Fantabulous Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 Early signs point to Henderson/Guida being the main event of the FOX debut show. I heartily endorse this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesterx7769 Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 They have become the go to network for budding MMA promotions [/Quote] Mmm and where do you pull that from? Signing the UFC 7/8 years ago hardly makes them the "go to" network for MMA, why because they have one promotion? HDNet is broadcasting MMA events like crazy and is the go to network for MMA and have shown their dedication. I don't think Spike should go after another MMA show right now. No one watched UFC because of Spike, people went to Spike because of the UFC. Bringing in a new promotion will draw the people that watch MMA no matter what and thats about it, which lets face it isn't very many. I'm glad Fox didn't have the stupid old man stigma of staying away from the UFC the way people stay away from the WWE despite still being one of the highest rated programming on cable. The UFC draws in young males like only the NFL can and Fox will make a crap ton of money off them. I think the cross promotion of advertising UFC and their PPV's on Fox programming is what is going to be the biggest advantage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fantabulous Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 Yeah, HDNet are quite obviously (not obvious enough for some, though) the place for budding MMA promotions; MFC, Titan FC, etc, all have shows on the network and they're clearly where the upstart promotions go for a home. Bellator are not a budding promotion, anyway; they're here and have arrived, albeit at a secondary level. If they want to move up, then Spike would be the place to go, but that's if they want to move up. They might be content at their current level with their current model, and providing all things remain the same, they seem in a pretty safe position as a second-tier promotion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigtplaystew Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 Spike would be big for Bellator. They have Eddie Alvarez already and could add some names if they get a big TV contract. So it's not like it's insane to think that Spike would pick them up. Plus I'd love it because MTV2 isn't in HD here in Philadelphia so I can't watch Bellator in HD currently. I thought Bellator signed a 2 year contract with MTV though at the beginning of this year. I could be mistaken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bull Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 Spike would be big for Bellator. They have Eddie Alvarez already and could add some names if they get a big TV contract. So it's not like it's insane to think that Spike would pick them up. Plus I'd love it because MTV2 isn't in HD here in Philadelphia so I can't watch Bellator in HD currently. I thought Bellator signed a 2 year contract with MTV though at the beginning of this year. I could be mistaken. Spike is owned by MTV so all they would really be doing is moving it to a different channel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigtplaystew Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 ohhh ok yea now that I think of it Bellator would have signed with Viacom I guess and not MTV themselves. Sounds good, let's do it, Viacom and Bellator. Although I was under the impression Spike was gonna change format and get away from guy-centric TV. Not that it would matter much as MTV 2 isn't a "guy" station but it might seem counterproductive if they wanna get away from that image yet bring in an MMA company. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damonster Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 Early signs point to Henderson/Guida being the main event of the FOX debut show. I heartily endorse this. now it's silva/hendo 2. The awesome fight Dana promissed us after UFC 112. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTial Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 Mmm and where do you pull that from? Signing the UFC 7/8 years ago hardly makes them the "go to" network for MMA, why because they have one promotion? HDNet is broadcasting MMA events like crazy and is the go to network for MMA and have shown their dedication. I don't think Spike should go after another MMA show right now. No one watched UFC because of Spike, people went to Spike because of the UFC. Bringing in a new promotion will draw the people that watch MMA no matter what and thats about it, which lets face it isn't very many. I'm glad Fox didn't have the stupid old man stigma of staying away from the UFC the way people stay away from the WWE despite still being one of the highest rated programming on cable. The UFC draws in young males like only the NFL can and Fox will make a crap ton of money off them. I think the cross promotion of advertising UFC and their PPV's on Fox programming is what is going to be the biggest advantage. HDNet is good but as far as international branding goes, which has more name value right now if you're an audience? HDNet is rich just like CBS has it's audience pull but as far as this image that people across the globe have seen, Spike is pretty out there. HDNet is like HBO or some other promotions where you see it in boxing events but it doesn't really have anything special. You just see it as "ok, this is the name right now that can show/sponsor/host this event." In contrast, Spike is like TNT for the NBA. Even if there's ESPN and Fox Sports, the Spike logo and all that generates a different familiar feel to MMA audiences who mostly have seen the UFC. You can't deny that it's smaller but you want to build a MMA brand that will have the pull of the UFC, Spike is a great entry point just not in the US. Also, this delusion that MMA has arrived, wow... after all the Brazil talks and all the failures of more exposed promotions like EliteXC and Affliction...some guys are still blind to the fact that MMA hasn't still arrived? That Bellator IS still a budding MMA promotion? Wow...I mean, Sonnen's a troll but this is where he was right in an interview. Sometimes you live so close to the trees, you miss the forest. Geez...how spoiled can some elitist MMA fans be to realize that even the UFC right now is not quite there yet and all the above and beyond stuff they are doing has been crucial to keeping MMA alive and not just a company trying to expand on some quest to stay on top. Yea dude Sonnen's a world class wrestler, which means that part of his ground game is solid, even against some great BJJ practitioners. Because he's a top level athlete. But he has gotten caught in submissions before probably because his BJJ isn't INCREDIBLE. He's still one of the top fighters at his weight class regardless. I'm a fan of his but I'd like to see Stann beat him and solidfy himself up there. No, he hasn't gotten caught in submissions. He has been caught in one type of submission by mostly reknowned fighters and he is in a camp that hasn't been as successful as other camps and even in the past, their elite fighters from Hendo to Randy had submission weaknesses and Randy never even raised his BJJ game to compete with the elite until he left Team Quest and Hendo over the years have been put in situations where he avoided the ground game more and more. Most of that can be attributed to age but you watch Hendo's earlier fights and his peak sub defense is almost the same as today. It's not something that you saw improve quite like other fighters who have been in other camps and I know these guys cross train and Team Quest has a large branch but you have to look at someone like Anderson with Blackhouse and how his submission changed to really see the difference that in terms of potential Sonnen has shown pretty great sub defense especially in his latest UFC run and most of the sub losses came from the limelight of fighters in more reknowned camps or very elite backgrounds like Maia and Horn. Oh and yeah, I have it for Stann too but I think people who have been caught on some sort of substance abuse have always came back noticeably weaker whether they are guilty or not guilty of taking them. Sean Sherk mostly giving up on his wrestling comes to mind. He didn't get that back until a couple of fights later and suddenly he wasn't even top 2 considering his domination as a top 1 fighter. Even with the influx of newer fighters, that's a sudden dip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Shape Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 Forrest/Shogun 2 is one of the hardest fights to pick in a while. Shogun is almost certainly not 100% and Forrest kind of seems like he doesn't want to be there. I think the home crowd factor might just be enough for Shogun but if this were in the USA I'd pick Forrest without a doubt. Also I love how they're already planning Anderson's next title defence (or a three rounder at LHW maybe). They're banking on one man winning even more than with GSP/Shields. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fantabulous Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 now it's silva/hendo 2. . Silva/Hendo II is very unlikely to happen for a number of reasons, to where I'd dismiss it as a credible option. Shogun/Griffin II depends on Shogun's knee and his attitude. If his knee is better, and he can train better (including cardio), then I think he can handled Griffin without too many problems. If the Jones loss broke Shogun mentally, and big losses can be deadly to some fighters (MMA and boxing), then Griffin has a good shot at beating him. I favour Shogun in this fight, probably to finish it, but it really all comes down to Shogun's mental and physical state going into the fight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remianen Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 If Spike can nail Bellator though, I think they have the better made for TV MMA deal. Far better than their pro-wrestling equivalent in TNA. UFC has always been a show built on prestige and lately they haven't even narrowed those down where free/low prestige fights are more exciting and marquee fights being more boring. Spike really should be celebrating instead. Mmm and where do you pull that from? Signing the UFC 7/8 years ago hardly makes them the "go to" network for MMA, why because they have one promotion? HDNet is broadcasting MMA events like crazy and is the go to network for MMA and have shown their dedication. I don't think Spike should go after another MMA show right now. No one watched UFC because of Spike, people went to Spike because of the UFC. Bringing in a new promotion will draw the people that watch MMA no matter what and thats about it, which lets face it isn't very many. Yeah, this. Spike signed UFC because they felt that MMA would overtake boxing as the premier combat sport, and they wanted to get in pretty much on the ground floor. It worked. UFC drew tons of (predominantly male) viewers to Spike. The fear is that those viewers may not stick around once UFC is gone. Besides, it's hard to brand yourself as 'television for men' when you have no (American) football or boxing or MMA. I'll ask to see what's up with Bellator. Spike is owned by MTV so all they would really be doing is moving it to a different channel Not exactly. The umbrella is 'MTV Networks' but in the hierarchy, Spike is actually owned by Comedy Central. And it's not that easy, believe me. The networks, in several ways, compete with each other since they're in different "groups" under the umbrella. It's not like, "Hey Spike, you just lost your MMA product. We've got an MMA product we just bought, would you like to have it?". A lot of moving parts in that machine. HDNet is good but as far as international branding goes, which has more name value right now if you're an audience? It's not about name value, it's about saturation and reach. Spike, as part of a large media conglomerate, is on more cable systems and has access to more homes than HDNet. They're also on BASIC cable plans with many of the largest providers, which gives them access to even more sets of eyes. But, MMA fans (which, by the way, I'm told in the US spend more, on average, than fans of any sport except the NFL. They also tend to have a higher per capita income. THAT'S why MMA is highly valued, by broadcasters at least) would probably appreciate HDNet's variety. Especially if what you say is true and the UFC's main events have been 'blah' compared to their undercard matchups. HDNet has its niche with the more hardcore fans (very much like the NFL with Sunday Ticket. Casual fans aren't ponying up for that plan). UFC had/has the broader reach due to their broadcast visibility and a partner willing to help them build their brand at almost any cost. Remember, you're talking about matchups and such and the network(s) are looking at one thing: AD SALES. Spike made tens of millions a year off UFC, purely off ad sales. That's where the difference is. No one else in MMA brings in that kind of ad demand (yet?). That's where Spike will feel the loss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustin Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 Yeah, this. Spike signed UFC because they felt that MMA would overtake boxing as the premier combat sport, and they wanted to get in pretty much on the ground floor. It worked. UFC drew tons of (predominantly male) viewers to Spike. The fear is that those viewers may not stick around once UFC is gone. Besides, it's hard to brand yourself as 'television for men' when you have no (American) football or boxing or MMA. I'll ask to see what's up with Bellator. Correction: Spike signed UFC because they had absolutely nothing to lose. UFC even paid its own way in the beginning. WWE was leaving Spike around then and at the time Spike had literally nothing else. There were even some rumors that it would be shutdown after WWE left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damonster Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 Silva/Hendo II is very unlikely to happen for a number of reasons, to where I'd dismiss it as a credible option. Well loranzo said that's what they are targeting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brashleyholland Posted August 25, 2011 Author Share Posted August 25, 2011 Well loranzo said that's what they are targeting. And Dana has since said they're not, even if Silva wins in 13 seconds. In fairness, Lorenzo never said they were trying to put the fight together. someone asked him if they'd do it, and he said he'd love to. Typical media question. It's sort of our job to ask sneaky questions like that then report them as wildly out-of-context facts :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesterx7769 Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 Dissapointed Chael didn't make the trip for whatever the real reasons are. Was curious to see if some fan decided to go nuts and make a run at him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedsRule Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 Dissapointed Chael didn't make the trip for whatever the real reasons are. Was curious to see if some fan decided to go nuts and make a run at him. Except he would die before he made it to the Arena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesterx7769 Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 Except he would die before he made it to the Arena And now we will never know Just curious if Okami's sponsor excuse is legit or the only reason. Or if the UFC/Management/Someone in Brazil, stepped in and said it was a bad idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisWest Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that someone had threatened to hurt him. Maybe even kill him. Don't remember where, though. http://mmajunkie.com/news/24937/sonnen-ufc-134-trip-to-support-okami-canceled-due-to-sponsor-intervention-police-threat.mma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brashleyholland Posted August 26, 2011 Author Share Posted August 26, 2011 I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that someone had threatened to hurt him. Maybe even kill him. Don't remember where, though. A facebook page was set up suggesting that Brazilian fans give Chael a warm welcome by way of a tree and a length of rope. Sonnen was apparently going to either corner, or at the very least cagewalk Okami for the fight, and his sponsors weren't too keen on the idea of a potential lynching :-p There was also some fear that Chael might be punched/grabbed/have beer thrown at him on the way to the cage, which would be a distraction to Okami. The guy who set the facebook page up said it was a joke (apparently the tone of it was very light-hearted, but you know what the media/authorities are like for jumping to conclusions/blowing things out of proportion). Hopefully Chael recorded a video message they can play to the fans while they're busy carting Nogueira's lifeless body out of the cage, y'know, just to lighten the mood :-p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fantabulous Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 I fully expect Schaub to knock Big Nog out cold and the resultant riot should be quite the spectacle. Hopefully, the police will have calmed things done so the rioters can pick things back up when Okami taps out Silva. *crosses fingers* Schaub probably will KO Big Nog but Silva/Okami, I think, won't be quite so straightforward a fight. Silva is the favourite but I don't think he'll blast through Okami with ease and I hope Okami can at least last a few rounds and, with some luck and skill, pull of the upset. Which if it does happen, very well could see things get ugly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesterx7769 Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 Couldn't help but think of the Fox main event possibilities late last night and there are only a few that could happen to me. Many top guys that would be worthy are booked, so barring pulling/moving guys around these are the few options I saw. There are few guys to begin with that can headline main shows so with lots booked it makes it tough. They probably want a former champ or #1 contender match. Mir vs. Overeem. don't know if Mir's healthy but he's not booked (despite Lesnar rumors but no one knows whats going on there) and Overem wants to fight by the end of the year so it might work and both would like the Fox publicity more so than a foreign fighter who doesn't live in the US or care about publicity at all. Could also be used as #1 contenders match which would be enticing to Overeem Dan Henderson vs. Lyoto Machida. Two former champions and could bill it as a #1 contenders match. Don't see alot of problems with this now that the Hendo/Silva rumor has been put to rest. Of course the Henderson vs. Guida rumor. Asides from fights there are only a few guys I would consider for the event and I don't really see alot for UFC to work with. You could do Fitch maybe but Dana knows he's boring and won't put him on Fox for their first big fight. Sean Sherk might be back for the former champ push but is really that relevant given how stacked 155 is? Phil Davis? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Shape Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 Henderson/Guida makes by far the most sense if they're not putting on an absolute blockbuster IMO. Guaranteed to be a great fight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesterx7769 Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 Henderson/Guida makes by far the most sense if they're not putting on an absolute blockbuster IMO. Guaranteed to be a great fight. Guida vs. Pettis was supposed to be a guaranteed greay fight until Guida decided to Jon Fitch it and spend most of the fight just defending submissions not saying he will do it again and has still put on some exciting fights but I think they will go for name value over "exciting fights" since no fight is guaranteed to be exciting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Shape Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 Guida vs. Pettis was supposed to be a guaranteed greay fight until Guida decided to Jon Fitch it and spend most of the fight just defending submissions not saying he will do it again and has still put on some exciting fights but I think they will go for name value over "exciting fights" since no fight is guaranteed to be exciting. Completely different kettle of fish. Pettis/Guida was a clear style clash where neutralisation was possible, Guida and Henderson are too similar for one to dominate the other in that fashion. Got a weird feeling about tomorrow's main event, just based on the way the UFC are now after all this time banking on Silva with his heightened drawing power and exposure in Brazil. With his age, his enigmatic approach, it could so easily go so wrong. Not that I expect it to. Anyway: Silva vs. Okami Shogun vs. Griffin - I think he'll blitz him, not getting good vibes off Forrest atm Nogueira vs. Schaub - okay so maybe this is becoming a Brazil love in, but Cro Cop gave Schaub a lot of trouble and almost outfoxed him, he's been KO'd before, and I think he'll get dropped on the feet again and then maybe submitted here Barboza vs. Pearson - I like Pearson but don't see what he has to offer here Cane vs. Nedkov because I've heard of him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fantabulous Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 If Shogun blitz Forrest I expect nothing less than the king of all breakdowns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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