Cain vs Dos Santos

[Kris P Lettus]

I like Junior but I think Cain is gonna smash him.. Dos Santos has the better hands (slightly) but Cain will def out wrestle him if it gets hairy on the feet..

So who you got??

[Next Big Thing]

No clue to be honest. I like JDS so much from watching him on the Ultimate Fighter that I'll be cheering for him, and his boxing is very good, but it wouldn't surprise me if Cain came out and scored a first round KO either.

I will say this though, if Cain feels so overmatched in the standup that he needs to take this fight to the ground for an extended period of time, the ratings for the event will be shit. No one is tuning in to see a grappling match or hear Mike Goldberg drone on and on about Cain's great Arizona State wrestling pedigree or how it led to his friendships with Ryan Bader, C.B. Dolloway and Aaron Simpson. Plus I don't think either guy is so much better in jiu jitsu than the other that we'd see a submission.

[Krimzon7]

I don't know who's gonna win, and I don't care....this will be epic!

[Mr. JL]

I want to give JDS the edge simply because Cain is coming off a near year long layoff because of his injury and surgery.

It is crazy to think that Cain got mowed down by Lesnar and most likely tearing his shoulder trying to avoid the Lesnar train take down and still managed to muscle Lesnar off him, get back to the feet and TKO Lesnar with punches.

[Kris P Lettus]

Cain is a beast in the gym so I wouldn't say he'll be rusty..

[Jura]

Cain is aggressive even when he's on the ropes and he doesn't panic. JDS is a good boxer but I have only seen his last 2 fights in which he won by decision and I don't know how he does in a tough situation so unless JDS knocks out Cain, I have Cain coming out on top.

[Kris P Lettus]

FOX releases full schedule:

November 3 2011 Last updated at 05:22 PM ET
FOX Announces Loaded TV Lineup for UFC Debut
By Ariel Helwani


FOX has announced its full lineup of programming that will air before and after next Saturday's historic UFC telecast, and it's without a doubt the most impressive TV lineup served up to fans surrounding any UFC event.

In addition to the one-hour telecast on FOX, which will feature Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos for the UFC heavyweight title, UFC programming will air on FUEL TV and FOX Deportes.

Below is an easy to read schedule of everything you can expect to see:

Friday, Nov. 11:
7:00 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT -- Weigh-ins live on FUEL TV
7:00 P.M. ET -- Cain Velasquez: Brown Pride, episode 3 on FOX Deportes

Saturday, Nov. 12:
3:00 p.m. ET -- Cain Velasquez: Brown Pride, episodes 1-3 on FOX Deportes
4:45 p.m. ET -- UFC on FOX prelims live on Facebook and FOXSports.com
5:30 p.m. ET -- Weigh-ins re-air on FUEL TV
6:00 p.m. ET -- UFC Primetime re-air on FUEL TV
6:00 p.m. ET -- Re-air of Cain Velasquez vs. Brock Lesnar on FOX Deportes
7:00 p.m. ET -- UFC prelims live on FOX Deportes
7:00 p.m. ET -- Pre-fight show on FUEL TV, hosted by Glazer, along with Kenny Florian and Stephan Bonnar
9:00 p.m. ET -- UFC on FOX broadcast, hosted by Curt Menefee, along with Dana White, Brock Lesnar and Joe Rogan. Mike Goldberg and Rogan will call the heavyweight title fight.
10 p.m. ET -- UFC on FOX post-fight show on FUEL TV, hosted by Glazer, along with Florian and Bonnar

In addition, FOX Sports Radio will air five hours live coverage on Nov. 12, which will include pre-fight analysis, the call of the heavyweight title fight and a post-fight show hosted by MMA journalist Larry Pepe.

UFC on FOX 1 takes place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
Read More: MMA Media Watch UFC News UFC on FOX

[Kris P Lettus]

Don't no why they are showing all that on Fuel TV.. Why not just play them on FOX?? I mean what would you be disrupting?? Episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies or Andy Griffith??

[Next Big Thing]

Makes sense. You don't want MMA overload on the main network.

[Kris P Lettus]

I understand that, but like the weigh-ins Friday and the post fight show Saturday should be availible to all fans, not just ones who happen to have Fuel TV..

[Kris P Lettus]

Also, LOL @ "Cain Velasquez: Brown Pride", episodes 1-3 on FOX Deportes..

[Shaved Monkey]

Really looking forward to this fight but I wish that they were showing Guida/Henderson on TV too.

[Kris P Lettus]

Me too..

I read this earlier today..

Clay Guida rep: Untelevised slot was FOX's choice, not UFC's
by Steven Marrocco on Nov 03, 2011 at 4:45 pm ET

A fight that could very well determine the next contender to the UFC lightweight crown is "dark."

But at least one half of that untelevised fight is not discouraged, according to his rep. Lightweight Clay Guida is using an apparent change in plans to motivate a better performance against Ben Henderson at UFC on FOX 1.

"He has a pretty firm understanding that it's FOX's call, that FOX doesn't think he has what it takes to draw viewers," John Fosco, Guida's manager, today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "That motivates the hell out of him, and he just feels that it's more reason to go out there and put it on Ben."

Guida (29-11 MMA, 9-5 UFC) vs. Henderson (14-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) takes co-main-event status at UFC on FOX 1, which takes place Nov. 12 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. A heavyweight title fight between current champ Cain Velasquez and challenger Junior Dos Santos takes center stage on a live one-hour broadcast on FOX.

The one-fight main card represents a shift for the UFC's network-television debut. Fosco said he had been told that Guida vs. Henderson would be broadcast if the main event went two-and-a-half rounds or fewer.

An announcement this week said otherwise, though. Instead of trying to squeeze the co-main event into the live broadcast, the UFC announced it'll put all of its attention on the main event as a throwback to big boxing events. All other fights, including Guida vs. Henderson, on the Nov. 12 card will be streamed live on FOX.com and Facebook.

"Our goal has always been to bring big fights back to network television," UFC president Dana White said earlier this week. "We are thinking long-term for the future of this sport. It is an investment in the future of the UFC. Fans that have never seen the UFC before will see this show, and that’s why we decided to put Cain and Junior in this position.

"I know for a fact this is going to be an awesome fight. I know it is going to be great. That's why it was these two in this position. I have no worries at all this is going to be a great fight."

While initially disappointed with this week's news, Fosco said he understands the unique situation presented by the UFC's network debut.

"That's why we don't blame (UFC matchmaker) Joe Silva," he said. "Because when I spoke with Joe [on Wednesday], Joe said, 'Do you really think I want to have Guida vs. Henderson, a fight that can bring in ratings and bring in revenue, dark? Do you think that helps anybody?' And I believe Joe.

"I think this was FOX's call to say even if this fight is 10 seconds, we want to spend the rest of the time educating the new viewer on what the sport is about rather than just showing another fight."

But regardless of how many fans see Guida vs. Henderson, the manager believes the stakes of the fight remain the same. With the logjam in the lightweight division removed by champ Frankie Edgar's spectacular title defense over Gray Maynard this past month, standout Melvin Guillard's loss to Joe Lauzon, and Strikeforce lightweight champ Gilbert Melendez inked for a Dec. 17 title defense, the winner of the fight deserves to be next in line.

"We highly expect a title shot with a win," Fosco said.

With that expectation, Team Guida has more than enough fuel for the fire.

"Clay's going to have people wish they could have seen it on FOX," Fosco added.

For the latest on UFC on FOX 1, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.

[Kris P Lettus]

Don't really see how a former WEC light weight champ vs. a fan favorite, pretty much for the number one contender spot in the UFC's deepest weight class wouldn't draw but hey, what do I know..

[Crimson]

Im sure they will show it if the main event is real short

[Shaved Monkey]

Don't really see how a former WEC light weight champ vs. a fan favorite, pretty much for the number one contender spot in the UFC's deepest weight class wouldn't draw but hey, what do I know..

Especially since those two would bring it no matter what. It would also probably be a decent idea for them to showcase more than the heavyweights.

Im sure they will show it if the main event is real short

Nope. Apparently even if Cain/Junior only goes 30 seconds that's all we're getting.

http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2011/11/3/2534665/ufc-squanders-opportunity-to-spotlight-ben-henderson-clay-guida-on-fox

Yesterday during the UFC on Fox conference call with UFC President Dana White, champion Cain Velasquez, and challenger Junior dos Santos, news was finally released regarding the status of the main card festivities, specifically whether the one-hour special would feature more than one fight. White confirmed during the call that the special event on November 12 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California would only feature the UFC heavyweight championship bout on the network broadcast, even if it only lasts thirty seconds.

It's really silly. Like, I'm having a few people over to watch the show and we're all going to want to watch Guida/Henderson too but it's so shitty crowding around my tiny ass monitor to watch the fight when we could be watching it on my television.

[Mr. JL]

I do not understand why the UFC's debut on Fox would only highlight one fight. Talk about putting all your eggs in one basket. Since it is only one fight I probably will not be too bothered if I miss it and in no way am I going to get together with a bunch of my friends to watch a single fight. On the other hand, if this was a full stacked card of fights you can bet your ass I won't miss it and probably have a few buddies over as well.

[Kris P Lettus]

All FOX's decision..

[Next Big Thing]

Yeah, I've gone back and forth on this too. At first I thought it was a good idea to just feature the main event, but Guida v. Henderson has the potential to be an even more exciting fight. It would make sense for them to at least show the co-main event too.

At the same time, I can understand where Fox is coming from. Most people didn't/don't buy a Tyson, Roy Jones Jr., De La Hoya, Pacquiao or Mayweather PPV and sit down to watch the entire undercard. They tune in for the main event whether it goes 1 round or 12 3 minute rounds.

It's just risky because even if for some strange reason Guida/Henderson was a dud, they would still have the Velasquez/Dos Santos fight to potentially save it or vice versa. With only one fight, if it ends up being boring it will be hard to hype up the next one.

[Kris P Lettus]

Yeah but there Saturday lineup as of late has been the World Series or replays of America's Most Wanted/sitcoms..

Seems a huge waste to not air atleast 4-5 of the fights..

[Jura]

They canceled Terminator:SCC, fuck Fox.

[Shaved Monkey]

So, now Fox is going to be showing Guida/Henderson on TV with one other fight on FOX Deportes.

Doesn't help me at all, but maybe some of you get the channel.

[Next Big Thing]

The other thing is, the deal doesn't actually start until 2012. This show just serves as a "Bonus." So maybe Fox didn't want to commit to a full slate until they could ensure they'd have the production capabilities to "make it theirs." Just speculation on my part, but it may explain why things are so scattered.

[Next Big Thing]

Sunday's well-received "UFC Primetime: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos" pre-event special earned a 1.3 household rating and averaged two million viewers.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today confirmed the Oct. 30 program's ratings information with an industry source.

The one-hour special, which was the first significant UFC programming on the FOX network, scored a 0.98 rating among men 18-49 and a 0.99 among men 18-34.

That means many of the viewers came from demographics that traditionally do poorly with UFC programming.

However, the "Primetime" special either preceded or followed NFL games in most FOX markets, though the times and lead-ins fluctuated wildly. But as a comparison, the primary NFL game at 1 p.m. ET on FOX averaged 17 million viewers.

The UFC special followed UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and top contender Junior Dos Santos as they prepare for the Nov. 12 event, UFC on FOX 1. The event – which is the UFC's first on major network television – takes place at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. Only the title fight airs on FOX, and the full undercard streams on FOX.com and Facebook prior to the one-hour network-TV debut.

"UFC Primetime" usually is a three-part weekly series that airs on Spike TV. However, given the UFC's new seven-year deal with FOX (and FX and FUEL TV), and given the need to introduce the UFC's fighting brand to new viewers, "Primetime" was scaled down to a one-hour special for this past weekend's broadcast. The show rightfully has earned rave reviews.

FOX is available in approximately 115 million homes. Spike TV, which is available in approximately 100 million, has averaged 1.9 million viewers for its four UFC Fight Night and The Ultimate Fighter Finale events this year, as well as 1.4 million viewers for this year's two seasons of "The Ultimate Fighter" reality series. However, specialty programming such as "Countdown" and "Primetime" shows rarely draws more than one million viewers.

For the latest on UFC on FOX 1, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.

2 million viewers. Apparently, it's a big deal because the UFC was down in its key demographic, so the bulk of the ratings came from people who don't normally watch the sport. Plus, they were going against football and the show aired in all sorts of weird timeslots.

[Kris P Lettus]

They were going against the Steelers/Patriots game and I watched..

[Kris P Lettus]

So, now Fox is going to be showing Guida/Henderson on TV .

Where did you see this cause I can't find that news anywhere..

[Shaved Monkey]

Where did you see this cause I can't find that news anywhere..

Got it from here: http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2011/11/4/2538456/fox-deportes-air-guida-vs-henderson-garza-vs-poirier-mma-news


Earlier this week, Dana White made it clear that only one fight would be shown on Fox on November 12th - the UFC heavyweight title fight between Cain Velasquez (http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122504/cain-velasquez) and Junior dos Santos (http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122489/junior-dos-santos). Even if it only went 30 seconds. A lot of people wanted to see the Ben Henderson vs. Clay Guida fight on there too (http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2011/11/3/2534665/ufc-squanders-opportunity-to-spotlight-ben-henderson-clay-guida-on-fox), but unfortunately it was relegated to Facebook. A glimmer of hope has arisen from the ashes though, and it appears that Henderson/Guida will be on TV after all, along with Pablo Garza (http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122877/pablo-garza) vs. Dustin Poirier (http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122973/dustin-poirier). They will air on Fox Deportes, Fox's Spanish sister station.
While this might seem like great news on the surface, Deportes doesn't have a lot of reach. It is only available in 18 million households in the country, as opposed to Fox which is available in 115 million homes. But if you prefer to watch Bendo vs. Guida on TV and you actually get the channel, you're set. If not, there's always Facebook

edit- It's Fox Deportes though not the regular Fox channel.

[Kris P Lettus]

So fucking gay..

[Kris P Lettus]

Also, just an FYI, but BloodyElbow is kinda unreliable.. Not saying this isn't true but they have "reported" alot of shit that hasn't come true..

[Shaved Monkey]

Really? I've found so far that the SBNation stuff is usually pretty good. Bloody elbow though is more of a blog and certain writers are definitely much better and more reliable than some of the others.

Where do you get your stuff?

[Kris P Lettus]

MMAjunkie.com
MMAfighting.com
MMAnews.com
ESPN.com

[Kris P Lettus]

Sometimes Sherdog..

:$

[Kris P Lettus]

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6Dt4ACoRypo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Next Big Thing]

Also, just an FYI, but BloodyElbow is kinda unreliable.. Not saying this isn't true but they have "reported" alot of shit that hasn't come true..

SB Nation just bought mmafighting.com from AOL. Ugh! I guess that sites going to be just as shitty as the garbage that gets thrown up on the SB Nation sites.

[Kris P Lettus]

I saw that..

There are some quality news sites though..

[Shaved Monkey]

I really don't get the SBNation hate. Regardless, I had heard about the acquisition last week. One of the writers on BE got fired right after it happened. Apparently he got into some twitter beef with Ariel Helwani like just days before and it seems that Helwani holds grudges.

Feel bad for the guy because he had one of the best weekly columns on the site.

[Next Big Thing]

In my opinion, most of the SB Nation content is crap. The MMA page looks like something a search engine spammer would make or a really shitty blog.

MMAfighting and MMA Junkie have legit sports reporters who are reliable and break news, not just submit bunk based more on opinion than fact. Luke Thomas is such a joke, he can't even get a UFC press pass so any news he "breaks" is second hand crap anyways. That's probably why they bought MMAfighting anyways. They want real credibility.

[Kris P Lettus]

Got my Diaz 137 walk out shirt today..

woo??

[Next Big Thing]

FOX releases full schedule:

If I'm reading the t.v. schedule right, the match selections and fight times are even more retarded.

If the prelims start at 4:45, they'll be done by 7:15 at the latest. They usually don't start until 6:15. That would mean there's a 2+ hour gap between the last prelim fight and the main event.

The people who bought a ticket to that show are going to be pissed. Especially if the Poirier/Garza & Guida/Hendo fights are fireworks like expected and then they have to sit through two different pre-shows. MMA, L.A. fans, booze and delays don't make for a good mix. They better have Arianny Celeste and Brittney Palmer stripping or something.

[MoFo]

I hope every Fox show isnt just a one fight deal with the rest on Facebook.

btw for us Brits this is on Premier Sports if youve got it on Sky, cuz ESPN are fucking idiots.

[NoJabbaNoBogRoll]

Looks like I'll be watching a stream, but at least it's only for one fight.

[Next Big Thing]

foxsports.com is going to have the prelims as well as Facebook. At least the stream for the championship fight should be guaranteed top quality since it's on free tv.

[RP]

So the entire event will not be on tv? Wtf?

[Mr. C]

I'll never understand why they didn't have Henderson vs. Guida on FOX and save Velasquez vs. Dos Santos for UFC 139 in San Jose next week.

Imagine 139 with Velasquez/Dos Santos, Henderson/Shogun, Bowles/Faber, Le/Silva, and Kingsbury/Bonnar.

[Next Big Thing]

I don't fault them for having this fight on Fox. If you're going to have your first shot on network television and try to get yourself on par with NASCAR, the MLB and the NFL you need to have the biggest attraction possible and that was Velasquez/Dos Santos at the time. Those guys are bigger draws than Guida/Henderson and at the time it was announced there was a possibility that that fight wouldn't even be for the #1 contender at 155.

UFC 139 is stacked without this fight and if I can get the HW belt for free on t.v. than having to buy a PPV or watch a shitty stream I'll take it.

[NoJabbaNoBogRoll]

Aaron Rosa looked like he took off a fat suit.

[Next Big Thing]

Sick switch kick from Caseres.

[NoJabbaNoBogRoll]

He looks good at 135.

[Suicidal Icon]

That was a good fight

[NoJabbaNoBogRoll]

Must be weird, fighting on the prelims and knowing you have zero chance of making it to TV, even if you get a ten second knockout.

[Droford]

Im going to listen to this on Fox Sports Radio..haha..

MMA on the radio, probably only better than tennis and golf on the radio.

[Suicidal Icon]

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLE in one...

[Next Big Thing]

What a shitty ending for Semerzier. Wobbled by an accidental head butt and then TKOed! Damn.

[Suicidal Icon]

Don't think i've seen that before. Guess Peralta had the harder head

[NoJabbaNoBogRoll]

Maybe he's secretly Samoan.

[Suicidal Icon]

Nice first round.

[Next Big Thing]

Being on the ground with a legit jiu jitsu black belt must feel like trying to get away from a boa constrictor.

[Suicidal Icon]

Even worse, a boa constrictor with fists

[NoJabbaNoBogRoll]

Snakes are known for holding onto chokes after the bell.

[Suicidal Icon]

Sneaky snakes

[Suicidal Icon]

Amazing grappling skills

[NoJabbaNoBogRoll]

BOOM.

[The Mask]

niceeee

[Next Big Thing]

Damn.

[Suicidal Icon]

Step 1. Uppercut
Step 2. Celebrate
Step 3. Continue punching
Step 4. Win/Resume celebration
Step 5. Use words like butt and a hole

[Suicidal Icon]

Beautiful

[Next Big Thing]

Swanson/Lamas might be fight of the night.

[Next Big Thing]

Lamas is all emotional talking about his grandmother passing and his wife's brother being pregnant and Rogan's follow up question is, "Ricardo, how tight was that guillotine choke he had on you?" Gotta love MMA interviews.

[Suicidal Icon]

This should be good

[Next Big Thing]

This is exciting shit!

[Suicidal Icon]

Damn exciting. Great round. Clay is awesome

[Suicidal Icon]

And they couldn't put this on tv why?

[Next Big Thing]

These guys on Fox as co-main event would be legend. They'd be instant stars. What a waste.

[Next Big Thing]

Dana fucked up not putting this on t.v.

[Suicidal Icon]

Amazing fucking fight

[Next Big Thing]

Edgar/Henderson will be sick.

[NoJabbaNoBogRoll]

So, that fight is gonna be shown on TV, after all.

[Corndad]

You can tell Dana White is freakin out right now lol

[Shisen Kopf]

I'm gonna watch this shit tonight to see what the big deal is. Can't be more serious business than rasslin though. Who should i root for? Who's the heel?

[Next Big Thing]

It's a Mexican and a Brazilian so they're both heels to you. #AMIRITE?

[Jamstar]

JDS via TKO RD1

[Shisen Kopf]

Yessir. I dunno dude, 25 minutes in and no fight and this Stanford vs Oregon game is pretty good. Not sold on UFC at all

[Innovator]

lotta boos for JDS

[Shisen Kopf]

I want the one without that gay ass tattoo to win. Plus he's not Mexican so that's good. Also Kane>Cain Valasquez

[Droford]

WORST CASE SCENARIO

didnt even go 2 minutes

[Corndad]

Holy Shit

[Next Big Thing]

Called it!

[Shisen Kopf]

Yeah that sucked. Not ever gonna pay for this shit.

[Corndad]

Well that was.... Crazy.

[Next Big Thing]

They only need 19 minutes of filler. Not that bad I guess. At least it wasn't boring.

[Razzamajazz]

what a fantastic debut for the ufc on primetime HAHAHAHAHAHA

[NoJabbaNoBogRoll]

Jamstar called it, lads.

[Jamstar]

JDS via TKO RD1

I am the greatest

[owenbrown]

holy shit

[Corndad]

Hopefully will show that Henderson/Guida fight now. Probably will just be Interviews and thats about it thou.

[Next Big Thing]

Thing is, this puts the UFC in a better position for an epic heavyweight fight. If Alistair beats Brock they get a sick stand up war. If Brock wins, JDS gets more shine.

[Next Big Thing]

Plus I love JDS. Great dude. 'Nother title for Blackhouse.

[Droford]

They only need 19 minutes of filler. Not that bad I guess. At least it wasn't boring.

If one had never seen UFC before, and you see a guy hyped in the show as "the Perfect Fighter" get his ass handed to him in a minute, I dont think Im taking it too seriously.

[NoJabbaNoBogRoll]

Hopefully will show that Henderson/Guida fight now. Probably will just be Interviews and thats about it thou.
They showed it before the main event, on my stream.

[Corndad]

Maybe this will show should be at least 2 fights on live shows. Hopefully they get another shot after this.

[The Mask]

:love: JDS :love:

[Corndad]

They showed it before the main event, on my stream.

Damn, they showed a bunch of Promos on Fox for me. Feel slighted lol

[Next Big Thing]

If one had never seen UFC before, and you see a guy hyped in the show as "the Perfect Fighter" get his ass handed to him in a minute, I dont think Im taking it too seriously.

Or, you say if he's the perfect fighter the guy that UPSET him must be something I should watch in the future since you're just a casual fan. Kind of like when those same casual fans thought Brock was the baddest man on the planet and Cain UPSET him and became "the Perfect Fighter."

[Jamstar]

Thing is, this puts the UFC in a better position for an epic heavyweight fight. If Alistair beats Brock they get a sick stand up war. If Brock wins, JDS gets more shine.

Overeem will destroy Brock.

[Razzamajazz]

an hour of programming for a 64 second fight, what is this, tna?

[Shisen Kopf]

If one had never seen UFC before, and you see a guy hyped in the show as "the Perfect Fighter" get his ass handed to him in a minute, I dont think Im taking it too seriously.

Yeah dude that's what I'm saying I don't watch mma and thought I'd give it a shot but that was boring. Bunch of filler and a 1 minute fight. Why would I want to pay for that?

[Razzamajazz]

lots of commercials....

[Corndad]

Yeah dude that's what I'm saying I don't watch mma and thought I'd give it a shot but that was boring. Bunch of filler and a 1 minute fight. Why would I want to pay for that?

Because you get an entire card of fights, not just one fight.

[Next Big Thing]

Maybe this will show should be at least 2 fights on live shows. Hopefully they get another shot after this.

They have a five year deal with Fox. It starts in 2012. This was just a bonus fight to "consummate" the union. There will be 4 network fights each year and they will have at least 2-3 fights according to Dana.

[The Mask]

dana looked gutted lol :'(

[Next Big Thing]

Yeah dude that's what I'm saying I don't watch mma and thought I'd give it a shot but that was boring. Bunch of filler and a 1 minute fight. Why would I want to pay for that?

This is where they messed up. The UFC usually has five fights on a card, not one. Plus, the fight before this was expect.

[Razzamajazz]

they're playing the tough enough theme now, it's a conspiracy

[Testicle]

UFC died tonight.

At least on a mainstream level.

[KillerWolf]

UFC on Fox was a piece of DOG SHIT. 1. more so than JDS/Velasquez, i wanted to see Henderson vs. Guida, which they didnt even show. 2. the whole damn production was just not true to the UFC - a flagrant attempt to pander to and bring in football fans. very embarassing to watch. oh, and this possibility of an early 1st round knockout did not even occur to Dana, or the bookers, or producers, or whoever green lit a one-fight card? i'm embarassed.

[KillerWolf]

UFC died tonight.

At least on a mainstream level.

good! i did not like what i saw, as the UFC's entry into the mainstream. if i wanted to watch football...

also, it would be nice if we could get back to some reasonable amount of time between PPVs - at least a month or two instead of an average of about 3 weeks. yes, i want to see stacked cards - and at $55.00 a po, who wouldnt? there should prolly be a title defense at every PPV. after all there ARE 7 titles now.

[Jamstar]

UFC died tonight.

At least on a mainstream level.

No it didn't. Quite the opposite, actually.

[Testicle]

If you say so.

I'm sure that Tap Out commercial with the kids fighting will go over great with the mainstream American audience as well.

[Testicle]

If you think that went well you know nothing about TV. Remember tonight was not for you, hardcore MMA fan, tonight was for everyone else.

[Next Big Thing]

Let's wait and see what the ratings say.

[Jamstar]

If you think that went well you know nothing about TV. Remember tonight was not for you, hardcore MMA fan, tonight was for everyone else.

i know more about tv than your mom does cock

[Testicle]

Let's wait and see what the ratings say.

Wait to see the ratings of the next couple shows on fox. I'm sure this show did huge numbers, but what will follow.

[KillerWolf]

Let's wait and see what the ratings say.

wrong. lets wait and see what the ratings say the NEXT TIME they do a UFC on Fox.

[Jura]

Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight titles have and are going to change frequently.

[Shisen Kopf]

Dude doesnt Curling get like huge fucking ratings up there?

[KillerWolf]

If you think that went well you know nothing about TV. Remember tonight was not for you, hardcore MMA fan, tonight was for everyone else.

yes. BUT, make no mistake, this turd was no better for us hardcore fans than it would have been for a first time viewer. i'm a hardcore fan. and 25 minutes in, i was thinking, "when are they going to fight?" just like any first time viewer. and on top of that, i was wondering wtf was happening with the Ben Henderson/Clay Guida fight the whole time. this shit was an embarassment.

[Mr. C]

dana looked gutted lol :'(

That's what he gets for booking only one fight that could very well, and did, end in the 1st round for an entire hour. What harm would it have done to air both Henderson/Guida and Velasquez/Dos Santos on FOX? Even if it was FOX who only wanted to show the main event, Henderson/Guida should've been aired. I'm sure Dana could've had more say in airing it.

[KillerWolf]

Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight titles have and are going to change frequently.

speaking of which - IMO, the UFC Heavyweigh Title is NOT the most prestigious title in the UFC, dispite the fact they kept selling it as such all night. but i think that most UFC fans are too smart to buy into that. the most prestigious title would tend to be that of the most stacked division, which IMO would put Lightweight and Light Heavyweight as the more prestegious titles.

[Mr. C]

Also, I love how Brock Lesnar went on and on about Velasquez winning, when he still can't even pronounce his name right, from the time the fight was announced until right before the fight. I felt like this fight could've easily went either way, but Lesnar sure didn't. Guess he felt like he'd look better if Velasquez had put a beating on Dos Santos like he did Lesnar. :roll:

[Vastardikai]

I can honestly say that Ubereem will probably beat Dos Santos. Mostly because Dos Santos was doing precisely dick to check Velasquez's leg kicks. That's going to be a bad situation should Ubereem beat Lesnar.

[What Would Kevin Do?]

I don't get why people think this is going to hurt UFC of FOX.

Yeah, it was a super short fight, shit happens. In the future, the shows on Fox are going to have more fights on the card, so it's not going to be "1 big fight." Plus, this wasn't a boxing ppv. This was on tv, for free. It's not like people just paid a shit ton of money to watch that fight. Yeah, this fight will create some naysayers. But then come the next show or two, when they end up having a bad ass fight, they'll get people back.

[Crimson]

lol @ people thinking its the end of MMA. It's here to stay and it will do good. Not the perfect fight but it'll bounce back,you wont see bullshit decisions like boxing

[KillerWolf]

I don't get why people think this is going to hurt UFC of FOX.

Yeah, it was a super short fight, shit happens. In the future, the shows on Fox are going to have more fights on the card, so it's not going to be "1 big fight." Plus, this wasn't a boxing ppv. This was on tv, for free. It's not like people just paid a shit ton of money to watch that fight. Yeah, this fight will create some naysayers. But then come the next show or two, when they end up having a bad ass fight, they'll get people back.

what people are saying is that this whole [stupid] production was supposed to be (and clearly was) an attempt to draw in new fans. 65 seconds of action on for an hour long program will likely leave a bad taste in alot of peoples mouths, and they may not bother to tune in next time. Us hardcore fans probably will tune in hoping for a more UFC-ish production. people for whom this was their first time watching MMA - they might just go ahead and watch CSI or the College Game or whatever.

[Pintint]

I can honestly say that Ubereem will probably beat Dos Santos. Mostly because Dos Santos was doing precisely dick to check Velasquez's leg kicks. That's going to be a bad situation should Ubereem beat Lesnar.

I don't think Overeem is going to beat Lesnar. People are dismissing Lesnar too quickly and too easily. If you read the news, apparently Lesnar has been fighting sick for a while and it seems now he has "gotten clean" of his health problems.

That said, it doesn't mean his stand up is automatically great. It's not, Lesnar's not a guy who should fight on his feet against good strikers like Cain or JDS. Lesnar's strength is his wrestling and physical dominance. From what I have seen from Overeem, I haven't seen him show anything that shows him capable of out wrestling Lesnar.

I think once (if) Brock gets him off his feet, or Overeem takes Lesnar off his, and it goes to the ground, then Brock will beat him. People are writing off Lesnar too easily after his last fight and seem to rate Overeem too highly. I feel this is a mistake.

I mean, look at Overeem's performance here,

http://youtu.be/shrXeEaHh_w

Hardly seems like a person who would be able to beat Lesnar.

I'd put my money on Lesnar.

[What Would Kevin Do?]

what people are saying is that this whole [stupid] production was supposed to be (and clearly was) an attempt to draw in new fans. 65 seconds of action on for an hour long program will likely leave a bad taste in alot of peoples mouths, and they may not bother to tune in next time. Us hardcore fans probably will tune in hoping for a more UFC-ish production. people for whom this was their first time watching MMA - they might just go ahead and watch CSI or the College Game or whatever.

I get what you're saying, and that will probably be the case for some new people. However, if someone was interested enough to watch this, they're probably not going to totally write it off. Yeah, if someone normally watches CSI, and has no interest in combat sports, then they might not tune back in. But if they're going after boxing fans, football fans, etc, they might be more willing to give it a second chance because these things happen. Furthermore, one bad fight can be easily made up for by one "holy shit" fight. All they need is one good fight for people to say "Hey, did you see that fight, holy shit!" And that'll probably push some people who "wrote it off" to give it a second chance.

With that said though, I do hope Fox is kicking themselves for only airing one fight.

Anyway, just to clear up any confusion, I'm not really disagreeing with you that the 35 minuted lead up into a 1 minute fight will drive some people away. I get what you're saying, and it's a valid point. I just don't buy into the idea that this is going to damn UFC on FOX, which is what some people seem to think, or that last night will keep UFC from getting new fans, which I highly doubt.

[Crimson]

what people are saying is that this whole [stupid] production was supposed to be (and clearly was) an attempt to draw in new fans. 65 seconds of action on for an hour long program will likely leave a bad taste in alot of peoples mouths, and they may not bother to tune in next time. Us hardcore fans probably will tune in hoping for a more UFC-ish production. people for whom this was their first time watching MMA - they might just go ahead and watch CSI or the College Game or whatever.

Might be true for a select few..but if their smart they should know sports are unpredictable..as is mma. And there will be short ko's and long wars, nature of the beast

[What Would Kevin Do?]

The other problem is, UFC has to be careful what they air on TV. Hell, they could get amazing ratings if they aired Jones vs Evans on FOX, but how much money would they lose from the ppv buys? I'd be curious to see how much of a loss they take for airing something free on tv, versus the ppvs.

[Next Big Thing]

I don't think Overeem is going to beat Lesnar. People are dismissing Lesnar too quickly and too easily. If you read the news, apparently Lesnar has been fighting sick for a while and it seems now he has "gotten clean" of his health problems.

That said, it doesn't mean his stand up is automatically great. It's not, Lesnar's not a guy who should fight on his feet against good strikers like Cain or JDS. Lesnar's strength is his wrestling and physical dominance. From what I have seen from Overeem, I haven't seen him show anything that shows him capable of out wrestling Lesnar.

I think once (if) Brock gets him off his feet, or Overeem takes Lesnar off his, and it goes to the ground, then Brock will beat him. People are writing off Lesnar too easily after his last fight and seem to rate Overeem too highly. I feel this is a mistake.

I mean, look at Overeem's performance here,

http://youtu.be/shrXeEaHh_w

Hardly seems like a person who would be able to beat Lesnar.

I'd put my money on Lesnar.

Be honest, do you really follow this sport?

Brock's been fighting sick for awhile? What? After each incident of diverticulitis, Brock had surgery, healed up and came back. He wasn't fighting anyone while he was sick. Just as you say he's "gotten clean" now, he had "gotten clean" after each incident before too.

Then you say Brock doesn't do well against good strikers while being obviously ignorant to the fact that Alistair won the K-1 Grand Prix, which involves... striking.

Why would you even talk about the fight going to the ground and wrestling being the deciding factor in Lesnar's favor and then show a video from a kickboxing match 2 years ago as indicative of Overeem's abilities in MMA or chances against Brock?

Besides, Badr Hari is one of the best kick boxers in the world. Brock doesn't come close to him or Alistair in the stand up. BUT, even if that fight was supposed to be an example of something, why wouldn't you show the fight from the year before when Alistair knocked Badr Hari out?

Not saying Brock can't or won't get it to ground and beat him that way, but I haven't read an analysis of that fight more off base than yours. If you knew anything about the sport, you would have shown the fight between Alistair and Werdum as an example of Overeem's weaknesses on the ground, but even that would have been a stretch because Brock doesn't have Werdum's submission skills. At least talk about Overeem's cardio or something.

[Next Big Thing]

what people are saying is that this whole [stupid] production was supposed to be (and clearly was) an attempt to draw in new fans. 65 seconds of action on for an hour long program will likely leave a bad taste in alot of peoples mouths, and they may not bother to tune in next time. Us hardcore fans probably will tune in hoping for a more UFC-ish production. people for whom this was their first time watching MMA - they might just go ahead and watch CSI or the College Game or whatever.

Mike Tyson knocking guys out in 35 seconds didn't stop millions of people from spending $45 on a Saturday night on his PPVs, so why would someone be pissed off that they saw a championship fight end in a KO on free t.v.?

Think about how the idiots at these events always boo during a good extended grappling session or when a guy is trying to actually box instead of brawl, but cheer when they see a knockout. Seeing someone get knocked out resonates with people. Those are the casual fans who the UFC was trying to reach and those fans probably aren't complaining that after 65 seconds they got to go back to CSI or the Stanford game.

[SuperSlim]

Be honest, do you really follow this sport?

Brock's been fighting sick for awhile? What? After each incident of diverticulitis, Brock had surgery, healed up and came back. He wasn't fighting anyone while he was sick. Just as you say he's "gotten clean" now, he had "gotten clean" after each incident before too.

Then you say Brock doesn't do well against good strikers while being obviously ignorant to the fact that Alistair won the K-1 Grand Prix, which involves... striking.

Why would you even talk about the fight going to the ground and wrestling being the deciding factor in Lesnar's favor and then show a video from a kickboxing match 2 years ago as indicative of Overeem's abilities in MMA or chances against Brock?

Besides, Badr Hari is one of the best kick boxers in the world. Brock doesn't come close to him or Alistair in the stand up. BUT, even if that fight was supposed to be an example of something, why wouldn't you show the fight from the year before when Alistair knocked Badr Hari out?

Not saying Brock can't or won't get it to ground and beat him that way, but I haven't read an analysis of that fight more off base than yours. If you knew anything about the sport, you would have shown the fight between Alistair and Werdum as an example of Overeem's weaknesses on the ground, but even that would have been a stretch because Brock doesn't have Werdum's submission skills. At least talk about Overeem's cardio or something.

I was thinking the same thing. Although Brock won't have the submissions of Werdum to trap Overeem... Brock has shown that if the other guy isn't a very good wrestler he can hold him down. Cain was real good so as soon as he got Cain down Cain was able to get back up. Overeem wouldn't even dare to get down with Werdum. But Overeem has submissions and could potentially lure Brock into taking the fight down and lock something.

But the biggest question is... can Overeem keep up with Brock. Brock is a freak athlete. Overeem has little cardio.

[Stickman]

Does fox usually do different things in various regions? Guida/henderson opened the night after the main event they showed a prelim. So i saw three fights and some of you oly got 1? Wtf fox?

[Crimson]

Really? Where the heck do you live

[Stickman]

Vancouver

[Crimson]

Don't like Dana's comments on how the fans that complained need to shut up and that we coulda seen the Ben/Guida fight it on facebook. He's right but this was the whole point of trying to lure a new fan base on free tv. By putting on decent fights. And what's wrong with people wanting more?

He came off bitter which im sure he was, seeing as he said it almost immediatley after the fight

[Jura]

"For anyone to [expletive] about this fight because they didn't get to see [this fight or] that fight ... shut up! You should've bought tickets if you wanted to see all the fights," White said. "And you don't like to watch them on Facebook? Seriously, shut up."

"Every weirdo comes from everywhere, [talking] about how bad fighting is and joining the 'Coalition of I Have Nothing Better To Do With My Life.''" said White. "These are the stories we have to tell to mainstream America. Because most of us in this room live in this bubble called MMA. It's a world of triangle chokes and arm bars, all the [expletive] people have never heard of. They don't understand it. They don't know what it is. We have to ease people into this, so that's what we did tonight."

[Testicle]

Ha.

[Vastardikai]

On one hand, Dana has done a great good to make MMA legit.

On the other hand, he doesn't help his case many times when he opens his mouth.

[RP]

The thing that will eventually happen is that he will either learn to carry himself more professionally, or he will be pushed out of the UFC. Fox is way more important to the Fertittas than Dana White is. He only owns 9% and probably could be forced to sell. If Fox doesn't like him as the face and the mouth peice of the sport and they threaten to pull the product unless he's dealt with, he'll get dealt with. He probably doesn't realize this. He's in big business now. Anyone can do ppv. He's in network now. He can and will probably be silenced.

[Next Big Thing]

I think Dana could definitely tone it down a little but even if he doesn't I think he will still be fine. Promoters have always been a huge part of combat sports. From Don King to even Vince McMahon. Those guys act as the glue and are the one constant in those worlds as fighters come and go. Part of the reason why boxing has gone to shit is because Don King got pushed out and the boxers took over promoting or there's a boring old fuck like Bob Arum running things. So now, there's no one to hype up younger boxing stars or make marquee matches happen when they need to. WWE's business turned around once Vince took a more prominent role as a character and became one of the faces for the company in the mid 90's.

I don't agree that anyone can do PPV either. TNA can't do PPV. WCW had Ted Turner and later AOL behind them and they couldn't do PPV. Affliction had Mark Cuban and Donald Trump backing them and they flopped. Sweaty fat fuck Scott Coker had CBS and Showtime and he flopped. Pride was the best thing in MMA and UFC bought them. He's needed and I feel like he was a big reason for the Fox deal taking place. Not every fighter is someone you can send on the press circuit so would you rather have selling fights, Dana White or Lorenzo Fertita? They know how he is and wouldn't have done the deal if they thought he'd be a problem or didn't like him.

Plus this is Fox we're talking about. Seth MacFarlane isn't on the chopping block after Family Guy does a song and dance about old man on boy neighbor sex or abortion so I don't see the brash promoter of a sport like MMA getting pushed out.

[RP]

Anyone can do ppv. There's all kinds of stupid shit on ppv. Whether people will watch is different.

[Iop]

Ne1 think that Overeem Vs Lesnar in a debate on the economy would be more entertaining than their fight?

[MoFo]

Mike Tyson knocking guys out in 35 seconds didn't stop millions of people from spending $45 on a Saturday night on his PPVs, so why would someone be pissed off that they saw a championship fight end in a KO on free t.v.?

Think about how the idiots at these events always boo during a good extended grappling session or when a guy is trying to actually box instead of brawl, but cheer when they see a knockout. Seeing someone get knocked out resonates with people. Those are the casual fans who the UFC was trying to reach and those fans probably aren't complaining that after 65 seconds they got to go back to CSI or the Stanford game.


This.

[Crimson]

Yeah Dana isnt going anywhere..but his comments were retarded

[Reavant]

speaking of which - IMO, the UFC Heavyweigh Title is NOT the most prestigious title in the UFC, dispite the fact they kept selling it as such all night. but i think that most UFC fans are too smart to buy into that. the most prestigious title would tend to be that of the most stacked division, which IMO would put Lightweight and Light Heavyweight as the more prestegious titles.

:nono:

The heavyweight title is the most prestigious title in combat sports. Whether its the best in the UFC is irrelevant. Them going with that fight was to bring in the mainstream, not the hardcore.

[KillerWolf]

:nono:

The heavyweight title is the most prestigious title in combat sports. Whether its the best in the UFC is irrelevant. Them going with that fight was to bring in the mainstream, not the hardcore.

:-\

i know that that used to be the case. i'm not sure if that is still necessarilly true. who is the heavyweight champ in boxing? i have no idea, and i, nor most people could pick his name or face out of a line up.

however, i do know who Manny Pacquiao is, and i know that he is not a heavyweight. i know who Floyd Maywether is -- not a heavywieght.

more "casual" or "non-fans" of UFC and MMA, i'm guessing, have heard of GSP, Anderson Silva, Tito Ortiz, and Chuck Liddell than have heard of Cain Valasquez or Junior Dos Santos.

my point being that the prestige of the Heavyweight Title has always been a function of fame, and connection between the Heavyweight Title and fame is no longer an absolute. so, IMO, the philosophy that they were subscribing to in order to attract new viewers and hype up the heavyweight title fight (and in fact, the position that you appear to hold regarding the Heavyweight belt) is an outdated one.

having said all that, i realize that they likely employed this gimmick to hype the fight since, as you said, the whole production was aimed at the mainstream. but, had this fight been a part of a UFC PPV, i doubt they would have made the statements about the Heavyweight Title holding more prestige than any other UFC title.

[Reavant]

:-\

i know that that used to be the case. i'm not sure if that is still necessarilly true. who is the heavyweight champ in boxing? i have no idea, and i, nor most people could pick his name or face out of a line up.

however, i do know who Manny Pacquiao is, and i know that he is not a heavyweight. i know who Floyd Maywether is -- not a heavywieght.

more "casual" or "non-fans" of UFC and MMA, i'm guessing, have heard of GSP, Anderson Silva, Tito Ortiz, and Chuck Liddell than have heard of Cain Valasquez or Junior Dos Santos.

my point being that the prestige of the Heavyweight Title has always been a function of fame, and connection between the Heavyweight Title and fame is no longer an absolute. so, IMO, the philosophy that they were subscribing to in order to attract new viewers and hype up the heavyweight title fight (and in fact, the position that you appear to hold regarding the Heavyweight belt) is an outdated one.

having said all that, i realize that they likely employed this gimmick to hype the fight since, as you said, the whole production was aimed at the mainstream. but, had this fight been a part of a UFC PPV, i doubt they would have made the statements about the Heavyweight Title holding more prestige than any other UFC title.

again, your still coming from a point of being a hardcore.

Theres plenty of random people out there who couldnt tell you who manny pacquiao is or tell you what class hes in (outside of maybe knowing hes a boxer) and Im sure theres just as many who dont know GSP.

The current prestige of the heavyweight belt may not be there, but historical still is. Everyone knows who muhammed ali is. Anyone older than id say 35 or 40 knows about the big heavyweight championship fights that used to be on free TV and what a big deal they were. The whole name of HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP still resonates with the public.

Even in professional wrestling, the pinnacle of the sport is being the "world heavyweight champion"

Again the average person may not know that the heavyweight title in the UFC is not the most prestigious. You and me do, but the average fan hears heavyweight title fight for free, and they check it out.

[Reavant]

and the reason noone could tell you who the boxing heavyweight champ is, is because theres two of them, their brothers, they wont fight, and they are not exciting. (klitschko brothers)

how big was boxing when there were guys like tyson running around

[El Capitano Gatisto]

Heavyweight boxing used to be the biggest sport in the world for most of the 20th century. It probably still would be if there were top notch American and British challengers. UFC would probably be minted if they came up with a dominant American heavyweight, that's what boxing is crying out for (as well as being run properly, obviously).

[RP]

I think Lesnar has a long way to go before he's dominate. When he gets punched in the face, things start to fall apart for him.

[RP]

I say America should get behind Roy Nelson. Makes sense.

[Jura]

8.8 Million Viewers Indicate the Sky’s the Limit for UFC on Fox


MMAWeekly.com
The success of the first ever UFC on Fox show continues to grow with the ratings returns in, and the fighters in the sport are just as excited as UFC and Fox officials.

In a ratings release on Sunday, the UFC on Fox averaged 5.7 million viewers for the entirety of the one-hour broadcast that aired during the 9 to 10 p.m. ET time slot.

According to Nielsen Ratings sent to MMAWeekly.com, the 15-minute averages steadily increased as the show got closer to the actual fight, which didn’t kick off until after 9:30 p.m. ET.

Starting at 9 p.m. ET, the UFC on Fox broadcast pulled in 5.3 million viewers and then jumped to 5.5 million viewers during the 9:15 to 9:30 time slot. The real jump happened during the fight between Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos.

The peak hit at 8.8 million viewers during the fight, the highest ever for any mixed martial arts fight in television history, surpassing the numbers reached during the EliteXC broadcast featuring Kimbo Slice against James Thompson.


The overall rating during the 9:30 to 9:45 p.m. time period averaged 7.1 million viewers. The decrease was due to the amount of fans that changed the channel after the heavyweight title fight ended with the viewership going to 5.9 million within three minutes of the fight’s conclusion.

“It’s awesome. I think it’s a matter of time before mixed martial arts and the UFC is the biggest sport and the biggest organization in the world,” said Urijah Faber about the debut Fox show.

According to a release from Fox on Thursday, another half-million viewers were added to the overall broadcast courtesy of the show’s airing on Fox Deportes. FoxSports.com also saw their biggest numbers outside of a Super Bowl when showcasing the UFC on Fox prelims on the internet.

The two-hour UFC on Fox pre-game show on Fuel TV was the highest rated program on the network for all of 2011, and their largest share in the coveted 18-49 male demographic as well.

UFC on Fox 1 was just the starting point to a seven-year deal that actually doesn’t begin until January 2012. For some fighters who have been around MMA for several years, it’s a very exciting time to see the sport explode on a whole new level.

“I think the game is just starting,” said Wanderlei Silva on Thursday. “We just had our first event on Fox, the transition for the sport right now, and it’s just time before this sport is No. 1 in the world.”

Dan Henderson, who fights in this weekend’s main event fight at UFC 139, marks the UFC on Fox debut as another placeholder in MMA history.

“It’s been a long time coming,” said Henderson. “The UFC getting on Spike TV was one big step, and with them getting a deal with Fox, it’s another huge step for the sport.”

The second Fox show is rumored to take place in January 2012, and if the numbers from the debut show are any indication, the sky’s the limit for the future.

“I think the second show on Fox will be even bigger for the UFC,” middleweight Cung Le stated at the UFC 139 pre-fight press conference.

Expectations are definitely high that Le is right on the money with his prediction.

[Next Big Thing]

Word is they had 22 million viewers in Brazil. That's huge.

[Vastardikai]

I'm thinking MMA is second only to soccer in Brazil. But maybe I'm wrong?

[El Capitano Gatisto]

I listen to a radio show with a Brazilian football expert on it every week and he was talking about this a while ago. He said that despite Brazil being a huge country, the people are still pretty pariochial and will get on board any sport where a Brazilian is successful. He talked about tennis being virtually unknown in Brazil before Gustavo Kuerten started to become successful, then suddenly it became immensely popular when he was contesting Grand Slam finals, so MMA will continue to be hugely popular there as long as there are Brazilian fighters featuring in the title pictures.