UFC Prime Time: BJ Penn vs. GSP

by Michael Rome on Dec 1, 2008 2:06 PM EST in MMA News

After failing to get the 24/7 concept off the ground for Lesnar/Couture, the UFC is on the ball early for Penn and St. Pierre according to MMA Junkie:

To hype the upcoming mega-fight between Georges St. Pierre and B.J. Penn that takes place Jan. 31 at UFC 94, Spike TV and the UFC will roll out a three-part preview series beginning Jan. 14.

The shows are modeled after the successful “De La Hoya-Mayweather 24/7″ series on HBO that hyped a super-successful May 2007 boxing match between Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. that set a record with 2.4 million pay-per-view buys.

Whereas the UFC let Randy and Brock sell itself due to star power and ESPN coverage, it appears they are going to devote significant resources to hyping and selling this show. It should be interesting to measure the UFC's ability to sell a big fight against what a mainstream press push can do. Then again, they may get both.

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You’d think Spike TV would want mutli-part hype specials for each UFC fight. It’s not like they have any first-run programming on the network doing any sort of ratings besides the UFC (and to a lesser extent, TNA).

by Brett Jones on Dec 1, 2008 2:09 PM EST reply actions

how dare you disrespect MANSWERS

by woooburn on Dec 1, 2008 2:15 PM EST up reply actions

I love that show. Not that I’ve ever actually watched it, but I used to tape an extra 15 minutes of TUF, so always saw some of those shows. They are great in the same way that, say, Roadhouse is great.

But yeah, I don’t think it does a .05, even.

Oh, but hey, Video Game and Scream awards! Whoop-de-doo!

by Brett Jones on Dec 1, 2008 2:18 PM EST up reply actions

World’s Most Extreme Police Chase’s? Blade the Series? Shit.

by dropkick101 on Dec 1, 2008 3:55 PM EST up reply actions

I agree

http://mma4real.net/

by Tha Realness on Dec 1, 2008 2:29 PM EST up reply actions

UFC

i agree with LUKE THOMAS that this could be the biggest mma fight or our era to both the hardcore and to the casual fans. personally i can see this fight doing a million ppv’s if the ufc can get the same kind of espn exposure brock/randy got. i cant think of any 2 fighters i would rather see get it on more right now than these 2. i am officially PUMPED!.

by bdw on Dec 1, 2008 2:15 PM EST reply actions

Proper BE terminology would be “cised” — not “pumped.”

by Kierkegaard on Dec 1, 2008 2:20 PM EST up reply actions

gotcha! i’m officially “cised”!

by bdw on Dec 1, 2008 2:24 PM EST up reply actions

Now you’re learning!

by Luke Thomas on Dec 1, 2008 2:28 PM EST up reply actions

I only know two people who use that term, and the other only uses it because you do.

I do know that it’s not pronounced the way I thought it would be.

by Brett Jones on Dec 1, 2008 2:46 PM EST up reply actions

Looks like DC / NOVA slang to me… :)

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=cised

by lucas_x on Dec 1, 2008 3:11 PM EST up reply actions

I use it because I heard it on junkies when they were on whfs. Remember that. 99.1 Good times.

by szucconi on Dec 1, 2008 3:48 PM EST up reply actions

Si!

by Luke Thomas on Dec 1, 2008 3:53 PM EST up reply actions

I was never interested in seeing a 24/7 type program about Lesnar/Couture but I would have watched just because it’s something new.

I’m much more interested in seeing a 24/7 about GSP/Penn. I guess you could say I’m cised, but i don’t even get that reference. lol

by Discman2 on Dec 1, 2008 2:38 PM EST reply actions

“I was never interested” but “I would have watched”? I’m confused. Do you mean you are more excited for a GSP/Penn show than Lesnar/Couture?

by dropkick101 on Dec 1, 2008 3:57 PM EST up reply actions

If this 24/7 style show can somehow include 50 cent riding around on one of those segway scooter things like they had on Mayweather/De La Hoya 24/7 then it will be worth it.

by dropkick101 on Dec 1, 2008 3:58 PM EST reply actions

Unfortunately...

every 24/7 ever made that didn’t include a Mayweather (be it big or little Floyd or even Roger) has been missing that something special that makes the good ones good.

Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.

by Brent Brookhouse on Dec 1, 2008 4:25 PM EST up reply actions

Is there a difference...

between this “superfight” between the best LW (and possibly p4p) in the world and the best WW in the world and the massively criticized “superfight” between Wanderlei Silva and Sakuraba – imo the best LHW and MW (and possibly p4p) at the time of their fight?

by Frank_Castle on Dec 1, 2008 5:24 PM EST reply actions

…and actually I don’t even think I would say Silva was considered the best LHW when they first fought.

by Frank_Castle on Dec 1, 2008 5:25 PM EST up reply actions

Yes. The fact that the sport itself is so much bigger now is what separates it.

by dropkick101 on Dec 1, 2008 10:22 PM EST up reply actions

Maybe I'm remembering something wrong...

but no one was criticizing that fight when it was made.

Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.

by Brent Brookhouse on Dec 2, 2008 1:08 AM EST up reply actions

No you’re right, no one was criticizing it when it was made and I think Saku was the slight favorite headed in. But now you can’t hear the name Wanderlei Silva without people claiming he was fed Sakuraba at the altar of the bloodthirsty Japanese fans.

Frankly with all of these GSP-Penn, GSP-Silva, Silva-Liddell – were not far off from all these cross weight class fights that used to be the staple and mass criticized part of the PRIDE organization.

by Frank_Castle on Dec 2, 2008 7:55 AM EST up reply actions

The difference was that Saku fought at his natural weight VS Wanderlei at his natural weight. The current super fights are at the same weight class: 170 or 185.

by cyph on Dec 2, 2008 1:42 PM EST up reply actions