I think the string of upsets and consistently good fights almost every weekend the past month or two has made the landscape relevant again. The less the landscape depends solely on big superfights happening, the easier it will be to pull people in.
I'm a new boxing fan just getting into it thanks to Berto/Ortiz a couple weeks ago. I went over to a friends house not really caring about a a boxing match, mainly showed up to drink negra modelo (GOAT beer) and because there was a girl I was crushing on who was going to be there. I had never heard of either of these two guys fighting. I could only name a handful of current boxers. What I saw was something amazing. That fight really opened my eyes to how awesome boxing is. As an MMA fan, all I ever heard about from Dana White and Joe Rogan during broadcasts was about how boxing was a dying sport. About how all boxing was was two guys hugging eachother. About how there were only two names in boxing (Pacquiao and Mayweather) That was pretty much my idea of boxing. That's 90% of MMA fans idea of boxing. That fight gave me that feeling of elation that I haven't gotten from MMA in quite some time (but used to get ALL THE TIME). Where immediately afterwards, you are replaying in your mind what you just saw. You're thinking about it. You want to see it again right afterwards. I came home and immediately started researching both guys. Now I'm here. That fight certainly created a new fan. There aren't many UFC fans who start watching boxing because UFC has done a very effective job in painting boxing as UFC's enemy, and they have the type of fanbase who is very loyal, so in turn, they hate boxing. It's very unfortunate.
Montana that's a very warped POV of how White/Rogan has portrayed boxing. Rogan repeatedly talks about what a big boxing fan he is and puts over the likes of Freddie Roach. White was IN ATTENDANCE at Pacquiao-Clottey and talked about having a great time. White comes across like a school boy whenever in the presence of Mike Tyson. I remember White even saying he'd never counter-programme Mayweather-Pacquiao because he'd want to watch the fight. Now yes White's said some critical things about the way boxing is run but he wouldn't be the first. Moving away from White I can't think of a single fighter who's criticised boxing in the way boxers have MMA. And the vast majority of MMA writers are also boxing fans with many reporting on both sports. And you look at the demographics of the two sports they are very different - UFC crosses over more with the former audience of the WWE.
Been a lot of good fights this year (Morales v Maidana, Marquez v Concepcion, Ortiz v Berto, Acosta v Rios) and a lot of good fights coming up around the world. The sport has it's cycles and we are at the start of a good one.
I'm sure deep down Dana White is a boxing fan, but he won't ever let the UFC fans know that. Every chance he gets he talks about how boxing is dead, it's corrupt, there aren't any good fighters, etc. The thing about Dana White (and probably most promoters) is whatever he says, believe the opposite.
Hopefully the increased uptake of HD will help, a fight like Corrales-Castillo in HD must rank as one of the most spectular things you will ever see. I stopped following circa 1994, I had heard the sport was is decline, i believed it and then i started watching some fights, they are as good as they always were only there in ****ing HD. Can you imagine my surprise when I dowloaded a HD of Castillo-Corrales last year not knwoing if it was a good fight or not.
That's another big one, the camera angle for most of these fights doesn't do the fighters any justice. On the highlight reels they show the different angles and have you close up to the action and makes it much more entertaining and easier to appreciate.
He was mesmerized by RJJ's set before that so I think he wanted to evaluate thoroughly how good his win over Ruiz was. Still; a sentence that I probably never hear again.
MMA is Jiu Jitsu. If you dont know jiu jitsu your ****ed. and jiu jitsu is a terribly boring and gay looking sport.