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Irrational Exuberance and Harsh Realities

By Nate Wilcox

411 Mania has a piece by Leland Roling purporting to analyze the UFC's expansion prospects into new TV channels and the Asian market. There is a lot of speculation in the piece but frankly it smacks to me of wishful thinking. Call me when the deals are done, not when Dana starts talking smack about them.  

A possible deal with ESPN may be in the works that would help the UFC gain advertising dollars and some of the MMA companies sponsoring fighters will receive more exposure as well. That would essentially make the MMA community richer. Add in the possibility of a HBO deal getting done later and some truth to the rumor that the UFC may be moving into Japan, we could see Zuffa become a huge international presence in the MMA world in the coming year.

Meanwhile, here's a harsh bit of reality from the cancelled Cage Fury Fighting Championships that cost us the long-awaited Kimbo vs Tank match. They had an investor flake on them at the last minute. Ouch! I've said it before, I'll say it again, pimping ain't easy!

He had pledged approximately $800,000 while Cage Fury had invested approximately $2.2 million.

"According to the promoter (Martinez), the investor did not make the required deposit on Monday and played with (Martinez and his company) until Thursday," Lembo said Friday. "Eventually, it got to the point where Felix and his wife (Amy, who is vice-president of Cage Fury) couldn't afford to risk it."

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