To making a SERIOUS threat to the UFC. In a year this company has came a long way. They have put on shows with others like Strikeforce and Cage Rage now I hear they are going to work with Dream. They have good shows on Showtime including there ShoXC series which has produced some solid fights not to mention there going on CBS Primetime at the end of the month. The roster is starting to shape up real nicely Kimbo is getting marketed well and has been winning impressivly so far. Then theres some well known UFC/Pride vets like Yves Edwards,Robbie Lawler,Phil Baroni,Frank Shamrock,James Thompson,Crazyhorse Bennett,Drew Fickett,Joey Villasenor,Ninja Rua,Nick Diaz,Renzo Gracie ?,Scott Smith,Cabbage. Then theres rising stars like Antonio Silva,Jake Sheilds(the one Welterweight the UFC dont have),Brett Rodgers,Paul Daley,KJ Noons,Edson Berto,Javier Vasquez and the beautiful Gina Carano whos wonderful for the sport. The Heavyweight divison is shapping up I wouldnt be too upset if Kimbo beats Thompson then they set up Kimbo and Silva for the Heavyweight title unless Andrei Arlovski where to sign on,Middleweight/Welterweight and Lightweight all look good. Then if Tito signs up they will need a 205er to face him but who besides Frank Shamrock ? I hope they keep it up I enjoy the announce team and the shows I just think there production and prefight activites are embarrsingly bad.
I think it all comes down to their CBS show. They've been losing money collecting all that talent, and now they need to start generating some revenue. A big splash on CBS would do that, and the mainstream exposure would get the casual fans to stop associating MMA with only UFC. With that said, if the ratings tank and CBS pulls the plug, they're going to go sink fast. Here's to hoping their debut is a strong one. I, for one, like all the MMA options I can get. Given time, I think they could work out the kinks in their production and have a top notch organization.
Yeah your right. Im with you it would be nice to see MMA stop being just UFC. All anyone says is oh you like the UFC right ? Im like no I like MMA as a whole. I hope the CBS card works out well and its made to looking at the card unless the fights wind up stinking but I think they should be alright. You know Baroni and Villasenor are going to wanna KO each other brutally and it helps that Baroni is well known,Not many know Gina Carano and sticking a attractive and very talented female fighter on network TV would be huge assuming she wins,Everyone knows Kimbo and if he goes out and KOs a huge guy like Thompson hes going to gain more credibilty,Lawler and Smith are well known UFC bangers and its a title fight. Damn I cant wait for this night.
I'm curious to see how they promoted this thing. Like you said, they've got a card packed with fighters people want to see. Whatever you think of Kimbo as a fighter (I don't think a lot at this point), he is well-known on Youtube and alone could draw in a million viewers. Play up Gina Carano and her Gladiator background, drawing in teenage boys and NBC viewers, and you've added a ton more. If they play this right and advertise it right, they could get more than just the MMA fans. As much as I hate using attractive women and street thugs to promote a sport great enough to stand on its own, I'm okay with it if that's what it takes to get this thing started. And like you also pointed out, it has enough meat with guys like Lawler, Smith and Baroni to make even the hardest core MMA fans happy. I'd love if EliteXC, UFC, Dreams and Affliction were all doing well. Yeah, it divides the talent, but also means tons and tons of fights. :happy
It does divide talent but I thinks there enough good fighters in the world to make it work. For awhile it seemed like the only MMA to look forward to was the montly UFC. Having UFC,WEC,Elite XC,Dream,Affliction will make me happy just dont ****ing put them on the same night.
Yeah I lose my mind when the UFC has a PPV while HBO and Showtime having boxing on. I remember last year HBO had Cotto,Miranda-Green,Showtime had Marquez-Vasquez 1 while UFC had Couture-Sylvia :fire
Yeah, I remember that. I'm a big Cotto fan, too, which made it extra tough. If he fought Mayweather, I don't even think Fedor-Couture would get be to change the chan.
Elite should have had Cung Le on their CBS show he is entertaining as hell and he is clean the casual fan would have liked watching him all of the flashy kicks.
The UFC is the WWE. It is the name and face of the sport... but there could be moments when an "interloper" steals some of their thunder - but sports fans like history. In the States, to whatever degree you describe it, the UFC IS the historically important MMA company. Neither Elite or any other company will change that, unless the UFC comes under the control of Isiah Thomas or something.
At the end of the day, the sport is going to have to take a page out of boxing's book (and the 1970's AFL/NFL's book)...the best fighters from Elite, WEC (I know, UFC minor league), Dream, UFC, etc. etc. are going to have to fight each other. I don't want to see "what's his ****..." (the guy who is coming out of retirement to fight for the Heavyweights). I want to see Fedor vs. Couture. And then, I want to see the winner take on Kimbo after another year or two with him working with Bas. At some point, free agency has to happen and the various organizations will have to share fighters. Either that, or one will have to put the others out of business.
That's why I like that the fact that the UFC for the most part hast the market(minus the HW's now) because people around here cry because the UFC has a monopoly...yeah and that means means we get to see the best fight the best and not wonder what if...... like we do in boxing and have tons of champions in every weight division. That's not what the sport needs. If Scurlauntings and Boxing car had their way MMA would end up like boxing and there would be as many belts as their is fighters. That's what Dana has opposed all along because that has been part of boxings demise.
To be honest they never will be a threat to being the bigger organization, the UFC has become like the NFL or NBA, it is the sport in most fans eyes. EliteXC is doing very well to become the Arena league, which has been #2 for close to 20 years and has founda niche of their own, that is really the only reasonable business model for MMA companies besides the UFC in America, nail down second place.
I agree with everything you've said however I have one adjunct. You didn't mention anything about Cung Le and his drawing power. His popularity is not on the level of a Liddell or Kimbo Slice or any of the A-List (former) Pride or UFC stars however Cung has a fairly large following from his hometown, San Jose, including but not limited to the entirety of the American-Vietnamese community. Cung Le is with Strikeforce - but Elite XC and Strikeforce are given to cross promotions meaning Cung Le is practically with Elite XC as well. RE: The productions: I think Goldberg will get better over time.
