BJ Penn. That’s been the lone draw for the lower weight classes of the UFC. Now, with the addition of the Flyweight division the UFC has one more weight class to figure out how to market.Outside of UFC 129, the Toronto stadium show featuring GSP vs. Ja…
BJ Penn. That’s been the lone draw for the lower weight classes of the UFC. Now, with the addition of the Flyweight division the UFC has one more weight class to figure out how to market.
Outside of UFC 129, the Toronto stadium show featuring GSP vs. Jake Shields, Jose Aldo vs. Mark Hominick and Randy Couture vs. Lyoto Machida, no pay-per-view featuring a lighter weight championship has produced more than 375,000 buys since BJ fell out of the 155 title picture.
The average of those pay-per-views has been 291,000 buys. When the UFC gave the fans a UFC Bantamweight Championship fight for free on Versus it failed to crack the one million viewer mark. However, the fact that it was aired on Versus plays in to that statistic.
For whatever reason these weight classes have yet to capture the attention of the casual fan. Leaving the UFC with mediocre ratings and buys for their shows headlined by some of the most technically sound and exciting fighters in the game.
What can the UFC do to market these exciting fighters and their respective weight classes to increase their value? Here are five ways I think they can tackle the problem.
Erick Silva needed just one round to submit Charlie Brenneman and continue his onslaught of the UFC’s Welterweight division.Silva showcased his striking, takedown defense, the ability to quickly get back to his feet once taken down and his Brazilian ji…
Erick Silva needed just one round to submit Charlie Brenneman and continue his onslaught of the UFC’s Welterweight division.
Silva showcased his striking, takedown defense, the ability to quickly get back to his feet once taken down and his Brazilian jiu-jitsu at UFC on FX 3. Silva took the back of Brenneman and sunk in the rear-naked choke to force the tap at 4:33 of the first frame.
While the fight technically gets him back on the winning path after the DQ loss to Carlo Prater, the prospect is still widely considered undefeated inside the Octagon.
His total Octagon time is just over five minutes. Is he the real deal? Is it time to fight a contender?
With three impressive and short outings in the UFC, we look at five potential fights for the 27-year-old Brazilian.
Erick Silva needed just one round to submit Charlie Brenneman and continue his onslaught of the UFC’s Welterweight division.Silva showcased his striking, takedown defense, the ability to quickly get back to his feet once taken down and his Brazilian ji…
Erick Silva needed just one round to submit Charlie Brenneman and continue his onslaught of the UFC’s Welterweight division.
Silva showcased his striking, takedown defense, the ability to quickly get back to his feet once taken down and his Brazilian jiu-jitsu at UFC on FX 3. Silva took the back of Brenneman and sunk in the rear-naked choke to force the tap at 4:33 of the first frame.
While the fight technically gets him back on the winning path after the DQ loss to Carlo Prater, the prospect is still widely considered undefeated inside the Octagon.
His total Octagon time is just over five minutes. Is he the real deal? Is it time to fight a contender?
With three impressive and short outings in the UFC, we look at five potential fights for the 27-year-old Brazilian.
UFC 147 is just around the bend. Set to hit PPV on June 23 from Brazil with the rematch virtually no one asked for Wanderlei Silva vs. Rich Franklin.But the card itself is still worth your money.Sure, Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen was moved to UFC 14…
UFC 147 is just around the bend. Set to hit PPV on June 23 from Brazil with the rematch virtually no one asked for Wanderlei Silva vs. Rich Franklin.
But the card itself is still worth your money.
Sure, Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen was moved to UFC 148. Vitor Belfort got injured. Jose Aldo did not end up defending his championship. And a myriad of other possibilities never worked out, but the show must go on.
Silva will look to settle the score with Franklin and grab consecutive wins for the first time since 2005-2006 in PRIDE. Franklin comes in to save the UFC once again while seeking to remove the discussion about their first close fight with a decisive victory.
While this will not be the stadium show everyone anticipated it still has entertainment value, and I will tell you why you should plop down the money to order the show.
After becoming the first man to stop Jim Miller at UFC on FOX Nate Diaz earned himself a title shot against the winner of this summer’s rematch between Frankie Edgar and Benson Henderson.The submission of Miller extended his current win streak to three…
After becoming the first man to stop Jim Miller at UFC on FOX Nate Diaz earned himself a title shot against the winner of this summer’s rematch between Frankie Edgar and Benson Henderson.
The submission of Miller extended his current win streak to three fights and placed him atop the other contenders in the UFC’s lightweight division. Diaz is undefeated since returning to the lightweight division after a 2-2 stint at welterweight.
The current champion, Benson Henderson, is riding a four-fight win streak that was capped off in Japan by winning the championship via a close decision against Frankie Edgar. The contentious decision victory set-up an instant rematch against Edgar, leaving the remainder of the division in flux once again as contenders such as Diaz sit on the shelf and wait.
All four of Henderson’s UFC victories have come by way of decision, including one against Jim Miller. Diaz, on the other hand, has finished his opponents in over half of his 11 UFC victories.
The rematch between Henderson and Edgar is slated for August 11th in Denver. While Diaz will be waiting for some time for that title shot it is never too early to take a look at the potential fight with the current UFC Lightweight Champion. We take a look at potentially the most exciting fight of the year.
The art of boxing has long since been dubbed “The Sweet Science,” but if a single-faceted combat sport is the sweet science, then we must asked ourselves the title question.While boxing itself has been likened to chess, that moniker fits MM…
The art of boxing has long since been dubbed “The Sweet Science,” but if a single-faceted combat sport is the sweet science, then we must asked ourselves the title question.
While boxing itself has been likened to chess, that moniker fits MMA much better. Why?
Boxing, at its most basic level, is a punching only sport. This we know. But its sister sport of MMA demands a much greater respect from all angles.
The bevy of different moves work favorably in the multi-dimensional sport. Not just punches, but kicks, knees, takedowns, submissions and much more plays into the combatant’s mind during a fight. Is the opponent going to stand and strike or is he going to attempt a takedown? And when? A plethora of options are bestowed upon those who enter the cage.
Chess is a thinking man’s game. MMA is too. And all other sports for that matter. Coaches and managers are constantly planning their next move.
When someone says “the sweet science,” we immediately know they are talking about boxing. While chess works in helping to explain the intricacies of the sport and the importance of staying ahead of your opponent, it will never be synonymous with MMA. So let’s move on from that notion.
Perhaps MMA should roll with the “ballet of violence” line Joe Rogan once uttered on a UFC broadcast. Granted former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura also said that about professional wrestling. Regardless of where the line came from, it applies to MMA.
While the “ballet of violence” quote was discussing Anderson Silva‘s fights, it does fit the sport in general.
Ballet is a very technical and precise form of dance. It takes years to master and requires a distinct dedication from those who pursue its excellence. MMA is a very technical and precise form of combat that demands the same dedication from its participants.
As the sport continues to grow and fighters learn the techniques of various martial arts, the quality of fights continues to rise. Just a few years ago we were not discussing proper footwork and head movements of fighters. Nor were we watching strikers develop credible ground attacks. Now we are constantly being surprised at the rate of improvement from the athletes.
Couple that with the innate dangers of the sport and the oft-quoted line has moved past describing one particular fighter and now describes the sport at its elite level. Maybe the “ballet of violence” is the right choice of words for MMA. In years to come it may be the adopted adage of the fast-growing combat sport.
What say you? How would you describe the sport of mixed martial arts? Take to the comment section and post your best idea.
No matter how we choose to describe the sport it is merely important to understand how complex MMA truly is. While we will always be subjected to random brawls with little redeeming value from time to time, MMA at the sport’s highest level is a beautiful display of skill by some of the finest athletes in the world.
