- Q&A: Dana White touts WEC, scorns Strikeforce, points to UFC rematch
- UFC files for Aug. 1 event in Salt Lake City, UFC 117 on Aug. 7 in California
- MMA gets knocked out in primetime
- Movie theaters turn to live event screenings to fill seats
- UFC Fan Finds Gold and Wins Dream Trip
Q&A: Dana White touts WEC, scorns Strikeforce, points to UFC rematch
Q: How come the regular UFC faces, if you will, are taking more of an active role this time for WEC?
White: The way I look at it is, it’s a Zuffa promotion, and this is the team for pay-per-view. Obviously when the WEC is on Versus, they have their team and everything else, but this is the pay-per-view team.
Q: So any time Zuffa does a pay-per-view, it would be you guys out there for it?
White: Absolutely. (USA Today)
***
MMAPayout Note: Assessing the situation (no WEC brand, event titled “Aldo vs Faber”, production team replaced, etc) and from what I have gathered from others within the MMA industry, it appears that Zuffa may be slowly phasing out the WEC. Dana White did mention that the LW division in the WEC will eventually be folded into the UFC as lighter weight divisions are added to the WEC.
For their upcoming WEC PPV, the magic number, in terms of PPV buys, appears to be somewhere between 50K and 75K PPV buys (Dana White had previously stated that he expected 150K buys, but admitted in the interview above that it was just a wild guess, to put it nicely). Below 50K PPV buys would be considered a failure, anything above would be considered acceptable, and 100K PPV buys and above would be considered a home run.
UFC files for Aug. 1 event in Salt Lake City, UFC 117 on Aug. 7 in California
The Ultimate Fighting Championship has officially requested to hold a Sunday-night event in Salt Lake City.
The mixed martial arts promotion plans to hold a UFC on Versus card Aug. 1 at EnergySolutions Arena, according to Bill Colbert, director of the commission that oversees the sport in Utah. (The Salt Lake Tribune)
***
MMAjunkie.com first reported last week that the UFC planned to host a show in Utah. However, the date we initially reported – Aug. 7 – instead will feature a traditional UFC pay-per-view event, UFC 117, in “northern California,” a source close to the organization said. (MMAJunkie)
MMA gets knocked out in primetime
The return of Mixed Martial Arts fighting to primetime net work TV this weekend ended with a loud thud — in the ratings and the ring.
The show, called “Strikeforce,” was the lowest-rated program of night with just 2.6 million viewers.
And the match ended with a brawl in the ring — or cage, as MMA fans call it — when fighter Jason Miller stepped in to challenge the winner of the fight, Jake Shields, to a rematch.
Fans believe the incident was probably planned to boost interest in the sport. (NY Post)
Movie theaters turn to live event screenings to fill seats
The event [UFC 111], beamed live to the Burbank theater and other venues around the country from the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., is the latest example of how theater owners are harnessing the latest digital technology to program alternative entertainment such as broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera and live concerts from the likes of the Black Eyed Peas, whose March 30 show at Staples Center was transmitted live to 500 movie theaters. (LA Times)
UFC Fan Finds Gold and Wins Dream Trip
Topps announces UFC Super fan Alfonso Rodriguez of Melrose Park, IL is the first to find the special triple autograph card featuring Dana White, Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz from packs of the all-new Topps UFC Main Event. (photo attached)
Rodriguez and a guest will receive an all expenses paid trip to Las Vegas to be Dana White’s guest at the UFC Training Center. While there, they will tour the gym, meet the coaches and contestants from hit Spike TV show, The Ultimate Fighter Season 12, and sit cage side with Dana during one of the TUF preliminary matches.?
Topps created 10 of these unique cards, which were randomly inserted into packs. Nine other lucky fans finding this card will receive a pair of UFC gloves signed by Dana, Chuck, and Tito. Fans finding the card should e-mail ? UFCprize@topps.com to claim their prize. (Topps)
VIDEO OF THE DAY
QUICK HITS
- Video: Strikeforce ‘Nashville’ Weigh-ins (Sherdog)
- Ash Cloud Forces Wallhead’s Bellator Withdrawal (Sherdog)
- ‘Mayhem’ Issues Apology for Role in Brawl (MMAFighting)
- Goran Reljic to Fight at UFC 116 (MMAFighting)
- Nevada commission approves July 3 for UFC 116 event in Las Vegas (MMAJunkie)
- Josh Barnett not scheduled for Tuesday’s CSAC meeting (MMAJunkie)
- Tennessee Athletic Commission to investigate “Strikeforce: Nashville” brawl (MMAJunkie)
- “EA Sports MMA” video with game-play footage (MMAJunkie)
- EDGAR CONFIRMS PENN REMATCH LOOKS LIKELY (MMAWeekly)
- HENDERSON KNEW HE’D HAVE TO REMATCH COWBOY (MMAWeekly)
- Ryan Thomas Back In Bellator Welterweight Tournament (Heavy)
TV LISTINGS
- TUF 11: Liddell vs Ortiz at 10 PM ET on Spike (4/21/10)
- Bellator Fighting Championships XV at 7:30 PM ET on FSN (04/22/10)
- HDNet Fights Vault: Shinya Aoki at 8 PM ET on HDNet (04/23/10)
- Fighting Words with Mike Straka (feat. Bobby Lashley) at 8:30 PM ET on HDNet (04/23/10)
- InsideMMA (BJ Penn, Chael Sonnen, Jens Pulver) at 9 PM ET on HDNet (04/23/10)
- HDNet Fights: Sengoku Raiden Championship 12 at 10 PM ET on HDNet (04/23/10)
- WEC 48: Aldo vs Faber at 10 PM ET on PPV (04/24/10)
UPCOMING EVENTS
- Bellator Fighting Championships XV at 7:30 PM ET on FSN (04/22/10)
- WEC 48: Aldo vs Faber at 10 PM ET on PPV (04/24/10)
- Bellator Fighting Championships XVI at 7:30 PM ET on FSN (04/29/10)
- Bellator Fighting Championships XVII at 7:30 PM ET on FSN (05/06/10)
- HDNet Fights: MFC Vindication at 10 PM ET on HDNet (05/07/10)
- UFC 113 : Machida vs Shogun 2 at 10 PM ET on PPV (05/08/10)
- Bellator Fighting Championships XVIII at 7:30 PM ET on FSN (05/13/10)
- Strikeforce St. Louis: Overeem vs Rogers at 10 PM ET/PT on Showtime (05/15/10)
- Bellator Fighting Championships XIX at 7:30 PM ET on FSN (05/20/10)
- UFC 114 : Rampage vs Evans at 10 PM ET on PPV (05/29/10)