2009 Bloody Elbow Reader Awards: Promotion of the Year
by Mike Fagan on Jan 26, 2010 4:40 PM EST
in MMA News
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What can you say about the UFC that hasn't already been said about the Borg, katamari balls, and the threat of international communism?
Let's go over the list of accomplishments: The first fight between reigning UFC champions. A successful THQ video game. Aggressive global expansion. A centennial show drawing one-point-five mil. Nearly eight million PPV buys for the year.
If 2008 was about the UFC asserting itself as the premier MMA organization in the world, 2009 saw the company position itself as the premier pay-per-view draw ahead of boxing and pro wrestling.
It's a UFC world, we're just living in it.
Full results after the break.
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Total | |
| UFC | 40 | 7 | 2 | 223 |
| Strikeforce | 8 | 16 | 17 | 105 |
| WEC | 4 | 15 | 14 | 79 |
| DREAM | 2 | 4 | 9 | 31 |
| Bellator | 1 | 3 | ||
| Sengoku | 2 | 2 |
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What can I say about the UFC that hasn’t already been said about Afghanistan? It’s bombed out and depleted…Naw, just hatin’…how could it be any other org? UFC UFC UFC
by Kwisatz Haderach on Jan 26, 2010 4:02 PM EST reply actions
Wow what an upset!
"Oh, people can come up with statistics to prove anything Kent. 14% of people know that. "
Just to nitpick...
Undisputed was not the UFC’s debut video game, it was actually the 6th, the previous 5 have just been some of the worst games ever so no one wishes to remember they exist.
by TheKeyboardWarrior on Jan 26, 2010 4:11 PM EST reply actions
Yeah, that’s my bad. I actually liked those old games in a totally n00b way.
Twitter: @Mike_Fagan_13
http://www.sackmikegoldberg.com
Didn't have to be in a n00b way
People like to remember the most recent iterations, which were purely terrible, but the Dreamcast UFC game was a great title in its day.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
by Blackout612 on Jan 26, 2010 5:15 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Strike Force 8 First Place Votes?
And UFC 2 third place votes? Either drunk voting is allowed or Scott Coker and Co frequent BE.
by Myke25 on Jan 26, 2010 4:12 PM EST reply actions
good catch
that is wierd. must be Finklestool
Fan of Tiger 'Makin It Rain' Woods
by B-A-N-A-N-A-S on Jan 26, 2010 4:15 PM EST up reply actions
I can understand why...
People voting WEC for consistently exciting fights and Strikeforce for insane expansion. I disagree with them, but I understand why they think that way.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
Agreed
I personally chose the UFC but I could see someone voting for Strikeforce: they went from a regional promotion to having their cards shown on Showtime and CBS and signed Fedor, Hendo, Mousasi, etc. They went from basically the #6 promotion to #2 in one year.
I went with the WEC over the UFC
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
by Anthony Pace on Jan 26, 2010 5:20 PM EST up reply actions
Yes.
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
by Anthony Pace on Jan 27, 2010 4:29 AM EST up reply actions
I sometimes will vote the opposite of how I feel just to be different. I am sure that is where the 1st place Strikeforce votes came from…
So it’s your fault there’s a Republican senator in Ted Kennedy’s seat?
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
by Anthony Pace on Jan 26, 2010 5:20 PM EST up reply actions
Ted Kennedy's vacated seat then
No need to argue semantics, pretty clear what he meant.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
Dammit Blackout, I don’t want to say “Thanks”, so I won’t.
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
by Anthony Pace on Jan 27, 2010 2:53 AM EST up reply actions
AMERICAN POLITICS?!?!?!?!?!?!?
[covers eyes, plugs ears, and hums “Oh Canada”]
Keep firing Assholes!
Mind numbing, tedious and ultimately self defeating.
haha you can only cover your eyes until we decide that canada is necessary for our universal domination and we take you over. At least, we’ll take over French Canada. The rest Russia can keep.
by Austin Martin on Jan 26, 2010 7:57 PM EST up reply actions
Russia can have none!
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
by Anthony Pace on Jan 27, 2010 2:53 AM EST up reply actions
I’m actually surprised that Strikeforce beat the WEC.
WEC is the most consistent promotion. Their shows rock every time without fail.
imo, anyone who voted SF over WEC is just a zuffa hater, because the WEC put on some of the best shows ive ever seen this year
what if i like both promotions but just aprreciate SF more? what if i like the fact that they took a chance and signed Fedor despite all the baggages M1 brings? what if i like the recent fights cards that SF delivered? can’t i love both? why does it always have to be hate in here?
I am. I think. I will. - Ayn Rand
short answer, it doesnt. but due to the amount of people that hate zuffa because of dana white, there is. and none of those reason would be valid, because SF simply doesn’t handle business well (lashley situation), the only reason they signed fedor is because the UFC wouldnt budge, and twice the cards fell on the same weekend, and the WEC card was better.
by Austin Martin on Jan 26, 2010 4:55 PM EST up reply actions
sure, if you find WEC better is all good.. but why is it so hard to understand others might have found the SF cards better? why does criticism of one issue about UFC have to mean that you are a hater? other orgs are criticized every freaking time they do an event but you dont hear that they are a SF hater.. because UFC wasnt able to come to terms w/ m1/Fedor , we cant appreciate others who are able to otherwise? SF took a chance at Fedor putting the promotion at risk of losing money everytime, sure it isnt wise business wise but as a fan I freaking appreciate it.
I am. I think. I will. - Ayn Rand
i think most of my comment was directed if people thought SF was really #1 or were voting that way to be anti zuffa. in the end, its all opinions, even though that opinion would be wrong.
by Austin Martin on Jan 26, 2010 5:13 PM EST up reply actions
Holy shit.
I almost posted this exact same thing below as a joke, but decided it was too stupid even for sarcasm. Impressive, sir. You are officially just as bad as my most hyperbolic impersonation of the UFC fan echo chamber.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
whoa whoa whoa
I personally think the WEC is the best. get your facts right, i like the red headed stepchild of the zuffa org, not its alpha brother.
by Austin Martin on Jan 26, 2010 5:14 PM EST up reply actions
Pardon me
I almost posted this exact same thing below as a joke, but decided it was too stupid even for sarcasm. Impressive, sir. You are officially just as bad as my most hyperbolic impersonation of theUFCZuffa fan echo chamber.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
by pdl on Jan 26, 2010 5:17 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
i think you have me all wrong, and your comments are kind of proving my point. the WEC has actually been around, and had a legitimate TV contract all year, not just half. SF wasn’t even a big org until they acquired elite xc. They have put on a few good cards, but rarely have relevant fights, and their matchmaking stinks. and i don’t believe they handle fighters well. WEC- always good matchmaking, important fights, and they try to show as many undercard fights as possible, even if they run over. they beat SF in every stage of the game, except they dont have Fedor.
by Austin Martin on Jan 26, 2010 5:23 PM EST up reply actions
It was your line-in-the-sand reasoning
that all people had to agree with you or be haters. I’m more than happy to have a reasoned discussion.
Strikeforce put on one of the most watched cards in MMA history this year with Fedor vs. Rogers. The amazing thing is that it was actually a good night of fights that wasn’t piggybacking hollow marketing schemes. This was not Kimbo Slice showing up to represent the streets vs. MMA. They weren’t banking on Gina Carano, who would fight overweight against smaller girls anyways. They put a man who was considered unmarketable in the US on television and killed it in the ratings. If you look at them January 1st of 2009 and December 31st of 2009, it’s easy to understand why somebody would say they are Promotion of the Year.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
in that instance, they’d be like breakout promotion of the year. its not who made the most progress, it was who is the best. i don’t think an org that put on as few shows as they did, even with that fedor card, could be the best.
by Austin Martin on Jan 26, 2010 6:26 PM EST up reply actions
But there wasn't a clear set of criteria laid out for each category.
Which seems to have been intentional. They wanted to make it open ended regarding what makes one promotion the promotion of the year.
If you value a consistent product and awesome fights: WEC
If you value PPV sales and housing a majority of top competition: UFC
If you value rapid expansion within the time frame given: Strikeforce
If you value Japan and the associated what-the-fuckery: DREAM
There are totally valid reasons to vote for any of the promotions over the other based on what you think is important. Ranking WEC and UFC above Strikeforce is ok, just as Strikeforce being number one is a defendable position. I have no issue with however you ranked them, only your assertion that “anyone who voted SF over WEC is just a zuffa hater”
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
how did dream not win then?
japan and its associated what the fuckery should be valued above all else its common knowledge
To save time I've developed a commenting template for future posts
Anyone who voted for [insert promotion here] is just a [insert a different promotion here] hater. Anyone who gave [insert promotion here] a [insert ordinal number (1st, 2nd, etc..) here ] place vote is [insert insult here].
just because its redundant doesn’t mean its false
by Austin Martin on Jan 26, 2010 5:02 PM EST up reply actions
Seriously, Fagan.
You gotta quit it with these anti-Zuffa posts. Why do you and the staff hate them so much?
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
seriously.
everyone knows the order really is:
Dana White
UFC
WEC
Zuffa
UFC gyms
SF
by Austin Martin on Jan 26, 2010 5:12 PM EST up reply actions
WEC
The funny thing is, if you were voting on the consistency of entertaining and exciting fights the WEC wins hands down. It’s obvious that the UFC is the premier organization and has no other rivals in terms of the product and ppv buys, but boy does the WEC deliver every single time.
Personally...
Sincerely no offense meant to Mike Fagan or bloodyelbow, but I always thought “promotion of the year” is the dumbest award ever. Just my two cents….
by Nick Travaglini on Jan 27, 2010 5:00 AM EST reply actions
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