All Purpose UFC/MMA/That Kind Of Thing Thread

Re: "60 Minutes" piece on UFC/MMA

As this thread has come back to life...

Someone, previously, in this thread asked about the popularity of MMA outside North America particularity in Asia. Today the “LA Times” had an article about the big MMA weekend. The Ortiz/Liddell match is the big fight in North America however New Year's Eve is also the biggest night for MMA in Japan.

The article can be accessed below.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-spw-mmacol29dec29,1,5486573.story?ctrack=1&cset=true

It answers the question about the popularity of MMA in Japan much better than I could.

You have to register in order to read the article however registration is free.

 

Re: "60 Minutes" piece on UFC/MMA

Admittedly, you're right. But if Dana White wants his sport to be mainstreamed, then he needs to distance his company from the late-night infomercial commercials. I mean, if the NFL can get NBC to not run promos for Las Vegas during SNF then I'm sure UFC could get Spike to not run Girls Gone Wild commercials.

 

Re: "60 Minutes" piece on UFC/MMA

Yes, some of those are throw-away shows. But, sheesh, enough with the GGW.
I like gratuitous T&A as much as the next guy, but their playing it every f'n commercial break was bordering on Mellencamp-esque.
And there's no need for the Guys Gone Wild commercial.
Ever.

 

Re: "60 Minutes" piece on UFC/MMA

Pizza Hut?

 

Re: "60 Minutes" piece on UFC/MMA

I doubt that the UFC/MMA fans are in fact people who have given up on boxing. They, instead, seem like the kind of people who have given up on following the WWE.

 

Re: "60 Minutes" piece on UFC/MMA

HBO just got on board, they have committed to broadcasting 3 UFC shows in 2007 with an option to broadcast 3 more.

Apparently the decision was not a peaceful one:

In related UFC news, the franchise just pulled a major coup signing Mirko "Crocop" Filipovich, croatian kickboxer, former member of parliment and antiterrorist SWAT-team member to a six-fight, 2-year deal.

Filipovich is the currently #2 ranked heavyweight fighter in the world and a veternan of the japanese MMA scene. He is arguably the single most popular fighter in the world due to his agressive style and his patented headkick knockouts. Filipovich will guarantee major viewership from both the asian(where he is a superstar) and european markets.

The UFC also signed several other major-league fighters to round out it´s 2007 roster, including american stars of the japanese scene Heath Herring(heavyweight) and Quinton Jackson(light-heavyweight), and brazilian prodigy Ryoto Machida(middleweight). All are expected to make a run at their respective titles in late 2007.

If the MMA penetration of the mainstream continues at this pace the question whether sports journalists should cover it may not one of taste in 2008, but rather whether they are interested in just doing their jobs properly.

 

Re: "60 Minutes" piece on UFC/MMA

How the hell are non-West Coast newspapers supposed to cover an event that begins at midnight EST?

 

Re: "60 Minutes" piece on UFC/MMA

I know it´s a crying shame isn´t it?

Until New York state buckles under the pressure and sees that Cali and Nevada are raking in a LOT of cash sanctioning MMA, and lift their outdated ban on the sport, the east coast is kind of a dead zone when it comes to MMA. Then again New York is notorious for being a state unfriendly to martial arts. One piece of legislation they tried to pass some years back banned all vascular constriction holds(chokes) and apparently the commission didn´t even realize that that meant an end to Olympic rules Judo in the state as well...

The difference in attitude and coverage of the sport in the east vs the west is like night and day.

Hopefully 2007 will turn out to be the breakout year it´s gearing up to be.

 

Re: "60 Minutes" piece on UFC/MMA

When New York is banning choking as entertainment, you know the barbarians are truly at the gate...

 

Re: "60 Minutes" piece on UFC/MMA

You're missing the point. Logistics hurts UFC coverage more than the attitude of sports editors.

 

Re: "60 Minutes" piece on UFC/MMA

You really have no idea what you are talking about. Vascular chokes are probably the safest form of decisively "taking out" an opponent there is in the entire world of hand to hand combat. Unconciousness takes hold in 3-10 seconds after application with zero permanent damage.

Studies on retired top-leve Olympic judo competitors show NONE of the diminished brain activity that is endemic in boxing. And those guys have been choked a lot!

You should learn about things before bashing them man...what do you find so offensive about a victory that is A)Bloodless and B)inflicts no permanent damage to the loser? Is that not the very essence of martial arts? To win decisively without inflicting pain?

I know and I do not blame those who due to those logistics cannot cover MMA. That´s something the networks need to work out. When the shows come to the east coast things will get better, and frankly I´d be surprised if New York holds out the entire year.

 

Re: "60 Minutes" piece on UFC/MMA

Big writeup in the NYTimes yesterday (Monday) on MMA in New York. It was one the New York Report page of the national edition.
Interesting stuff, basically how it wasn't legal, but the promoter didn't care to the point of inviting a reporter and a photographer from the Times for coverage.
Just say no to "fishhooking."