Admittedly, I'm a fan of the show and I do hope it eventually earns televised air time, but between issues of on air talent to topics covered, there are significant problems with the show. Others, strangely, seem to think it's steadily improving:

It's an interesting dynamic that the best concepts are usually hashed by the simplest of downtime conversations. Rooted by a desire to shatter a negative perception about mixed martial arts, ESPN staffers Kieren Portley and Anthony Mormile, their working relationship rooted in 2005, share a passion for MMA dating back to Dan Severn, Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock. One day the duo was reminiscing about the defunct PRIDE organization and discussing current UFC events when the idea of a real MMA news and information show in the same vein as "College Football Live" or "NFL Live" was hatched. These guys had a support system; many ESPN employees were MMA fans and thus a creative impetus to fill a large void.

"The sport needed a real news and information show that covered MMA the way the fans and fighters deserve rooted in the ESPN professionalism that fans have come to expect," said Portley, "MMA Live's" coordinating producer. "MMA is not a sideshow or gimmick, as some 'mainstream' media might portray it, rather a high-level athletic competition similar to any of the other major sports where the participants really respect each other and their sport. We consider MMA a major sport. The sport deserves the same type of coverage."

All that remained was star power. Portley and Co. found it in Florian, Mir, Bonnar and Franklin. ESPN put its resources behind the endeavor, and from the get-go, the group had a sense they were on to something.

The smooth production quality and Anik's positively flawless ability as a knowledgable, helpful host who keeps the show moving are what save the effort. Unlike the very problematic "Inside MMA" on HDNet (which often features guests from the "MMA media" that positively no one has heard of and have zero impact on the sport), the ESPN show features better pacing and has more refined hosting talent that doesn't get side tracked with inane conversations and awful shtick on air. And they get many of the basics correct by leading with their biggest story first. I'd also give a tip of that hat to Kenny Florian for his insight, candor and healthy image he promotes as a representative of the sport.

So what's the problem? There are a couple of issues. First, aside from Florian and the occasional spot from Frank Mir, there is no one on the show who does any worthwhile analysis. Not Stephan Bonnar, not Franklin McNeil, no one. MMA Live is probably hampered by purse strings, so they look to bring in talent that's at least neighboring Bristol, Connecticut. The problem is that the number of folks capable of offering entertaining and meaningful on air analysis in MMA can be counted on one hand, so by recruiting regionally ESPN unfortunately narrows the scope of an already shallow talent pool.

Second, and this is a battle I've had to learn the hard way, the content isn't as mainstream as one would think. There is a often recited view among hardcore fans that what's important in the sport needs to be covered in the sport. That means if what's happening in Japan is relevant, it needs to be covered as such. As much as it may pain the more puritanical among us to admit, that's demonstrably false in mediums outside of web news or commentary (and even in this space we have certain rules we must obey). Now, websites like this one are able to get away with covering almost whatever we like, but that's because sites like this serve as easy rallying points for an energetic, committed hardcore fan base. The typical profile of that reader is someone with an adequate knowledge of the sport or one curious about learning more and technology allows them to expand on their interest. Unfortunately, the vast majority of fans and would-be converts do not match this profile. They positively do not care about regional or international shows and are not particularly interested in learning. On a much smaller level, this is a reality I've had to confront with my radio show. It turns out that even if fans care about learning more, the recitation of news from Japan or regional shows outside of their home territory becomes a daunting task to absorb and turns a lot of folks away. Learning about the MMA universe is a long, difficult process so even if the listeners or viewers are interested, they are regularly turned off by their own sense of inadequacy or ignorance. Add to that insouciance about the MMA world beyond the shores of the UFC among other fans and covering Sengoku results seems to make less and less sense.

I've often heard fans of other sports complain ESPN cares only about the Cowboys and Yankees. I'm not sure what the problem with this is, to be quite frank. Is ESPN's news model the most ideal or the most interesting? Probably not, but that's not really the issue. Ultimately, this is a for-profit business juggling the bottom line numbers of ratings with a responsibility to cover the sports news. The final product is now and forever will be a compromise of the two. They are inextricably locked into that model, so if you aren't getting your news or commentary, you have to find another medium.

The first priority among any new show is to first grow the audience, then open up later when they are locked in, more knowledgable and comfortable with the content. Purists don't appreciate the premium placed on style, ratings numbers or known commodities, but those are the essential ingredients to growth. Sherdog.com, for example, features many very good Internet-based radio shows that I listen to regularly, but for reasons I've outlined not one is ready for terrestial or even satellite comsumption. The idea that information - relevant, important information dealing directly with the most important issues involving the sport - should carry the day does not carry across mediums and the proof is in the ratings. You can curse me until your day of death for worshipping at the altar of ratings, but in the real world where big media companies are pouring big sums of money into ventures, ratings is what matters.

UPDATE: One minor correction: Mike Chiappetta, when he has filled in, has done a very good job of offering quality analysis on air. I do want to make sure he's recognized.