Regarding Renan Barao and the bantamweight division, the UFC had a promotion problem. Barao was one of the sport’s greatest fighters, yet he couldn’t fill a bar showing the PPV if they gave away free food and free beer.
Fans didn’t care about Barao, and there was nothing the UFC could do to change that. While Barao’s inability to speak English, rugged good looks, and total apathy regarding the salesman part of being a prize fighter certainly didn’t make promoting him easy, building Barao was still the UFC’s job. And they continuously failed.
The UFC had a promotion problem with Renan Barao. He was one of the sport’s greatest fighters, yet he couldn’t fill a bar showing the PPV if they gave away free food and free beer.
Fans didn’t care about Barao, and there was nothing the UFC could do to change that. While Barao’s inability to speak English, rugged good looks, and total apathy regarding the salesman aspect of being a prize fighter certainly didn’t make promoting him easy, building Barao was still the UFC’s job. And they continuously failed.
First Barao was a “monster.” Then he was a “killer.” Now he’s “the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world,” according to White, and just in case you aren’t buying that, he’ll go ahead and bury you with stats. Because nothing gets fans fired up for a title fight quite like math.
It’s hard to blame the UFC too much. On paper, Barao should be a superstar. His unbeaten streak is legitimately impressive, even if the first few years of it came against regional nobodies, and even if White apparently felt the need to fudge some of those numbers when touting Barao’s stats (“The kid hasn’t lost a fight in 35 fights,” said White, which isn’t exactly true, since Barao is 32-1 according to Sherdog and 28-1 according to MMA.tv).
But if Barao’s struggle to go big time tells us anything, it might be that skill doesn’t sell as much as we’d like to pretend it does. Not by itself, anyway. Not if it comes wrapped up in the package of a 135-pound fighter who doesn’t speak much English, doesn’t have much in the way of an identifiable personality, and – let’s just be real here – looks a little bit goofy.
Leading up to UFC 173, The Washington Postran a story about the UFC. Renan Barao’s name wasn’t mentioned once. Instead, the article was a thinly veiled hagiography of Dana White. The Renan Barao situation, in addition to the above, was also the result of promoting the brand and the figurehead over the fighters. The question most casual fans asked during fight week was “Who the fuck is Renan Barao?”
Furthermore, the “this guy is a pound-for-pound monster, buy our shit” line has been trotted out far too often lately. According to MMA Owl’s Mike Fagan, Dana White—and the UFC’s promotional efforts by extension—have touted as many as five pound-for-pound kings in the last year. Exaggerations lose selling power as they become more common.
But the UFC got lucky last night. Instead of a champion with zero marketability thanks to the language barrier and a lemur-like face, the UFC now has TJ Dillashaw to work with—a conventionally attractive American who won the title via complete domination. Hopefully the UFC has learned its lesson, and will promote Dillashaw as something other than a great fighter, because it has been proven time and time again that greatness alone doesn’t sell.
It’s hard to believe that only a few years ago, fans were predicting that MMA was going to kill off professional wrestling. The WWE’s ratings were slipping, and with the rise in popularity of MMA as professional wrestling’s unscripted counterpart, many fans did not feel that professional wrestling was long for this world.
To write that professional wrestling hasn’t exactly gone extinct would be a gigantic understatement. The WWE is not only attracting more viewers to its cable shows than the UFC is, but the company is also coming off of a wildly successful Wrestlemania XXX, an event in which over one million households paid to watch. Although pay-per-view buys were estimated at a healthy 400,000 for the April 6th event, much of the credit for that strong figure can be attributed to the WWE Network — the all-digital online streaming service that had 667,000 subscribers by the time Wrestlemania XXX aired.
“The Wrestlemania numbers just go to show how popular our sport is, even in the Internet era,” says Matthew Roblez, a veteran wrestling announcer and commentator who was appointed as commissioner of the Ultra Championship Wrestling Zero league last year. “People can’t wait to consume wrestling through new methods.”
Of course, it isn’t just the WWE that has been benefiting from the rejuvenated popularity of professional wrestling. Independent wrestling promotions such as Ring of Honor, Chikara, and Wildkat Sports have enjoyed packed auditoriums and sold-out events, as well as healthy Internet followings devoted to keeping up with their favorite promotions. In fact, the aforementioned UCW Zero has recently been awarded Utah’s Best of State for professional and semi-pro sports, beating out the Utah Jazz, Utah Grizzlies, and Real Salt Lake as the state’s best sports organization.
It’s hard to believe that only a few years ago, fans were predicting that MMA was going to kill off professional wrestling. The WWE’s ratings were slipping, and with the rise in popularity of MMA as professional wrestling’s unscripted counterpart, many fans did not feel that professional wrestling was long for this world.
To write that professional wrestling hasn’t exactly gone extinct would be a gigantic understatement. The WWE is not only attracting more viewers to its cable shows than the UFC is, but the company is also coming off of a wildly successful Wrestlemania XXX, an event in which over one million households paid to watch. Although pay-per-view buys were estimated at a healthy 400,000 for the April 6th event, much of the credit for that strong figure can be attributed to the WWE Network — the all-digital online streaming service that had 667,000 subscribers by the time Wrestlemania XXX aired.
“The Wrestlemania numbers just go to show how popular our sport is, even in the Internet era,” says Matthew Roblez, a veteran wrestling announcer and commentator who was appointed as commissioner of the Ultra Championship Wrestling Zero league last year. “People can’t wait to consume wrestling through new methods.”
Of course, it isn’t just the WWE that has been benefiting from the rejuvenated popularity of professional wrestling. Independent wrestling promotions such as Ring of Honor, Chikara, and Wildkat Sports have enjoyed packed auditoriums and sold-out events, as well as healthy Internet followings devoted to keeping up with their favorite promotions. In fact, the aforementioned UCW Zero has recently been awarded Utah’s Best of State for professional and semi-pro sports, beating out the Utah Jazz, Utah Grizzlies, and Real Salt Lake as the state’s best sports organization.
“The fact that our league beat out big four sports teams to win the Best of State Sports award speaks volumes,” Matthew Roblez continued. “People love wrestling more than ever.”
What’s interesting is the contrast between independent wrestling and independent MMA. Many independent MMA organizations — despite the popularity of the sport and abundance of prospects willing to compete — are failing to reach the audiences that independent wrestling leagues currently enjoy. For that matter, many small-time MMA shows today are only attracting the crowd sizes that small-time wrestling shows would attract not too long ago.
So why are the indie wrestling leagues like UCW Zero more successful than their MMA counterparts? Well, pick up an event poster from your local MMA promotion. How many times will you spot the phrase “UFC Veteran” on the poster, next to a fighter who is fresh off of a forgettable run in the big leagues? And how many times is this fighter given top billing over local prospects who are still attempting to prove themselves? A big part of independent wrestling’s success is due to the dedication to finding talented young wrestlers and turning them into stars; as indie wrestler Chris Hero recently noted, independent wrestling promoters have realized that they no longer need to rely on established ex-WWE wrestlers in order to generate interest in their own shows.
Perhaps the key to the consistent growth of MMA doesn’t lie with the high-profile powerhouse of the UFC, but with a stronger independent scene. If local, independent MMA can create and support future stars with the same efficiency as independent wrestling, then mixed martial arts might be able to recapture its “Fastest Growing Sport” slogan. In the meantime, there’s a lot that real fighting can learn from sports entertainment.
If you’re a UFC fan who doesn’t live in a densely-populated urban area with multiple sports-bar options within walking distance, chances are you’ve spent some time in a Buffalo Wild Wings, since it’s one of the only chain restaurants that reliably shows UFC events. The food is almost beside the point, though BWW is known for its wings (obviously) and the 16 signature sauces you can put on them.
So as a tribute to everyone who’s ever waited an hour-and-a-half for a table at B-Dubs because you’re too cheap to order a pay-per-view at home, I humbly present one of the dumbest list ideas I’ve ever come up with. Ladies and gentlemen, here are the 16 Buffalo Wild Wings wing sauces and their UFC fighter equivalents. Just be grateful I didn’t arrange this in slideshow format.
Sweet BBQ BWW description: “Traditional BBQ sauce: Satisfyingly sweet.” UFC fighter equivalent: Non-threatening and vaguely Southern? I’m gonna go with Jessamyn Duke — but only because Bubba McDaniel isn’t on the UFC roster anymore.
Teriyaki BWW description: “Terrifically tasty Teriyaki sauce.” UFC fighter equivalent:Takeya Mizugaki. He’s Japanese, he’s consistently good, but he’s not going to blow anybody’s mind, flavor-wise.
Mild BWW description: “Classic wing sauce: High flavor, low heat.” UFC fighter equivalent:Gleison Tibau, a guy who never made a major impact in the UFC and yet is tied for the most victories in UFC lightweight history. How the hell did that happen? Like mild sauce, he’s just always been around.
(Believe it or not, this isn’t a sponsored post. It’s just one of those things that happens when it’s a slow news week and you’re desperate.)
If you’re a UFC fan who doesn’t live in a densely-populated urban area with multiple sports-bar options within walking distance, chances are you’ve spent some time in a Buffalo Wild Wings, since it’s one of the only chain restaurants that reliably shows UFC events. The food is almost beside the point, though BWW is known for its wings (obviously) and the 16 signature sauces you can put on them.
So as a tribute to everyone who’s ever waited an hour-and-a-half for a table at B-Dubs because you’re too cheap to order a pay-per-view at home, I humbly present one of the dumbest list ideas I’ve ever come up with. Ladies and gentlemen, here are the 16 Buffalo Wild Wings wing sauces and their UFC fighter equivalents. Just be grateful I didn’t arrange this in slideshow format.
Sweet BBQ BWW description: “Traditional BBQ sauce: Satisfyingly sweet.” UFC fighter equivalent: Non-threatening and vaguely Southern? I’m gonna go with Jessamyn Duke — but only because Bubba McDaniel isn’t on the UFC roster anymore.
Teriyaki BWW description: “Terrifically tasty Teriyaki sauce.” UFC fighter equivalent:Takeya Mizugaki. He’s Japanese, he’s consistently good, but he’s not going to blow anybody’s mind, flavor-wise.
Mild BWW description: “Classic wing sauce: High flavor, low heat.” UFC fighter equivalent:Gleison Tibau, a guy who never made a major impact in the UFC and yet is tied for the most victories in UFC lightweight history. How the hell did that happen? Like mild sauce, he’s just always been around.
Parmesan Garlic BWW description: “Roasted garlic and Parmesan sauce with Italian herbs.” UFC fighter equivalent: Safe, dependable, classic, Italian…definitely Frankie Edgar. Huh. This list is turning out to be way more racist than I was planning. Stop now if this sort of thing makes you uncomfortable, because it’s only going to get worse from here.
Medium BWW description: “Classic wing sauce: Comfortably hot.” UFC fighter equivalent: Medium sauce is for people who aren’t total pussies, but aren’t particularly brave either. It’s middle of the road. Popular by default. You order it when you don’t know what else to order — just like UFC fighters call out Michael Bisping when they don’t know who else to call out. Medium sauce is the perennial contender/gatekeeper of sauces.
Honey BBQ BWW description: “A sweet, sassy sauce: Savor the flavor.” UFC fighter equivalent:Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, of course. Like a sweet/savory sauce, he’s versatile — a threat on the feet and on the ground — and there’s nothing abrasive about him. Cerrone is just a good-time, go-down-smooth kind of fighter.
Spicy Garlic BWW description: “A tasty, spicy, garlicky good sauce.” UFC fighter equivalent: “Hey Chrissy I brought the bucket of rigatoni, we gonna eat here or what?”
Jammin’ Jalapeño™ BWW description: “Spicy jalapeños, blended with a touch of tequila and hint of lime. Sweet heat.” UFC fighter equivalent: My first thought was Cain Velasquez, but that “blended with a touch of tequila” bit clearly makes this one Diego Sanchez.
Asian Zing® BWW description: “Sweet meets heat: A chili pepper, soy and ginger sauce.” UFC fighter equivalent: In other words, a highly-ranked Asian with decent power. Chan Sung Jung. Let’s move on.
Caribbean Jerk BWW description: “Red peppers you love, island spices you crave: an exotic, delicious sauce.” UFC fighter equivalent: Carribbean? Jerk? Gotta go with Cuban training-partner bullyHector Lombard.
Thai Curry BWW description: “Herbs and spices combined with sweet chilies and a touch of curry flavor.” UFC fighter equivalent: Ah yes, the [Muay] Thai wrecking machine of wing sauces. It’s a toss-up between Jose Aldo and Renan Barao. They’re homies, so they can share this one.
Hot BBQ BWW description: “Rich BBQ sauce with a touch of heat.” UFC fighter equivalent: Welterweight champion (and Oklahoma good ol’ boy) Johny Hendricks, who’s wayyyyy more dangerous than his squat, bearded frame would suggest. (See also: Roy Nelson)
Hot BWW description: “Classic wing sauce: Delicious flavor, exhilarating heat.” UFC fighter equivalent: This is a no-brainer — Ronda Rousey, who’s a killer in the cage, and has the prickly personality to match. Plus she’s, you know, hot.
Mango Habanero™ BWW description: “Feel the burn, savor the sweet: Two sensations, one sauce” UFC fighter equivalent: I once ordered this sauce in a moment of drunken confusion, and I can honestly say it was the hottest thing I’ve ever ingested — and the morning-after ring of fire situation was just brutal. Eating wings with Mango Habanero sauce is a test of will that you can’t possibly win. It is Matt Brown.
Wild® BWW description: “Classic wing sauce: Big flavor, blisterin’ heat.” UFC fighter equivalent: Lightweight champ Anthony Pettis, a totally unpredictable fight-finisher who’s as graceful as he is violent. Approach with extreme caution, or you’ll get styled on, son.
Blazin’® BWW description: “Keep away from your eyes, pets, children: The hottest sauce we got. You’d BETTER-BE-READY BLAZIN’™” UFC fighter equivalent: Well, it’s the most dangerous sauce on the menu, and you’re supposed to keep it away from your eyes. I think this one goes without saying…
Bellator 120 is a day away, but the MMA world doesn’t seem to care…unless of course they’re deriding the Viacom-owned promotion’s PPV endeavors.
People like laughing at Bellator. That goes for both fans and media. MMAJunkie’s Ben Fowlkes noted this phenomenon recently:
You make a fair point about the undercurrent of glee in the response to every new Bellator setback. It reminds me of the late IFL CEO Jay Larkin, who, when convening a conference call to essentially sound the death knell for that organization, bitterly remarked that it seemed to be the most interest the MMA media had ever shown in an IFL announcement. In other words, it’s not just Bellator feeling that sting. As much as MMA seems to recognize the need for a serious competitor to the UFC, it also seems to love to watch those contenders rise and fall. I’m not sure I know why that is, but I do know that, if you are one of those contenders, you don’t help the situation by complaining about it.
So I’m not alone in this; it’s clear that anti-Bellator sentiment is pervasive. But why?
Regarding fans, the sport and the sport’s chief brand—the UFC—are typically conflated. Most casual fans don’t know that MMA and the UFC are two different things. If it’s not UFC, it’s nothing; they’ll believe anything the UFC tells them without question. The UFC’s ability to produce stars might be lacking, but they’re as good at producing ideologues as they ever were.
However, this doesn’t answer why the hardcore fans hate Bellator. Hardcores often have an anti-UFC slant (they’re still mad about Pride and Strikeforce). So it seems only natural they’d be big Bellator supporters, especially since Bellator’s tournament structure purportedly reduces title shot chicanery that the UFC is infamous for. Except it doesn’t. They screwed Attila Vegh because he wasn’t profitable enough. They engineered the season 10 light heavyweight tournament for the most favorable outcome (King Mo vs. Rampage). Bellator went from providing something novel and refreshing to being a second-rate UFC clone. And let’s not even mention pushing an ancient, injury prone Tito Ortiz and a past-his-prime, embarrassingly disinterested Rampage Jackson as superstars.
(“Ay dog, just give it to me straight — am I the father or not?” / Photo via ora.tv)
Bellator 120 is a day away, but the MMA world doesn’t seem to care…unless of course they’re deriding the Viacom-owned promotion’s PPV endeavors.
People like laughing at Bellator. That goes for both fans and media. MMAJunkie’s Ben Fowlkes noted this phenomenon recently:
You make a fair point about the undercurrent of glee in the response to every new Bellator setback. It reminds me of the late IFL CEO Jay Larkin, who, when convening a conference call to essentially sound the death knell for that organization, bitterly remarked that it seemed to be the most interest the MMA media had ever shown in an IFL announcement. In other words, it’s not just Bellator feeling that sting. As much as MMA seems to recognize the need for a serious competitor to the UFC, it also seems to love to watch those contenders rise and fall. I’m not sure I know why that is, but I do know that, if you are one of those contenders, you don’t help the situation by complaining about it.
So I’m not alone in this; it’s clear that anti-Bellator sentiment is pervasive. But why?
Regarding fans, the sport and the sport’s chief brand—the UFC—are typically conflated. Most casual fans don’t know that MMA and the UFC are two different things. If it’s not UFC, it’s nothing; they’ll believe anything the UFC tells them without question. The UFC’s ability to produce stars might be lacking, but they’re as good at producing ideologues as they ever were.
However, this doesn’t answer why the hardcore fans hate Bellator. Hardcores often have an anti-UFC slant (they’re still mad about Pride and Strikeforce). So it seems only natural they’d be big Bellator supporters, especially since Bellator’s tournament structure purportedly reduces title shot chicanery that the UFC is infamous for. Except it doesn’t. They screwed Attila Vegh because he wasn’t profitable enough. They engineered the season 10 light heavyweight tournament for the most favorable outcome (King Mo vs. Rampage). Bellator went from providing something novel and refreshing to being a second-rate UFC clone. And let’s not even mention pushing an ancient, injury prone Tito Ortiz and a past-his-prime, embarrassingly disinterested Rampage Jackson as superstars.
Fans who don’t know that “UFC” and “MMA” are two different things will always hate the #2 promotion. Meanwhile, nuanced fans (the kinds of people who read CagePotato and spend loads of time on r/MMA) will want the #2 promotion to do something other than attempt to out-UFC the UFC.
But the fans aren’t the only guilty ones. Bellator’s failures elicit weapons-grade snark from MMA media members. MMAFighting’s Luke Thomas speculated as to why on his live chat series earlier this week.
“I think there are some guys in media either cognizantly or just buy accident…who are just gonna have a UFC bias,” he said in response to a lengthy comment about the MMA media’s coverage of Bellator. “I think there are some guys who are openly biased towards UFC and I think there are some guys who are just naturally gonna be drawn that way, naturally drawn to a space where because [the UFC] is so powerful and because so much of their attention is derived around it and because it becomes almost a chore in some ways to cover Bellator they don’t give it proper attention.”
Thomas elaborated further:
“There’s limits about what you can cover and what you can’t cover. And the reality is, with some exception, You have to cover things because it’s journalistically important, and we do. We give every Bellator show coverage…In terms of the return on the investment, insofar as you want to look at it that way, most Bellator shows do not do a tremendous amount of traffic. In terms of allocating resources to cover something, which you have to look at the bottom line, it becomes an issue.”
He’s right, at least as far as return on investment goes. I’ve been with CagePotato for about a year now (and writing about MMA for three years), and I’m typically the one who does Bellator recaps on the site. Regarding the page views on them, let’s just say if page views directly correlate to PPV buys, Bellator 120 will not succeed. Bellator articles are almost always underwhelming traffic-wise. The exceptions are usually the negative articles (their first PPV cancellation, Eddie Alvarez’s recent concussion), or when you’re directly comparing them to the UFC. Still, we cover Bellator shows because we’re an MMA site and not a UFC PR machine like other outlets.
America loves to praise a winner, but enjoys mocking a loser just as much. While we laugh at Bellator sometimes too, that doesn’t mean we don’t recognize Bellator’s importance in the MMA landscape, even when we write/tweet negative things about it. MMA is better off with a strong #2 promotion than without one. Just look at the Gilbert Melendez situation. Bellator’s existence allowed him to make more money. Keep that in mind next time you turn your snark up to 11 or buy into the anti-Bellator hype. They might make a lot of dumb decisions, but the MMA ecosystem benefits from Bellator, shady behaviors notwithstanding.
(“Unlike our competitors, Bellator will never rely on cheap subliminal persuasion gimmicks. Either you want to watch this deliciously stacked, top-heavy fight card or you don’t.” / Photo via MMAJunkie)
By now, you’ve all heard the news: The main event of Bellator’s inaugural pay-per-view has been cancelled due to one of the headliners getting injured only one week out from the fight…again. Except this time around, Bellator isn’t simply moving the remaining card to Spike TV. Instead, Bellator is making Rampage vs. King Mo the new main event, having Michael Chandler fight Will Brooks for a completely meaningless interim lightweight title, moving Alexander Volkov vs. Blagoi Ivanov to the main card, and asking us to kindly fork over our money for this new line-up.
I hate to be pessimistic, but I really don’t think this strategy is going to end well for anyone involved.
The biggest problem with the “Alvarez vs. Chandler III-free” Bellator 120 is that there’s no hook. Every good pay-per-view has to be about something, and if “These two aging light-heavyweights used to really hate each other five years ago” is that something, it’s doubtful that too many fans are going to spend both their money and a Saturday night on it. The boom period for MMA on pay-per-view is long gone. If a new competitor is going to put on a successful pay-per-view event, it’s going to need a stronger product than UFC Lite — it’s going to need something to make it actually stand out.
So it’s in that spirit that I’ve decided to offer up a few last-minute suggestions to make Bellator 120 a more interesting card, to both the casual MMA fans and the grizzled diehards who Bellator is hoping to attract. All of these suggestions are at least a little crazy. Some are crazy enough to actually work. We’ll start off with what I feel is the most practical, then descend further into madness in no particular order…
By now, you’ve all heard the news: The main event of Bellator’s inaugural pay-per-view has been cancelled due to one of the headliners getting injured only one week out from the fight…again. Except this time around, Bellator isn’t simply moving the remaining card to Spike TV. Instead, Bellator is making Rampage vs. King Mo the new main event, having Michael Chandler fight Will Brooks for a completely meaningless interim lightweight title, moving Alexander Volkov vs. Blagoi Ivanov to the main card, and asking us to kindly fork over our money for this new line-up.
I hate to be pessimistic, but I really don’t think this strategy is going to end well for anyone involved.
The biggest problem with the “Alvarez vs. Chandler III-free” Bellator 120 is that there’s no hook. Every good pay-per-view has to be about something, and if “These two aging light-heavyweights used to really hate each other five years ago” is that something, it’s doubtful that too many fans are going to spend both their money and a Saturday night on it. The boom period for MMA on pay-per-view is long gone. If a new competitor is going to put on a successful pay-per-view event, it’s going to need a stronger product than UFC Lite — it’s going to need something to make it actually stand out.
So it’s in that spirit that I’ve decided to offer up a few last-minute suggestions to make Bellator 120 a more interesting card, to both the casual MMA fans and the grizzled diehards who Bellator is hoping to attract. All of these suggestions are at least a little crazy. Some are crazy enough to actually work. We’ll start off with what I feel is the most practical, then descend further into madness in no particular order.
Throw a One-Night Heavyweight Tournament
Tell Rampage, King Mo, Tito Ortiz and Alexander Shlemenko to forget about that pesky cut down to 205, and throw in Cheick Kongo, Eric Smith, Alexander Volkov and Blagoi Ivanov for good measure. Keep the original four fights as the opening round of the tournament, then air Michael Page vs. Rickey Rainey before the semi-finals and Michael Chandler vs. Will Brooks before the tournament championship bout.
Why It Would Work: The appeal of one-night tournaments has been obvious since the dawn of MMA (no matter what you consider that to be), and the tournament concept is consistent with everything Bellator already does. Why It Wouldn’t Work: Well, let’s ignore the fact that this season’s light-heavyweight tournament will be decided by a heavyweight bout in this scenario, and instead focus on how this tournament would guarantee that at least one division’s tournament winner will go on to earn a title shot despite coming off of a loss. Also, anyone who thinks a one-night heavyweight tournament is a fool-proof promotional strategy has clearly never heard of YAMMA Pit Fighting.
On that note…
A One Night Open-Weight Tournament
Embrace your inner-Super Hluk. You know you want to.
Why It Would Work: This is the type of spectacle that practically sells itself to the hardcore fans who remember when staying up until 7 AM to find out that Sakuraba mangled his arm seemed like something a normal human being would do. Why It Wouldn’t Work: This is also the type of spectacle that the Mississippi Athletic Commission would (presumably) frown upon.
BellaTNA: The Hybrid MMA/Professional Wrestling Card
Why It Would Work: At least TNA Impact has a built-in fan base that has demonstrated they’re willing to spend money on the company’s pay-per-view events. And besides, Bobby Lashley is currently on the TNA Roster, so there’s that, I guess. Why It Wouldn’t Work: So, you expect TNA to announce its involvement in the pay-per-view on Thursday’s edition of Impact, hope that fans actually buy it in time for Saturday, and present it to an audience that paid for a show they assumed would only feature MMA bouts? TNA has made some boneheaded business decisions, but this would be a low point even for them.
On the next page: PRIDE, boxing, and the most obvious solution of all…
Watching MMA comes at a cost. Not $60 for a PPV. Not $10 every month for Fight Pass. Not even the hours you spend watching low-level fighters on prelims learn their craft so you can watch the main card. No, being a fan of this sport comes at a human cost. Real people are putting their permanent health on the line for…money? A pittance? For our entertainment? For the tired notion of glory?
Each fighter has their own motivation for stepping into the cage, but most fans generally watch MMA for the entertainment value; if something about MMA didn’t entertain or excite them, they wouldn’t watch.
And how can MMA fans be blamed? The kernel of Dana White‘s blowhard persuasions about fighting being “in our blood” is true. The highest level of MMA transcends “sport” as we’re used to it. There are no overweight outfielders scratching their balls between innings. There are no fines for wearing your socks the wrong height or for excessive celebration. MMA, at its best, is a phantasmagoric display of violence juxtaposed with art. It’s raw. It’s visceral. It’s a grotesque, screeching cacophony of carnage that unfolds into a single, unparalleled and strangely soothing melody. There is nothing on earth like (good) MMA. Nothing.
Watching MMA comes at a cost. Not $60 for a PPV. Not $10 every month for Fight Pass. Not even the hours you spend watching low-level fighters on prelims learn their craft so you can watch the main card. No, being a fan of this sport comes at a human cost. Real people are putting their permanent health on the line for…money? A pittance? For our entertainment? For the tired notion of glory?
Each fighter has their own motivation for stepping into the cage, but most fans generally watch MMA for the entertainment value; if something about MMA didn’t entertain or excite them, they wouldn’t watch.
And how can MMA fans be blamed? The kernel of Dana White‘s blowhard persuasions about fighting being “in our blood” is true. The highest level of MMA transcends “sport” as we’re used to it. There are no overweight outfielders scratching their balls between innings. There are no fines for wearing your socks the wrong height or for excessive celebration. MMA, at its best, is a phantasmagoric display of violence juxtaposed with art. It’s raw. It’s visceral. It’s a grotesque, screeching cacophony of carnage that unfolds into a single, unparalleled and strangely soothing melody. There is nothing on earth like (good) MMA. Nothing.
But Sunday mornings are always sober; the high has worn off. The consequences of combat are the violence junkie’s hangover. The realities of what transpired in the cage are stark and unflinching.
That’s Erick Silva immediately after the fight was stopped. He’s beaten, bloody, and broken to the point where he was removed on a stretcher. We cheered while Matt Brown was turning Silva into a concussed, sanguine mass. The process enthralled us, and I’m just as guilty. I was among the thousands screaming “HOLY SHIT” every time Silva managed to weather one of Brown’s combinations. But we shouldn’t feel guilty for enjoying it. After all, Erick Silva walked away with “a clean bill of health.” So we can go back to writing “JUST BLEED” on our chests remorse-free, right?
There’s no such thing as a clean bill of health in MMA, especially after a fight like that. Erick Silva took a beating, but he was OK or at least as OK as a person can be under the circumstances. But fighters aren’t always OK afterwards. MMA is dangerous. MMA can be lethal. It’s easy for us to shrug off MMA’s darkest days. “The fights were either unsanctioned or shouldn’t have happened to begin with; Something like this could never happen in the UFC,” we tell ourselves, always finding an excuse that lets us believe MMA is safe and carries no grave risks. But fighters don’t spring back to health once the TV is turned off. One day a fighter in a big organization might not be OK afterwards. How will we justify watching this sport then?
In an age when athletes are shooting themselves in the chest to preserve their battered brains for study, we have to ask ourselves what combat sports (and even contact sports in general) are worth. If Brown vs. Silva was a reminder as to why we watch this sport, perhaps it should also serve as a reminder as to why we shouldn’t.
