The continued assimilation of the WEC by the UFC
by jpcampbell710 on Aug 20, 2010 8:43 AM EDT
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PrintThere have been a lot of rumors about the UFC absorbing the WEC. I've seen many arguments for doing it, and many arguments against it. I am personally for it. Between pay per views, Spike shows, and Versus time slots (both UFC and WEC) I think they
would have ample opportunity to promote all of the weight classes and put out an overall better product.
What I really want to talk about are the signs pointing towards something like that happening.
1. UFC branding on the Faber vs. Aldo PPV. I understand the issues with Spike and Versus and understand the reasoning. However the UFC removed the WEC name and took away an opportunity for more recognition. They could have pulled an M1 global
move and co-branded it.
2. As a footnote, yet significant topic in and of itself, we also saw the Korean Zombie/Leonard Garcia fight on a UFC highlight show on Spike. What many people are calling the fight of the year is being branded as a UFC fight. Even with the Spike and
Versus issues for the live broadcast, would you not want to use that fight as a promotional tool to hype the WEC?
3. Joe Martinez being replaced by Bruce Buffer. I read about Golden Boy offering him a sweeter deal. Its just that replacing him with Buffer moves this one step closer to the UFC.
4. The marginalization of Reed Harris. At WEC 50 I saw Reed Harris in two places. His seat, and giving Cruz his belt. What spoke the loudest was his absence from the AMP Energy Hometown Takedown presentation. Dana White was front & center and was in a place where you would have expected Reed to be.
I am curiously watching future shows and news to see if the UFC goes this direction. If the Comcast/NBC deal goes through, I think they will want to show the "big leagues" and not the sister promotion on their networks. That would possibly add enough shows to the annual schedule to allow utilization of the UFC and WEC fighters all under the UFC banner. This would result in more exposure and higher pay for the lighter weight classes as well. Time to wait and see.
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They couldn't "co-brand" it
It was part of the Spike contract, plus Spike isn’t going to allow them to advertise for a “competitor”.
And thus the Korean Zombie fight WAS a UFC fight featuring WEC fighters.
But they need to go ahead and absorb it.
/sarcasm
Better known as Black Lesnar
Read me at WatchKalibRun
by S.C. Michaelson on Aug 20, 2010 3:10 PM EDT reply actions
in due time in due time
This post is basically hitting it on the money with the Comcast/NBC deal. Its obvious that the UFC is ready for that merge- but their current WEC contract with Versus is that stepping stone to getting onto NBC.
I truely believe that the NBC deal will happen within a year of the NBC/Comcast deal. The one and only thing that has prevented these big deals before has been the rights to production- as nobody wants to let Zuffa do it besides Spike and Versus (aka Comcast). So if Comcast owns NBC, and the only thing that was preventing an NBC deal was production…. mhm.
Even a broken clock is right two times a day.
by Chris Toffer on Aug 20, 2010 9:08 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, I know why they did what they did. I wonder if the broadcast agreement carried over to how they are packaging the fights for sale on DVD and also packaging the fight with the UFC Unleashed. I agree they need to abosorb them. Imagine seeing a couple of 135’ers going at it after a couple of 265 lb. doughboys fight for 3 rounds (gas in 90 seconds and hug for the rest). That would liven an event up on PPV, and in the crowd.
by jpcampbell710 on Aug 21, 2010 9:07 PM EDT up reply actions
They can't pull the ol switcheroo on SPIKE
and take “UFC” labeled fights and make them WEC fights.
/sarcasm
Better known as Black Lesnar
Read me at WatchKalibRun
by S.C. Michaelson on Aug 22, 2010 1:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Reed Harris is either quietly pissed off, or happy getting paid to do a job he doesn’t have to put a ton of effort into. Don’t mistake this as me saying he doesn’t work hard, not trying to knock the guy, but the differences between him and Dana White are vast, and I’m thinking the work load is similar.
Twitter me @kkelchner621
Read me at WatchKalibRun
by Kaleb Kelchner on Aug 20, 2010 10:36 PM EDT reply actions
I dunno maaaan
The UFC has maybe 3 shows to every WEC show? Seems like 3 times the work load to me. Plys Dana has to promote WEC shows too ;-p
Even a broken clock is right two times a day.
by Chris Toffer on Aug 21, 2010 12:49 AM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, it was just surreal when they came on for the contest announcement and it was Dana. I was thinking maybe Reed wasn’t there and then I saw him sitting cageside later, and then presented Cruz with the belt. I follow him on twitter and have noticed that he hasn’t been posting a whole lot lately. It will be interesting to see how things play out.
by jpcampbell710 on Aug 21, 2010 9:05 PM EDT up reply actions
The quicker, the better.
I imagine there is a time table in place. The WEC PPV shattered everyone’s most optimistic predictions at over 200,000 buys, so that probably put it off for a while, but I can’t wait for the little guys to get into the Octagon.
Side note – how much larger is the UFC cage than the WEC’s? I imagine it’s going to be an adjustment for the FWs and BWs.
When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are in a confederacy against him. - Jonathan Swift
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by Derek Suboticki on Aug 21, 2010 1:48 AM EDT reply actions
Is it larger?
I’m bored at work… lets find out…
Even a broken clock is right two times a day.
by Chris Toffer on Aug 21, 2010 3:53 PM EDT up reply actions
it is
I cant find any precise measurements (probably cuz the size varies from arena to arena slightely) but there is plenty of debate on if the UFc should go smaller like the WEC. Pride also had a smaller fighting field and many think the Pride and WEc excitement is partially due to the smaller playing field. Joe Silva is begging for a smaller cage
Even a broken clock is right two times a day.
by Chris Toffer on Aug 21, 2010 4:01 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm a sick bastard, but
I want to see some fights in a triangular cage. The octagon is a circle, for all intents and purposes.
It would be pretty freaky to see how hard guys fight to stay out of the corners.
If I was a hungry man with a gun in my hand and some promises to keep...
and stomps.
I'm all about covering the spread and moneylines. Glory favors the bold. Chance favors the prepared mind. Luck, well i have that too. University of Utah goes to the Pac-12 conference in 2011. I expect them to compete immediately for the conference CG. Brock Lesnar will defeat Cain Velasquez. Womens MMA, the next big thing in sports. 2 weeks till the first game of college football. UTAH vs Pitt. September 2nd 2010.
by wolfmanshowlforever on Aug 22, 2010 3:28 PM EDT up reply actions
I don't want/need stomps.
But knees to the head of a downed opponent are a must. Must.
If I was a hungry man with a gun in my hand and some promises to keep...
I just had a thought.
What if the knees to the head of a downed opponents were reinstated in a limited fashion?
If the head is on the mat, no good. Otherwise, allow them in all other ‘downed’ positions. I think most people dislike the idea of a guy doing, essentially, 12-6 knees to a guys head when its sammiched between a hand and the floor. I know that’s the only part of the rule that makes me queasy.
If I was a hungry man with a gun in my hand and some promises to keep...
the matchup that i remember was cerrone vs varner. that knee should have been legal and cerrone would have won
i got him again vs varner and he is a +160. i agree with with your last sentence.
I'm all about covering the spread and moneylines. Glory favors the bold. Chance favors the prepared mind. Luck, well i have that too. University of Utah goes to the Pac-12 conference in 2011. I expect them to compete immediately for the conference CG. Brock Lesnar will defeat Cain Velasquez. Womens MMA, the next big thing in sports. 2 weeks till the first game of college football. UTAH vs Pitt. September 2nd 2010.
by wolfmanshowlforever on Aug 22, 2010 9:38 PM EDT up reply actions
I like it
not so much if their head is on the ground, but no 12-6 while down. the smash knee. if both people are down and u can hit them with knees it completely changes the ground game. With the unified rules mount is basically the best top position- but if you could knee to the grounded opponents head side control would take a whole new meaning. Imagine a Brock Lesnar taking North-South on you ouch.
by drunkinmidget781 on Aug 22, 2010 9:48 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, knees to the head of a downed opponent
make side mount and north-south the most devastating positions in the game. Top mount is second tier compared to them.
The thing I really like about knees to the head of a downed opponent is that it’s 1. an awesome weapon to use on sloppy wrestlers going for the Mark Munoz/Tito Ortiz (cracked skull version) double, and 2. it makes a classic dominant wrestling position (side mount) absolute death. It’s a double-edged sword, and makes for all kinds of fireworks.
I suppose the main reason they don’t want it is because it really does marginalize BJJ. There’s no real defense from side mount down, so every fight would progress towards that position. And to this point, the wrestlers can out-transition the BJJ players at the highest levels.
If I was a hungry man with a gun in my hand and some promises to keep...
true on the double sword
very interesting. I miss Pride.
But I dont think its illegality (is that a word?) has anything to do with BJJ or wrestling. I think its more a social stigma of brutality and violence. Whereas blood is the social stigma in jJapan so elbows (they cut) are illegal. In America its the knee/kick to a downed \opponent (I thank boxing for this) that is seen as barbaric.
Even a broken clock is right two times a day.
by Chris Toffer on Aug 23, 2010 10:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Sounds good.
And no more of this bullshit where if you’re standing, but one hand in on the ground(3 or 4 point stance), you’re “grounded”. Bullshit.
Hadoken!!
i hate that
so very much
Even a broken clock is right two times a day.
by Chris Toffer on Aug 25, 2010 9:17 PM EDT up reply actions
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