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Friday, 14 August 2009 21:46 |
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Nope.
The only place who came through was Bloody Elbow. I have a theory on this. The MMA media are terrified of her looks. They think if they talk about how hot she is, it takes away her legitimacy as a fighter. That's idiotic. She's hot. People want to see her looking hot. Just post the friggin' pictures. If I lived anywhere near California, my camera probably would have exploded before she even took her skirt off. |
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Thursday, 13 August 2009 20:23 |
Say it ain't so, Scott. Apparently there's a rumor going around that Fedor's first fight with Strikeforce will be against Ricco Rodriguez. I'm hoping Strikeforce floated the rumor to gauge reaction and this is not close to being finalized. It would be a giant mistake and take Strikeforce into EliteXC territory. The only knock on Fedor has always been that he fights mediocre competition. A fight with Rodriguez would solidify the perception.
Fedor does not need any build-up fights. The North American audience is ready to see him face the best, which is why there was such outrage when he turned down the UFC's offer. One of the reasons I was leery of his signing with Strikeforce was because it put them into a position where they had to guard their investment. Strikeforce does not have the overall talent of the UFC. If Fedor were to lose his first fight, it would be a disaster. Whereas if he lost his first fight in the UFC, there is still money to be made. I think this plays into why Strikeforce is being careful with who they match him up with. Since it's a Showtime fight, there isn't a lot of potential profit involved. They're hoping to save Fedor's first big fight for a PPV.
It's one of those situations where it sounds good in theory. EliteXC tried the same tactic with Kimbo Slice and in the end it led to their demise. They wanted to hold back a fight against a viable opponent until they had a PPV lined up. I'm really not sure why Strikeforce doesn't realize this. Put Fedor in the cage with Brett Rogers or at least Fabricio Werdum. Make it a fight people want to see, instead of simply a fighter.
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Wednesday, 12 August 2009 23:13 |
Apparently Dave Meltzer implied in his newsletter that UFC 101 might have done a million PPV buys. This might surprise some, but not me. First, estimates tend to be high. I'm gonna say that it ends up between 700K-850K. That's still a huge number, especially when you consider it was the first event after UFC 100, which drew 1.5 million buys. There is usually a letdown following a huge event, because the mainstream fans who drive up the numbers do not buy consecutive PPVs.
You'll hear tons of reasons why people think the event did so well and almost all of them will be wrong. Fortunately, you have me to explain things.
It's actually a simple answer. Other than Las Vegas, UFC events aren't typically held in major US cities. The biggest non-Vegas city before Philadelphia was Chicago (technically Rosemont, IL), and the UFC ruined that one with an awful card. By having the show in Philadelphia, the UFC gained a new level of publicity. They had local news shows, radio stations, and even newspapers pimping the hell out of their event. The media embraced the product and went into a frenzy. Sure, this happens in all non-Vegas cities, but again, we're talking about a major city here. The reach of its media is much more than somewhere like Columbus, OH (UFC 96).
I believe the event would have drawn between 500K-600K in any city. It was a below average card with two major draws on top (Penn and Griffin). The UFC 100 press definitely boosted the numbers, but nothing major. The largest increase was due to the UFC finally appearing in a major US city. They were the biggest story in the area for a week. You can't put a price on this type of publicity. And, Philadelphia is a strange market because it's composed of multiple states (PA, NJ, DE, and NY to a certain extent). In my expert opinion, I think area bars and mainstream fan purchases added 200K to the total. So in any other city, it's near 600K, but because of the extra push from the larger local market, it ends up closer to 800K.
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Wednesday, 12 August 2009 01:11 |
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The UFC has started the bombing campaign. On Saturday night, they will counter "Carano/Cyborg" with select bouts from UFC 100 on Spike TV. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker has tried to downplay the tension between the two promotions, but it is clear the UFC sees them as a competitor and wants to wipe them out before they become a threat.
I don't think putting UFC 100 on Spike will take away a large chunk of Strikeforce's Showtime viewers, but it will have certain negative effects. For example, now viewers must choose between watching Hieron/Taylor live or perhaps seeing Dan Henderson's highlight reel knockout of Michael Bisping. This might seem like a minor thing, but the less time a viewer watches Strikeforce, the better it is for the UFC. They want to fracture the attention of Strikeforce viewers and not give them the chance to be hooked into the brand. This isn't about one night of ratings. It's about the bigger picture.
If I was in charge of Strikeforce, I'd send out a press release immediately saying that Fedor's first opponent will be announced on Saturday night during the event (and obviously keep it a secret). Then I'd tease the hell out of it throughout the early fights, but not actually announce it until just prior to Sobral/Mousasi. I think the tactic would work well. It would keep more viewers engaged and also give Strikeforce a chance to get people excited about the fight. Usually fights are announced at press conferences, which is nowhere near as exciting as seeing/hearing it on live TV.
(I give Scott Coker permission to steal my idea.) |
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Monday, 10 August 2009 00:07 |
- I don't think enough has been made of BJ Penn's submission of Kenny Florian. In MMA, elite level ground fighters tend to cancel each other out. Penn used basic jiu-jitsu techniques to make Florian look like an amateur. It was a great submission and solidifies him as the top Lightweight in the sport.
- Lets hope the UFC continues feeding Anderson Silva quality opponents. He finally looked motivated and it was a pleasure to watch. Following his knockout of James Irvin, interest in Silva was sky high. He was on the verge of breaking through and becoming a PPV draw. Then we got the Cote and Leites debacles, which completely killed his momentum. The win over Griffin should fix things, as long as the UFC doesn't screw things up. Every time out, he should be in a huge fight. If it means giving up the Middleweight Title to move to Light Heavyweight, so be it. After a possible fight with Dan Henderson, there isn't anything left for him to do at 185 lbs.
- The Riley/Nelson fight was a total buzz kill. Thank God for Silva's brilliance. He saved the night. The UFC needs to fine tune their PPV model, because this is the second event in a row where a preliminary fight was moved to the main card. I'm not Steven Spielberg, but couldn't they just start the prelims ten minutes earlier? If there is a 20-30 minute intermission before the PPV card, it's not the end of the world. Fans are more than happy to hit the concession stands and drink beer.
- Dan Miragliotta remains the worst referee in Mixed Martial Arts. He's totally inept and it's horrible that fighters have to spend months training to have their fate left in his bumbling hands. I wouldn't trust that guy to judge a bikini contest.
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Sunday, 09 August 2009 14:40 |
I've watched this at least fifty times and I'm still amazed. |
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Sunday, 09 August 2009 07:17 |
Maybe coming at Silva with a lumbering right/left/right combo wasn't the best strategy. |
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Sunday, 09 August 2009 07:07 |
- UFC 101 drew 17,411 fans and brought in $3.55 million.
- The UFC handed out bonuses of 60K to BJ Penn (Submission of the Night), Anderson Silva (Knockout of the Night and Fight of the Night), and Forrest Griffin (Fight of the Night). I can't remember the last time someone pocketed two bonuses in one night, but Silva definitely deserved it.
- The Fight of the Night award might seem strange to some. You really had to watch it to understand. The entire fight was exciting, even though one-sided. Griffin took a pretty good beating and kept coming forward, which either makes him very brave or very stubborn. Either way, I can't argue with it too much. The other choices weren't exactly classics. The Penn/Florian fight had some decent moments, but was mostly Florian holding Penn on the cage 90% of the time.
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Saturday, 08 August 2009 16:16 |
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We will kick things off with the preliminary card at 7:30pm ET. The PPV starts at 10pm ET and we'll have Full Play-by-Plays for each of the fights. For anyone who has never followed along with RearNakedNews.com, below you will find some examples of what to expect. As always, if you enjoy the Live Results, please click on our sponsors. A click takes literally a couple seconds, but it goes a long way to supporting my addiction to dog fighting.
-Okay, the new Octagon girl is hot. I take back my earlier criticism.
Jesse Lennox vs Danillo Villefort
-Lennox Wins by 3rd Rd TKO (cut)
-The cut was from an accidental headbutt. Villefort went for an armbar and there was a collision. A timeout was called and the doctor wouldn't let it go on. Don't be surprised if this one ends up a "No Contest" at some point in the future. The replays showed it was a headbutt and not a strike.
-Crowd is pretty nuts. Villefort got some boos for running away and refusing to touch gloves following a restart. Lennox received applause for escaping an armbar attempt.
George Roop vs George Sotiropoulos
-Sotiropoulos Wins by 2nd Rd Submission (Kimura)
-Dominant performance.
Matt Riddle vs Dan Cramer
-Riddle Wins by Unanimous Decision (29-27, 30-26, 30-27)
-Those scores don't tell the story. Cramer put up a good fight. I had it 29-28 Riddle.
Thales Leites vs Alessio Sakara
-Sakara Wins by Split Decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)
-Awful 1st Round. Even worse 3rd Round.
-Honestly, that was one of the worst fights I've ever seen. It was basically a toss-up going into the 3rd Round, yet the referee had to stop things at one point to tell them to engage. Unbelievable.
John Howard vs Tamdan McCrory
-Howard Wins by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Kurt Pellegrino vs Josh Neer
-The officials who rub vaseline on the fighters before they enter the cage are wearing these ridiculous Tapout cut shirts. I think Paulo Filho was the guest designer. -Dan Miragliotta sighting.
Round 1
They trade shots to begin things and both connect. Pellegrino slams Neer to the mat. Neer active on the bottom. Pellegrino having trouble landing anything. Neer shifts into an armbar. Very nice transition. Pellegrino gets out. Pellegrino lands a right. Neer pulling on the arm and going for another armbar. Pellegrino stands out of it. Elbow connects for Pellegrino. Right hands to the body of Neer. Short elbow by Pellegrino. RNN Scores it 10-9 Pellegrino.
Round 2
Neer lands a solid leg kick. Another. Pellegrino replies with a combo. Straight right connects for Pellegrino and he shoots for a single leg. After working for ten seconds, he gets the takedown. Neer throwing elbows from the bottom. Neer looking for a triangle. Can't quite get it. Pellegrino having all sorts of trouble with Neer's guard. He fires a nice right that lands. Neer answers with an elbow. Neer attempts another triangle, but Pellegrino turns out of it. Neer goes for a kimura. Pellegrino counters and gets mount. He shifts to Neer's back. He can't get a choke hooked, though. RNN Scores it 10-9 Pellegrino.
Round 3
Body kick by Pellegrino. Neer tries a kick and Pellegrino takes him down. Neer goes for an omoplata, but Pellegrino pulls out of it. Pellegrino landing light stuff from the top. Pellegrino gets the mount. Neer shifts and is briefly on top. Pellegrino stands right up and takes a hold of Neer's leg. As Pellegrino's head is down, Neer lands about twenty elbows to the head. Pellegrino bloody as the round ends. He wasn't in any danger, but the elbows definitely landed. RNN Scores it 10-9 Pellegrino.
Kurt Pellegrino Wins by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Ricardo Almeida vs Kendall Grove
-5 inch reach advantage for Grove.
Round 1
Almeida charges forward and presses Grove into the cage. Grove defends the takedown well. He's looking for the clinch, but Almeida keeps powering out. Grove turns off the cage and they're back to the center. Almeida lands a right. Another tie-up near the cage. Almeida grabs a leg and looks for the takedown. Grove slips his leg out. Almeida keeps working for the takedown and finally gets it with a minute and forty to go. Grove landing short elbows from the bottom. Almeida has side control. He lands a couple knees to the side. Grove is able to stand back up. Almeida picks him up and slams him back down. RNN Scores it 10-9 Almeida.
Round 2
Almeida dives in and takes Grove down. Picture perfect transition by Grove into an armbar. Almeida turning and trying to get out. It's locked in. Almeida manages to break free. That looked bad. Almeida on top throwing light stuff. Grove active on bottom with short elbows across the face. Almeida steps up the pace and lands a few strikes. He passes Grove's guard and is into side control. Grove works back to half guard. Big punches from the top by Almeida. Grove takes them and somehow stands up during the barrage. Tie-up near the cage. Grove lands a solid uppercut and a knee. Almeida working for another takedown and he gets it with seconds remaining in the round. RNN Scores it 10-9 Grove.
-Very tough round to score. I gave it to Grove because of the armbar. Almeida controlled things, but that armbar almost finished things.
Round 3
Almeida lands a couple leg kicks. He pushes Grove back and gets another takedown. Grove stands back up almost immediately. Grove lands a knee to the chest, as they're tied up. Center of the cage and a left lands for Grove. Almeida drops into guard and eats some shots from the top. Grove lets him back up. Almeida dives in with a right. Another takedown for Almeida. Two minutes to go. Not much action. Almeida looks tired and is basically laying on top. Grove trying to throw from the bottom, but nothing is landing hard. Grove pushes him off with his foot and they're back up. Almeida comes forward and pushes Grove into the cage. RNN Scores it 10-9 Almeida.
Ricardo Almeida Wins by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
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Friday, 07 August 2009 20:43 |
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These are the fights I'm actually wagering on. It's sort of a coin flip card, in my opinion. I think you'd be better off going small for this event. There are some good bets coming up with the WEC card on Sunday night and Strikeforce next weekend.
Amir Sadollah vs Johny Hendricks
-Sadollah's size advantage and awkward striking style will allow him to connect early. Hendricks will panic and revert to his wrestling background, which will leave him open for a submission. Sadollah Wins by 1st Round Submission (Guillotine)
Forrest Griffin vs Anderson Silva
-I want to pick Griffin. I think he has what it takes to win the fight. It wouldn't surprise me at all, if he won a decision. The only problem is his chin. Griffin takes too many clean shots and against Silva, that's a bad idea. Something will get through and hurt Griffin. Once he's in trouble, it's over. Silva Wins by 2nd Round TKO.
Kenny Florian vs BJ Penn (Lightweight Title)
-Florian isn't on Penn's level. We're talking about a very good fighter facing a top notch talent. I'd pick Penn even if he wasn't motivated and showed up out of shape. Fact is, he looks great and more importantly, the St-Pierre loss forced him to rededicate himself to the sport. At Welterweight, Penn is too small to beat the top guys. At Lightweight, he's the bigger fighter in the cage. It's just a bad match-up for Florian. I think Penn takes it with a 3rd Round TKO.
Preliminary Card Picks
Sotiropoulos W
Leites L
(RearNakedNews.com will have UFC 101 Live Results as they happen with full play-by-plays. Don't miss any of the action with our Live Coverage. Live Blog kicks off at 7:30 pm ET. PPV and Play-By-Plays begin at 10pm ET.)
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