Quote of the Day: Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brock Lesnar Must Happen for Mixed Martial Arts
by Luke Thomas on Jul 16, 2009 10:40 AM EDT
in MMA News
Email
Print
"How's this sound? Fedor Emelianenko wakes up Aug. 2, as he has every morning since March 2003, the best heavyweight in mixed martial arts. Months later Brock Lesnar rolls through Shane Carwin or Cain Velasquez. Fans and media reach a fever pitch. Fedor versus Lesnar is all anyone can talk about.
Great champions need perfect foils, and Lesnar -- fresh off wins over Randy Couture, Frank Mir and whomever earns the next challenge following UFC 104 -- appears to be Clubber Lang to Emelianenko's Rocky.
Bottom line, assuming assumptions play out, this is a fight that has to happen. It's bigger than organizational brands. It's bigger than belts. It's the kind of fight that would truly lift MMA into the mainstream. It's bigger than UFC 100. Much. Why? Because it serves the purpose of confirming the world's best heavyweight. It's the essence of what MMA should represent as sport.
Otherwise, what's the point of all this?"
-- Josh Gross, in his most recent column in Sports Illustrated.
115 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
we'll see
I personally have some concerns for Fedor going into that match. But would love to see him light up Lesnar on the feet and finish him on the ground.
Follow me on Twitter @KidNate
by Nate Wilcox on Jul 16, 2009 11:39 AM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, I can see that, but if you put a gun to my head today, I’m picking Brock.
How's the weather up your own ass? - Stephen Colbert
by Derek Suboticki on Jul 16, 2009 2:49 PM EDT up reply actions
at least thats what everybody prays happen. what will it do for the sport if a man in only 6 fights figuring brock fights fedor after cain/carwin wins? Brock beats the best fighter in the history of mma in only his 6th fight? That to me would raise a lot of questions rather than answers. Im a Brock fan but beating the best in only 6 fights makes the sport of mma look like it is bush league
I think it would reveal how lacking the sport is in terms of HW talent. Lots of HW guys in MMA have been slobs. There are thousands of athletes brocks size in this country, but they are in the NBA or NFL. Boxing has the same problem.
I think youve got it flipped
ask anyone where the best athletes in sports are, its the NBA. There are tons of guys 6’6", 250 and run like deer. Bad left hook recently posted something where they said the best potential boxers would come from the NBA. Im not just talking power, because a lot of those 330 linemen couldnt do a fight sport besides wrestling, but athletic ability. We need some HW anderson silvia’s, jon jones and aldo types, not more beefy guys who just muscle their opponents around and lay on top. Id rather watch two athletic guys over two really strong guys any day.
Does it? Fedor has taken on every proven veteran they’ve put in front of him and not only beaten them but beaten them in a way that has left little to question. Aside from that one single mistake, Lesnar has shown just what raw strength and size can accomplish.
If Lesnar beats Fedor, it will only mean that even The Last Emperor has a hole in his game – which would be a mere reminder that he is, despite all doubts to the contrary, only human. Even if Lesnar beats him, Fedor would still be 30-something and two – a record few, if any can match. He’d still have beaten Crocop, Big Nog, Coleman, Herring, Babalu, Arona… That’s still a resume just about anyone would want.
If Lesnar were to win, it would only prove that Fedor can be beaten by means other than a single freak cut. Nothing more.
by Monday Morning Martial Artist on Jul 16, 2009 1:03 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Mike Tyson
He was Champ at 20, which didn’t make boxing look bush league. I haven’t seen any 20 year old MMA champs. An NCAA HW champion has a leg up on many MMA fighters. Lots of Brock’s positioning in the Mir fight were set up by his high-level wrestling background.
by Zou want a piece? on Jul 16, 2009 1:17 PM EDT up reply actions
Actually, I think Tyson's run to unify the various boxing titles
did exactly make HW boxing look bush league. At the very least it exposed what a sore group of HWs there were in HW boxing at the time.
I think that it would raise questions about the Heavyweight Division especially the weight discrepancies between Lesnar and his opponents, but I really don’t think that it makes the entire sport of MMA look bush league. It would point out that the Heavyweight Division doesn’t have fighters with the talent of other divisions. The one thing with the Heavyweight Division that I have noticed is that it is the one division where a fighter can get pretty far and still be one dimensional.
Damn! Every time I think about this or Fedor vs any UFC HW, I just get the feeling it will happen on the downside of his/their career, which sucks for us fans.
If you're not submitting, you're just rolling around with another guy.
Exactly my feelings. I’d hate to see Fedor fight Brock in 4 years and get torn apart, then have people dismiss Fedor’s entire career based on that. I know not everyone would, but some would.
Also, I’d rather have Brock beat Carwin AND Cain first.
BOOSH
Or dismiss the magnatude of the win for Brock because
Fedor was getting old, etc…
There are two equally bad sides to that coin.
built in excuse already for fedor. he and brock are about the same age and all that wwe shit took a toll on brock for sure.
Thats what they said about Fedor Vs. Randy too
As long as Fedor holds out, Fedor Vs. The Current UFC champ will always be a hot ticket.
Clubbed Lang? I’d say Brock is more of an Ivan drago
by kanodogg on Jul 16, 2009 11:34 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
You are right, and how ironic is Russian Rocky Vs. American Drago
by Zou want a piece? on Jul 16, 2009 1:00 PM EDT up reply actions
That Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta recognize, should it come to this, that the practice of co-promotion won’t damage their brand — it will only enhance it if it leads to mega-fights. By doing what’s necessary to make this bout — or others like it should they arise — Zuffa would deserve and receive credit for producing the biggest fight in MMA history. Otherwise, it risks the exact opposite.
It’s not hard to see that this absolutely would damage the UFC brand. What possible sense is there in bringing in the best HW in the world for a single fight against the UFC HW champ, then letting him walk? If Fedor wins, and he probably will, he’s going to walk off into the sunsight dragging all the credibility of the UFC HW division behind him.
If you put one of your biggest stars and division champion up against someone who isn’t known by the general public, you better damn well make sure that you can make the challenger into a star if he wins.
from inside mma
"At the present time, I don’t think so, I don’t think you’ll see me in the UFC, just because the terms, and the manner in which those terms are offered, are not acceptable today," said Fedor.
“At least that’s what Finkie told me to say.”
why does everyone blame Dana for not getting Fedor when the contract is perfectly fine for every other top-10 pound for pound fighter in the world?
Some people might say that winning a fight makes you a better fighter but I don’t agree with that.- BlueberryMuffin
by ufc4 on Jul 16, 2009 1:57 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions 6 recs
Rec’d.
How's the weather up your own ass? - Stephen Colbert
by Derek Suboticki on Jul 16, 2009 5:17 PM EDT up reply actions
What other Top 10 fighter in the world is getting paid outside the UFC like Fedor?
by bignerd on Jul 16, 2009 7:42 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
This
And what other sport does an absolutely king-of-the-mountain, top-of-the-hill, cream-of-the-crop athlete in his prime get locked out of the major league because he wants too much money. That’s the real difference between MMA and major sports, in any other sport this deal would have already been made. Only in MMA and Boxing do these sorts of things happen.
It ends in an armbar or a strangle regardless.
It is ABSOLUTELY not money. It is all about Finkie wanting to use the UFC to advance his own promotion M-1 Global.
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
Brock Lesnar rolls through Shane Carwin?
I see Carwin knocking Brock out. Unless Brock drastically improves his striking defense I’d put everything I own on Carwin in that fight. Mir had him in trouble at the beginning of the 2nd and Carwin’s power is on a much higher level than Mir’s.
I would like to see Brock vs Fedor, but if Fedor comes to the UFC in the future Carwin will be at the top of the mountain waiting for him.
I’ll let go of my vice grip on Carwin’s nuts now
What about when Gonzaga had Carwin in trouble before getting KTFO?
Twitter: @Mike_Fagan_13
http://www.sackmikegoldberg.com
That was in trouble, Mir just made Brock blink.
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
Yeah, I like Shane and all but let’s not pretend like he has top notch striking defense and I bet Brock hits harder than Gonzaga.
Some people might say that winning a fight makes you a better fighter but I don’t agree with that.- BlueberryMuffin
by ufc4 on Jul 16, 2009 1:58 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
That wouldn’t work, I doubt Crocop remembers that.
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
by iiowyn on Jul 16, 2009 6:10 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Well done.
How's the weather up your own ass? - Stephen Colbert
by Derek Suboticki on Jul 17, 2009 2:41 AM EDT up reply actions
I’d recommend diversifying your assets before you go out and lose it all betting on Carwin.
by Hardcharger on Jul 16, 2009 12:46 PM EDT up reply actions
As always, Josh Gross is good for at least a few laughs.
This fight would do nothing for the mainstream. Fedor isn’t really important at all.
by AlwaysRelaxing on Jul 16, 2009 11:42 AM EDT reply actions
Right. What could be important about a HW who is 30-1 and fought the best fighters in the world in their primes?
He is almost non-existant in the mind of the casual MMA fan.
by AlwaysRelaxing on Jul 16, 2009 11:59 AM EDT up reply actions
Couldnt disagree more...
Fedor had no part in the UFC 100 spectacle, yet i still hear his name mentioned on different TV shows and radio shows. If he beats Barnett, people will slowly begin to hear about this Russian that is supposed to be even better than the mighty Brock Lesner.
Brock has become the face of the UFC. Not Chuck, not GSP, not Anderson, not Randy. When the UFC is mentioned on any mainstream media outlets, Brocks face will be the thumbnail shown. He is both what MMA fans have dreamed of and what they have feared most… He brings mainstream attention to the sport (and the UFC brand) but did so in a way that feeds into the poor reputation of MMA. From this point on, if a casual fan or not a fan at all knows one single thing about the UFC, it will be that Brock Lesner is the HW champ… and he’s nuts, as is anyone willing to go in a cage with him. The UFC knows all this and they know the response they will get when (if) they bring in Fedor and tell the world thatr he is actually better than Brock. People wont believe it. They’ll have to see this fight and the UFC will make sure they do. Remember just because people dont know Fedor now, doesnt mean they never will. UFC has the rights to some of his greatest footage, and i have no doubt that they will do a great job in educating the casual or just UFC fan on Fedor’s legacy.
The UFC will turn the hype machine up full blast for this one. Hardcore fans dont need the hype, we will come out from behind our keyboards and watch this fight along with more casual fans than even watched 100.
this is a mega-fight, that will make mega-bucks and just like Brock’s face has been plastered across ESPN all week, so soon will Fedor’s if this fight goes down.
A true MMA fan from the great state of Arkansas.
by MMArazorback on Jul 16, 2009 11:59 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
If he was that important, he could sell more PPV’s. He isn’t, and therefore he doesn’t.
by AlwaysRelaxing on Jul 16, 2009 12:00 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
he's barely been marketed to the American fan
Never forget that Brock’s PPV debut was an utter disaster. Utter and complete disaster.
Follow me on Twitter @KidNate
by Nate Wilcox on Jul 16, 2009 12:04 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Brock wasn’t even on the poster art for that show. They sold it as Gracie vs. Sakuraba 2. That is very different then Fedor, who has been the true headliner (including August) in 5 PPV’s. And the guy can’t sell a PPV despite being called the best in the world over and over and over again.
by AlwaysRelaxing on Jul 16, 2009 12:09 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Again, if the UFC signs him...he will be.
Right now Fedor’s popularity come from hardcore fan’s memories of Pride, internet highlights, and the weak-ass marketing efforts of M-1 and Affliction.
now compare that to if he signs with the UFC….
He would have the full force of the UFC marketing machine behind him, He’d be fighting the most recognizable face in all of MMA, ESPN’s coverage is growing by the day.
A true MMA fan from the great state of Arkansas.
by MMArazorback on Jul 16, 2009 12:17 PM EDT up reply actions
Is he supposed to sell PPVs out of the trunk of his car?
He doesnt have even a fraction of the marketing power that the UFC has. His highlights make anyone, ANYONE’s jaw drop… but it doesnt matter cuz no one sees them. But that will change if he signs with the UFC. I know thats wishful thinking right now, but the UFC doesnt have a fighter on their roster with as good of a record or collection of highlight finishes as Fedor. It would be amazing what the UFC could do to market this guy.
Like I said, doesnt matter now cuz he’s not there. But boy if they get him… he’’ll REALLY go from “that bad-ass Russian dude” to “The best fighter of all time” (IMO).
If Lebron had the same skill level he has now, at the same age, but played in Greece, sure we’d hear about him, but it would be like it is now. Same goes for Fedor. Some people hear about him now, but untill you combine the best fighter in the world with the biggest promotion in the world, you havent even scratched the surface on his potential.
A true MMA fan from the great state of Arkansas.
by MMArazorback on Jul 16, 2009 12:07 PM EDT up reply actions
Fedor doesn’t have the look. Doesn’t have the speaking skills. Like others have said, a fight with him and Brock would be not much different then a fight between him and Carwin.
This is not the fight to make the sport bigger. Perhaps to the internet fans who worship Fedor. But not to the masses. No matter how much the UFC pushed this fight, it doesn’t have a natural marketability of even a Lesner/Mir 2.
by AlwaysRelaxing on Jul 16, 2009 12:12 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
“Fedor doesn’t have the look. Doesn’t have the speaking skills. Like others have said, a fight with him and Brock would be not much different then a fight between him and Carwin.”
You know this is totally wrong, don’t you? I’m just making sure.
by Luke Thomas on Jul 16, 2009 12:14 PM EDT up reply actions
You think Fedor’s look and speaking skills can sell a fight?
All of the biggest MMA Draws in America have been between English Speaking fighters. Liddell, Ortiz, GSP, Penn, Lesnar, Mir…. They can all speak English to promote the fight.
by AlwaysRelaxing on Jul 16, 2009 12:20 PM EDT up reply actions
People arent going to buy a Lesner PPV based on the “look or speaking skill” of his opponent. Sure it helps, but c’mon. To say that because the best fighter on earth doesnt speak english and has a beer gut, means people wont watch him fight Brock is crazy.
A true MMA fan from the great state of Arkansas.
by MMArazorback on Jul 16, 2009 12:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Fedor's fights and skills speak for themselves...
he doesnt need to hype a fight in broken english to sell UFC PPVs trust me.
A true MMA fan from the great state of Arkansas.
by MMArazorback on Jul 16, 2009 12:31 PM EDT up reply actions
That’s nice to say, but the facts don’t support that.
The big selling UFC events had guys who could speak well get the hype up. Anderson Silva can’t sell PPV’s. The reason why Machida/Evans did so good was because of Evans and a small undercard fight known as Hughes/Serra.
Fedor is great, but he doesn’t translate to mainstream American culture.
by AlwaysRelaxing on Jul 16, 2009 12:35 PM EDT up reply actions
Don’t doubt the drawing power of Machida for that fight. Plus Machida started working on his English before then.
“People, do I deserve da title shot?”
cheers
“Whoever, whenever, wherever, I be there”
cheers
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
by iiowyn on Jul 16, 2009 12:41 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Gross said that Lesnar vs. Fedor would lift MMA into the mainstream. This just isn’t true. It would just be another Lesnar fight. It would likely still get 1 Million + PPV Buys. It would still be a big PPV Success. It just isn’t going to be any bigger then something like UFC 100 or any other future Lesnar fight.
In order to break out further into the mainstream, it will take Lesnar against another beast who can speak English and has the look and it factor to sell the fight.
Don’t get me wrong. I would love to see Fedor vs. Lesnar. It just isn’t this huge fight people like you are making it out to be.
by AlwaysRelaxing on Jul 16, 2009 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions
You are underestimating the UFC hype machine..
If Fedor comes to the UFC, he will be hyper as the baddest man on earth for several years running now, and Brock is this rising star/beast that could very well topple the legend…
Casuals will eat this up after the UFC promotes fedor properly.. Comparing it to a Carwin fight is foolish.. They’ll hype that as the biggest dudes ever to step in the cage.. It will still sell for sure, but a fight with fedor will be much much easier to market for them..
by Anton Tabuena on Jul 16, 2009 12:58 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree Luke.
But for most of the people on here today it looks like im going to have to agree to disagree.
I fell like we havent even really see the effects of UFC 100 yet, interms of growth of the sport. Im by no means saying “we’ve hit the mainstream” i just feel like it made a huge step. And i think it will be evident in future PPVs and coverage.
I think we’re selling the casual fans and the public short on this one. If the UFC spends the time and money to educate the fans on what Fedor has done than this will be huge… its up to them. People want to see the best fight and if the UFC does their job, and ESPN and others help a little, people will know that this is a megafight. When someone sees Fedor for the first time sure they think “hmmm doesnt look tough to me.” but when they see him FIGHT for the first time they say “holy shit.” The UFC wont just stroll him out there and say it Brock vs some Russian… They’ll make Fedor seem like the force that he is, and people will buy into it.
Believe me, they wont waste ANY Lesner fight by not hyping the shit out of it.
A true MMA fan from the great state of Arkansas.
by MMArazorback on Jul 16, 2009 12:27 PM EDT up reply actions
Believe me, Lesnar’s “post fight antics” were one of the best things to come out of that. They help far more than they hurt.
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
by iiowyn on Jul 16, 2009 2:50 PM EDT up reply actions 4 recs
^this
I wholeheartedly agree. I brought a group oh MMA newbs to watch UFC 100 and they have already been asking when the next one is… Not that it is ANY reflection on the larger group of MMA newbs who watched UFC 100 but I’m sayin’… More troops for the battle!
I'm the kind of girl who loves to watch a GOOD fight!
--------
Join the DC Area UFC Meetup Group
http://www.meetup.com/DCUFCGroup
by funnytiger on Jul 16, 2009 6:08 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
LYOTO MACHIDA begs to differ
anderson silva is also undefeated in the ufc and he cant sell a paper bag on his own(and he’s been built up)
to the average american mma(ufc) fan these are the only ppl that matter
GSP, Lesnar, Forrest, Rampage, Couture, Machida, Liddell, Ortiz, Penn, Mir
i know tons of ppl who don’t even know who Wanderlei Silva is
I think the disagreement might be
that a fight between Fedor and Brock would be some kind a transcendent MMA event, or the magic bullet that captures the mainstream crowd. I believe this match would only have a smaller spike over a Brock vs. Carwin match-up.
by rzor on Jul 16, 2009 12:05 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
brock vs kimbo sadly would get a bigger mainstream pop than brock vs fedor
by pitbull187 on Jul 16, 2009 12:06 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
You are correct, but the point is that the UFC can hype just about anyone, based on the UFC brand.
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
UFC has hyped up Anderson Silva a lot, and he still can’t outsell many other fighters who have been given less hype.
The UFC can only do so much.
by AlwaysRelaxing on Jul 16, 2009 12:39 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
i live in new york city and i can guarantee you that the casual fan has no idea who fedor
just recently for affliction,taxi cabs will flaunt a poster that shows fedor face and says “Do you know who this man is”?
it’s something out of a missing person milk carton
in times square there’s an afflcition poster of barnett and fedor off on a side street but a TUF 10 poster of Kimbo Slice smack-dab in the center
it makes the afllcition seem like some far off event occuring in europe that nobody knows about
if the average fan didnt hear about him after arlovski and sylvia then barnett wont make a difference.
fedor’s popularity only rises as much as the ufc’s popularity rises in the US and more ppl bcome acquainted with the whole mma world and not just the ufc(and that’s only ppl who r curious and want 2 find out more about the sport)
Wow... you sure bout that?
I’d put everything I own on Carwin in that fight
A true MMA fan from the great state of Arkansas.
Maybe not everything
But I’d definitely put my money of Carwin
I’ve consistently gone against Lesnar in almost every UFC fight he’s had (can’t remember if I chose Herring to win or not) but I’d have to say Fedor beats Lesnar. I think Fedor beats him in the stand-up for sure. The ground is where I am iffy. What Lesnar did to Mir was very impressive. He completely nullified Mir’s BJJ. That being said, I still think Fedor would win in the end. He just has an incredible talent for finding a way to win.
I love me some Sexyama!
"It's the kind of fight that would truly lift MMA into the mainstream."
Bullshit! This fight wouldn’t lift MMA anywhere. I am convinced that MMA is a niche sport and will remain that. I am fine with this.
"Stop smiling you are about to be punched in the face !"
by Warhand on Jul 16, 2009 12:02 PM EDT reply actions 3 recs
Warhand, I agree with your entire statement. Rec’d.
"The path to enlightenment is through suffering"
by RearNakedChoker on Jul 16, 2009 3:33 PM EDT up reply actions
My point isnt that the fight would carry MMA into the mainstream...
But i do feel that it would be the biggest fight in MMA history. The UFC decided to try and make UFC 100 the biggest UFC event ever, and I think we can agree that they did (media coverage-wise)…Similarly i feel that they would be dead set on making this the biggest MMA fight of all time, and i think they would pull if off.
…..IF they ever get Fedor.
A true MMA fan from the great state of Arkansas.
I can't wait for August 2nd...
…because the night before I’ll have watched Fedor vs Barnett, FINALLY – AND it’ll be the start of the UFC trying to sign Fedor (again). The thought of them reaching a deal & seeing Fedor vs Brock just made it move a little lol
I can’t even believe I’m saying that lol – one week ago I wasn’t even interested in seeing Fedor vs Brock!
Keep Swillin',
Bruz
Hypothetically speaking of course...
What happens if Barnett beats Fedor? Obviously he still wants Fedor, but the fight isn’t quite the “megafight” anymore. And do you think Dana would try to sign Barnett too? I believe Dana was quoted saying that if Barnett beat Fedor, he’d be interested in him.
Now back to reality:
Let’s say Fedor beats Barnett & the UFC signs him.
I see it playing out like this:
Shane Carwin beats Velasquez to challenge Brock.
Brock beats Carwin.
Randy Couture beats NOg.
Fedor fights Couture first. Fedor vs Couture is the “dream fight” that caused all the problems between Randy & the UFC so let’s do it. Besides, I don’t see Fedor’s 1st fight in the UFC being for the title.
And then after Fedor beats Couture (& Brock beats Carwin), we are set up for Fedor vs Brock.
There’s a lot of variables here though, but that’s how this whole scenario would play out in my own perfect little world lol
Keep Swillin',
Bruz
by Bruz on Jul 16, 2009 12:27 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
A good scenario
not just because it helps to validate the proposed title fight, but because it would help familiarize Fedor with PPV audiences in a match-up with a known commodity (Couture).
You know what would be better? Imagine if Randy beats Fedro. Just imagine then the hype of Lesnar/Couture 2…
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
Somewhat offset by
the feeling some of us would have that perhaps Fedor didn’t live up to our expectations, or just wasn’t on top of his game that night. Regardless, I would cheer Captain American on to his eventual destruction, hoping against hope he could still pull off one more upset.
This would be a good scenerio because
Randy would really bring in alot of casual fans who might not be in tune with who Fedor is. A great set up for the Lesnar/Fedor payday, assuming the build up fights turn out as planned.
Dana has said Fedor can walk in and fight for a title
He just can’t leave right afterwards.
How's the weather up your own ass? - Stephen Colbert
by Derek Suboticki on Jul 16, 2009 2:52 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m kind of surprised that people don’t think Fedor/Lesnar is easily the biggest (selling) fight in North American MMA history. This is a guy, without the hype machine of the UFC, who has had articles done about him by the New York Times and Time Magazine among other places. You’re trying to tell me a fight with Lesnar with the UFC marketing team behind it wouldn’t garner mainstream attention?
Even media members who only casually cover the sport know who Fedor is and know how big a fight this would be. If this fight happens, it will be absolutely monstrous. The UFC’s gonna push it from the day they sign this guy right up until the fight.
Twitter: @Mike_Fagan_13
http://www.sackmikegoldberg.com
by Mike Fagan on Jul 16, 2009 12:54 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
It’s big, it’s not the biggest. It’s still mostly a one-man selljob. Lesnar will draw 80% of the business.
There has never been a strong correlation between media mentions and buys. Sometimes it helps, sometimes not. My roommate thinks Fedor is the guy with the fangs.
This fight would garner mainstream attention. From now on, so will every other Lesnar fight. The UFC would do well on this fight, but the idea it’s bigger than any organization as Gross says is childish and ridiculous.
Randy-Brock II would outsell Brock-Fedor at this point for obvious marketing reasons. Fedor would probably do better than the rest of the heavyweights.
by Michael Rome on Jul 16, 2009 1:21 PM EDT up reply actions
I may be wrong on this, and I am rather biased, but I think Fedro landed those things because of people in power not liking the UFC and the way it is run. It is an attempt to pull market share away from the UFC while simultaneously trying to ride the wave of MMA.
This is not researched, but more of a gut feeling.
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
Based on my casual fan friends, Fedor definitely has good buzz after his 2 devastating wins in a row. But those same casuals, still aren’t buying PPV’s. If Fedor came to the UFC & destroyed a couple of guys, then met Lesnar in a year….I could see it matching the De La Hoya / Money May numbers. Partly b/c the sport is growing & partly b/c they would become what the heavyweight boxing championship USED TO BE.
Agreed
I work at a construction site in Arkansas where i have just recently gotten some of the older guys (im 23) there watching fights including 100. These guys know next to nothin about the sport and the fighters… as evident from them researching the UFC website earlier today. Point is, they asked, “hey whats the f*ckin russian bad-ass dude’s name, cant find him on here (ufc site)”
These guys have heard his name tossed around on TV and by myself. At the end of Sportcenter recently the host said as they were closing, “i wanna see him (Lesner) fight Fedor.”
It doesnt matter if Fedor cant sell PPV’s by himself. He doesnt have to. The UFC is bigger than ever, and he’ll be fighting the most recognizable figure in the history of the sport possibly. Comparing this fight to Lesner/Carwin is absurd to me. The UFC will hype the hell out of Lesner/Carwin, but they will not, i repeat, will not claim that Carwin is the best in the world…. They WILL do this for Fedor. Dana has poopoo’d Fedor for years because he wouldnt sign, but it would be naive to think he wouldnt have done the same exact thing if Anderson had refused to sign but dominated the rest of the world.
A true MMA fan from the great state of Arkansas.
by MMArazorback on Jul 16, 2009 2:05 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t like anecdotal evidence, but I also have more than a handful of friends who have a casual interest at best in MMA (and that’s being liberal) who know or have heard of Fedor, if not watched his shit on youtube.
Twitter: @Mike_Fagan_13
http://www.sackmikegoldberg.com
I’m not using anecdotal evidence to imply anything that the Nielsen ratings don’t already do. Of the sports fans I know, they all now know Fedor’s name (not b/c of me) which is a change from 1-2 yrs ago. But I also know none of them plan on buying the next Affliction. Baby steps.
And if I threw Kimbo’s name out in the office, many more people know of him & have seen his Youtube vids. Just sayin’
One other thing to add—I like Josh, but the idea that a Fedor Emelianenko fight is what is needed to lift MMA into the mainstream is insane. It’s a case of being so deep in the MMA bubble that you can’t see outside.
In what universe does the mainstream give a shit about who the best heavyweight in the world is? Did you see a swell of coverage for the 1 v. 2 fight at welterweight this weekend? I hate to tell Josh, but given the mainstream’s “interest” in MMA Brock vs. Kimbo would get more coverage than Brock vs. Fedor.
The fight would get mainstream coverage. So would Brock vs. a lot of guys now. Brock is now by far the biggest draw in UFC history, I think his drawing power has nearlt doubled given the post-fight coverage.
I think the fight should happen. I hope it happens. But let’s not delude ourselves into thinking a guy whose best PPV number is right under 100,000 buys is the key to lifting MMA into the mainstream. He’s a Russian that doesn’t speak English for god’s sake.
A classic fallacy is to take what you want and assume everyone else wants it, or vice versa. This article is a good example.
by Michael Rome on Jul 16, 2009 2:01 PM EDT reply actions 10 recs
Good post Rome
I agree with most of it, and i gotta do some actual work today so i gotta run.
But i think what myself and some others on here are arguing isnt that the possible Fedor/Brock fight would lift MMA into the mainstream (Gross is wrong here). Its more that the fight will be the biggest of its kind to date.
Bigger than Brock/Carwin bigger than Brock/Randy II IMO.
None of us have a real clue how the UFC would use/promote Fedor, but i think its safe to say that if they get behind him 100% like they should, then this fight has the potential to be much bigger than 100. They cant possibly say Brock/Carwin or Brock/Coture is the two best heavyweights in the world, but they could and WOULD say Brock/Fedor is the two best HW’s of all time goin at it.
Reguardless, if this fight happens it wil be big for the sport. It wont carry it into the mainstream on its own… but it will also not be just another Brock fight. We can all agree that this fight has to happen, we can all agree it would be big for the sport, and we can all agree that this is a much better matchup than Randy or Cain or Carwin.
A true MMA fan from the great state of Arkansas.
by MMArazorback on Jul 16, 2009 2:13 PM EDT up reply actions
Rec’d.
"I see him beating Anderson Silva. I see him picking him apart. Him at a 131 years old...(trails off)." - Tito Ortiz on Vitor Belfort at Affliction:DOR
by Rundownloser on Jul 16, 2009 2:15 PM EDT up reply actions
By the way, I think that the MMA community needs to come together and make a big fundraiser so that Gross can get surgery to cure his rectal-cranium inversion.
"I see him beating Anderson Silva. I see him picking him apart. Him at a 131 years old...(trails off)." - Tito Ortiz on Vitor Belfort at Affliction:DOR
by Rundownloser on Jul 16, 2009 3:31 PM EDT up reply actions
This.
How's the weather up your own ass? - Stephen Colbert
by Derek Suboticki on Jul 16, 2009 2:54 PM EDT up reply actions
This post once again proves why Michael “Jim” Rome is my favorite BE contributor.
by ronniebonnie on Jul 16, 2009 2:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Thank you.
This is exactly the point I attempted to make in fewer words 2 hours before this. If you are reading something here at BE or any other MMA related site then you are already too close to MMA to really understand the mainstream’s view of this sport. MMA is and will remain a niche sport. Not as much as Disc Golf is a niche sport but the two are in the same category. Bowling is a bigger and more mainstream acceptable sport than MMA will ever be.
"Stop smiling you are about to be punched in the face !"
Brock vs Randy 2 would be bigger in terms of buys than Brock vs Fedor. Brock vs Fedor is more about presitige than money or “mainstream” attention.
Fedor will probably get signed but not because Josh Gross thinks it needs to happen so he gets some purpose in his miserable life… It will happen because this is the last of affliction and there may not be any more morons out their to bankroll Vadim.
If it happens Fedor vs Brock will most likely be Brocks next fight – not after carwin or randy.
nobody care about fedor in america all I have seen him challenge here are already washed up scrubs…
by TruMayheM on Jul 16, 2009 3:54 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
I think it’s funny that most assume for a Fedor and Brock fight to occur it will be in the UFC.
Brock isn’t doing this for money. He left WWE to pursue football and then onto MMA. He is trying to prove something to himself.
For various reasons, everyone knows Fedor wont come to the UFC. That’s why Randy left, to go fight Fedor somewhere else. If Brock finishes out his contract undefeated, you think he wouldnt consider leaving to fight Fedor? He doesnt need the UFC. He could even leave and come back, especially if he won.
You don't pay attention to Brock articles
He’s doing MMA as a job. He didn’t like WWE, the NFL didn’t work out so he moved to MMA to make his bones. He knows he has unique athletic talents, he’s trying to cash in on them as best he can.
Gross stupidity continues to amaze, me in what bizarro planet is he living in?. The mainstream fan doesn’t know or care about Fedor to try and claim that anything is bigger than the UFC simply makes me question his sanity. MMA will go mainstream because of the UFC pushing it into mainstream not because of delusional fanboys and their Fedor obssession, stop it it’s getting to a point where mma writers are becoming worse than Sherdoggers. Lesnar vs. anyone in the UFC is what will sell, both he and the UFC will make a ton of money and continue to dominate the sport into the decade to come. It’s up to Fedor to decide if he wants to be a footnote of the sport or a part of the big time until he does that he’ll continue to be irrelevant to the rest of the mma world.
I think of Lesnar like I do Allen Iverson. Sure they are good and exciting to watch and put butts in seats, but look at their behavior. Both are loose cannons. AI with his Practice rant and off court issues, and Brock with his…Brockness. They sell tickets, but don’t think for one minute AI would ever be the chosen rep. for the NBA should they have needed one to gain mainstream acceptance.
With that said, the UFC could use the hypothetical fight with Fedor (especially if he wins) to springboard him into GSP like status (GSP like, because of the language barrier). If it’s true that Brock v. anyone is a sell and Fedor won’t sell it so much, FINE. That doesn’t mean he can’t use the exposure to become a rep for MMA in a ‘new’ market.
by CliChe Guevara on Jul 17, 2009 11:48 AM EDT reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Bloody Elbow
Related FanShots on Bloody Elbow
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
MMA Rankings
