotions just hurt MMA. If these “promoters” were real fans of the sport, they would stay away. They are only dividing the sport, not helping it out. Which proves their real motivations, which is purely money. While the Fertitta’s care about the money too, I think they have a real passion for the sport. And it shows.
Random Comment – Since there is no comment section on the Podcast Section, I just wanted to point out how great of an episode the last podcast was. Zach’s talk about the Pride situation was absolutely fantastic. I enjoy Sherdog radio for the fighter interviews, but for legit MMA talk, the Fight Opinion Radio is without question the best.
Yeah i don’t think the UFC is perfect, but it’s definately the best hope America has for one major league that keeps the sport unified and strong.
Too bad Vera didnt realize that UFC was the place to be,
If Eilers vs Rizzo is the main event…what’s the co main event? Steve Jennum vs Ron Van Clief?
Somebody is getting KO’d in Rizzo/Eilers and the crowd will go home happy. A crowd that goes home happy is more likely to come back.
But ultimately a bunch of one and done promoters is bad for the business if done the way things have gone in wrestling. The problems being that money marks cancel shows two days out when they get scared they won’t break even. This burns buildings from running shows even to reputable promoters and can kill towns (in terms of fan interest).
That said, there’s plenty of room in MMA from local promoters to run shows in markets that aren’t served by UFC. A number of companies run shows in Atlantic City. Monte Cox runs 40+ shows per year mainly in the Midwest. UFC isn’t doing anything in Texas. Why shouldn’t this guy run there. If you have modestly priced talent and can fill a 2,000-5,000 seat building you can make big bucks as a promoter.
The major worry in MMA is that a number of serious competitors pop up in the major leagues ie UFC, Pride, K-1, Bodog and somebody else. Then they divide the talent pool and fans can’t have a recognizeable champ at any weight. IFL isn’t a part of that problem since they mainly have young guys, the best of whom will jump to UFC or one of the other big boys when their contract runs out. IFL is essentially the college football to the NFL of UFC and Pride. Dana and co. will make sure WEC doens’t harm UFC by keeping smaller weight classes and 2nd tier 170 & 185 lb guys there.
College football is just as popular (if not more) as the NFL. they fill those stadiums and most of them sit more people than the NFL ones. the NFL is big because of Las Vegas.
Not really the NFL is popular becsuse its the NFL.