MMA Fans Should Watch MMA Live Tomorrow Night

by Michael Rome on Jan 31, 2009 12:06 AM EST in MMA News

MMA Live is doing hour-long pre and post-show episodes live from Las Vegas, and I hope everyone tunes in. I almost never respond to getting these kinds of things in my email, but there is a good reason for fans to tune in here. The first show is on at 9 eastern, and then back again after the show.

The people at MMA Live are working hard to get their show on the air on ESPN 2, but they face an uphill battle because the brass at the station doesn't necessarily love the sport. The only way this show will ever get on the air is if the online viewing numbers are so impressive that the people in charge there have no choice but to put it on.

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Will do. I thought they were only having a post show. BTW, any PS3/HDTV owners out there can use their web browsers on their PS3 to stream it to your tv if you aren’t big on watching these things on your PC. Since the MMA Live stream is of great quality it goes over well on a big screen zoomed in. It just looks like SD instead of HD. No biggie there…

Cant wait till this show is on TV!

by xFenixKnightx on Jan 30, 2009 10:55 PM EST reply actions

been doing that for almost a year, not only for MMA Live each Thursday but for K-1 events, movies, etc…most things, espeically MMA Live show up as quality SD…

by Reaser on Jan 31, 2009 1:41 PM EST up reply actions

MMA Live is incredible.

I wont be watching because I will be at hooters.

by "Mr. NC-17" on Jan 30, 2009 11:06 PM EST reply actions

same

im not impressed with your performance

by troy145 on Jan 30, 2009 11:35 PM EST up reply actions

There is no good reason this show isn’t already on TV.

"I see him beating Anderson Silva. I see him picking him apart. Him at a 131 years old...(trails off)." - Tito on Belfort at Affliction:DOR

by Rundownloser on Jan 31, 2009 12:34 AM EST up reply actions

Sure will.

by donkeypunch on Jan 30, 2009 11:12 PM EST reply actions

I hope they get on ESPN2

That being said, I won’t be able to watch it because sadly, I will be in Las Vegas attending UFC 94. What a drag.

by ufc4 on Jan 30, 2009 11:41 PM EST reply actions

that sucks bro...

I’ll take the tickets off your hand so you can watch Live if you want. Just trying to help you out…

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

by Brent Brookhouse on Jan 30, 2009 11:55 PM EST up reply actions

So you can try and sneak your way to catch it live!

by iiowyn on Jan 31, 2009 1:59 AM EST up reply actions

will do

I will do, and always try to, but it is frustrating to think ESPN2 is showing World’s Greatest Fishing Show, Tennis, and the Toledo-Buffalo basketball game instead of this show. No offense to any of the above listed, but i just can’t imagine the 3 listed above, even combined, could possibly get the ratings that a pre/post UFC show would get. i understand they have pre-existing contracts and everything, but it is asinine

by mo dogg on Jan 31, 2009 12:13 AM EST reply actions

In all fairness, there are a lot more people willing to watch the Australian Open Women’s Final rather than a MMA pre-fight show. Just think about how many female tennis players there are and how prestigious a tennis Grand Slam final is. Compare that to MMA fans who bother to watch pre-fight shows.

by Flying Gogoplata on Jan 31, 2009 1:01 AM EST up reply actions

His point being there are some really crappy shows being given air time that do far lower numbers than MMA Live would. Of course big sporting events should get time slot priority but surely they can find an hour somewhere among all the filler they screen.

by Benicio on Jan 31, 2009 1:07 AM EST up reply actions

I'll pass.

I can’t stand their analysis. Especially Franklin McNeil, who may or may not be clinically retarded.

The way they just butchered the whole Fedor/Alrovski recap was the last straw for me.

Either keep Frank Mir on full time and ditch McNeil, or I ain’t watching.

by a tommy point on Jan 31, 2009 1:00 AM EST reply actions

ESPN:

YOU HAVE YOUR OPTIONS

im not impressed with your performance

by troy145 on Jan 31, 2009 1:17 AM EST up reply actions

I can’t stand their analysis. Especially Franklin McNeil, who may or may not be clinically retarded.

You get a Tommy Point for that.

by Chris Nelson on Jan 31, 2009 2:37 AM EST up reply actions

Speaking of clinically retarded…

by Phildo on Jan 31, 2009 8:41 AM EST up reply actions

Why the hate for Franklin?

He’s been reporting on MMA for such a short period of time and, accordlingly, he’s still learning along the way. Franklin is a long-time boxing reporter who genuinely loves MMA. I had the good fortune to talk to him for about 20 minutes at the pre-fight presser for UFC 88 and he has real enthusiasm for the sport.

In many ways, Franklin is the sort of commentator that fans should be pleased to have in such a high-profile spotlight; his commentary and analysis is evolving as he learns more about the sport and the key players therein, and is less likely to be coloured by the bias that many long-time “hardcore” fans have surrounding certain issues.

All in all I think that Jon Anik, Kenny Florian, Franklin McNeil and Frank Mir for a great team. Here’s hoping that they finally get some airtime!

by VikingPhotography on Jan 31, 2009 2:53 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs

Yeah you can tell his analysis is really evolving. He used to be slow and kinda hesitant with his commentary on the show and now he seems to be way more knowledgeable and confindent about what he’s saying. I didn’t really like him much but I’m coming around to not being as annoyed with him as I used to be. He’s getting better and you can really tell he does like the sport and for that I give him props.

by xFenixKnightx on Jan 31, 2009 9:35 AM EST up reply actions

I have no reason to doubt that McNeil is exactly as you say: an very nice fellow who is passionate about covering MMA

Here are my two main gripes with him, the first being my biggest complaint:

- He’s essentially a parrot with talking AIDS. More often than not, McNeil will attempt to repeat, almost verbatim, what the last person just said on any given subject. I say attempt because the man has trouble stringing together two coherent sentences in a row.

- If ESPN is intending to become the first major television MMA news source (to which there is some doubt because the sport is allegedly not viewed favorably by top ESPN brass), then there should be a true expert on the panel instead of someone who is still learning the finer points of the sport. It does a disservice to the viewer when substandard analysis is offered. Again, I go back to the Fedor/AA fight as the most recent example. McNeil stated several times that Fedor was being “dominated” and got "lucky"’; as though the fight would have undoubtedly ended in AA’s favor. Anyone who watched that fight more than once understands that’s completely untrue.

Mir is good because he’ll say anything even if it could perhaps offend his UFC overlords. We get solid fighter’s insight from Florian, so I have no problem with him. And Anik does a solid job setting the table for everyone. I just think McNeil drags the show down in a major way.

by a tommy point on Jan 31, 2009 7:52 PM EST up reply actions