Floyd Mayweather Not Worried About Going Head to Head With UFC 103
by Kid Nate on Sep 1, 2009 11:55 PM EDT
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From today's press conference for Mayweather vs Juan Manuel Marquez, per Ariel Helwani:
...Mayweather averages 900,000 pay-per-view buys every time he fights, and generated a combined 3.4 million buys in 2007 alone.
...
"I'm here to talk about what I got to do," he said. "You know, what UFC got to do, that's their business. This is about me and Marquez pay-per-view, and we're not competing against no one else."
...
"I'm not worried about what Dana White said. I mean, Dana White says what he says -- it don't matter. I'm not thinking about Dana White."
Bad Left Hook breaks down some reasons why Mayweather ought to be a little worried:
I have to say this has been one of the downright worst-promoted fights in the history of boxing. Here's what we've been told:
- Mayweather saying right off the bat not that he's too big or strong or fast for Marquez necessarily, but that Marquez is "too small." So why would I want to see you fight him, Floyd?
- Beristain saying Marquez is doomed because he put on too much muscle to get to 144 and lost his speed. It's sounding better and better! A too small fighter who doesn't have his speed now, oh boy!
- More reports of Beristain allegedly being desperate in camp, now having it compared to leading a man to his execution. Jesus, I can't wait for this one. They've made it sound so competitive and enticing!
In fact, the only guy that's been on the record over and over about this being a competitive fight is Oscar de la Hoya, who always sounds kind of like he's putting you on, but now sounds like he's flat-out grinning and lying and trying to take your money for a weak fight. I'm still excited to see this fight go down because of that small chance that Marquez lands a win in what could be a watershed moment for Mexican boxing and the sport on the whole. But I think it's inarguable that they have done an absolutely terrible job of making anyone want to see this fight, and it goes to both sides.
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isn’t a HBO lead up special pretty good promoting??
by cagefightonacid on Sep 2, 2009 12:03 AM EDT reply actions
Not really, since that was pretty much a given (and that’s HBO’s doing anyway), and 24/7 is not the buyrate-driving juggernaut it’s sometimes made out to be. It’s an incredible show (though getting more predictable by the “season”), but I really question how much business it adds to any fight.
Bad Left Hook
"Well Howie, I think I'm going to stay outside and outjab him." -- Tex Cobb telling Howard Cosell how he would approach Larry Holmes
by Scott Christ on Sep 2, 2009 12:45 AM EDT up reply actions
they realy haven’t promoted the 24/7 show as often as they usually do eather i haven’t seen any commercials and i watch alot of hbo
I downoad real time (hbo) podcasts on iTunes, they have videos promoting this fight labeled as real time videos I guess to trick someone into watching
by kanodogg on Sep 2, 2009 12:41 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Their promoting is one thing but when you have fighters get robbed and then come out and say “i use to love boxing” thats a bigger problem.
I think the kid hit the nail on the head when he said he does not box for the love any more its all for the payday.
MMA may very well have these problems down the line, but right now shady decisions and fighters speaking out telling of their lost love for their craft is signs of a sport imploding.
Point blank, if PBF wasn’t worried he wouldn’t even be talking about the UFC.
by SouthAlaBamaRampage on Sep 2, 2009 12:14 AM EDT reply actions
Well, to be fair...
he was asked at the presser about his feelings on going head to head with the UFC card as well as his feelings about Dana’s comments.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Sep 2, 2009 12:16 AM EDT up reply actions
Well i still think he is worried haha
by SouthAlaBamaRampage on Sep 2, 2009 12:50 AM EDT up reply actions
As sad as I am to say it, he probably shouldn’t be worried. I don’t see a Rich Franklin main event doing upwards of a million PPV buys. The hardcore fan knows this is an amazing card, the casual fan does not.
There's Befort and Cro Cop as well
And a couple of the original tufers. They all have to bring some name recognition with them as well. The free prelims should attract some extra attention, and the UFC has a lot of momentum going right now as well coming off of consecutive, highly successful shows.
From a visibility standpoint, i really don’t think UFC 103 is doing too terribly. I expect 103 to sell very well.
by Danny Dangerously on Sep 2, 2009 1:14 AM EDT up reply actions
".Mayweather averages 900,000 pay-per-view buys every time he fights,"
Ummm … the Oscar one did 2.4 million. I don’t know how many times Floyd has fought on PPV, but, take out his one fight with the biggest boxing draw in the past 15 years and let’s see what Floyd’s average looks like.
Exactly
Floyd isn’t nearly the draw he thinks he is. You could put a homeless person in a PPV with Oscar and it would sell.
Floyd carried the ppv with Hatton and it did over 900k in the US and over a 1 mill in the UK. He is a draw now. Pre-Oscar fight he was a decent draw but was humble now he’s a troll who makes people angry enough to buy to see him lose
Hatton and De la Hoya are huge draws..
Pacquiao is also the draw against Marquez..
Marquez’s other fights didn’t draw as much, like PBF’s other fights too.. It would be interesting to see if adding the two translates into good buys..
by Anton Tabuena on Sep 2, 2009 1:56 AM EDT up reply actions
Pre-Oscar fight he was a decent draw
Pre-Oscar he was a name in boxing because of his talent level, but he had some real trouble drawing.
but was humble
I’m not being a smartass, but I have to ask: When? Mayweather has never been “humble.” He always talked big, but now every time he talks HBO or somebody else has a camera in his face.
That said, I’m not someone that thinks Floyd is a bad person or anything like that. There’s no doubt he’s trying to sell image, and he’s done really well with that. He blames Top Rank for not advancing his career properly before he left the company, and there might be something to that, I guess. And once someone DID put a camera in his face (the first “24/7” with Oscar and Floyd), he went apeshit as a salesman.
I also wouldn’t say he carried the Hatton PPV (especially in the UK), but I absolutely don’t agree with the people that will tell you Floyd’s never done anything. His fight with Oscar turned him into a household name for a brief period and he was definitely The Star against Ricky, at least in the States. The two of them also had a phenomenal character matchup at press conferences and in the media. They couldn’t have been more different and it made selling their fight very easy.
Bad Left Hook
"Well Howie, I think I'm going to stay outside and outjab him." -- Tex Cobb telling Howard Cosell how he would approach Larry Holmes
While this article is showing how poorly promoted this boxing fight is, how exactly is the UFC or the fighters promoting UFC 103 the right way outside of showing the prelim fights for free?
the UFC is doing thier normal thing which usually does pretty good..
and Nate posted SC’s analysis of how poorly promoted the Mayweather fight is..
It’s not like this is an anti boxing piece to prove that the UFC is better, cause SC’s blog is actually one of, if not THE best boxing blog out there..
The point of SC (i think) is that this is one of the few, really high profile boxing fights this year, and it could’ve been marketed much much better..
by Anton Tabuena on Sep 2, 2009 2:02 AM EDT up reply actions
pretty much
I haven’t paid enough attention to how UFC 103 has been promoted to say anything about them one way or the other, but Mayweather-Marquez could’ve been promoted a million times better than it has been. It’s been a clusterfuck. 80% of the lead-in talk for this fight (since it was signed in May) has been centered on how big of a mismatch it is, how much Floyd is overestimating his drawing power, Mayweather’s potential troubles with the IRS and now with Johnny Law, etc. It’s been an awful promotion.
Bad Left Hook
"Well Howie, I think I'm going to stay outside and outjab him." -- Tex Cobb telling Howard Cosell how he would approach Larry Holmes
I watched the 24/7’s and for someone fighting a fighter that leaves people scratching their heads from the get-go…they are doing NOTHING to make JMM (god love the warrior that he is) look like he’s a credible opponent for PBF.
Would it kill Floyd to say a few good things about him to make it look like they didn’t hand pick a guy that’s got some name value, isn’t a dangerous fight and isn’t waay too small to be taking this fight?
I am the bastard love child of Junie Browning and Diamond Dave Kaplan.
UFC 103 is right after the Kimbo Debut on Tuf and I hear HBO isnt looking forward too the mayweather numbers…
The problem is you have what? 2,3 boxing ppv’s a year… why on earth go head to head with the UFC. You need to be a little more selective with dates.
The style Matchup also lends to this fight potentially being a bore fest.
wasn't the Pacquiao fight scheduled earlier than 106?
why would the UFC intentionally go head to head with Pacquiao?
by Anton Tabuena on Sep 2, 2009 6:20 AM EDT up reply actions
106 isn’t free, 105 is
Walla walla walla I'm an idiot.
by ufc4 on Sep 2, 2009 9:10 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Oh ok. So is that the card BJ will be on if they get the network deal done or are they going to make an entire new card?
Walla walla walla I'm an idiot.
by ufc4 on Sep 2, 2009 11:25 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
A little off topic...
but speaking of ratings/marketing, I really think UFC is going to be able to strike gold with Kimbo (if TUF pans out) and market him the proper way to garner them some more casual fight fans’ eyes.
I was wondering if things go well (i.e. impresses on TUF) if he might be one of the fighters they use for a ratings boost one of the network shows – obviously not as a main or co main eventer, but as a “featured bout” or something like that, since he’s a proven network tv draw.
I am the bastard love child of Junie Browning and Diamond Dave Kaplan.
I know UFC are masters of promotion...
…but I am curious as to how the “new and improved” Slice is marketed. Wasn’t he a draw for EliteXC because he was a “bad ass street fighter that beat up on all those pussy martial artists?” Or am I completely off base? I don’t doubt the guy will draw his share of viewers, I’m just curious as to how.
Will it be a story of man that has learned humility and is taking the sport seriously? Or is he angry at the world and all will bow to his greatness?
by black dragon on Sep 2, 2009 11:16 AM EDT up reply actions
I don’t think it will really matter, everyone knows who Kimbo is by now, I think people will just want to see him because he’s famous.
Walla walla walla I'm an idiot.
by ufc4 on Sep 2, 2009 11:29 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
He was a draw for EliteXC because he was a big scary black guy who had a bunch of bare knuckle matches that went viral on teh interwebs. He’s still the same guy, he’s just a little less scary now that he KTFO by a pink-haired fruit loop. But his screen presence is still there.
As long as he doesn’t get tooled too badly on TUF, he is going to be a ratings goldmine for UFN cards for years to come. I doubt he ever makes it to PPV, but he will do wonders for SpikeTV.
Why would he not be on PPV? No he won’t headline them or anything but he’d be a great 2nd or 3rd fight to help draw in casual fans.
Walla walla walla I'm an idiot.
by ufc4 on Sep 2, 2009 12:56 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I’m not saying it is impossible, I’m just saying it is unlikely. I don’t think he’ll have the the kind of sustained success needed to make the jump to PPV. I think he’ll be able to carve out a nice little career as an entertaining UFN main card attraction who gets mixed results versus fellow MMA neophytes. I don’t see him ever stringing together the wins needed to anchor a PPV versus veteran competition.
Also, I think his greatest value is in drawing eyeballs, not in getting people to pony up money. Kimbo has proven that people will tune in to watch him, whether it be on Youtube, Showtime or CBS. What he has not shown is the ability to get those people who have gotten used to watching him for free to open their wallets to see him fight.
Well of course he has never proven that, he’s never been given the chance. He can’t prove it unless they give him the opportunity. If he does then that’s good for the UFC, if not then oh well it’s just one fight.
Walla walla walla I'm an idiot.
by ufc4 on Sep 2, 2009 4:35 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
They’ll need to use him on free TV for a while to see if he still has any traction and see if he will get people to buy PPVs.
lots of people watch Kimbo when they don’t have to pay. People watching on youtube or CBS doesn’t necessarily mean that people will be willing to fork over 45 bucks to see him.
Floyd Mayweather, the pay-per-view king
Floyd Mayweather Oscar De La Hoya, the pay-per-view king. Fixed!
This guy gets on my nerves. He tells ODLH, “Yeah since I won I get those numbers.”
Umm, ok “Money” whatever you say. I hope Marquez pull the upset of the year and KOs this big headed fool.
Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."
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