Sports' monster in the closet (Sports Illustrated)

[Andrew Green]

I was at Mix Lounge, on the 64th floor of The Hotel at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. It was around 9 p.m., and the lights on the neighboring Luxor pyramid were starting to shoot up the sides and up into the night. This was early June. I was chatting with a group of people, which included a guy who promoted events at the MGM Grand.


"Tell me something," someone asked the MGM guy. (Pardon me if the details are vague, but this was one of those cocktail parties where the drinks were brought around with greater speed and frequency than the food.)
"Yes?" the MGM guy said.


"Do you think Ultimate Fighting will ever be bigger than boxing?"

The MGM guy smiled.


"It already is," he said. "I mean, we love Oscar De La Hoya. But unless it's him, Ultimate Fighting is already bigger than boxing."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/bill_syken/07/13/scorecard.daily/index.html

 

[Carol]

"Ewww. Why did you do that?Whether or not you like mixed martial arts, that reaction is undeserved.
The sport is no more barbaric than boxing."

Heck, the sport is no more barbaric than the NFL...

 

[Hand Sword]

If it's not yet bigger, it is close, and will be very soon.

 

[Lisa]

I found this quote interesting:

What mixed martial arts needs to take that next step is a genuine crossover star -- its own Mike Tyson, someone who has the charisma and skill to draw cameras and casual fans into the fights. Plenty of news outlets have run stories about UFC's encroaching popularity, but a star would induce that next step of reporting about whether a particular fighter won or lost last night.

It needs someone to have a publicly rocky marraige, get convicted of rape, do time and bite someone's ear off? God, I hope not!

I do, however, see what the author is saying. Randy Couture is a fantastic representative of the UFC. However, unless you are a fan, you really don't know who he is. I just hope that when that "crossover star" does come to be, it is for positive reasons, not negative

 

[Andrew Green]

No one in the UFC has had the same "dominance" that some of the boxing stars have been able to achieve.

 

[ajs1976]

Check out the caption under the photo of Tito Ortiz

Tito Ortiz last month defeated Ken Shamrock for the Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight title.

did i miss something last month?

 

[Andrew Green]

Check out the caption under the photo of Tito Ortiz



did i miss something last month?

You expect accuracy from a site that has "cnn" in the URL?

 

[Flatlander]

You expect accuracy from a site that has "cnn" in the URL?

Man, if I was Chuck, I'd be annoyed with that.

 

[Andrew Green]

Yes, but truth is, more people probably know the name "Ken Shamrock" then know the name "Chuck Liddell" and even less will know the name "Vanderlei Silva"

When Dana White brought Silva into the Octagon and announced the fight the crowds reaction seemed more indifference then anything...

Which I think is where UFC is still lacking, as another article pointed out it lacks the star power of the big name boxers. Pretty sure Silva hasn't lost a fight in his weight class in at least 5 years, yet most people don't know the name. Compare that to pro boxers that hold titles and go on a winning streak like that.

 

[Marvin]

You expect accuracy from a site that has "cnn" in the URL?

:lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

 

[Odin]

No one in the UFC has had the same "dominance" that some of the boxing stars have been able to achieve.

I dont know...Fedor and Wanderlie are pretty much untouched in Pride.

 

[Odin]

Yes, but truth is, more people probably know the name "Ken Shamrock" then know the name "Chuck Liddell" and even less will know the name "Vanderlei Silva"

When Dana White brought Silva into the Octagon and announced the fight the crowds reaction seemed more indifference then anything...

Which I think is where UFC is still lacking, as another article pointed out it lacks the star power of the big name boxers. Pretty sure Silva hasn't lost a fight in his weight class in at least 5 years, yet most people don't know the name. Compare that to pro boxers that hold titles and go on a winning streak like that.

You know though that all varies from country to country I mean fighters like Bob sap and Masato are like rock stars in Japan yet Chuck Liddel is a nobody where as in america Masato is the nobody and Chucks the man....it all depends on what Brand of MMA your exposed to.
For me The UFC is too american,Dana hasnt the Money to draw the quality of fighters that Pride has Dana relies on more home grown talent that cant really compete on a global scale i mean just look at the quality difference between the ufc heavy weight division and the Pride heavyweight division...its shocking.