****, remember the build up to Eubank v Benn. I was only a kid at the time but that was insane for about a month
When something new comes out, people will try it to see if they like it. Some do and will stick with it and get more into it, and some won't and will leave it alone. The equilibrium number will always be less than the peak. As for the "casual fan" thing where some folks watch for big fights and others for all of them, this is true for the super bowl, the olympics, boxing (best examples were Tyson and DLH) etc etc. There is no news here. As long as young people are watching and participating the sport will be fine. That's boxing's problem; as fewer people learn about what separates the top pros from the rest they're not interested in watching it unless it's a big deal.
One promotion trying to control and intimidate everything is bad for the sport. UFC is American based (supported by one eyed zombies) and so MMA will never develop in any other country because UFC's first priority is its own back yard. However, if MMA is only strong in a handful of countries then competition is stifled, if competition/talent is stifled then people wont watch it. More people watched it back in the Pride days because Pride welcomed champions from different promotions. It wasnt uncommon to get over 15 million people watching the fight on TV and 80k watching it live.
Actually, I'll acknowledge I'm a little racist but it's an obliged racism that comes out when I see or experience it against myself. When it comes to white folks I'm less trusting, but once I get to know people and them me, things are good man. The Cain, Brown Pride thing is something to be understood in the context of history. If you go to say S. Africa and see how many indigenous African's live in squalor, while ancestor of colonialists are ballers living in luxury off of historical exploitation, do you really need to wonder why Indigenous S. Africans might not be trusting of their white neighbors or harbor ill feelings? I mean wouldn't you? Well that's how I feel. I know my ancestors were exploited, in the town I live in I even know which family last names exploited my family, I played baseball with a guy who's grandfather ancestors exploited my great uncle and grandfather. Brown Pride the word is attached to the Brown Pride movement which has it's roots in the civil rights movement, and was about instilling dignity in a people who were forced to be second class citizens and rarely got a fair shake at anything. Hey, history is a *****. I'm sorry if the people who originally claimed the handle of white pride were a bunch of nazi's or KKK shitbags. As for this and my post, It really isn't about white, black, brown or purple people. It's all about the sport and the fighters, not some t shirts with Olde English lettering and some skulls, or some fake ass Rowdy Roddy Piper with a ****ed up endocrine system who has to take testosterone to grow pubic hair around his vagina. If I have a problem with the UFC image it's that it relates to a form of entertainment which, as far as I'm concerned should be distanced from MMA because of how unprofessional and classless it is. If the UFC goes down in flames for it then it was well deserved, and some other org will pick up the pieces, the real MMA will remain because it's not the fickle bull**** that brings us to the table, we are real fight fans. And hey ***gis! Your alright for a white boy! haha!
Translation: "It's getting hard to complain about racial bias in the US and Eu so I'm now citing prejudice against blacks in South America." Only dicks think poverty is purely racial. Here's some pictures of "ancestor of colonialists are ballers living in luxury off of historical exploitation" as you put it This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected HERE'S A LINK. ENJOY: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/07/poverty_within_white_south_afr.html
Riight. I got called racist, I gave what I thought was a reasonable response. From the start I was talking historical context. I also mentioned I played ball with a guy who's direct ancestors exploited my ancestors, I don't think you would be able to understand what that was like, so I made a comparison. I'm trying to explain why it takes me longer to trust white people, and that I do acknowledge that it is a form of racism.. ****.. I guess I can't make comparisons without turning this into a pissing match. Hey, I feel sorry for anyone who lacks the opportunity or means to make it regardless of race. While poverty isn't always a race issue, often times it is. Even in this particular context, and in that very article it opens up stating the obvious, and that is that the proportion of poor blacks is far greater, and they failed to mention those statistics because it would be embarrassing to even make the comparison. But, if you want to call me racist or whatever, maybe it deserves it's own thread so we can respect this as an MMA forum and the lounge as the lounge.
Which good MMA fighters do you have? :huh Nobody who is challenging for a title or appearing on any p4p lists. Boxing, you have world-championship calibre fighters. MMA, not yet. That's not too surprising with the lack of grappling culture and the fact that MMA in England is still in its infancy. Of course. Boxing has a strong tradition in England stretching back for more than a century, and you've had a regular supply of world champions. MMA was essentially nonexistent a mere 10 years ago. And the best guy you have to carry the flag so far is Bisping, who's never been in a title fight, let alone won a belt, let alone been a dominant champion. :hat
Morono, like it or not, one promotion is responsible for making mma known around the world. Vale Tudo had existed in Brazil for decades, but no one outside of Brazil seemed to notice. Rorion Gracie creates a big infomercial for his family's art, calls it the UFC, and the rest is history. Pride FC would have never happened had Rorion not created the UFC. You do know what that means, don't you? Without the UFC there would be no PRIDE. Without PRIDE you would not have Fedor. Without Fedor you would cease to be. You and Fedor owe your existence to the UFC.
I would also dispute the "Zuffa only cares about its own backyard" argument. The UFC hosts events all over the world, and every year brings new cities and countries hosting UFC PPVs. Pommies, Australians, Canadians, Brazilians, Japanese, Irish, Swedes and Germans have all had the opportunity to host live events. And every card has a bunch of non-American fighters involved. The next PPV is in Brazil, and the one after that has fighters representing 10 different nationalities on the card. :hat
Well the UFC hasnt hosted an event in Germany since 2010, Ireland since 09, cancelled a PPV for a Fuel card in Sweden, has no immediate plans to go back to Japan and is doing seemingly 1 card a year in Oz and the UK and couldnt get Silva v Sonnen booked in a football stadium and TUF Brazil has been a failure Rek was spot on, hardly a world wide promotional brand
Guys at my work today were talking about Pac-Bradley, but it only me and one other guy who actually watched it. When there's a UFC event on (a numbered PPV), then pretty much everyone has seen it and is talking about it the next day.
They're still a business. If it's not profitable for them to physically be overseas, then they're not gonna be there. They've been very vocal about trying to break into China. TUF Brazil was a flop, but they still did TUF Brazil. They're about to do TUF UK v Aus, they've done UK v USA. Most cards have guys from a half dozen different countries, even if the majority are American or Brazilian. Saying the UFC isn't worldwide because they spend so much time/money in the US is like saying MGM isn't world wide because they only produce American movies. They're a business, the money is in the US, so that's where they put their efforts.
