In lead-up to this week’s much-anticipated UFC 148, the UFC has released previous PPV fights of Tito Ortiz, Forrest Griffin, Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen. The videos are for free and show some of the best of each of the main eventers.
MMA Junkie has the videos on its site. The fights include:
Anderson Silva v. Dan Henderson
Silva v. Vito Belfort – “The Segal Kick”
Silva v. Yushin Okami
Chael Sonnen v. Brian Stann – includes Sonnen’s post-fight, pro-wrestling “loser leaves” rant
Sonnen v. Dan Miller
Forrest Griffin v. Rampage Jackson
Griffin v. Shogun Rua I
Griffin v. Stephan Bonnar – Ultimate Fighter I Finale
Tito Ortiz v. Ken Shamrock II
Ortiz v. Yuki Kondo – Tito’s first title defense
In addition, the UFC released Sonnen-Silva I from UFC 117.
Payout Perspective:
The release of this series of videos is a sign that the UFC is pulling out all of the stops for this Saturday’s PPV. What’s good about the videos is that it’s the exact copy shown at the time including the pre-fight video packages leading up to the fights. Unlike Fuel TV’s copy, there are no edits. So, you can catch up on the history of Silva, Sonnen, Griffin and Ortiz prior to ordering the PPV. Its a good strategy for the UFC to release these videos for free as it gets the casual viewer a chance to watch the fights and maybe get motivated to watch UFC 148.
If nothing else, these fights make a great pre-funk for Saturday night.
This is a smart move. Hopefully this represents a shift in Zuffa’s attitude about the stringent enforcement of their copyrights when it comes to promotional materials. Now let the Gracie Breakdowns use UFC footage!