Sunday brunch of MMA news & notes
By Zach Arnold | October 8, 2006
I’ll update this post throughout the day (or someone else will, anyhow).
- Sherdog: Strikeforce draws 5,000 in Fresno, Sherdog says, “…few fans were there to watch (Paul) Buentello.” Don’t fear me, fear the consequences! Strikeforce’s promoter sure did. (Ed. That’s uncalled for. I apologize. We didn’t even think Tank would get knocked out that fast.)
- Toronto Sun: TFN (The Fight Network) puts up a fight
- NHB News: ART JUNKIE creates new “Joshmetal” t-shirt. Josh Barnett is loved by many. Here it is.
- Bismark Tribune: First sanctioned MMA event in North Dakota happened on Saturday night
- F4W Online: Tito vs. Ken III preview
Topics: All Topics, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | No Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Boxing doubleheader fun
By Zach Arnold | October 7, 2006
News reports and reviews on:
Joel Casamayor vs. Diego Corrales: Reuters | The Sweet Science | Fox Sports | Associated Press
Nikolay Valuev vs. Monte Barrett: The Sweet Science | Associated Press | Eastside Boxing | Fight Report
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: All Topics, Boxing, Media, Zach Arnold | 1 Comment » | Permalink | Trackback |
Make your HERO’s event predictions
By Zach Arnold | October 7, 2006
Yahoo Japan HP: Front page mentions Ken Kaneko
Monday features two relatively big shows in Japan (one MMA, one pro-wrestling), with the MMA event being the HERO’s show produced by K-1 at Yokohama Arena. There has been a very high volume of press coverage for this event in the last two weeks, and most of it has been focused on what the media is treating as the main event (actor Ken Kaneko vs. Hideo Tokoro). You can view the event card line-up here.
Time to make fight predictions for the show. I want to read your picks, so post ’em. Read my predictions in full-post view.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: All Topics, HERO's, Japan, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | No Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Saturday MMA media notes
By Zach Arnold | October 7, 2006
Update: PRIDE 11/5 Bushido card line-up added to this article (view it in full-post mode).
Post updated at 5:45 PM EST.
The MMA calendar for October is off the charts in terms of activity. There has been a full-court press this last week (and going into the weekend) for the HERO’s event that will take place on October 9th at Yokohama Arena. A lot of press coverage for the Ken Kaneko vs. Hideo Tokoro fight. For a review of some of the media-heat up for that fight, read Gryphon’s report. New Japan runs at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo head-to-head against K-1’s broadcast of HERO’s on Tokyo Broadcasting System. On October 10th (Tues. at 8 PM EST/PST on Spike TV), we have Ken Shamrock vs. Tito Ortiz III. On October 14th, we have a big Shooto even at Yokohama Pacifico. On the same day, we have UFC 64 with Rich Franklin vs. Anderson Silva. A week later, we have PRIDE’s show in Las Vegas on October 21st. The question is whether or not Mike Tyson will be able to make his scheduled appearance for the event, as he is boxing against his training partner Corey “T-Rex” Sanders in Youngstown, Ohio on the 20th.
Good. Catch your breath. November is going to be just as action-packed. If you would like to help us out, donate here. You’ll be loved for doing so.
Now, the media round-up (see the links in full-post mode).
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: All Topics, HERO's, Media, MMA, PRIDE, UFC, Zach Arnold | 3 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Fight Opinion Radio: Episode 27 (with Total-MMA.com staff)
By Zach Arnold | October 6, 2006
One of our strongest shows yet in terms of overall content (news, humor, interview, etc.) Iain Liddle from Total-MMA.com is with us to review the Cage Rage 18 event. Plus, a long UFC roundtable breaking down the UFC Ken/Tito III & UFC 64 events, along with Erin Bucknell undergoing the grueling questions asked by Joe Rogan in the UFC Octagon Girl Search that aired on TV last Monday.
Podcasting Links
- iTunes subscribers – click here.
- Yahoo Podcast subscribers – click here.
- Podcast Alley subscribers – click here.
The 27th edition of Fight Opinion Radio is now online and available to download. Here are your options for listening to the show:
Broadband (MP3) | Dial-up/Streaming
Or you can use the great flash player to listen to it streaming (without having to use an external program). Check it out (down below).
[audio:http://www.fightopinion.com/podcasts/foradio-10-06-2006.mp3]Continue reading this article here…
Topics: All Topics, Erin Bucknell, Fight Opinion Radio, Jeff Thaler, Luke Nicholson, Media, MMA, podcasts, Zach Arnold | 3 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Similar Histories: UFC and WWE.
By Luke | October 6, 2006
To some people the similarities between UFC and WWE might just be coincidence, or maybe there are small little details that separate them, and to an extent that might be true. But, the fact that these two promotions are following such a similar timeline, and given the similar personalities that run both the UFC and WWE. MMA and Pro-Wrestling have a lot in common – from historical timelines, to booking philosophy, to marketing strategy.
MMA is going through a similar growth period now, that Pro Wrestling went through in the 1980s. Dana White is on the leading edge of that growth period in MMA in 2006, as Vince McMahon was in 1985.
Vince McMahon used syndication and MTV to squeeze regional promoters, and put them out of business. Lorenzo Fertitta and Dana White used the Commission system to squeeze Bob Meyrowitz years ago into selling UFC for a bargain basement price. After that Fertitta got UFC sanctioned in the state of Nevada. But previously he had just refused to sanction UFC as a member of the NSAC, when Meyrowitz applied. Which strangely enough was only a few months before UFC was sold to Zuffa.
Both took a big risk that put them over the top. UFC chose to be part of a reality tv series on SpikeTV that exposed their sport to a mass audience that hadn’t seen it previously. Vince McMahon – after a year of syndication and a few million dollars in losses – chose to work with M-TV on a special to promote a show called Wrestle Mania that would air nationally on closed-circuit TV, exposing the WWF to the masses, during an era of regional promotions, when it was faux-pas to “run” outside your home territory. Who is Forrest Griffin without The Ultimate Fighter? Or, Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff without “The War to Settle the Score”?
Vince McMahon had a very close relationship with the New York State Athletic Commission for years that allowed him control that particular region. Dana White and UFC have something very similar in Nevada. As diffficult as Vince used to make it for others to run in New York, Dana White is making it as difficult for other promotions to run in Nevada. One example is the upcoming PRIDE show where PRIDE will be forced to use the UFC round system, and judging criteria, and follow UFC rules. These differences won’t make it easier for PRIDE to be successful in North America. The only thing PRIDE won’t have to do is use UFC’s octagon.
Dana White isn’t doing anything revolutionary. He hasn’t re-invented the wheel. The formula thats being used by Dana White is very similar to the formula thats been used by Wrestling promotions around the world for centuries.
Even the formula for making money is similar. You take two fighters and position them as stars and put them in a ring together. Then you work to convince people to pay to see them fight. This isn’t anything that hasn’t been used in Wrestling for years and years. If you want evidence that it works, just study the buyrates that UFC has been doing this year in comparison with their TV ratings. Then do the same for WWE this year. The conversion rate of tv viewers to PPV purchasers tells the entire story.
Branding is the use of logos, symbols, or product design to promote consumer awareness of goods and services. Many Fortune 500 companies use Branding to help establish themselves in their marketplace. From WWE to Microsoft, to Apple, to the NFL, to UFC. All have taken great amounts of time and money to establish ‘their brand’ of a certain product to the public.
Most of the MMA coverage you see in the mainstream media is UFC coverage. Without the UFC, there wouldn’t be any mainstream MMA coverage. Just recently I saw that UFC has its own tab on the sports page at the Sympatico.ca website. Sympatico obviously isn’t ESPN, but it shows that without the brand “UFC”, would MMA be getting any mainstream attention?
John Q. Public walking the street probably wouldn’t know what MMA stood for if you asked him. If you asked him what UFC stands for, his reaction would probably be “Oh, thats Ultimate Fighting”. What reaction do you want the general populus to have when they’re confronted with the sport? Would like them to say “What is that again?”, or would you like them to instantly be able to recognize it, and know what you’re talking about.
In all three of these areas UFC has utilized something from the Pro-Wresting business to help them become successful. All the while, they haven’t undermined the sports legitimacy, and they’re skyrocketing into mainstream acceptance, and entrenchment. The key difference between the UFC and WWE boom periods is that one is a real sport with true characters, and the other is fake with cartoon characters. The chances of UFC being embraced long term by the MSM is much greater because of that. Compared with WWE, which is laughed at today by the MSM.
Topics: All Topics, Luke Nicholson, MMA, Pro-Wrestling, UFC, WWE | No Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Was the Sherdog site hacked?
By Zach Arnold | October 6, 2006
I subscribe to the RSS feeds from Sherdog’s site. This morning, in my RSS reader, this showed up (the link is to a screen capture of the RSS feed).
So, was their site actually hacked? Or was this the case of some minor-league hacker attempting to screw around with their site and/or RSS feeds?
Topics: All Topics, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 2 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Super Challenge 10/7 Brazil event
By Zach Arnold | October 5, 2006
Denis Martins is an MMA writer based in Brazil. If you would like to contact him with writing opportunities or just for feedback to this article, e-mail him at [email protected].
Has a premier organization been created in Brazil?
This is the striking question when I think about the Super Challenge event that will take place on Saturday in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Brazilians already tried to project a great image with Show Fight and Jungle Fight. However, not enough success was achieved internationally because not many people were able to see them (and lack of staffing backing the events).
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: All Topics, Brazil, Media, MMA, PRIDE | 2 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Tito Ortiz: Put boxing match with Dana on PPV
By Zach Arnold | October 5, 2006
Dave Doyle at Fox Sports has a very good interview/article piece on Tito Ortiz. Dave also gives his thoughts on the promoting styles of both UFC & PRIDE:
UFC models itself after boxing promotions. PRIDE’s roots trace back to pro wrestling. Rarely has this been more obvious than in the buildup to PRIDE’s The Real Deal on Oct. 21. The show features quite possibly the greatest volume of star power ever assembled on a North American MMA show.
That’s best star power. Not best matchups.
Thus far, the announced card comes off like the highest-priced taping of Superstars of Wrestling ever, with fights designed to showcase individual fighters rather than to offer top-notch elite matches like those given to Japanese fans at the Open Weight Grand Prix. Fedor Emelianenko vs. a 41-year old Mark Coleman isn’t all that different than Ortiz-Shamrock. Then you have carnival acts like a Mike Tyson appearance and a match featuring Butterbean.
PRIDE has also employed some of the oldest-school tricks in the pro wrestling promotional playbook by constantly grandstanding the UFC, trying to make a splash against the established brand name. And they’re smart to do it, because Dana White seems to grab at the bait every time it is set, including a satellite radio verbal dust-up with a PRIDE announcer a couple weeks back.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: All Topics, Media, MMA, PRIDE, UFC, Zach Arnold | 9 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
The Ultimate Fighter Season 4, Episode 8
By Zach Arnold | October 5, 2006
By Zach Arnold
Update: The Boston Herald tells you what you didn’t see on TUF with Jorge Rivera’s post-fight speech. I realize that he was personal in the information he relayed in his interview, but why would TUF TV producers edit this out of the show? It would have really been interesting to watch and not at all embarassing to Mr. Rivera.
Now, onto the recap…
Recap of Matt Serra on same team as Shonie Carter, only person to KO him in a fight. With help of Serra, Shonie won his first TUF fight. Shonie rubbed Team No Love the wrong way. Only one fight left: Jorge Rivera vs. Patrick Cote.
Winner: Matt Serra over Pete Spratt (highlights from last week), comments from Gideon Ray and Edwin DeWees.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: All Topics, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 3 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Dana White: No actors allowed
By Zach Arnold | October 5, 2006
By Zach Arnold
We’ve seen a MMA and pro-wrestling crossover with various UFC stars in the past (starting with Dan Severn and Ken Shamrock, who happens to be fighting on October 10th for UFC). Yeah, that Ken Shamrock guy, who worked for TNA & UFC. The same guy who worked in the old UFC days and worked for then WWF.
So what does UFC President have to say about Kurt Angle?
White, though, said he lost interest when Angle signed a contract to remain a pro wrestler with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (11 p.m. Eastern, Thursdays and Saturdays, Spike).
“I wouldn’t hire someone who is doing both,” White said last week in a telephone interview. “I would never blow that line. You’re either a fighter or an actor.”
“He’s one of the greatest wrestlers of all time and he’s done well,” White said. “He keeps coming out publicly about how much wrestling wore him down and he’s going back to wrestling again. I don’t know.
“It’s interesting, but I want guys who want to be real fighters.”
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: All Topics, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 17 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Thursday MMA media notes
By Zach Arnold | October 5, 2006
Our server has been down for a period of time due to overall heavy traffic with the hosting company.
It’s tough to stay on top of the latest news stories. So we try to help fill the void – a little bit.
- Forbes – Ultimate Fighting’s Next Battle (read the article, specifically the part about PRIDE.)
- Ultimate Fighting Championship – UFC 64 full card line-up
- Honolulu Advertiser – Kimo vs. Wes Sims on Friday night in Hawaii for X-1. Dave Doyle at the Fox Sports MMA blog has more thoughts on this story.
- Blog To: Photos from The Fight Network’s party last week
- Kakutolog: Kazushi Sakuraba to be the ring second for Ken Kaneko on 10/9
- Kami no Puroresu #103 (via NHB News): Chance of Kiyoshi Tamura working in HERO’s is good
- MMA News: Radio interview with Mark Coleman & Kevin Randleman
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: All Topics, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 3 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Kameda vs. Landaeta II date announced
By Zach Arnold | October 4, 2006
Sports Navigator reports that the re-match will now happen on 12/20 in Tokyo at Ariake Colosseum. This means that there will be no Kameda Matsuri (festival) on New Year’s Eve.
Meanwhile, in American boxing news, the war between HBO & Showtime heats up.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: All Topics, Boxing, Media, Zach Arnold | 2 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |