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Jimmy Smith frustrated that fights like Koreshkov/Henderson get less attention than fights like Kimbo/Dada
Bloody Elbow’s Three Amigos Podcast recently sat down with Bellator lead commentator, Jimmy Smith, who discussed the frustrating phenomenon of fights like Kimbo v. Dada getting more attention than more legitimate fights.
Bellator MMA has flourished over the last couple years under the careful guidance of Scott Coker and his team. Their tentpole events, while oft times playing up the entertainment angles, have been pretty successful, setting the stage for the more important, more relevant fights. The problem is, getting fans to tune in to those important fights. When you have 2.5 million people tuning in to watch Royce Gracie kick Ken Shamrock in the pills, but you do less than half that for Henderson vs. Koreshkov, it can take on a much more bleak overtone.
The Three Amigos Podcast recently spoke to Bellator lead commentator, Jimmy Smith, who voiced his frustration over the lack of interest in the “legit” fights. Here’s what he had to say on the topic:
Thoughts on fights like Kimbo v. Dada getting more attention than fights like Henderson v. Koreshkov
Immediately after the Shamrock vs Royce fight I was very vocal about it, and I said, “If you want legit fights, watch the legit fights.” I used to get asked all the time why Fight Quest isn’t on anymore and I had the same answer; the ratings weren’t good, and they’d always reply, ‘but it was a great show!’
I thought our last card with Koreshkov was fantastic from top to bottom, and it peaked at like 1.1 million views, but those early fights, which were outstanding, weren’t watched by a lot of people. It’s incredibly frustrating.–Jimmy Smith
How do people think this works? Do they think network execs sit there and go, ‘I don’t really like this one’? No, they get the ratings back. Do you think the guys at A&E sit watching Duck Dynasty like, ‘I love these guys’? They don’t, they just get good numbers back, see people like that and decide to give them more of that.
Every fight card is a buffet. They put on these fights and then go, ‘Okay, what did people eat?’ If everybody ate the Spam, you’re going to get more Spam. It’s very simple. I thought our last card with Koreshkov was fantastic from top to bottom, and it peaked at like 1.1 million views, but those early fights, which were outstanding, weren’t watched by a lot of people. It’s incredibly frustrating.
Other topics covered in this wonderful, must-listen interview were:
The most significant moments in the sport over the last year
The most memorable fight he’s ever called
Adjusting to MMA commentary newcomer and announcing partner, Sean Grande
Koreshkov’s excellent showing and representation of Bellator fighters as a whole
Ken Shamrock discussion
Thoughts on Al Haymon’s legal issues
If he sees anyone in Bellator that could be a two-division champion simultaneously
Thoughts on Conr McGregor vs. the UFC
His take on the Free Agency wave
If he feel Rory MacDonald could be a game-changer on the free agency front
Bloody Elbow’s Three Amigos Podcast recently sat down with Bellator lead commentator, Jimmy Smith, who discussed the frustrating phenomenon of fights like Kimbo v. Dada getting more attention than more legitimate fights.
Bellator MMA has flourished over the last couple years under the careful guidance of Scott Coker and his team. Their tentpole events, while oft times playing up the entertainment angles, have been pretty successful, setting the stage for the more important, more relevant fights. The problem is, getting fans to tune in to those important fights. When you have 2.5 million people tuning in to watch Royce Gracie kick Ken Shamrock in the pills, but you do less than half that for Henderson vs. Koreshkov, it can take on a much more bleak overtone.
The Three Amigos Podcast recently spoke to Bellator lead commentator, Jimmy Smith, who voiced his frustration over the lack of interest in the “legit” fights. Here’s what he had to say on the topic:
Thoughts on fights like Kimbo v. Dada getting more attention than fights like Henderson v. Koreshkov
Immediately after the Shamrock vs Royce fight I was very vocal about it, and I said, “If you want legit fights, watch the legit fights.” I used to get asked all the time why Fight Quest isn’t on anymore and I had the same answer; the ratings weren’t good, and they’d always reply, ‘but it was a great show!’
I thought our last card with Koreshkov was fantastic from top to bottom, and it peaked at like 1.1 million views, but those early fights, which were outstanding, weren’t watched by a lot of people. It’s incredibly frustrating.–Jimmy Smith
How do people think this works? Do they think network execs sit there and go, ‘I don’t really like this one’? No, they get the ratings back. Do you think the guys at A&E sit watching Duck Dynasty like, ‘I love these guys’? They don’t, they just get good numbers back, see people like that and decide to give them more of that.
Every fight card is a buffet. They put on these fights and then go, ‘Okay, what did people eat?’ If everybody ate the Spam, you’re going to get more Spam. It’s very simple. I thought our last card with Koreshkov was fantastic from top to bottom, and it peaked at like 1.1 million views, but those early fights, which were outstanding, weren’t watched by a lot of people. It’s incredibly frustrating.
Other topics covered in this wonderful, must-listen interview were:
The most significant moments in the sport over the last year
The most memorable fight he’s ever called
Adjusting to MMA commentary newcomer and announcing partner, Sean Grande
Koreshkov’s excellent showing and representation of Bellator fighters as a whole
Ken Shamrock discussion
Thoughts on Al Haymon’s legal issues
If he sees anyone in Bellator that could be a two-division champion simultaneously
Thoughts on Conr McGregor vs. the UFC
His take on the Free Agency wave
If he feel Rory MacDonald could be a game-changer on the free agency front
