Be Careful What You Wish For

by Michael Rome on Jun 3, 2008 1:43 AM EDT in News Comment 13 comments

For years, a group of fans has audibly hoped the day the UFC would face serious competition. They waited with baited breath for Dana White to fall on his face, hoping against hope someone would come along to knock the UFC off its pedestal. All those mismatches, marketing "stars" over "pure" MMA, and Dana's brash attitude were "bad for the sport" and MMA needed a hero to save it.

Now that the competition has arrived, I hope people are thrilled with what they have. Nothing has amused me more over the last 24 hours than seeing "MMA Purists" realize that UFC's product is tremendous all things considered, and the alternative they waited so long for made a mockery of the sport they love and achieved great success in doing so.

I suppose this will be the beginning of the reconciliation between online MMA fans and the UFC. When the alternative is Gary Shaw, Kimbo Slice, rappers, dancers, and exploding cauliflower ears, "shitty cards" like UFC 85 don't look so bad anymore. It may be "unfair" that Machida doesn't have a title shot yet, but it is surely not as offensive as what we saw Saturday night.

The face of MMA changed permanently this weekend, and in my opinion, it was not for the better. Part of the blame has to lay at Dana's feet for not doing the first MMA deal on broadcast TV, but nobody knows the details of the deal like him, and given how much he wanted a deal like that, the details must have been real bad.

I expect that given the success of the show in the ratings last night, NBC will promote Strikeforce to a live event by 2009, and one of the other major networks will go ahead and sign up UFC. In a way, the MMA war will be great for fans because we'll see big fights, and lots of them, but nothing can change the fact that the lasting image from the first MMA show to ever air on broadcast television is James Thompson's exploding ear.

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Read More: kimbo slice, dana white, elite xc

Comments

I have to hope that UFC will land a TV deal soon. UFC 84 would have been a huge success on a network like FOX. Even 85 (not shitty in my opinion) would look great on network TV. For the record, I’m certainly not one of the people you mentioned. I loved Pride and UFC simultaneously, and I think UFC is currently (and for the foreseeable future) unmatched.

by Popetastic on Jun 3, 2008 1:57 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Everyone was so worried that the EXC event on primetime was going to hurt MMA or demolish the UFC, but in reality all it did was separate the UFC from the rest of the pack. In my opinion the UFC now has a better bargaining chip than they ever did before. There is a market for MMA on national tv and the UFC has the best product in the business. The UFC will be on FOX before the next Super Bowl. Bank on it!!!

by nitro on Jun 3, 2008 2:26 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I totally agree with you Rome, reading different forums and various blogs, you would think the UFC was the anti-Christ. People were just waiting for the day when real competition would come and put the UFC in it’s place. Well we’ve just seen UFC’s competition, and it’s made everyone realize just how good the UFC really is.

by filipinomix2oo0 on Jun 3, 2008 2:40 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

The UFC should have a network deal by the end of the year at the latest.

by pud333 on Jun 3, 2008 3:43 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Just to add to my comment: Rome is right that Dana holds part of the blame for not getting the first network deal, but I think in the long run it will be better for MMA. EliteXC’s simultaneous success and failure gives Dana huge clout. He’s gonna get things done his way, and unlike Gary Shaw, I believe Dana when he says he cares about the long term future of MMA.

by pud333 on Jun 3, 2008 3:47 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I really hope you’re right.

Intentional Blog on Balls

by Richard Wade on Jun 3, 2008 4:05 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Me too. Gotta have faith in something.

by pud333 on Jun 3, 2008 10:55 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not true

I’ve been very successful at having faith in nothing.

But I guess I could have faith in Dana’s desire to make money, which would be well served by getting the UFC on free TV. And hopefully the other networks are figuring out that a) there’s a market for MMA on TV, and b) if everyone is saying that the UFC is better than EliteXC, maybe they should be talking to Dana.

Don't believe a word I say, I don't train BJJ. -- TangleBones

by jemaleddin on Jun 3, 2008 11:02 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

DREAM

With PRIDE reincarnated as DREAM, I have to question your labeling of EliteXC as “the competition” and “the alternative.” EXC may be such in the United States, but for any hardcore MMA fan receptive of foreign promotions, DREAM is the biggest and best rival to the UFC/WEC – not EXC.

We nostalgic fans dreamed of a promotion with great production values, top international talent and a great overall aura – something worthy enough to succeed PRIDE. With the excellent shows DREAM has put on in the past and will put on in the future, I’d say our wish was fulfilled.

by Flying Gogoplata on Jun 3, 2008 5:25 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

By the way, your site got shown on Attack of the Show when they were reviewing EliteXC on CBS.

by SamCupitt on Jun 3, 2008 5:46 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

really?

is that video online?

by Kid Nate on Jun 3, 2008 8:33 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Don't know about online...

I live in Australia and I got the show on fox and they were doin their piece of EliteXC and when they were talking about it they showed your story on “Where does EltieXC go from here” panning across the screen. They didn’t mention it by name, but I clearly noticed it.

by SamCupitt on Jun 3, 2008 12:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs