MMA: American Promotions Need Better Production Values

Evan Ross — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 06:13:22 -0400

You could hear a pin drop.

The two fighters rolled for position on the floor. Neither was landing devastating strikes but the audience knew that, in a split second, a mistake could mean the end of the night for one man.

Juxtaposed ...

On a ramp are 14 girls who are just one step up from strippers. They dance poorly to some atrocious song with an unintelligible beat.

The fighters in the cage circle, looking for an opening. The crowd begins to drunkenly boo as the fighters have not thrown a looping haymaker in the last 20 seconds.

I remember watching a UFC Fight Night about six months ago which, and to be honest, I've forgotten which one it was. What I didn't forget is that for about five minutes during one of the fights, the audio went out.

All you could hear were the fighters and their corners.

I was enraptured.

Without the announcements of Rogan and Goldberg, I could watch the fights unbiased, as if I was there.

If there is one thing I hate about MMA, it is the fans.

What is it about American, Canadian, and European fans that make it so that the fights are being viewed more as a drunken brawl than a test of skill.

This is opposed to the Japanese fans, who seem to understand when to cheer and when to observe quietly. That is why I love watching the Japanese promotions.

First, I care about great fights, so don't look at this author as one of those guys who still say Pride did it better, but in terms of production value...they did.

I was just watching one of the Bushido series the other day. I loved how, in the beginning, they present each of the fighters. They were all on the same stage, the same level. They were all equals and seemed to earn respect for the blood they spilled.

What is the time between rounds used for in the UFC pay-per-view? Commercials for Blade: The TV Series.

The bottom line is that American promoters should take an earnest look at larger Japanese promotions and how they conduct their shows.

I really can't come up with an answer for idiotic fans.

Perhaps not having the fighter walk down with fans so close so we didn't have to see some frat guy flipping off the camera. Perhaps Elite XC could get rid of the glorified strippers, so I could not have to change the channel quickly for the little eyes that are watching.

As long as MMA is marketed like a misogynistic blood sport, it will never be respected for how great a sport it truly is.

Kimbo Slice Makes for a Delicious Sacrificial Lamb

Evan Ross — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 06:55:04 -0400

In the fight game, image is important.

Nothing illustrates this more than Kimbo Slice. However, is there more to him than just an image? That remains to be seen.

Kimbo Slice has been the product of incredible media hype and intrigue as of late—being the "baddest man on the block" by youtube fanatics to "just another thug" from die hard MMA fans.

The allure of Kimbo cannot be denied. Having taught in an inner-city school I've talked at great length with my students who identify with Kimbo's image. He personifies toughness forged in the dangerous underbelly of street life and urban culture.

To my students he was a hero—to others he was exact image people feared in black culture.

All the hype aside, I have no doubts that Kimbo has good intentions. Do I think he is a true "thug?" No.

He is just a guy who is one scary looking dude and is now using that to his economic advantage.

He is also working earnestly to improve his schools, acknowledging that the king of the streets is not necessarily the king of the cage.

Bas Rutten has heavily defended Kimbo as a hard worker and family man.

But what does this image mean once Kimbo enters the cage?

James Thompson, a journeyman known more for his own image than substance, showed Kimbo's meteoric rise will soon have to get around defeat.

Now while Thompson did lose in the third round, he showed us something very important—Kimbo's ground-game is terribly lacking.

For all the new MMA fans who tuned in just to see Kimbo, they probably didn't notice; but for fans versed in the ground-game, we saw a man who didn't know what he was doing once it hit the mat.

With Kimbo's rise being so great and so fast there will be added pressure to put him against legitimate opponents. Gary Shaw cannot afford to non-headline cards without Kimbo, and yet this allows little time for Kimbo to improve on his vast deficiencies.

Kimbo will have to face a legitimate opponent before the year is up and, mark my words, he will lose.

But does this have to be a bad thing? I believe Shaw can use this to his advantage by using Kimbo to prop up legitimate heavyweight talent in the eyes of those who only tuned in to see Kimbo.

There are thousands of these fans who think Kimbo is the baddest man on the block. Will they tune off when he loses? Not as long as he loses to someone somewhat exciting.

This offers Shaw the opportunity to groom a new generation of fights fans who will tune in for the spectacle but come out more knowledgeable about the fight game.

Bleacher Report - Articles by Evan Ross

MMA: American Promotions Need Better Production Values

Kimbo Slice Makes for a Delicious Sacrificial Lamb