UFC on rematches
By Stephan | July 28, 2006
Many of us (us includes me, yes) have been complaining that all we have been getting lately in the UFC is rematches, well the UFC itself has posted an article analyzing that very fact.
The rematch is a strange beast to figure out. In boxing (with obvious exceptions, of course), it can be a recipe for disaster, with the fighter who has lost the first time usually losing in a more decisive fashion in fight number two. But in mixed martial arts, the rematch has been a perfect vehicle for redemption, with fighters somehow able to pull off the impossible and reverse the result of a losing bout, and sometimes doing it spectacularly.
Thomas Gerbasi does a good job with numbers to convince us that rematches are worth rewatching because they are often unpredictable, thats because the at the upcoming UFC 62, the two main events are rematches, Sobral vs Liddell has great potential, but Bonnar vs Griffin I’m afraid will not be able to live up to its first encounter, Forrest may have progressed more than Stephan has. Also a reason for this article to appear is that from an entertainment value, many of the rematches we have been served lately have not been very good. Of course the latest Sylvia vs Arlovsky was a total bore, the one previously was fun but quick. Ortiz vs Shamrock predictably bad for Ken; don’t even think of doing a trilogy with this one.
Topics: Media, MMA, Stephan Marceau, UFC | 15 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Is Bob Meyrowitz returning to MMA?
By Zach Arnold | July 27, 2006
By Zach Arnold
An unnoticed article in Multichannel News (use this link if the direct link doesn’t load for you) caught my attention. R. Thomas Umstead reported on Monday that Bob Meyrowitz, the founder of UFC, is pitching to several cable networks a new MMA reality show series.
Before you get too excited, there’s one distressing item reported in the article:
The reality series, scheduled to be filmed in the U.S. and Russia, will pit two teams, each including a female fighter, with distinct styles against each other.
“We’re not building up anger between two men, but rather matching two totally different fighting styles,†he said.
As much credit as Meyrowitz should be given for what he did in the early days of MMA, the concept of style vs. style is an idea that is stuck in the mid-90s. In 2006, all the successful elite MMA fighters cross-train and practice multiple disciplines (boxing, wrestling, sambo, muay thai, etc.) because you have to be multi-dimensional to be a top competitor.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: All Topics, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 10 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
The Zuffa Myth – revisited?
By Zach Arnold | July 26, 2006
By Zach Arnold
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer has an article for their Thursday newspaper on UFC titled UFC traveled bumpy road to mainstream. The article (at the bottom) admits that it’s a re-write of material already written by Andrew Levine in the Washington Post, Ron Borges in the Boston Globe, and information pulled from UFC’s web page. It’s not exactly as if the SPI talked to Jeff Thaler, Eddie Goldman, Ivan Trembow, or someone else who actually writes about MMA full-time.
I mention the duo of Levine and Borges because they were dressed down by the New Jersey State Athletic Commission for reprinting what Jeff Thaler has now (figuratively) trademarked as “The Zuffa Myth.” See what you can spot (disputable claims) in the SPI article. It’s important to note this incident because it reinforces the criticism from Thaler, Goldman, Trembow, and the other MMA writers who understand that writers at a lot of newspapers are simply too lazy to do research on the topics they cover and will re-hash whatever is quickest for them to regurgitate into new copy.
Hint: For those looking for an egregious error, read this FightReport note and compare it to the claim in the SPI article.
Strangely enough, the SPI did a good Chris Leben profile piece — on the same day.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: All Topics, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | No Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
MMA a threat to boxing?
By Stephan | July 26, 2006
The Boxing press must really feel threatened these days, I keep coming across these types of articles from the boxing world.
Check this article out, in it Dan Morgan is trying to rationalize that boxing is not threatened by the growth of the UFC. He should be a little more open and use MMA instead of strickly UFC.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: Media, MMA, Stephan Marceau, UFC | 4 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
K-1 & PRIDE notes
By Zach Arnold | July 26, 2006
Ikuhisa Minowa vs. Butterbean was announced for the 8/26 Nagoya Aichi Rainbow Hall Bushido show. Minowa and Josh Barnett had a PR session today in Japan, which garnered big attention. What makes the Butterbean announcement interesting is that he is scheduled to fight two weeks before the show, on August 12th.
The 300-plus-pound former boxer will compete in one of 20 Mixed Martial Arts events scheduled for Aug. 12 at The Plex. The event, being labeled as one of the biggest outdoor cage fights in the Midwest, begins at 7 p.m.
Esch, known as much for his weight (at one time listed at more than 370 pounds) as his skills in the ring, will face Michael Fritz in the co-main event. The other main event features popular Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Dan Severn against Lanney Griffith.
Genki Sudo indicated that he might appear at K-1’s 9/4 World MAX show in Tokyo at Ariake Colosseum.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: All Topics, Japan, K-1, PRIDE, Zach Arnold | No Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Wrestling comedy with Paul Heyman
By Zach Arnold | July 25, 2006
By Zach Arnold
In an interview with The Sun in the UK, WWE-contracted employee Paul Heyman found himself on the defensive when discussing ECW and its future. The most laughable quote from Heyman in the interview is one that should raise eyebrows:
Another thing is we don’t deny the influence of Mixed Martial Arts, which is huge on a worldwide basis but is different to anything on Raw or Smackdown right now.
So the difference in ECW to the 1990s is simply recognising where that cultural shift is and playing to it.
There has been absolutely nothing in relation to MMA presented on the “new” ECW program. In fact, the only thing that could be claimed to be related to MMA is the introduction of wrestler CM Punk, who in interviews building his character claims that he knows kempo karate and muay thai. Everything but wrestling it seems!
The importance of Heyman mentioning MMA, however, is that it’s starting to become clear that an industry with real fights and real outcomes is starting to take away some significant portions of business from WWE, a company that easily doubles the TV ratings of The Ultimate Fighter but is getting half (or less) the PPV buys. There are many lessons to be learned by people inside the pro-wrestling business about what is going on with MMA, but the dilemma that I see is that the pro-wrestling power brokers don’t know how to respond to the challenge at hand.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: All Topics, Media, MMA, Pro-Wrestling, Zach Arnold | 7 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Techno Goliath leaving K-1?
By Zach Arnold | July 25, 2006
By Zach Arnold
Dong-A Ilbo in South Korea reports that Choi Hong-Man may be negotiating out of his contract with K-1. Money quote:
A close associate of Choi commented about his future, “If he dislikes the contract with K-1, he might seek another way.†Choi will start negotiations on his contract at the end of this year until early January 2007, and conclude his new contract with K-1.
Losing their strongest foreign draw (especially in the coveted South Korean market) would be a (pardon the pun) giant blow. They cannot afford to lose him or be shifty in paying his salary.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: All Topics, Japan, K-1, Zach Arnold | 3 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
APEX on TSN
By Zach Arnold | July 25, 2006
By Zach Arnold
The APEX Championship Fighting promotion issued a press release announcing their new deal with TSN in Canada. This is certainly a step forward for the organization, along with increasing awareness about MMA in Canada.
Press release below.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: All Topics, Canada, Media, MMA, Press Releases, Zach Arnold | 1 Comment » | Permalink | Trackback |
Media: The good, the bad, and the ugly
By Zach Arnold | July 24, 2006
By Zach Arnold
Prepare to be entertained.
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: All Topics, Media, MMA, WFA, Zach Arnold | 3 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
PRIDE 8/26 Bushido updated card
By Zach Arnold | July 24, 2006
An update to the first announced matches. Here are the new matches:
- Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Chris Brennan
- Gilbert Melendez vs. Nobuhiro Obiya
- Shin’ya Aoki vs. Jason Black (Miletich)
- Jeff Curran vs. Hioki Hatsu
Topics: All Topics, Japan, Media, MMA, PRIDE, Zach Arnold | 4 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Article on Halifax ECC 3 in Globe and Mail
By Stephan | July 24, 2006
The Globe and Mail had an article, before the show, on the ECC in Halifax, which was on the same night as the WFA.
The sport they call human cockfighting
Not a very flattering article, but what can you expect from the Globe and Mail.
And here is an actual review of the event from Sherdog. In my quick search, I did not find any maintream coverage (except for this) after the event. If you find any, let me know.
Topics: All Topics, Canada, Media, MMA, Stephan Marceau | No Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
Big show in Holland
By Zach Arnold | July 23, 2006
The 2H2H (Too Hot To Handle) promotion in Holland is promoting a November 12th show titled PRIDE & Honor at the Ahoy’ Rotterdam. Names being listed for the show include Rodney Faverus, Alistair Overeem, Gilbert Yvel, Emelianenko Alexander, and Gegard Mousasi. Overeem vs. Yvel has already been announced.
In other PRIDE-related news, Ivan Trembow has some news about drug testing in Nevada. “When PRIDE runs its first show in the United States on October 21st at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, the drug testing will be different than it normally is in PRIDE. For starters, there will actually be drug testing.”
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: All Topics, Media, MMA, PRIDE, Zach Arnold | 2 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
WFA 7/22 Los Angeles PPV recap
By Zach Arnold | July 22, 2006
Internet round-up: Observer | Sherdog | F4W Online | F.O. board | Random Fix | MMA Shout | Todd Martin | Eddie Goldman | Whaledog #1 | Whaledog #2
Continue reading this article here…
Topics: All Topics, Media, MMA, WFA, Zach Arnold | 7 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |