Gary Shaw: ‘MMA has a lot of haters’
By Zach Arnold | November 17, 2008
A must-read interview at The Sweet Science just for the sheer laughter and tears of joy you will get after reading some of Gary Shaw’s latest comments:
What Shaw won’t miss, if he never becomes involved in MMA again, is the “haters” who he said infest the sport.
“MMA has a lot of haters. Boxing doesn’t,” he said. “When I’m around boxing people, they never talk about MMA, or at least they never talk about hating MMA. But MMA people hate boxing and everybody connected with boxing.
“Why do they do that? What is there to gain by being that way? When it comes to haters and hating, MMA is like nothing I’ve ever seen. It’s a whole different world.”
Topics: Boxing, Media, MMA, Pro Elite, UFC, Zach Arnold | 17 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
WWE attacks UFC in company statement over Brock Lesnar title win
By Zach Arnold | November 16, 2008
UFC’s stranglehold on the PPV marketplace really must have people inside WWE upset:
Critics have noted that many of the fights on the UFC pay-per-view ended in the first round, leaving UFC producers scrambling to fill the three-hour event with content. The dearth of hearty competition left many viewers to watch less prestigious under-card fights and only served to bolster claims that UFC pay-per-view events can often be a “crap shoot” in regards to filling the full three hours.
Topics: Media, MMA, Pro-Wrestling, UFC, WWE, Zach Arnold | 59 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
About the discussion of Brock Lesnar and ‘the changing of the guard’…
By Zach Arnold | November 16, 2008
Both Kevin Iole and Dave Meltzer have articles on Yahoo talking about how earthshattering Brock Lesnar’s win is for the sport of MMA and how Couture’s loss is a ‘changing of the guard.’
I’m sure UFC would love fans to believe this, too.
The fact is that Randy Couture couldn’t get Brock Lesnar to gas himself out in their UFC 91 title fight, and that opened the door for Lesnar to use his considerable 50+-pound weight advantage (and strength advantage) to bulldoze over the 45-year old veteran. Give Lesnar credit for pulling off the win.
However, to proclaim that Lesnar is going to change the game of MMA for a long time to come in the UFC Heavyweight division… arguable.
What I think I know…
Iole will push the UFC line as hard as he can that Lesnar will have ‘legendary battles’ with Cain Velasquez and Shane Carwin, but Lesnar would still likely lose to a lot of the top heavyweights in the business (outside of UFC). I’m not convinced that Lesnar would beat Andrei Arlovski, nor do I think he could beat Josh Barnett or Fedor. (The Barnett scenario would be interesting, as Erik Paulson would have to choose between game-planning with long-time friend Barnett or new champion Lesnar.)
In terms of marketing Lesnar’s next fight, you would have to assume that they are hoping Frank Mir can somehow pull a win against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Lesnar vs. Mir is the much more marketable match-up, but there’s also a bad aspect to it. In UFC re-matches and rubber matches, the fighter who wins the first contest usually has a close-to-70% win ratio in the re-match. I don’t see much of a different outcome for Mir/Lesnar II as I would for Mir/Lesnar I. If Mir beats Nogueira and Lesnar, will everyone be ready to proclaim him as better than Fedor or Barnett? I doubt it.
If we get Lesnar vs. Nogueira, it will be a fun fight to watch but likely a similar outcome in terms of Lesnar just using his brute strength to overpower Nogueira. While a less marketable fight than Mir/Lesnar II, Nogueira/Lesnar would allow UFC to push the ‘changing of the guard’ marketing storyline if Lesnar won.
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 75 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
UFC 91 (11/15 Las Vegas – Couture vs. Lesnar)
By Zach Arnold | November 15, 2008
AOL Fanhouse | Sherdog | NBC Sports | MMA Junkie | Five Ounces | Observer
So, how much of an issue will weight be, given the result of this fight? If Lesnar is a natural super-heavyweight…
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 31 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Last-minute media blitz heat-up for Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar at UFC 91
By Zach Arnold | November 15, 2008
The Long Beach Press-Telegram: Defying Father Time
“(Age) isn’t important. What’s important is getting in the gym, training, learning these skills, refining the tactics and technique that I’ve developed over the last 12 years and going in tonight and showcasing those you know can help you have a good performance,” said the 6-foot-1, 225-pound Couture. “I focus on those things because those are things that I can control. The rest of that stuff is out of my control, and so I don’t spend any time worrying about it.”
The Washington Times: A spectacle that’s a sweeter science
MMA is a phenomenon that a generation of sportswriters either don’t understand or don’t care to. That’s too bad because when it is right, MMA is a remarkable sporting spectacle that features world-class athletes – as it does in Saturday night’s match between two of the best amateur wrestlers of their eras.
The New York Times: Past and future in championship fight
“A higher caliber athlete is coming,” said Marc Laimon, the coach of Team Takedown, a management company that recruits top wrestlers and tries to mold them into mixed martial artists and that is the owner of Cobra Kai Jiu-Jitsu in Las Vegas.
“The guys who fight in the U.F.C. to get chicks in the clubs, those guys are going to fade away.”
Ted Ehrhardt, one of Team Takedown’s founders, said he received 20 to 30 e-mail messages a week from fighters asking about management.
“I’m taking the very top wrestlers in the world,” he said.
Card Player Magazine: Full Tilt Poker becomes sponsor of Randy Couture
Mac Danzig: Randy’s going to win the fight
I think Randy wins this fight with experience and overall ability. It seems like Lesnar’s best chance of winning is if he can hold someone [down] for three rounds like he did to [Heath] Herring. I don’t think he can do that to Randy. Plus, he has a giant penis tattooed on his chest, which can’t be helpful.
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 3 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Media heat-up for Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Couture at UFC 91
By Zach Arnold | November 14, 2008
Beau Dure (USA Today): UFC champion Randy Couture has been MMA’s elder statesman
Jared Barnes (Houston Chronicle): Survival of fittest lands a punch on MMA
“Zuffa is the gold standard, the NFL of MMA,” said Bill Bergofin, senior vice president of marketing for Versus. “They understand what they have as entertainment and recognize the value of the whole experience from top to bottom, from the time they come on the air till they go off.”
The Glasgow Daily Record (UK): Brock Lesnar ready to throw his weight around against veteran champion Randy Couture
“It makes for an interesting fight. I think it’s the other areas of the fight and who has their way in those areas that’s going to tell the tale.
“But I don’t think anybody’s walking into this fight saying Brock Lesnar is the number one contender in the heavyweight division.”
Adam Hill (LVRJ): Couture, Lesnar set for ‘big’ fight
Couture’s head trainer, Shawn Tompkins, thinks his fighter’s experience will carry him to victory. “He’s big. He’s athletic. He’s young. He’s powerful,” Tompkins said of Lesnar. “But he’s not Randy Couture, and he never will be.”
The Orange County Register: Kim Couture wins round in court against Huntington Beach ex-con Todd Beard
Dan Wetzel (Yahoo Sports): Brock Lesnar ready for reality check
Ignorant or not, pro wrestling is considered acting. There may not be stunt men, extra takes and special effects, but choosing to go that route forever alters people’s opinion of you.
“In some ways, amateur wrestlers look at that as selling out,” said Couture, himself a three-time All-America wrestler at Oklahoma State. “I think because it is predetermined and choreographed, none of those things sit well with real wrestling, amateur wrestling.”
“Most amateur wrestlers hate that someone would go pro,” Morgan said. “So for Brock to go pro, most amateur wrestlers were bitter about it. [They said] ‘How can you do that?’ “
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 38 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
50 Cent & UFC collaborate together on a music video
By Zach Arnold | November 14, 2008
Over 28,000 views so far on YouTube within 17 hours of it being online. Who knew that ‘making it rain’ would enter the lexicon of fight promotion for a bout featuring Randy Couture?
Update: Here is video of Dana White meeting 50 Cent at Jimmy Iovine’s house in the New York area.
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 3 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
A note about Japanese NYE programming on TV
By Zach Arnold | November 14, 2008
Hustle Mania will take place on 12/30 in Tokyo at Ariake Colosseum. The event will air on TV-Tokyo on 12/31 from 9:30 ~ 11:30 PM JST. All the usual suspects will be working the show (Takada, Tenryu, Sakata, Kawada, TAJIRI, HG, Tiger Jeet Singh, Akebono). Take a look at Yuji Shimada & Yoji Anjoh in the background of that picture.
In other news, Josh Barnett will work the Inoki Genome Federation event on 11/24 in Nagoya at Aichi Prefectural Gym. Yoshihiro Takayama vs. Brazilian monster Montanha Silva is also booked on the card.
Topics: Japan, Media, MMA, Pro-Wrestling, Zach Arnold | 2 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Report: Chuck Liddell in no condition to perform on USO tour
By Zach Arnold | November 13, 2008
MMA Weekly has a very strange report regarding Chuck Liddell taking a leave of absence from a current USO tour due to what is being claimed by officials as an illness.
First and foremost, I hope Chuck Liddell is doing OK. The last two years have been full of up-and-down moments for the UFC superstar.
However (and shamefully), label me ‘guilty as charged’ when the first thought that popped in my mind was this:
Let’s hope the man feels better soon. And, no, we’re not looking for a conspiracy here.
Update: Fightlinker is on the case. One question — why the hell is someone bringing ‘an entourage’ with them on a USO tour?
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 9 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Video: Dana White invades ESPN & Bristol, CT.
By Zach Arnold | November 13, 2008
This is entertaining.
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 5 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Fight Opinion Radio #93: Elite XC asset fire sale
By Zach Arnold | November 12, 2008
In the immortal words of the late Vince Lombardi, “What the hell is going on out here?” That’s what we ask this week with the news of Showtime having a fire sale of Elite XC’s assets, including the fighter contracts of Kimbo Slice, Gina Carano, Jake Shields, and many other prominent fighters. Leave up to our resident lawyer, Jeff Thaler, to break down what could happen at next week’s fire sale auction and just who might be interested in fighter contracts.
Plus: We break down the WEC 36 show with Urijah Faber’s surprising loss to Mike Brown. Also, we take a long look at UFC 91 (Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Couture) and try to analyze just why this show doesn’t seem to have a lot of heat going into this weekend’s festivities. Yes, it will do good business, but just what kind of big business will it really draw?
The 93rd edition of Fight Opinion Radio is now online and available to download. Download this week’s show here.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: DREAM, Fight Opinion Radio, Japan, Jeff Thaler, K-1, Media, MMA, podcasts, UFC, WEC, Zach Arnold | 4 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Kiyoshi Tamura set for Dynamite!!
By Zach Arnold | November 12, 2008
It took a really long time, but K-1 got the fight they wanted — Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Kiyoshi Tamura. This will headline the 12/31 Saitama Super Arena event. The theme for this fight is UWF-International & PRIDE vs. RINGS. A picture says a thousand words.
Joachim Hansen will face JZ Calvan on the undercard.
Topics: DREAM, Japan, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 21 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
UFC 91 – The PPV buyrate expectations game
By Zach Arnold | November 11, 2008
It was only a few months ago when everyone inside the Mixed Martial Arts business thought that Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar could break all-time PPV buyrates record for UFC (meaning drawing more than the 1.2-1.4 million PPV buys that Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz drew.)
Then, the American economy went into free-fall thanks to the credit crunch. Still, expectations were high that this fight could draw well. Then, UFC 90 on October 25th in Chicago happened, and there was little-to-no promotion for the Couture/Lesnar fight on PPV. Dave Meltzer lowered his expectations of the buyrate for the match to 750,000.
This week, UFC President Dana White came out and claimed that Couture/Lesnar will draw 1.2 million PPV buys. White has told the media that ‘the fight will sell itself’ in response to questions from reporters as to why UFC is not marketing the fight harder.
However, there are signs that interest in Couture vs. Lesnar is good, but not great. MMA Payout is reporting that the TV hype special for UFC 91 drew around a 0.4-0.5 cable rating, which is lower than cable ratings for previous UFC hype shows. In addition to the lower cable rating, there also has been lower interest in ticket purchasing for UFC 91 due to the high prices UFC is asking for in regards to expensive seats (they have been charging PRIDE-level ticket prices). In order to entice expensive ticket sales, UFC has recently packaged two $1,000 tickets along with gambling money, hotel accomodations, and other goodies in a $2,500 package in order to try to get more people to show up at the live event.
Given all of the information above, it’s time to predict the buyrate for UFC 91. Pick one of the numbers and give your reasoning as to why you chose it:
a) Under 500,000 PPV buys
b) 500,000 ~ 650,000 PPV buys
c) 650,000 ~ 800,000 PPV buys
d) Over 800,000 PPV buys
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 54 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |