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Fightlinker Solves the Mystery of UFC 83

Yesterday Steve Sievert of the Houston Chronicle put out word that UFC 83 would be moved from the UK to the US. Some of the more gullible writers in the blogosphere repeated it verbatim. But the sharper knives in the drawer were more sceptical. Fightlinker provided a timely reminder of Sievert's track record at breaking exclusives:

So many possibilities. But here's a possibility for you: Steve Sievert is fucking wrong. This isn't official news people, this is news from an anonymous source. And while Steve's source is saying UFC83 has moved, other more reliable sources are reporting that the UFC continues to sign UK and European fighters to participate on the card. So hmmm. Who to believe? But yeah, I just wanted to remind you all that you've just swallowed a pretty big hook from the guy who also announced that Sean Sherk wasn't going to be stripped of his lightweight belt. Think about that for a bit.
Then Fightlinker went and got all journamalist on us today and got the real story:
Okay, I've done a bit of responsible journalism and investigated the situation with the UFC UK event in March. It turns out that it was never the plan to hold an event in London on March 8th. The original plan was to hold a UK event in Liverpool sometime in March, but the arena they were looking to use wasn't ready. Since then the plan has been a big April show in Manchester. So long story short, the UK event isn't turning into a US show, it's just changing dates. I hope all you other MMA news sites appreciate all the effort it took writing six people who know what they're talking about to ask them wassup.
Nevertheless, the larger point remains true -- the UFC's UK expansion is a money loser and is hurting the company. Adam Swift has more today at MMA Payout. The whole piece is a must read, but here's the key quotes:
UFC President Dana White has openly acknowledged the challenge the company has faced in its expansion efforts. "I don't think there is anything profitable about the European market right now," White said in a recent conference call. "We're getting our ass kicked over there." White went on to say that the television and pay-per-view markets are completely different in Europe, but the company is "stomping through this thing until we can figure out." The latter statement is emblematic of the company's entire international expansion effort and perhaps explains a great deal of the problems they've faced. Figure it out as you go is not exactly the best business strategy. For whatever reason, the company seems to have jumped into international expansion head over heels on the assumption that the UFC brand would carry it through. It's the same type of hubris the company showed in its purchase of Pride and its bold plans to resurrect the brand in Japan. Of course, the company was ultimately forced to abandon Japan and the Pride brand altogether. Whether that same fate awaits its European expansion effort remains to be seen. At present, the most interesting questions revolve around why the company was so eager to expand internationally, particularly in Europe, and why the 3/8 event is being moved back stateside. No one questions the wisdom of international expansion in the long term, but the sense of urgency with which the company has pursued it has raised some eyebrows within the industry. The timing seems rushed, especially with the company still struggling to firmly establish itself in the United States, much less in North America where the company has yet to run live events in Canada or Mexico. The explanation may be as simple as hubris or perhaps there are greater motives at the heart of the initiative that are yet to be revealed.
Note that last sentence "perhaps there are greater motives at the heart of the initiative that are yet to be revealed" -- this is the second time I've seen Swift make cryptic allusions to a secret agenda that's motivating Dana's seemingly quixotic rush into Europe. Like Fightlinker, Swift is much smarter than me so I'm dying to know what he thinks that mystery angle could be.

Update [2008-1-17 17:12:30 by Kid Nate]:
MMAWeekly is reporting that the UFC announced a new TV deal in the UK at the UFC 80 press conference. Not sure if it's a good deal or not.

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Re: Fightlinker Solves the Mystery of UFC 83
Didn't Dana recently explain all this?  Maybe in the Joe/BJ conference call?

He had mentioned that they're basically not trying to take over Europe as far as touring, or as a base of operations, but rather to make landfall on the continent with the UFC brand, and establish themselves as the face of MMA in Europe.  He said that TV and PPV are soon to be extinct, and web video is where it going.  Therefore negotiating  awkward international PPV distro deals will be over and he needs to get fans hungry for MMA, so they can go to UFC.com and buy videos.  

Even if they never go there again, they've given them the first few hits for free, now you gotta pay to get high.  Its as easy as typing ufc.com.

Eventually, it'll probably be downloads that determine where shows will be held.  Wherever there's a swell of DLs you go there and do a show, knowing it'll be a sellout.

I could be totally wrong of course, or misinterpreting what everyone's wondering, but I thought I'd throw that out.

by asa on Jan 17, 2008 8:12 PM EST   0 recs

Re: Fightlinker Solves the Mystery of UFC 83
This doesn't explain the conflicting reports, which make no sense to me, whatsoever.

by asa on Jan 17, 2008 8:13 PM EST to parent up   0 recs

Re: Fightlinker Solves the Mystery of UFC 83
I agree with Adam Swift that Dana's decisions are visionary and generally solid in the long term, its just that they're not always the right play in the short term. He's been able to take many many more risks than any other business man would be due to the Fertitta's being willing and able to subsidize his losses for years at a time.

by Kid Nate on Jan 17, 2008 8:50 PM EST to parent up   0 recs

Re: Fightlinker Solves the Mystery of UFC 83
Sievert's a jackass who I'm conviced makes half his shit up.    If FLer is breaking anything, it goes to show where the blogosphere is.  

War BE.

And Luke, go back to the Technique of the Day shit.  You have a fantastic way of finding stuff that will apply to upcoming shows.  

And Nate, Penn aint never a no-bet til he shows he gives a shit and can compete after real training.  So he beat Pulver, suddenly he's committed and on top?  Um, what if we find he's an overtrainer, what if we find he game plans to hard?  What if we find he cant handle pressure ( which he's gonna get )?  There are so many things we dont know about the real BJ, that all the "Best P4P"ers and the "He only needs to care"ers are all wet.  MMA BJJ aint Gi BJJ.  And great Gnp has a habit of killing great BJJ.  Go ask Mark Bocek.  How many times have we seen solid wrestling combined with solid Jiu-jitsu kill BJJ experts?  Jake Shields entire career comes to mind.  

Penn = prove it.  And he aint.  If he does, then I'll buy the hype.  But he never has.  

by MoreThanUFC on Jan 17, 2008 8:18 PM EST   0 recs

Re: Fightlinker Solves the Mystery of UFC 83
BJ has proven it many times -- his demolition of Gomi and the first fight with Matt Hughes put him at the very top of the P4P rankings for that 2002-2003 period.
You'll be eating your words on Saturday. : P

by Kid Nate on Jan 17, 2008 8:49 PM EST to parent up   0 recs

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