Tag: UFC 170

The Pay-Per-View Buyrate Estimates for UFC 169 and UFC 170 Are Not Awesome


(Ronda Rousey might actually be the biggest star the UFC has. Unfortunately, that’s not saying much. / Photo via Getty)

According to Dave Meltzer’s latest pay-per-view buyrate column on MMAFighting.com, the first two UFC PPV events of 2014 didn’t exactly blow the doors down.

Let’s start with UFC 169: Barao vs. Faber 2 on February 1st, which featured two championship fights (including a featherweight title bout between Jose Aldo and Ricardo Lamas in the co-main event), and a solid heavyweight feature between Alistair Overeem and Frank Mir. That show took in just 230,000 buys, by Meltzer’s estimates — the lowest total for a UFC PPV since last summer, when UFC 161 and UFC 163 completely crapped the bed. It’s worth noting that the first time Urijah Faber and Renan Barao headlined a pay-per-view (UFC 149), it pulled in a nearly identical number. Maybe the California Kid isn’t quite the superstar we’ve made him out to be.

Holding an event on a weekend when so much attention was focused on the Super Bowl gives the UFC a convenient excuse as to why UFC 169 may have underperformed. But it still doesn’t bode well for the promotion’s ability to sell pay-per-views for events headlined by male fighters under 155 pounds. UFC 169 featured Renan Barao, Urijah Faber, Jose Aldo — the only absent sub-155 star was Dominick Cruz — and they still barely cleared the UFC Mendoza Line of 200k buys.

The good news (or bad news, depending on how you look at it) is that Ronda Rousey is a bigger draw completely on her own than Barao, Faber, and, Aldo put together…


(Ronda Rousey might actually be the biggest star the UFC has. Unfortunately, that’s not saying much. / Photo via Getty)

According to Dave Meltzer’s latest pay-per-view buyrate column on MMAFighting.com, the first two UFC PPV events of 2014 didn’t exactly blow the doors down.

Let’s start with UFC 169: Barao vs. Faber 2 on February 1st, which featured two championship fights (including a featherweight title bout between Jose Aldo and Ricardo Lamas in the co-main event), and a solid heavyweight feature between Alistair Overeem and Frank Mir. That show took in just 230,000 buys, by Meltzer’s estimates — the lowest total for a UFC PPV since last summer, when UFC 161 and UFC 163 completely crapped the bed. It’s worth noting that the first time Urijah Faber and Renan Barao headlined a pay-per-view (UFC 149), it pulled in a nearly identical number. Maybe the California Kid isn’t quite the superstar we’ve made him out to be.

Holding an event on a weekend when so much attention was focused on the Super Bowl gives the UFC a convenient excuse as to why UFC 169 may have underperformed. But it still doesn’t bode well for the promotion’s ability to sell pay-per-views for events headlined by male fighters under 155 pounds. UFC 169 featured Renan Barao, Urijah Faber, Jose Aldo — the only absent sub-155 star was Dominick Cruz — and they still barely cleared the UFC Mendoza Line of 200k buys.

The good news (or bad news, depending on how you look at it) is that Ronda Rousey is a bigger draw completely on her own than Barao, Faber, and, Aldo put together. Meltzer reports that UFC 170: Rousey vs. McMann on February 22nd collected an estimated 340,000 pay-per-view buys, with a much weaker supporting card than UFC 169 had. (Two words: Durkin Cummins.) When you consider that Rousey also helped UFC 168 become the first million-selling pay-per-view since 2010, it’s undeniable that the women’s bantamweight champ has become an essential part of the UFC’s business.

Of course, 340k buys doesn’t sound like a huge number — and it isn’t, if you compare it to, say, 2009, when every single UFC pay-per-view did 350k buys or better. Or, if you compare it to Rousey’s first UFC headliner against Liz Carmouche in February 2013, which pulled 450k buys, driven by the novelty value of the UFC’s first women’s title fight. But UFC 170′s PPV performance is more impressive when you compare it to recent UFC title fights featuring guys who are allegedly stars in allegedly marquee divisions. UFC 164: Henderson vs. Pettis did 270k buys. UFC 165: Jones vs. Gustafsson did between 300k-325k buys, and UFC 166: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos 3 drew “in the same range or very sightly up.” Ronda Rousey edged them all out, and she did so against a opponent (Sara McMann) who was a virtual unknown to casual fans, who Rousey had no personal rivalry with, in a fight that was thrown together on less than two months’ notice. That’s kind of amazing, actually.

So, is Ronda Rousey the biggest star the UFC has ever had, as UFC president Dana White likes to say after huffing gas? Well, she could have a solid argument for being the biggest UFC star that the UFC has right now. Although it should be mentioned that UFC 170′s live gate of $1,558,870 fell well below expectations.

Lets be real: 2014 is going to be a rough one for the UFC, pay-per-view wise. Anthony Pettis and Cain Velasquez won’t return until the end of this year, and Johny Hendricks will most likely be out until the fall. Ronda Rousey literally has nobody to fight right now, and the male featherweight/bantamweight/flyweight divisions simply don’t draw. UFC 173 has a cool poster, but probably not blockbuster potential. Anderson Silva won’t return this year, and Georges St-Pierre’s return depends on the UFC overhauling its drug-testing policies, which ain’t gonna happen any time soon.

And so, 340k buys represents a new high-water mark, which only a small handful of UFC PPVs will be able to clear this year. Most likely, the buyrate trend will continue to drop as the UFC shifts its attention to small-scale international shows, while the burned-out North American fanbase is content to watch the UFC’s free FOX/FS1/FS2 events and skip the ones that cost $55 simply because there’s a belt on the line in the main event.

The next UFC pay-per-view is UFC 172: Jones vs. Teixeira on April 26th — a light-heavyweight title fight that will probably pull around 300k buys. That’s just the way it is, now.

–BG

The ‘UFC Fight Night 38? Danavlog Further Highlights MMA’s Need to Embrace the Instant Replay

The recently-released ‘Fight Night 38’ Danavlog, which contains behind the scenes footage from both UFC 169 and 170, has all the makings of a classic Danavlog: nasty cuts and bruises, fighters breaking down backstage, and Matt Serra ripping on Ray Longo for the black eye that Kevin “mixed martial farts” James gave him. Toss in some classic Ronda Rousey mean-mugging, and you’ve got yourself a D-vlog (as the kids are calling them) right up there with “The gang finds a guy asleep behind the wheel.”

But about six and a half minutes into the video (6:24 to be precise), there’s a moment that displays something more than the usual mix of heartbreak and hilarity found in Danavlogs and actually warrants further investigation.

Referees Mario Yamasaki and Yves Lavigne are giving Daniel Cormier and Demian Maia, respectively, a few last-minute reminders about the rules, likely in an effort to avoid a Sims vs. Mir-level mishap. While Yamasaki simply reiterates to Cormier that covering up does not count as intelligent defense (seems like he should’ve saved that speech for Pat Cummins, amiright? *self-fives*), Lavigne informs Maia that even if his upcoming opponent, Rory MacDonald, were to tap, Maia should continue applying the submission until Lavigne pulls him off.

“I have to see the tap,” says Lavigne, “If I don’t see it and you let it go, and if he says ‘I didn’t tap,’ we’re screwed.”

Now, this should be concerning for a multitude of reasons…

The recently-released ‘Fight Night 38′ Danavlog, which contains behind the scenes footage from both UFC 169 and 170, has all the makings of a classic Danavlog: nasty cuts and bruises, fighters breaking down backstage, and Matt Serra ripping on Ray Longo for the black eye that Kevin “mixed martial farts” James gave him. Toss in some classic Ronda Rousey mean-mugging, and you’ve got yourself a D-vlog (as the kids are calling them) right up there with “The gang finds a guy asleep behind the wheel.”

But about six and a half minutes into the video (6:24 to be precise), there’s a moment that displays something more than the usual mix of heartbreak and hilarity found in Danavlogs and actually warrants further investigation.

Referees Mario Yamasaki and Yves Lavigne are giving Daniel Cormier and Demian Maia, respectively, a few last-minute reminders about the rules, likely in an effort to avoid a Sims vs. Mir-level mishap. While Yamasaki simply reiterates to Cormier that covering up does not count as intelligent defense (seems like he should’ve saved that speech for Pat Cummins, amiright? *self-fives*), Lavigne informs Maia that even if his upcoming opponent, Rory MacDonald, were to tap, Maia should continue applying the submission until Lavigne pulls him off. “I have to see the tap,” says Lavigne,

“If I don’t see it and you let it go, and if he says ‘I didn’t tap,’ we’re screwed.”

Now, this should be concerning for a multitude of reasons…

#1: Holding onto a submission after an opponent taps is exactly what got Rousimar Palhares fired, if I remember correctly. (That he would sometimes hold onto subs after *the ref* had grabbed him could also be part of the reason he was let go.)

#2: “If I don’t see the tap, we’re screwed?” I’m sorry, but isn’t this the kind of problem that instant replay was/is supposed to solve?

We’ve previously argued that the addition of instant replay in MMA would create more questions than answers, questions relating to how/when it would used and how much it would affect the momentum or outlook of a fight. But a situation like the one Lavigne just presented is exactly one that could easily be solved by instant replay. Besides the fact that ignoring the tap all but contradicts the point of a tap in the first place, it seems rather risky to give such advice to Maia, a ground wizard who could easily end a career in such a span, of all people. If a situation arose where Maia claimed MacDonald had tapped and the “Ares” claimed otherwise (defying all previous conceptions of the Canadian Honor System in the process), it would only take a glimpse at one of the dozens of super slo-mo Phantom cams to determine who was telling the truth.

And if not an instant replay, then why not just a replay in general? (I refer to the Sakuraba-Silveria example noted in our previous article on the subject.) If Yves blew the call or thought he saw a tap that he didn’t, MacDonald shouldn’t have to file an appeal and maybe get the result overturned months down the road when the evidence is sitting right in front of all three of them mere moments after the incident occurred. Far too much emphasis is being placed on MMA referees, who range from highly experienced to unjustifiably incompetent even at the highest levels of the sport, and while an instant replay could slow things down from an excitement standpoint, there’s no need for our sport to continue acting like a referee’s call is the be all end all. Especially when…

#3 – Do all referees give the same pre-fight reminders as Lavigne?

There’s been a lot of discussion in recent years about the discrepancies amongst MMA referees when it comes to their understanding of things like what constitutes a “back of the head” strike, what constitutes “intelligent defense,” and what constitutes a tap (it just so happens that both Yamasaki and Lavigne have found themselves at the center of such controversies), so I ask: Do guys like Herb Dean and Big John McCarthy agree with Lavigne’s assessment? Or do all refs even give pre-fight reminders to the fighters?

In a sport that is plagued by inconsistency in the judging and reffing departments, this is perhaps the most important distinction to make. Because while a big part of MMA refereeing is knowing the limitations of the individual fighters you are presiding over, a bigger part of it establishing a set of guidelines that do not change from fight-to-fight.

I’m probably making a mountain out of a molehill again, but I just find it interesting that ignoring the tap has apparently become standard protocol amongst the sport’s best referees. What I’m trying to say is: BRING BACK PAUL HARRIS!! #Thrillofdafeet #RallyforPaulHarris #MikePierceisaDramaQueen

–J. Jones

The Ronda Rousey Problem: Can You Be a Great Champion Without Challengers?


(Rousey puts her game-face on before her 66-second title defense at UFC 170. / Photo by Esther Lin for MMAFighting.com)

By Adam Ackerman

Ronda Rousey is amazing. Simply amazing. The UFC women’s bantamweight champion possesses world-class Judo, and apparently some highly-effective Muay Thai as well. Her propensity for snatching and breaking arms was developed at an age before most kids can ride a bicycle without training wheels. As a competitor, she’s given us very little to criticize. The problem with Rousey is that she may quickly run out of competition. With Sara McMann bumped out of the picture, the women’s 135-pound division currently lacks athletes who can legitimately challenge Ronda’s dominance.

If Cristiane “Cris Cyborg” Justino does in fact drop to 135 and is signed to the UFC, a super-fight years in the making could take place. Cyborg is a challenge for any woman, and some men. Her athleticism, power, aggressiveness, and diverse set of skills have brought her nothing but victories for the last nine years (except for that one no-contest).  Needless to say, the former handball player turned fighter may be the biggest — and most profitable — test lurking in the future for Rousey, assuming that Cyborg ever settles her beef with Dana White.

Outside of that, there are painfully few challengers that the UFC could throw at Ronda, and call it a “competitive matchup” with a straight face.

I was beyond excited to see Rousey take on Cat Zingano, whose striking skills and power, purple belt in BJJ, and high-level wrestling background make her more than qualified to give Rousey a great fight. Watching her finish Miesha Tate toward the end of their three-round back-and-forth battle gave me confidence in her abilities to contend for the title. However, after her knee injury and the devastating loss of her husband, she has been sidelined for the time being. According to her manager Ed Soares, however, she could be ready to step back into the cage “as early as June.”


(Rousey puts her game-face on before her 66-second title defense at UFC 170. / Photo by Esther Lin for MMAFighting.com)

By Adam Ackerman

Ronda Rousey is amazing. Simply amazing. The UFC women’s bantamweight champion possesses world-class Judo, and apparently some highly-effective Muay Thai as well. Her propensity for snatching and breaking arms was developed at an age before most kids can ride a bicycle without training wheels. As a competitor, she’s given us very little to criticize. The problem with Rousey is that she may quickly run out of competition. With Sara McMann bumped out of the picture, the women’s 135-pound division currently lacks athletes who can legitimately challenge Ronda’s dominance.

If Cristiane “Cris Cyborg” Justino does in fact drop to 135 and is signed to the UFC, a super-fight years in the making could take place. Cyborg is a challenge for any woman, and some men. Her athleticism, power, aggressiveness, and diverse set of skills have brought her nothing but victories for the last nine years (except for that one no-contest).  Needless to say, the former handball player turned fighter may be the biggest — and most profitable — test lurking in the future for Rousey, assuming that Cyborg ever settles her beef with Dana White.

Outside of that, there are painfully few challengers that the UFC could throw at Ronda, and call it a “competitive matchup” with a straight face.

I was beyond excited to see Rousey take on Cat Zingano, whose striking skills and power, purple belt in BJJ, and high-level wrestling background make her more than qualified to give Rousey a great fight. Watching her finish Miesha Tate toward the end of their three-round back-and-forth battle gave me confidence in her abilities to contend for the title. However, after her knee injury and the devastating loss of her husband, she has been sidelined for the time being. According to her manager Ed Soares, however, she could be ready to step back into the cage “as early as June.”

There is one other women fighting outside the UFC, who I believe would be an interesting and tough match-up for Ronda Rousey. Holly Holm is an incredibly accomplished boxer, on a level we have not seen in either women’s or men’s MMA. With a astonishing 18 boxing titles in three weight classes, and a kickboxing record of 2-1, Holly steps into the cage with a striking background most MMA fighters would fear. With five KO/TKOs (including four via kicks) and one decision in her professional MMA record, she would seem to be her way to being signed by the UFC — as long as her management and the UFC can agree on a price. These are the women I see putting on exciting fights against Rousey, and the fact that only one of them is currently under contract with the UFC is a bit of a problem.

Rousey is great for the UFC, and she might very well be the promotion’s biggest star as of right now. Having her as a champion is a good thing, but without quality opponents, her pay-per-view buys will drop and her star will fade, as fans lose interest in the latest Ronda Rousey squash-match. The three women mentioned above would hypothetically make for better fights than the champ has had in the UFC so far, but there is no guarantee that she will ever fight any of them. Cyborg may not make weight, or get signed. Cat Zingano may not come back to fight at the top level, and Holly Holm may continue fighting on MMA’s regional circuit, competing in boxing and kickboxing on the side.

Women’s MMA is several years, if not a full decade behind the men’s divisions in terms of competition and depth of talent. There are fewer fighters, fewer weight classes, and fewer opportunities for women to compete. But the tide is turning. Ronda may remain on top, unchallenged for years until the sport catches up to her and young athletes who have been training all of their lives (like the champ herself) start fighting in the Octagon. In the meantime, I hope for the sake of the sport — and for Ronda Rousey herself — that we get to see her in competitive match-ups against the existing cream of the crop. Until then, we can only wonder how far ahead of the game she really is.

UFC Rankings for Each Weight Division Following UFC 170

Ronda Rousey is quickly becoming one of the most dominant champions inside the Octagon.
At UFC 170, she scored her first knockout win, stopping Sara McMann with a knee to the body in the first round. The victory showed the women’s bantamweight champion…

Ronda Rousey is quickly becoming one of the most dominant champions inside the Octagon.

At UFC 170, she scored her first knockout win, stopping Sara McMann with a knee to the body in the first round. The victory showed the women’s bantamweight champion is beginning to grow into a more well-rounded fighter, which is scary for the rest of the competitors in her division.

She entered the weekend as one of the UFC’s Top 10 pound-for-pound fighters. Where does she stand following a third successful title defense with the promotion?

With UFC 170 in the books and UFC Fight Night 37: Macau ahead, here are the latest official UFC rankings.

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UFC 170 Medical Suspensions: Rory MacDonald Possibly out Six Months

A Fight of the Night performance and a win over Demian Maia could leave Rory MacDonald sidelined for up to six months, according to the UFC 170 medical suspensions released by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
MMAFighting.com reported the news on M…

A Fight of the Night performance and a win over Demian Maia could leave Rory MacDonald sidelined for up to six months, according to the UFC 170 medical suspensions released by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

MMAFighting.com reported the news on Monday.

The welterweight star will need an X-ray on his right ankle as well as clearance from his doctor to step back into the Octagon, or he’ll be looking at a mandatory suspension extending until August 22.

Coming off a loss to Robbie Lawler, MacDonald kept himself afloat in the welterweight title picture by outlasting Maia in a relatively close decision on Saturday night.

The division is wide open with former UFC champ Georges St-Pierre, MacDonald’s mentor and close friend, on an indefinite vacation. An injury would be a tough setback for the 24-year-old contender, who has been chomping at the bit for a chance at UFC gold.

Other potentially serious injuries on the list include main card fighters Stephen Thompson and Robert Whitaker, as well as Raphael Assuncao and Cody Gibson. Like MacDonald, all four will need to be cleared by a doctor or risk facing a six-month suspension.

The other fighters on the list received precautionary suspensions.

Main event star Sara McMann was included on this list after suffering a first-round TKO loss to women’s bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey. UFC newcomer Patrick Cummins’ name was also on the list after getting trounced just 89 seconds into the first round by Daniel Cormier.

The complete list of UFC 170 medical suspensions are listed below.

Rory MacDonald: Requires X-ray on right ankle and physician’s clearance, or no contest until 08/22/14; minimum suspension until 03/25/14, no contact until 03/16/14

Stephen Thompson: Requires X-ray on right hand and physician’s clearance, or no contest until 08/22/14; minimum suspension until 03/25/14, no contact until 03/16/14

Robert Whittaker: Requires physician’s clearance on left forearm, or no contest until 08/22/14; minimum suspension until 03/25/14, no contact until 03/16/14

Raphael Assuncao: Requires X-ray on left ribs and physician’s clearance, or no contest until 08/22/14; minimum suspension until 03/25/14, no contact until 03/16/14

Cody Gibson: Requires X-ray on right hand and orthopedic clearance, or no contest until 08/22/14

Patrick Cummins: Suspended until 04/09/14; no contact until 03/25/14

Demian Maia: Suspended until 04/09/14; no contact until 03/25/14

TJ Waldburger: Suspended until 04/09/14; no contact until 03/25/14

Rafaello Oliveira: Suspended until 04/09/14; no contact until 03/25/14 due to contusion under right eye

Sara McMann: Suspended until 03/25/14; no contact until 03/16/14

Pedro Munhoz: Suspended until 03/25/14; no contact until 03/16/14

Aljamain Sterling: Requires follow-up MRI of head with gradient echo or susceptibility weighted imaging within one week post-fight, or before 03/01/14

 

Jordy McElroy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA writer for Rocktagon. 

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Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson: What Is the Secret of His Power?

Perhaps the Wonderboy hype was premature when he knocked out Dan Stittgen and signed to fight Matt Brown. Since losing to Brown, however, Thompson has put together three solid wins against opponents who have their own Wikipedia pages (always a solid me…

Perhaps the Wonderboy hype was premature when he knocked out Dan Stittgen and signed to fight Matt Brown. Since losing to Brown, however, Thompson has put together three solid wins against opponents who have their own Wikipedia pages (always a solid measure of competition), and looked good doing it.

Today I wanted to take a very brief look at some of the neater tricks which Thompson has shown throughout both his kickboxing and MMA careers.

 

The Wonderboy Kick

I am dubbing this kick the Wonderboy Kick both for lack of a better name and because Thompson uses it so frequently. Really it’s just a rear-leg round kick, but there’s something which makes it a little unique in Thompson’s application.

Thompson will throw a 1-2 to get his opponent moving. Quite often the opponent will circle past his right straight, thinking they are safe. Here is where the Wonderboy Kick comes in.

Rather than throwing a 1-2 and a right high kick, Thompson throws a 1-2, then throws his right-leg high kick at almost 90 degrees to his initial angle of attack.

Ordinarily when throwing a high kick, you will pivot on your standing leg as you throw the kick. High kickers will normally pivot their standing leg as far as possible so that it points almost behind them. Thompson’s kick, 90 degrees to his right, cuts down on the distance of the kick and means that he only needs to make half the pivot on his standing leg to get into optimum kicking position.

Many of you will remember Thompson using this kick to starch Dan Stittgen in his UFC debut.

He also used it in the WCL to knock out James DeCore, and it has appeared plenty of times in his fights if he can get his opponent circling towards it.

Here is Thompson desperately trying to get his opponent to circle into the kick by exaggeratedly cutting off the ring and leaving openings to circle out in that direction.

Thompson’s opponent seemed smart enough to not circle into Thompson’s well-known right leg, so Thompson simply brought the Brazilian kick to him anyway.

 

The Wheel Kick and the Hook Kick

Of course, a lot of the time his opponents aren’t daft enough to circle into his trademark right leg. Then he can bring it round and try to wheel kick them.

The wheel kick has proven quite important to Thompson’s game, however. He doesn’t kick with his left leg nearly so often or so well as he does with his right leg. Consequently he will use his right leg to provide a threat from both sides.

In that match with James DeCore, Thompson misses a wheel kick but follows with a hard straight. The standard procedure for dealing with spinning kicks is to let them fall short and move in through the wake, hopefully catching the opponent while they are recovering. Thompson obviously expected this as he missed his wheel kick and landed in perfect position to counter punch.

Here’s an effective one from Thompson’s bout with Jeremy Joles.

And here’s a hook kick. A tricky kick in terms of angle, but one which generally lacks the power of other kicks because of the limited hip movement involved in the kick.

While we are seeing more hook kicks and wheel kicks coming into MMA —as we should, even the threat of them opens up targets for more orthodox techniques—the danger of the opponent stepping in during one is still ever present.

For an example of that look at Decare missing a kick in the bout with Thompson, putting him in terrible position. All Thompson would need to do was catch the leg and that is an assured takedown, and probably straight into side control.

There’s a ton more stuff we could talk about with Thompson. His switching of stances to land his right-side kick, his low hands to 1-2, his fake side kick to left straight, and so on. But remembering the Matt Brown fight, let’s not get carried away just yet. Thompson is back on track, and that is exciting enough as it is.

Pick up Jack’s eBooks Advanced Striking and Elementary Striking from his blog, Fights Gone By. Jack can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

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