MMAterial Facts (02/15/10)

• UFC athletes will soon grace your walls
• UFC remains king of PPV hill
• Heath Herring Rips UFC Pay Model, ‘Dana White Has 6 Ferraris’
• Razak’s Blog: MMA, A Journey of Self Discovery
• G4’s Herter On New UFC and EA MMA Video Games

UFC athletes will soon grace your walls

Almost everyone had a poster of their favorite athlete hanging on the wall when they were younger.

GSP wall graphic fatheadNow, fans have the opportunity to celebrate the superstars of the Ultimate Fighting Championship®. UFC President Dana White announced today that the UFC has agreed to a licensing agreement with Fathead®, the leading brand in officially licensed graphic products. Fathead currently produces life-size wall graphics for major sports organizations including the National Football League and Major League Baseball. With the announcement of this agreement, Fathead will begin producing life-size wall graphics featuring the UFC’s top stars.

“Fathead makes the best wall graphics in the business,” White said. “This is another cool way for our fans to show support for their favorite UFC fighters.”

Fathead will produce the first UFC life-size wall graphics in the coming months. Once the first Fatheads are rolled out, fans can purchase them at a variety of major retailers, as well as at UFCStore.com and Fathead.com. In the end, UFC officials are pleased to offer another unique product to fans, as well as continue to increase brand awareness.

“This partnership with UFC is another step in continuing to align ourselves with the hottest brands out there,” says Patrick McInnis, Fathead CEO.  “They are on track to be one of most dominant sports in the world and we are thrilled to be in the Octagon with them.”   (UFC) …  (MMA Payout’s Perspective)

UFC remains king of PPV hill

After setting pay-per-view industry records in 2009, the Ultimate Fighting Championship faces opposition from boxing and wrestling over the next several months as it attempts to maintain last year’s levels.

It’s estimated that UFC, which didn’t publicly release figures, did nearly 8 million buys in the United States and Canada on 13 pay-per-view events this past year. That includes six of the year’s top 10 buyrates and 11 of the top 15.

UFC’s numbers are even more impressive when one considers that several of the company’s biggest drawing cards missed most of the second half of the year for various reasons…

While all mixed martial arts, boxing and pro wrestling are obviously three different products, there is enough of a crossover audience to makes them competitors. After the September 19 Mayweather vs. Juan Manuel Marquez boxing match did monster numbers opposite a UFC show headlined by Rich Franklin vs. Vitor Belfort, which did one of the company’s lowest numbers of the year, UFC president Dana White avoided head-to-head confrontations. When Mayweather vs. Shane Mosley was announced for May 1, White moved his scheduled Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua light heavyweight title rematch in Montreal back a week to May 8.

Top 10 PPV buy rates, 2009

1. UFC 100: Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir, July 11, 1.6 million

2. Boxing: Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto, Nov. 14, 1.25 million

3. Boxing: Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Juan Manuel Marquez, Sept. 19, 1.05 millon

4. UFC 94: Georges St. Pierre vs. B.J. Penn, Jan. 31, 920,000 buys

5. UFC 101: Penn vs. Kenny Florian/Anderson Silva vs. Forrest Griffin, Aug. 8, 850,000

6. Boxing: Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton, May 2, 825,000

7t. UFC 107: Penn vs. Diego Sanchez, Dec. 12, 650,000

7t. UFC 97: Silva vs. Thales Leites/Chuck Liddell vs. Mauricio Rua, April 18, 650,000

9. UFC 99: Lyoto Machida vs. Rashad Evans/Matt Hughes vs. Matt Serra, May 23, 635,000

10. Wrestling: WWE WrestleMania 25, April 5, 582,000 buys

(Yahoo! Sports)

Heath Herring Rips UFC Pay Model, ‘Dana White Has 6 Ferraris’

“I really don’t care too much for them,” Herring said of UFC management in an interview with Fight Night Radio on ESPN 1080 in Orlando. “I don’t think they care too much for me.”

Herring said he thinks the UFC is structured in such a way that the big-name stars make big-time paychecks, and everyone else is left with scraps.

“They’ve got their guys they want to push, guys they want to market,” Herring said of the UFC. “Randy Couture, Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir are the guys they want to push and market. The problem is if you’re one of the guys who’s not one of their favorites, they want to keep you out of the competition.”

…

According to Herring, training costs and taxes left him with a total paycheck of just $40,000 for his fight with Lesnar.

“With the way the UFC’s pay scale and as much as it costs me to get ready for a fight,” Herring said, “At the end of the day I made like 40 grand.”

That’s why Herring says he’s now trying to make his living in the film business instead of in the cage.

“If I was getting a little more money and it was worth my while I’d get back into fighting,” Herring said. “But right now I’m making more in movies. I’ve got to look out for number one as far as that goes.”

Ultimately, Herring said, he’d like to see the fighters get a bigger slice of the pie.

“These guys are literally making money off our blood, sweat and tears. We don’t get any health insurance. If you get hurt training for a fight, you’re screwed. It’s really kind of crazy,” Herring said. “Dana White’s got six Ferraris. Hell, I just want one.”   (MMAFighting)

Razak’s Blog: MMA, A Journey of Self Discovery

I started taekwondo when I was young but never attained the prestigious black belt status. Taekwondo is something I’ve done on and off for years because I would lose motivation at times.  At the time I started watching the Ultimate Fighter I was actually taking taekwondo again after a long hiatus.  Before I watched the Ultimate Fighter, the words “Muay Thai” and “Jiu Jitsu” were completely foreign to me. I had no idea what they were. TUF just completely ignited a whole new passion for martial arts within me, a passion that I never felt taking taekwondo alone.

For the first time, I was seeing a combination of multiple fighting disciplines like Boxing, Wrestling, Muay Thai, and Jiu Jitsu all in one unique, hybrid fighting style. In addition, the intensity of the workouts that the athletes had to endure to compete in this sport was like nothing I had ever seen in other sports. After watching the first season, I found a mma gym, Des Moines Mixed Martial Arts Academy, walked in without knowing anyone, and began my mma training.

I started MMA from the viewpoint of a martial artist trying to acquire new skills to add to his own. I never had any aspirations of “making it big” because I didn’t think it was attainable so it wasn’t a motivator. I wanted to learn to punch, kick, throw, and grapple like I saw the athletes on TUF doing. I wanted to know that I had the physical capabilities to do that.  I only started fighting because I knew it was the only way I could truly test myself physically & mentally to see if I could apply what I learned.

I truly believe that there are certain aspects of you that can only be discovered in the heat of combat.  There is purity in unarmed combat that speaks to the competitor seeking self actualization.  Participating in MMA has been a journey of self discovery; one that I continue to travel every day. (Wisconsin Combat Sports)

G4’s Herter On New UFC and EA MMA Video Games

MMAWeekly: Recent reports say that THQ’s UFC 2009 Undisputed sold 3.5 million copies. Did you ever think that the game could end up being that successful?

Blair Herter: I don’t think anyone expected it to sell that many copies. We both predicted it would do pretty well, but honestly I didn’t think it would sell 3.5 million copies. You’re talking about an insane amount of money for a 60-dollar-a-copy game in a downturned economy.

MMAWeekly: EA took notice and shortly after the release of THQ’s game, announced its own MMA game. Reportedly they are so intent on making their MMA game a success that they took teams off their NASCAR series to work on it before ultimately cancelling this year’s NASCAR game all together. What do you think about that?

Blair Herter: Every time we speak, the one thing that everyone talks about that’s been covering MMA is how much the sport has exploded and is exploding and how big it’s getting. I think that just says it right there. That they’re willing to pull teams from what is a big franchise for them and jump into (the MMA) market while not having the UFC on board, I think says a lot about how much of a market EA thinks there is for another MMA game.
…

MMAWeekly: And what about the roster of fighters so far? Are Fedor Emelianenko, Bobby Lashley, and Dan Henderson enough to bring fans to EA’s product?

Blair Herter: There are certainly enough people on EA’s roster to bring in the hardcore and people that are fairly interested in it, but I think people will play the EA game to see if it’s different than the THQ game.

They’re going to buy the THQ game because everybody knows the UFC, and if they have issues with the THQ game they’re going to pick up the EA game to see if it improves on the things they have a problem with in the THQ game.

But right now I don’t think the roster is what is going to sell the game, it’s going to be the potential for something different. EA in itself has a pretty significant fan base, so I think you’ll see plenty of people buy it because EA is involved.  (MMAWeekly)

QUICK HITS

• UCMMA TO IMPLEMENT BLOOD TESTING IN U.K. (MMAWeekly)
• UFC fighters Frankie Edgar and Ricardo Almeida host Feb. 17 fundraising seminar (MMAJunkie)
• UFC strikes licensing deal with Fathead, lifesize UFC posters to be released (MMAJunkie)
• The Fight Network Partners with Ring of Fire (The Fight Network)
• Anthony Johnson injured, withdraws from UFC on Versus 1 bout with John Howard (MMAJunkie)
• Is UFC 110 a Must-Win Match for Keith Jardine? (MMAFighting)
• Badr Hari Wins by KO in Prague (MMAFighting)
• Phil Davis makes quick return, meets Alexander Gustafsson on UFC 112 prelims (MMAJunkie)
• 5 Fights Signed for UFC 113 (Sherdog)
• Weekend Rundown: Lopez, Cullum Retain KOTC Titles (Sherdog)
• Lombard-Santore Set for March 12 (Sherdog)
• Dana White interview: In the UFC, Herschel Walker would die (Cage Writer)
• DIN THOMAS PLANS MMA WELCOME FOR MAYORGA (MMAWeekly)
• KEN SHAMROCK ON HIS DAD, CAREER, AND UFC FRAY (MMAWeekly)
• Daniel Roberts to Replace Anthony Johnson at First UFC on Versus Card (Heavy)
• TUF 11 Exclusive: Nick Ring part of The Ultimate Fighter Season 11 (FiveOuncesOfPain)

IMAGE OF THE DAY

TV LISTINGS

• HDNet Fights Presents K-1 Classics (HMC, Nortje, Schilt, LeBanner) at 8 PM ET on HDNet (02/19/10)
• InsideMMA (Eddie Alvarez, Greg Nelson, Mark Decascos, ) at 9 PM ET on HDNet (02/19/10)
• HDNet Fights Presents Champions & Challengers Vol. 3,  at 10 PM ET on HDNet (02/19/10)
• Best of Pride FC at 10 PM ET/PT on Spike (02/19/10)
  

UPCOMING EVENTS

• UFC 110: Nogueira vs Velazquez at 10 PM ET on PPV (02/20/10)
• Strikeforce Challengers: Prangley vs Amoussou at 11 PM ET/PT on Showtime (02/26/10)
• WEC 47: Bowles vs Cruz on at 10 PM ET on Versus (03/06/10)
• UFC on Versus: Vera vs Jones at 10 PM ET on Versus (3/21/10)
• Strikeforce Challengers: Johnson vs Mahe at 11 PM ET/PT on Showtime (03/26/10)
• UFC 110: GSP vs Hardy at 10 PM ET on PPV (03/27/10)
• UFN 21 : Florian vs Gomi at 10 PM ET on Spike (03/31/10)
• The Ultimate Fighter 11 Debut after UFN 21 on Spike (03/31/10)