Tag: UFC 157

‘UFC 157? Ratings Update: Rousey and Carmouche Prove That Girls Can In Fact Run This Motha


(And the song Ronda chose to accompany this momentous occasion with? Oh, you best believe it was some Geto Boys. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.) 

Of all the controversy that was brought to light in the weeks following the announcement of UFC 157 (WOMEN HEADLINERS?!, Dan Henderson playing second fiddle to WOMEN HEADLINERS?!, etc.), one issue that seemed to cling around more than most was that of pay-per-view buys. Specifically, how the UFC honestly expected a card featuring WOMEN HEADLINERS to draw diddly squat for viewers in the male-dominated sport of MMA. Because if we wanted to see two broads fight over a leather and gold belt, we’d go to Macy’s on Black Friday, amiright?

Well, we hate to spoil the misogynist fantasy, but it looks like WMMA (or at least Ronda Rousey) could turn out to be a huge draw for the UFC. The Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer spoke earlier today about the preliminary PPV estimates for UFC 157 and suffice it to say, they are a lot better than many of us would have predicted:

Over 400,000….they’re absolutely thrilled. The show, it was…they had predicted 250. Budgeted 250, I shouldn’t say predicted. But I mean, the predictions internally were 250-300. So they blew away their predictions, big time…They’re expecting big replay buys. Big replay buys means 25,000-30,000 more than they have right now. It could do mid fours, maybe more, but that’s a nice number to say.


(And the song Ronda chose to accompany this momentous occasion with? Oh, you best believe it was some Geto Boys. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.) 

Of all the controversy that was brought to light in the weeks following the announcement of UFC 157 (WOMEN HEADLINERS?!, Dan Henderson playing second fiddle to WOMEN HEADLINERS?!, etc.), one issue that seemed to cling around more than most was that of pay-per-view buys. Specifically, how the UFC honestly expected a card featuring WOMEN HEADLINERS to draw diddly squat for viewers in the male-dominated sport of MMA. Because if we wanted to see two broads fight over a leather and gold belt, we’d go to Macy’s on Black Friday, amiright?

Well, we hate to spoil the misogynist fantasy, but it looks like WMMA (or at least Ronda Rousey) could turn out to be a huge draw for the UFC. The Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer spoke earlier today about the preliminary PPV estimates for UFC 157 and suffice it to say, they are a lot better than many of us would have predicted:

Over 400,000….they’re absolutely thrilled. The show, it was…they had predicted 250. Budgeted 250, I shouldn’t say predicted. But I mean, the predictions internally were 250-300. So they blew away their predictions, big time…They’re expecting big replay buys. Big replay buys means 25,000-30,000 more than they have right now. It could do mid fours, maybe more, but that’s a nice number to say.

She’s making a lot of money fighting, I don’t know what those numbers are going to be when they come out when they’re released. But she’s making a ton of money. They signed her to a hell of a contract because they really did believe…not necessarily that she’d be this giant PPV draw, but in other ways she’d be incredibly valuable to the company. And so far she has turned out to be more valuable than they expected. 

As noted by Adam Swift, depending on how strong the replay buys come back, UFC 157′s numbers should place the event 48th out of the 92 pay-per-views since 2006. When comparing the preliminary numbers to some of the UFC’s more recent PPV’s, it pales in comparison to the likes of UFC 155 (590,000) and UFC 154 (700,000), but falls right in the range of UFC 153 (410,000) and UFC 152 (450,000). So basically, squash match main events are always a solid bet in the land of the UFC. And they say the spirit of PRIDE is dead…

So now that Rousey is officially the best thing going for WMMA, should we expect to see her pop up in Fast 7 Furious 7: Electric Boogaloo next year?

–J. Jones

Where Does UFC 157 Rank Among 2013’s UFC Fight Cards

On Saturday night, the UFC brought the thunder to the Honda Center in Anaheim with UFC 157.All eyes were focused on UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey as she defeated Liz Carmouche in the first female contest in UFC history.Earlier on the m…

On Saturday night, the UFC brought the thunder to the Honda Center in Anaheim with UFC 157.

All eyes were focused on UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey as she defeated Liz Carmouche in the first female contest in UFC history.

Earlier on the main card, fans were treated to some excellent finishes courtesy of Robbie Lawler and Urijah Faber, as well as an excellent display of heart as Josh Neer somehow survived the gut-wrenching attack of Court McGee until the final bell.

But in the grand scheme of things, how does UFC 157 hold up against the other UFC offerings of 2013?

Here is a power ranking of every UFC event so far in 2013. Only main card fights were taken into consideration unless the prelims were aired during the primary telecast.

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UFC 157 Results : Why We Want Grice vs. Bermudez 2

For anyone who is the kind of viewer that tunes in for the main card of major events but ignores the prelim action, on Saturday night you missed an all-out war between featherweights Matt Grice and Dennis Bermudez, who is an early front-runner for Figh…

For anyone who is the kind of viewer that tunes in for the main card of major events but ignores the prelim action, on Saturday night you missed an all-out war between featherweights Matt Grice and Dennis Bermudez, who is an early front-runner for Fight of the Year honors.

The fight was so incredible that amid a UFC firing spree, Dana White was quick to assure the world that Grice would keep his job, despite the loss.

When you turn on your TV set and you put down your money or you buy a ticket, that’s what you expect to show up and see. As a fight fan, those are the kind of fights you want to watch. And those are the kind of fights where guys won’t get cut. It’s pretty easy—pretty simple.

Depending on how you scored the first and third rounds, this bout has been scored everywhere between 28-28 (via MMAfighting.com) and 29-27. Because of the epic nature of the brawl as well as the extremely close scoring, “rematch” is the word that is on many lips inside the industry. 

Early in the contest, Bermudez was able to mount Grice and began unleashing a series of hammer fists and short elbows that could have ended the fight were it not for Grice‘s commendable heart.

Grice would battle out of the tough position and some feel that his crisp striking and spinning back kicks stole the round, despite his early trouble.

After Grice won a fun second frame, it all came down to the third round.

When the final round began, it looked as if Bermudez was going to quickly wrap up the fight, as he dropped Grice and swarmed in hopes of a finish. Once again, Grice displayed incredible heart and returned to his feet, where the two men slugged it out.

Herb Dean looked ready to step in and stop the fight during standup exchanges on several occasions as Grice was out on his feet in a couple of moments. It was the kind of round where everyone is wondering exactly how it’s possible that Grice was still standing.

As displayed by MMAdecisions.com, the most common scoring given to this fight by pundits was a 28-28 draw. And all draws need resolution.

What do you think? Who did you score the fight for? Would you like to see this fight one more time?

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Dan Henderson vs. Lyoto Machida: What Went Right for Machida?

It was hardly the fireworks we expected. The light heavyweight contest between Dan Henderson and Lyoto Machida at UFC 157 on Saturday, despite a potential title shot up for grabs, failed to deliver anything of excitement.  For …

It was hardly the fireworks we expected. The light heavyweight contest between Dan Henderson and Lyoto Machida at UFC 157 on Saturday, despite a potential title shot up for grabs, failed to deliver anything of excitement. 

For three rounds the fighters “felt each other out,” with Henderson throwing probing shots now and then, easily evaded by Machida. 

Neither seemed to have solved the problem of the other fighter, and both seemed content to leave the decision in the hands of the judges. But Machida won. 

And he did it in typical Machida fashion.  

Employing his typical explosive karate-style of striking, the Brazilian light heavyweight spent most of the fight circling away from Henderson’s right hand—the legendary H-bomb which has put to sleep 11 opponents in his career. 

The circling often seemed like running, with Machida backing up quickly any time Henderson moved forward. It was a very negative style of fighting with neither fighter doing enough to steal any round. 

In the first round, Machida‘s takedown of Henderson might have swung that match in his favour. Henderson’s takedown in the third might have swung that round in his favour. In the second, at least in the judges’ eyes, Machida peppered his opponent enough while moving backwards to claim the split decision win. But no one would have been surprised if the fight had been given to Henderson. 

However, in many ways, it was a stylistic mismatch which led to this less-than enthralling contest, rather than any lack of motivation on the part of the fighters. Machida‘s technique of striking, darting in and out like a bolt of lightning, has KO’d many opponents throughout his career—not least Ryan Bader in his last match. 

But Hendo’s head movement and the intimidating presence of his cocked right hand were enough to dull the contest to an anti-climactic finish. 

Still, the UFC promised the winner a shot at Jon Jones’ 205-pound title, and it looks like the man who failed to take that belt from him last year, Machida, will have that shot again.

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Will the Women’s Division Stay Exciting?

At a historic event in UFC history, Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche headlined UFC 157 last Saturday, marking the first time women have fought inside the Octagon.Not only did they fight in the Octagon, but they were the main event for a major PPV event. …

At a historic event in UFC history, Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche headlined UFC 157 last Saturday, marking the first time women have fought inside the Octagon.

Not only did they fight in the Octagon, but they were the main event for a major PPV event. Rousey remained undefeated and established herself as a true competitor and champion in her division.

While it is a landmark event for women fighters to make their way into the UFC, it may have come at a cost due to the delay. Other organizations have already put on women’s MMA fights, as well as organizations such as Invicta, the all-female MMA promotion. The talent pool of female fighters is being tapped into already, and the UFC will want to look to get in on the action now and quickly.

Dana White and others expressed in the past that a women’s division just doesn’t have the pool of athletes to justify creating its own entity; but it seems White and the UFC are going to take their best shot. This is where the UFC could run into a problem because of the delay.

The UFC in the past years has added four new weight divisions, two of which came from the WEC merger—but this provided an already established and well-marketed group of athletes and champions.The flyweight division was the most recent creation prior to the women’s division following the merger.

What has happened is that there were a few names people already knew would be stars at 125, but beyond that, we are not so sure.

There are certainly a great number of flyweight MMA fighters out there, but most mainstream fans do not know more than a handful. Demetrious Johnson, Ian McCall, Joseph Benavidez and John Dodson are the ones that stick out, but those few are all the UFC has as far as PPV or main-event-worthy matchups, it would seem.

The flyweights will grow, and more people will make names for themselves, but that weight class may have a little easier time gaining momentum than the new women’s bantamweight division.

The late Strikeforce and other organizations have hosted female MMA bouts. With the aforementioned Invicta promotion, the athletes have somewhere to call home if it is not the Octagon.

Because women in the UFC is such a new thing, we are not sure how often women’s matchups will be made. We also do not know how well the UFC will be able to market some of the women it has brought in.

Rousey was given huge support by White and the UFC, but how many others will live up to the hype like her? Lastly, with only one division and a limited roster, how will it be regulated as far as fighters getting cut? Will it be the same as the others, or more lenient?

The women’s division will probably grow and expand; but for now, it is hard to think it will remain exciting outside of Ronda Rousey in the here and now. Ronda can only fight so often, and unless Gina Carano returns or other women start marketing themselves the same way Rousey did, it will get a little stale in the near future. 

There are surely some great female fights on the horizon in the Octagon, but for now, we will just have to wait and see how it is structured and developed. 

 

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UFC 157: Did Lyoto Machida Do Enough to Deserve a Rematch with Jon Jones?

In a light heavyweight scrap that could have easily gone to either man or been deemed a draw, Lyoto Machida did barely enough to nip Dan Henderson in the co-main event at UFC 157. But because of the generally passive nature in which Machida prevai…

In a light heavyweight scrap that could have easily gone to either man or been deemed a draw, Lyoto Machida did barely enough to nip Dan Henderson in the co-main event at UFC 157.

But because of the generally passive nature in which Machida prevailed in this de facto title eliminator, questions will linger regarding whether or not “The Dragon” deserves a rematch with champ Jon Jones.

After all, if Jones gets past Chael Sonnen in April, he’ll have handled every opponent he’s faced, including Machida, who “Bones” choked to sleep at UFC 140 just over a year ago.

UFC president Dana White all but called the tilt a title eliminator, so Machida surely can’t shoulder any blame for executing a safe and simple game plan, regardless of how much the fans griped.

From the get-go, Machida stayed in constant motion, moving his head and wisely circling away from Henderson’s notoriously venomous right hand.

Machida‘s elusiveness frustrated “Hendo,” forcing the 42-year-old to consistently measure and paw before lunging with looping haymakers. Henderson managed to successfully close the distance a few times using low kicks, only to watch Machida brilliantly counter his blitzes with nifty footwork and clinch work.

The Dragon capitalized on Hendo‘s frustration and scored with kicks and knees to the body, high kicks and several left and right straights. Machida also tagged Hendo with a few front kicks, one of the flying variety, which landed flush on Hendo‘s chin late in the third round.

Machida also matched the two-time Olympian’s wrestling prowess, scoring a trip takedown in the waning seconds of the first round before surrendering a takedown out of a scramble late in the third.

He may not have pocketed a $50,000 “Fight of the Night” or “Knockout of the Night” bonus, but Machida successfully baited Henderson into fighting under his terms. In doing so, The Dragon made one of the sport’s most lethal fighters look one-dimensional.

When asked about his thoughts on the fight, White said this at the UFC 157 post-fight press conference:

How you scored the first round, (that was) tough to score. Lyoto gets the top position and drops a few bombs before the end of the round. The second round was eh. And the third round, neither one of them did anything the last three-and-a-half minutes. So, it’s anybody’s fight. I gave it to Machida, barely.

With Rashad Evans coming off a loss and Phil Davis and Alexander Gustaffson each in the midst of training camps for other opponents, Machida remains the lone deserving challenger to face the winner of the Jones vs. Sonnen fight in April.

Although he didn’t leave the Honda Center with a seal of approval from the fans, Machida left with something much more valuable, at least according to White’s sentiments—another ticket to the big dance.

Dan Henderson’s one of the toughest guys in the sport. You don’t knock Dan Henderson out when you’re in there. Lyoto took some big shots from Dan. Dan took some big shots from Lyoto. It wasn’t a barn burner. It wasn’t the most exciting fight you’ve ever seen. You won’t be writing stories about this fight until the end of the time, but, you know, Lyoto won the fight. He beat the No. 1 contender. He beat Dan Henderson.

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