Author: Luan Madani

UFC: The Deal with Fox Sports and the Future

August 16, 2011 will be marked as yet another landmark day for the sport of mixed martial arts and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.Sports Business Daily reported that the UFC inked a deal with Fox for seven or eight years that’s reportedly worth $90…

August 16, 2011 will be marked as yet another landmark day for the sport of mixed martial arts and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Sports Business Daily reported that the UFC inked a deal with Fox for seven or eight years that’s reportedly worth $90 million. There has been no formal announcement from either party, however one is expected sometime next week. 

With the UFC’s deal with Spike TV, who have been partners since 2004, coming to an end in 2011, the Fox deal is set to begin in January of 2012.

It was no secret during the course of the last few months that the UFC has been looking elsewhere to bring their content. They were in talks with NBC and Comcast, which obviously didn’t pan out.

The UFC was also involved in negotiations with falling network G4, with plans to re-brand the network into an independent UFC-exclusive network.

Nevertheless, UFC content will now be airing on Fox. The deal is set to see Fox air four UFC Live events per year, and the FX Network to air popular reality series The Ultimate Fighter and events such as Ultimate Fight Night. 

Anyone and everyone who is an MMA fan, let alone a UFC fan, is ecstatic about this news. I know that I am and I can only see brighter skies for the sport that I love. 

One has to think about the positive ramifications this brings to the table. Now, for the first time, mixed martial arts’ leading promotion is available on nationwide cable television. The fact that the product will now be readily available to a much wider audience benefits both fan and business. 

Spike TV has aired UFC programming and has held the rights to do so since 2004. Without Spike, the UFC and the sport of MMA as a whole most likely would not have gotten to the heights it enjoys today. The Ultimate Fighter propelled the sport to new heights, and is extremely popular, evidence by its forthcoming 14th season. 

However, the amount of homes that Spike TV reaches, 96.1 million across America, can’t touch Fox as they are available in about 97% of homes across the nation, totalling over 102 million. It’s obvious that programming on Fox is seen by a much wider audience than Spike. 

That’s one of the reasons that makes this deal so special. No question, the UFC has brought MMA into the mainstream light. They have done an unimaginable job at promoting this sport and furthering it to heights that no one could have thought of ten years ago. However, there is much more room for growth and this deal helps that cause. 

People who have yet to see this sport in all of its glory will now have the best opportunity ever presented to sit down and see what this sport is all about. There is no dispute that the fanbase will grow substantially over the course of this deal. 

Also, for fans who aren’t always willing and able to order the pay-per-view cards that are put on once, sometimes twice a month, and also did not have access to Spike TV will be able to see the UFC without problem. 

All of this means that business for the UFC will skyrocket. As stated above, the fanbase will grow, which means more dollars in terms of fan interest, pay-per-view buys in the future, merchandise and endorsement deals. 

There is no turning back at this point as this deal sets the stage for the UFC to finally bring mixed marital arts to the forefront over the next decade. Something that die-hard fans such as myself have been looking for all along. 

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UFC: Hey Quinton Jackson, Where’s Rampage?

Quinton Jackson, the man dubbed Rampage, was once one of the most feared mixed martial artists at 205 pounds. His trademark howl was accompanied by slams that once knocked out Ricardo Arona at Pride Critical Countdown 2004 on June 20 of that year. His …

Quinton Jackson, the man dubbed Rampage, was once one of the most feared mixed martial artists at 205 pounds. His trademark howl was accompanied by slams that once knocked out Ricardo Arona at Pride Critical Countdown 2004 on June 20 of that year. His wrestling was relentless and he had no doubt power in both fists that knocked out the likes of Chuck Liddell, Wanderlei Silva and Kevin Randleman, just to name a few.

However, that was then and this is now. I used to love Rampage. When he was signed to the UFC back in 2006, I was ecstatic. I immediately thought about a rematch with Chuck Liddell and was thinking world championships for him in the most prominent mixed martial arts organization in the world.

He did win the light heavyweight title at the expense of Chuck Liddell in their rematch of their Pride meeting back in 2007 at UFC 71, which saw Jackson knock Liddell out in the first round to capture the UFC Light Heavyweight Title. He then went on to defend it once against Dan Henderson in a historical battle that saw him unify the UFC and Pride Light Heavyweight Championships in a hard fought five round battle at UFC 75 in London, England. He then lost it to Forrest Griffin at UFC 86 on July 5, 2008.

Since then, Rampage has faded. He went on to avenge his two losses against Wanderlei Silva at UFC 92 in December of 2008 with a first round knockout, however since then, where is he?

He fought Keith Jardine at UFC 96 and won a three-round decision. Then, went on to lose a decision to Rashad Evans, a fight that was long-awaited and one of the biggest grudge matches in UFC history. In between that time, Jackson starred in the A-Team movie.

That’s where it all went wrong. Jackson has since then stated that acting is his next career choice, and quite frankly, mixed martial arts isn’t that important to him anymore. He has explicitly stated that when movies start paying him as much as MMA does, he’s done.

Really Jackson? You’re going to leave behind what has made you famous and what the fans love you for? I don’t look down on you because you want to act. I do because of how you’re going about the rest of your career.

In the cage, it’s showing that you simply don’t care anymore. You say that you’re just here to get paid, well you’re doing a great job of living up to that. The very reason they call you Rampage, the slams, the power, the knockouts, they aren’t there anymore. You fought a lackluster fight against Evans, one which you were supposed to go and annihilate the man you hate. You fought another lackluster fight against Machida, and won a decision that many thought you lost.

You don’t like it when journalists press you with hard questions, you aren’t as engaged in MMA interviews as you once were and you simply don’t seem that interested in talking about your fights. You say it’s about the money now, you say that you’re only here to fight and leave, and you’re showing it.

I find it hard for myself to continue to be a fan of you. I love this sport and I love fighters who love the sport just as much as I do. You just don’t anymore and you’re no longer the Rampage that I started to like years ago. You’re no longer the Rampage that came into the UFC in 2007 after tearing the ring apart in Pride. You’re no longer the Rampage that came into knockout people and win titles and fight to be the very best. Simply put, you’re no longer Rampage.

Now that you’ve recently come out and said you’ve only got a couple of more years left in the sport and you plan on retiring for good at age 35, I suppose we’ll never see the Rampage that we all have come to love. It’s sad, but I suppose we have to move on just as much you have.

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UFC: Zuffa Offering Insurance to Fighters and How It Furthers the Sport

On May 9, Zuffa announced that they were beginning to offer insurance policies for their fighters under contract for injuries that are sustained in either in-ring competition and also injuries that are suffered outside of the cage in training.Houston i…

On May 9, Zuffa announced that they were beginning to offer insurance policies for their fighters under contract for injuries that are sustained in either in-ring competition and also injuries that are suffered outside of the cage in training.

Houston insurance agency HCC Insurance Holdings has been contracted to provide the coverage. The policy, which goes into effect June 1, 2011, is the first of its kind that covers a large group of combat athletes and is the first for Zuffa.

Previously, Zuffa was not liable for injuries suffered in training and fighters were responsible for covering their own medical expenses.

The policy covers all UFC and Strikeforce athletes whether they reside in the United States or outside of the country. Zuffa covers all premiums for the insurance and is at no cost to the fighters. Athletes are allowed to use up to $50,000 annually for coverage while they are under contract with Zuffa and covers the athletes even if they are not scheduled to compete in the near-future.

The policy also covers dental and life insurance for the fighters as long as they are under contract—also at no cost to the athletes. Overall, the policy covers doctor services, laboratory tests, emergency medical evacuation and physical therapy.

No one can deny that this is a huge step for the sport of mixed martial arts. Not only for the athletes that compete inside of the cage, but also in the efforts to further the sport into the mainstream spotlight.

Everyone that is a fan of MMA, and maybe even if they’re not, have heard the critics and what they have to say about the sport. Their claims of it not being safe, being cockfighting and making it out to a brutal spectacle that has no oversight have gone on for years, even after the sport exploded onto the scene in 2005 and has since grown into what it is today.

Fans of the sport have defended it against these claims and know full well that the sport they enjoy and love isn’t a bloodsport with no regard for human life or sportsmanship and respect. They know the integrity of the sport and know the athletes they watch compete are educated and well-respected and trained athletes that love the sport just as much as they do.

There is no doubt that this is the big step that mixed martial arts needed to help them in their fight for acceptance and to show those who doubt that this is more than a spectacle. This is a sport. This is an event that millions upon millions around the globe love and respect. And, for those who compete, this is a lifestyle.

This just goes to show that this sport is just like the others out there, it respects its athletes that put it all on the line.

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