UFC: Why It Will Be the Most Watched Sport in the World by 2021

Mixed martial arts is the fastest-growing sport in the world.The UFC, the largest mixed martial arts organization in the world, is the primary reason for that. Over the past 10 years, Dana White and the Fertitta Brothers, Frank and Lorenzo, have t…

Mixed martial arts is the fastest-growing sport in the world.

The UFC, the largest mixed martial arts organization in the world, is the primary reason for that. 

Over the past 10 years, Dana White and the Fertitta Brothers, Frank and Lorenzo, have turned the UFC from the sideshow spectacle it was in the early-to-mid 1990s into an organization with the best mixed martial artists on the planet.

Their pay-per-view events sell out 20,000-seat arenas and generate upwards of one million PPV buys on several events a year.

This past April, the UFC held its 129th PPV event in Toronto at the Rogers Centre, the home of baseball’s Toronto Blue Jays, and attracted UFC records of $12,075,000 in total gate revenue and an attendance of 55,724.

Compare that to UFC 52, a PPV event six years earlier—at the time, the biggest in UFC history—which drew a crowd of 14,562 and a gate revenue of $2,575,450.

Six years, 40,000 more people and $10 million later, the UFC has become mainstream.

The hit reality series “The Ultimate Fighter,” which follows the lives of hopeful UFC fighters as they fight their way through a tournament for a UFC contract, introduced the U.S. to the quality of international fighters.

The live, free-televised events put on several times a year also gives the fans many chances to see not only quality UFC fights, but also the men who “do nothing but stand around and beat the sh*t out of each other.”

Dana White has, several times, expressed an interest in expanding markets into England and China—a move that, if completed, would be huge for the future of the UFC.

Earlier this month, the UFC reached an agreement on a long sought-after network television deal with FOX, ending the company’s multiple-year partnership with SpikeTV and Versus.

With a seven-year deal that will include four events on the main FOX network, 32 live fights a year on Friday night on cable network FX, 24 events following The Ultimate Fighter and six separate Fight Night events, the UFC has given fans the access to UFC events and programming that it had been lacking not being on network television.

Now that the UFC will have air time similar to that of the four major sports, fans will have another viewing option during each sport’s respective offseason.

With mega-stars like Brock Lesnar, Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva, Rashad Evans, Rampage Jackson, etc., that have been the UFC’s established core for several years, as well as young top-tier fighters such as Jon Jones, Cain Velasquez, Junior Dos Santos, Chad Mendes, Joseph Benavidez, Dominick Cruz, etc., who should be around for years to come, the UFC has a very bright future ahead.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 139 Fight Card: Josh Koscheck to Return at UFC 139; Possibly at Middleweight

Josh Koscheck has been out of action for quite some time due to a broken orbital bone. Now the former No. 1 contender in the welterweight division and former Ultimate Fighter contestant is set to make his return to the Octagon on November 19th at …

Josh Koscheck has been out of action for quite some time due to a broken orbital bone. Now the former No. 1 contender in the welterweight division and former Ultimate Fighter contestant is set to make his return to the Octagon on November 19th at UFC 139. “My next fight is in San Jose, Cali Nov. […]

UFC Betting

UFC 139 Fight Card: Josh Koscheck to Return at UFC 139; Possibly at Middleweight

Royce Gracie Wants One More UFC Fight, but Ready to Move on Without It

Filed under: , ,

Mixed martial arts pioneer Royce Gracie will be in Rio this weekend when the UFC heads back to his home country, the nation that is credited with giving birth to the sport. Gracie, of course, won’t be competing at UFC 134 in Brazil, but that doesn’t mean he’s not still hopeful of one more match.

There’s a caveat to that, as he’s not looking for just any match. There’s only one fight he wants, and only one organization that can give it to him. Even though Gracie realizes that time is running short to make it a reality, he hopes to have a shot to avenge the one loss he still thinks about. He wants to fight fellow legend Matt Hughes.

“That’s the only one,” Gracie said on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour. “I want to be able to show up to the fight. [Last time], I didn’t show up. It happens.”

Gracie said that the first fight against Hughes — a first-round TKO loss at UFC 60 back in May 2006 — was the only time in his career he didn’t have his A-game, not peaking on the right day.

“That’s the only one missing,” said Gracie, who avenged his only other in-ring loss by defeating Kazushi Sakuraba.

Gracie said that he has spoken with UFC president Dana White about the possibility, but that he doesn’t know if it will ever happen. Hughes, meanwhile, has a match coming up with Diego Sanchez at September’s UFC 135.

At 44 years old, Gracie still keeps himself in good shape, saying he lives “a professional athlete’s life,” by running every day and consistently training. He also travels an extensive schedule, teaching seminars and spreading the message of Gracie jiu-jitsu.

Still, he’d carve time for one more training camp for one last shot at the UFC, and one more shot at Hughes. He said he wouldn’t be interested in any other offer from any other organization, suggesting he is mostly at peace with the possibility of never fighting again.

“If it happens, good.” he said. “If it doesn’t happen, good.

“Been there, done that,” he continued. “You have to know when to stop in this sport. It’s very hard. I saw an interview from BJ Penn. He was saying it’s very hard to stop because when you’re a fighter, you’re a fighter. But you have to know when to stop.”

So for now, Gracie will continue teaching his art and in the more near-term, he’ll travel to Rio to revel in the homecoming of the sport he helped build the foundation for.

Whether or not he gets that last fight, he has much to be grateful for and there is much to celebrate him for. Regardless of the outcome of one match against Hughes, his contributions to the sport will always be an enormous reason for MMA’s growth, and now he gets to enjoy it firsthand in the country in which he grew up.

“It’s good it’s in Brazil,” he said. “It’s back where it all started with my father. It’s coming back home. There’s so much talent in Brazil, so many guys that will probably never get discovered. It’s a chance for them to come out and train more. After all, UFC today became a job, it became a sport. Kids wake up in the morning and say, ‘I want to be a UFC fighter one day, just like they do in baseball.”

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: , ,

Mixed martial arts pioneer Royce Gracie will be in Rio this weekend when the UFC heads back to his home country, the nation that is credited with giving birth to the sport. Gracie, of course, won’t be competing at UFC 134 in Brazil, but that doesn’t mean he’s not still hopeful of one more match.

There’s a caveat to that, as he’s not looking for just any match. There’s only one fight he wants, and only one organization that can give it to him. Even though Gracie realizes that time is running short to make it a reality, he hopes to have a shot to avenge the one loss he still thinks about. He wants to fight fellow legend Matt Hughes.

“That’s the only one,” Gracie said on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour. “I want to be able to show up to the fight. [Last time], I didn’t show up. It happens.”


Gracie said that the first fight against Hughes — a first-round TKO loss at UFC 60 back in May 2006 — was the only time in his career he didn’t have his A-game, not peaking on the right day.

“That’s the only one missing,” said Gracie, who avenged his only other in-ring loss by defeating Kazushi Sakuraba.

Gracie said that he has spoken with UFC president Dana White about the possibility, but that he doesn’t know if it will ever happen. Hughes, meanwhile, has a match coming up with Diego Sanchez at September’s UFC 135.

At 44 years old, Gracie still keeps himself in good shape, saying he lives “a professional athlete’s life,” by running every day and consistently training. He also travels an extensive schedule, teaching seminars and spreading the message of Gracie jiu-jitsu.

Still, he’d carve time for one more training camp for one last shot at the UFC, and one more shot at Hughes. He said he wouldn’t be interested in any other offer from any other organization, suggesting he is mostly at peace with the possibility of never fighting again.

“If it happens, good.” he said. “If it doesn’t happen, good.

“Been there, done that,” he continued. “You have to know when to stop in this sport. It’s very hard. I saw an interview from BJ Penn. He was saying it’s very hard to stop because when you’re a fighter, you’re a fighter. But you have to know when to stop.”

So for now, Gracie will continue teaching his art and in the more near-term, he’ll travel to Rio to revel in the homecoming of the sport he helped build the foundation for.

Whether or not he gets that last fight, he has much to be grateful for and there is much to celebrate him for. Regardless of the outcome of one match against Hughes, his contributions to the sport will always be an enormous reason for MMA’s growth, and now he gets to enjoy it firsthand in the country in which he grew up.

“It’s good it’s in Brazil,” he said. “It’s back where it all started with my father. It’s coming back home. There’s so much talent in Brazil, so many guys that will probably never get discovered. It’s a chance for them to come out and train more. After all, UFC today became a job, it became a sport. Kids wake up in the morning and say, ‘I want to be a UFC fighter one day, just like they do in baseball.”

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

After UFC Debut, Brazilian Ronny Markes Dropping To Middleweight For Next Fight

Tweet Winning his UFC debut earlier this month as a light heavyweight, Brazilian fighter Ronny Markes (12-1) will drop down to middleweight for his next fight. In June Markes signed with the UFC as a replacement for an injured Stephan Bonnar at this months UFC on Versus 5 event in Milwaukee. Markes took on Czech […]

Winning his UFC debut earlier this month as a light heavyweight, Brazilian fighter Ronny Markes (12-1) will drop down to middleweight for his next fight.

In June Markes signed with the UFC as a replacement for an injured Stephan Bonnar at this months UFC on Versus 5 event in Milwaukee. Markes took on Czech fighter Karlos Vemola on the prelim card of the Versus show and earned a unanimous decision.

Markes has normally competed as a middleweight fighting in his home country of Brazil, has decided to move back down despite a solid debut at 205 lbs.

Tatame.com learned of the move from Markes coach Jair Lourenco earlier this weekend.

Photo via UFC.com and by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

MMAjunkie.com Radio: Duane Ludwig, Mike Constantino and Joey Varner

MMAjunkie.com Radio today welcomes to the show recent UFC on Versus 5 winner Duane “Bang” Ludwig and AMA Fight Club trainer/manager Mike Constantino.

Additionally, Xtreme Couture coach Joey Varner again serves as an in-studio guest host.

MMAjunkie.co…

MMAjunkie.com Radio today welcomes to the show recent UFC on Versus 5 winner Duane “Bang” Ludwig and AMA Fight Club trainer/manager Mike Constantino.

Additionally, Xtreme Couture coach Joey Varner again serves as an in-studio guest host.

MMAjunkie.com Radio airs from 12-2 p.m. ET (9-11 a.m. PT) live from
Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Listen to and
watch a video stream of the two-hour show at www.mmajunkie.com/radio, or watch it live on select television markets as part of Fight Now TV.


Should Shogun Rua Be Given a Second Shot at the Title with a Win at UFC 134

UFC 134 is just four days away, and two former champions, Shogun Rua and Forest Griffin, will once again have a chance to redeem the light heavyweight championship strap. But most fans and pundits still debate whether Shogun should be given a seco…

UFC 134 is just four days away, and two former champions, Shogun Rua and Forest Griffin, will once again have a chance to redeem the light heavyweight championship strap. 

But most fans and pundits still debate whether Shogun should be given a second shot at the championship belt with a win against Griffin at the upcoming mixed martial arts event on August 27, 2011, at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Jainero, Brazil.

Some MMA rankings still consider Shogun as the No. 2 light heavyweight fighter in the world, followed by Rashad Evans, who is bidding for a title shot. And many believes that, if Rampage Jackson should win against current champion Jon Jones, a fight against Rampage and Shogun is the most likely one.

However, if Jones managed to retain his belt, the more likely scenario is Evans vs. Jones, due to the way the champion beat Shogun during their last fight.

Another factor to be considered is the fifth man in most rankings, Lyoto Machida. Many are saying that he is still a viable candidate for a title shot. If this is the case, then a rematch between him and Rashad should be considered, since both fighters have fought already, with the former winning via knockout.

Whatever the case might be, a title shot will surely be awarded based on how Shogun manages to win his fight against Griffin, who is also someone who should not be looked upon. Should he defeat Forest in a spectacular fashion, then a title shot is probably more likely to happen.   

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com