Mma

[d_b_99]

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This isn't like boxing. Dana White owns all the fighters and tells them who fights who. GSP has to fight who he is given.

[Rockula]

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Not entirely true. Guys turn down fights all the time. Dana has been very public about his disappointment in Koscheck and Fitch refusing to fight each other. Also common knowledge that Greg Jackson's camp has a standing rules that their guys won't fight each other which is what led to Rashad leaving the camp and all the bad blood between him and Jones.

Dana just persuades guys with what he can leverage on them. They may be able to pick guys they don't want to fight but he doesn't have to offer them another fight. Many have speculated that Fitch hasn't recieved a rematch with GSP because of his unwillingness to fight Kos.

Basically, guys aren't contractually obligated to fight specific guys until they sign a specific fight contract. Unlike Boxing though, you don't get top level guys fighting no name fighters because Dana just won't book that match. Guys only get paid to fight, so you better be willing to fight one of the guys Dana wants you to.

[jbob30]

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First off Dana White is the President, face, and promoter of the UFC. He doesn't "own" anyone. Joe Silva is the matchmaker. Does Dana have final say? Probably true for co-main and main events.

Diaz-GSP is only one of two HUGE PPV buys (other being Silva-Sonnen II) which is why it is going to be on Superbowl weekend. PPV numbers were down this year so they need to make up for it next year which is why Diaz jumped back over Condit who in reality was given the fight w/ GSP b/c Diaz didn't do his media obligations.

[Rockula]

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Cyborg Santos tests positive for steroids.

Apparently this may lead to the first step in removing women's MMA from the Zuffa banner. That would pretty much suck. While I do like Dana's stance on a lot of things, his rally against women's MMA has always been an issue for me. He hangs his hat on the idea that there aren't enough talented women to fill a division. My belief is that there never will be a huge talent pool as long as there is no where for a successful female fighter to go. In the beginnings of the UFC there were a limited number of talented male fighters to fill an open weight promotion.

Stikeforce should use the suspention of Santos in the same way GSP's injury is being used. Build exposure for the rest of the weight class and basically build an interest for a future fight or two when Santos returns. Fighters like Sarah Kaufman, Meisha Tate, Liz Carmouche and Ronda Rousey can be showcased in the mean time to bring attention to women's MMA. It wouldn't hurt to get Gina Carrano and Marloes Coenen back in the mix. I know from going to a lot of local promotions that nothing gets more interest going for a show than a good women's match on the fight card

[Fever]

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Yeah... that would be a no. Dana White doesn't like women's MMA cause that's not his fetish... like many real men, we don't like seeing the object of our desires monkey out like this:

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... and that's some bullshit. Women's sports, particularly MMA, draw poorly. Not fair? maybe. But reality.
I know many ladies that train MMA, and good for them, it's a great workout minus the contact; the vast majority of us would rather objectify them traditionally, and aren't into seeing cauliflower ear and busted noses on the more beautiful of the species.
I go out to grab a beer when the chicks fight.

[Rockula]

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To each their own man but I really don't watch women's MMA to objectify them, (though I'm not above objectification of women) but the local promoters around my region are always trying pretty hard to find at least one female fight to throw on the card because it's a guarenteed sellout. Does that translate to PPV buys in big promotions? No. But it's barely attempted on that level. Carrano vs. Santos is arguablely top three most notable shows that Strikeforce was able to promote and the destination of that fight was one of the only stories of interest aside from Kimbo's future after the folding of EliteXC and his humiliating defeat. But that was because they didn't try hiding it in the closet like it's the retarded stepchild no one talks about.

I just don't believe that you can say it's too brutal for women and still lay claim to it being safer than boxing. Afterall women's boxing matches are sanctioned quite commonly and have even been included in the olympic games on occasion largely based on the host countries policies.

[Fever]

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Fair enough. Sounds like you've put alot of thought into this; I just think it's simpler.
btw - Carano/Santos has more to do with Barbie vs The Cyborg than anything (not that both can't fight); and I think the promotion put two other title fights on that card as well to ensure the gate. I say the novelty for real fight fans would be off that very same match now, as we have options and a helluva lot more interest in the male fight matches out there. If it weren't for the fact every schmo is gonna follow Gina after the movie comes out!




btw - I don't know where you were going with the brutality bit - I have no problem with women tearing each other up... I just don't want to see it as much.

i wish gina carano would beat up my dick.....with her tonsils

[Rockula]

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I would agree that there isn't going to be a ton of interest in many of the women's matchups at this point including Carrano/Cyborg 2, but a lot of that can be changed simply by Zuffa putting their marketing machine behind these fights. Several great matchups with rich rivalries among the men are less anticipated than they should be simply because fans aren't made aware of the drama and the fighters behind the matches.

I think the hype that is there to be utilized in the Meisha Tate/Rhonda Rousey fight could sell tickets but it's being left up to twitter and internet dirt sheets to sell the fight. Should Rousey win that matchup, there is also alot intense emotion behind a match with Kaufman as well. But currently the goal seems to be to wait everything out and hope it goes away and they can say hey we tried.

I honestly beleave that where a bloddy women's battle can hurt MMA PR wise, an articulate female fighter that has a strong background in MMA can help breakdown the image of MMA fighters as bar room brawling barbarians. Sure Cyborg doesn't really have the image for that but many of these women still portray an image of femininity will be dangerous fighters. It's harder for a critic to use a Carrano or Rousey in an argument that MMA is is just cockfighting trash.

[jbob30]

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The problem w/ WMMA is that w/o it being under the UFC banner no casual/moderate interest fan will see it therefore Zuffa has no reason to push money into it when it will not see a positive return. The only reason those EliteXC cards did so well on CBS was b/c of Kimbo Slice, Carano/Cyborg just rode that wave. People watched b/c they saw a beastly looking woman taking on a beauty. The Rousey/Tate fight is on the main card of the March 3rd conclusion of the HW Grand Prix: Cormier/Barnett so they will be pushing that b/c it is the last HW fight in Strikeforce before the division folds into the UFC.

The problem Dana has w/ WMMA is that there isn't enough women to fill 2 divisions (and it's absolutely true). Rousey dropped weight to 135 when she would have been the obvious choice to be the next '45lbs title challenger. They want to fold it into just one 135lbs division and drop the 145lbs division.