On the Vegas Strip,
A Fast, Brutal Sport
Deals Blow to Boxing
'Ultimate Fighting' Matches
Score Fans, Ads, Bettors;
Luring the 'Maxim' Crowd
By PETER SANDERS
March 15, 2006; Page A1
LAS VEGAS -- With its history of glitzy championship bouts, this city's famous gambling Strip is boxing's home turf. But when longtime fans Brian Schulz and Derek Ellis drove five-plus hours here from northern Utah one recent Saturday night, the hottest fight in town wasn't staged in a boxing ring. It was inside "the Octagon."
The Octagon is the eight-sided, fenced-in battleground used by the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the martial arts-inspired circuit that is fast gaining popularity nationwide. Here in Las Vegas, the sport -- known for its chokeholds, elbow punches and acrobatic takedowns -- is making a run at boxing's supremacy.
Rich 'Ace' Franklin throws David 'The Crow' Loiseau to the mat during a March 4 Ultimate Fighting bout at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
For decades, Las Vegas was the biggest venue for boxing's prizefights, featuring ring stars like Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, Riddick Bowe and Lennox Lewis. But with few new marquee names and younger spectators craving harder, faster action, heavyweight boxing's golden era has faded. The Ultimate Fighting Championship is muscling in with corporate sponsors, pay-per-view specials and star-flecked audiences. On Feb. 4, boldface names like Paris Hilton, Cindy Crawford and Charles Barkley showed up for a championship Ultimate Fighting event at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino.
Dana White, the UFC's 36-year-old president, says the sport fills a void left by boxing's failure to adapt to fans' changing tastes. "The UFC is the most exciting combat sport in the world because there are so many ways to win and so many ways to lose," he says. "Boxing is your father's sport."
On March 4, Mr. Schulz, 41, was among more than 10,000 fans who paid between $50 and $450 to watch the action at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, also in Las Vegas. He likes to describe Ultimate Fighting as "a purer sport than boxing." For one thing, it's more violent.
Ultimate Fighting is a so-called mixed martial-arts event that combines karate, judo, jiu-jitsu, boxing, wrestling and old-fashioned street fighting. The result is a sport that features many more ways for combatants -- wearing thin, fingerless gloves, not the padded boxing kind -- to effect maximum carnage.
The object is simple: overwhelm the opponent by whatever means necessary, save a few banned tactics like biting. If a fight doesn't lead to a knockout or surrender, then a panel of three judges uses a scoring system to determine the winner.
The early March card at Mandalay showcased Ultimate Fighting's fast pace and brutality. In one match, Jason Lambert and Rob MacDonald sparred like boxers for a minute or so. Then, Mr. Lambert drove his head into Mr. MacDonald's midsection and piled him into the mat. Squatting on his face, Mr. Lambert twisted and wrenched his opponent's left arm backward in an unnatural and painful trajectory. Grimacing in pain, Mr. MacDonald "tapped out," banging his free hand on the mat in the UFC's universal "mercy" signal.
In a later match, Mike Swick was quickly tossed to the mat by opponent Steve Vigneault. But Mr. Swick instantly turned the tables with a move called "The Guillotine Choke." Cradling his opponent's head in his elbow, between bulging biceps and his forearm, Mr. Swick squeezed hard and temporarily cut off Mr. Vigneault's ability to breathe.
Boxing promoter Gary Shaw attributes Ultimate Fighting's rise to a generation inured to violence and mayhem -- the sort commonly depicted in movies and videogames. "The mixture of wrestling with boxing and the fact that it's not staged goes to the bloodthirsty segment of the population," he says.
The fights are bona fide competitions, part of the official Ultimate Fighting Championship circuit. The UFC is the leading force among a growing number of slickly packaged versions of a sport that has evolved from unregulated, no-holds-barred free-for-alls staged in bars and Indian casinos a few years ago. Those brawls attracted the attention of regulators and other critics as long as a decade ago. Sen. John McCain described the sport as a "human cockfight" and sought to ban the competitions.
Rather than collapse under government scrutiny, the sport's proponents decided to adopt formal rules and regulations. Over the past several years, they worked with states like New Jersey and Nevada to ensure that officials would authorize them to stage fights.
Today, the UFC has weight classes, ringside doctors and a scoring system that is similar to boxing. It has also reined in some violence, outlawing such crowd-pleasing tactics as eye-gouging, head-butting and biting. Mixed martial-arts events are now sanctioned by more than 20 state athletic commissions. The most recent state to sign on was California, where in September Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation allowing the bouts.
The UFC has shrewdly built a following with flashy marketing that appeals to the coveted 18- to 34-year-old male sought by everyone from Maxim magazine to beer makers. A weekly reality show on Viacom Inc.'s Spike TV features contestants vying for a spot on the UFC circuit; it draws a weekly average of two million viewers. At the events, ear-splitting rock music plays over endless highlight reels between fights, and big-screen ads pitch BMW cars and coming movie thrillers like "The Hills Have Eyes." Also prominently featured are ads for the league's DVD titles like "Ultimate Beatdowns Vol. 1." In Nevada, casino bettors can now make wagers on the fights.
In Las Vegas and some other cities, the audience for Ultimate Fighting matches can now rival or surpass big boxing matches. For the Super Bowl weekend matchup between Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell -- UFC stars capable of earning $1 million or more per year -- about 10,300 people packed the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Tickets ranged from $50 to $750, but scalpers commanded well above face value. Most fans were in their seat for the entire card, not just the marquee matchup. An image of spectator Paris Hilton, flashed on the big screen, drew lusty boos from the raucous crowd. The event took in about $3.4 million.
A few weeks later, a big junior middleweight boxing match was held at Mandalay Bay between "Sugar" Shane Mosely and Fernando Vargas, two of the sport's few remaining brand-name fighters. Though the venue seats nearly 11,000, only about 8,500 fans showed up to watch the bout. The fight took in about $3.5 million. A spokesman for Mandalay Bay's owner, MGM Mirage, declined to comment on why the venue did not sell out.
Although big names in boxing acknowledge the ring's flagging appeal, they don't necessarily blame the UFC. Don King, the boxing promoter, thinks an aging demographic, the loss of recognizable names in the heavyweight classes and a disappearance from network television have all crippled the sport. "Since network television left boxing, people can't identify with the fighters," Mr. King says.
"If boxing were a stock, I'd sell it short," says Bert Randolph Sugar, a longtime boxing writer who's enshrined in the sport's hall of fame. Even so, Mr. Sugar dismisses Ultimate Fighting as little more than "bar fights without the beer bottles."
Write to Peter Sanders at peter.sanders@wsj.com
Spike video bios: http://www.spiketv.com/#shows/ultimatefighter3/index.jhtml?open=biosAmy Robinson said:Light Heavywieghts-
Kristian (Kris) Rotharmel- http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=949
From- New Orleans, LA
Record- 4-2
Wt.- 205
Age- 33
Team-
Notes- holds a loss to Jeremy Horn. Kristian's dad was killed in Hurricane Katrina.
Matt Hamill-
From- Cincinnati,OH
Record-
WT.- 205
Age-
Team- Jorge Gurgel
Notes- Matt is deaf. 2004 NCAA Division 3 Hall of Fame inductee. First US wrestler to win gold medlas in freestyle and greco at the 1997 wolrd games for the deaf. 3x NCAA division 3 champion at the National Technical Institute for the deaf. Has been featured in SI and NCAA News. 1997 Deaf Sports Federation Athlete of the year. Trains with Rich Franklin.
Michael "The Count" Bisping- http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterid=10196
From- Liverpool, England
Record- 10-0
WT.- 205
Age- 26
Team- Wolfslair Gym
Notes- holds a win over fellow TUF 3 Brit, Ross Pointon.
Tait Fletcher- http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterid=8174
From- Los Angeles, CA
Record- 3-1
WT.- 205
Age- 34
Team- 10th Plantet Jiu-Jitsu
Notes- Trains under Eddie Bravo, and with Joe Rogan.
Josh "Bring the Pain" Haynes- http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterid=6254
From- Medford, OR
Record- 17-4
WT.- 205
Age- 28
Team- Team Quest
Notes- His oldest son diagnosed with brain cancer at birth. His biggest win is over Delon Williams.
Noah Inhofer - http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterid=11378
From- Yankton, South Dakota
Record- 22-4
WT.- 205
Age-24
Team-
Notes- currently attending University of South Dakota to become a special ed. teacher. Has a loss to fellow TUF 3 fighter Mike Nichols.
Jesse Forbes- http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterid=13453
From- Tempe, AZ
Record- 2-0
WT.- 205
Age- 21
Team- Arizona Combat Sports
Notes- 2x all-state wrestler in high school. trains with Drew Fickett.
Mike Nichols- http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=11278
From- Denver, CO
Record- 3-1
WT.- 205
Age- 34
Team-
Notes- 2005 pan-am games jiu-jitsu gold medalist. Holds a win over fellow TUF 3 fighter Noah Inhafer.
Middleweights-
Kalib Starnes- http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterid=8095
From- Vancouver, BC, Canada
Record- 8-0-1
WT.- 185
Age-
Team- Revolution Fight Team
Notes- #2 ranked MW in Canada. Biggest win is over Jason MacDonald.
Danny Abbadi-
From- Amman, Jordan (moved to Brooklyn, NY; now lives in Orlando, FL)
Record- 2-1
WT.- 185
Age- 28
Team- Victory Martial Arts
Notes- also holds a 14-1 pro kickboxing record.
Soloman Hutcherson- http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterid=5342
From- Racine, WI
Record- 10-2
WT.- 185
Age-
Team- Freestyle Academy
Notes- went to a NC with Jon Fitch. Also has a loss to Jorge Rivera.
Ross The Gladiator Pointon- http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterid=6541
From- Stokeontrent, England
Record- 4-6
WT.- 185
Age- 28
Team- The Gladiator Gym
Notes- holds a loss to fellow TUF 3 Brit Mike Bisping
Ed Short Fuse Herman- http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterid=6561
From- Portland, Or
Record- 14-2
WT.- 185
Age-25
Team- Team Quest
Notes- holds wins over Nick Thompson, Dave Menne, and Brian Ebersole. Has a loss to Joe Doerksen.
Rory Version 2.5 Singer- http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterid=3525
From- Athens, GA
Record- 9-5
WT.- 185
Age- 30
Team- The Hardcore Gym
Notes- Forrest Griffins main trainer. Has competed in Pride.
Mike Stine- http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterid=9266
From- Long Island, NY
Record- 3-0
WT.- 185
Age- 27
Team- Tiger Schulmann
Notes-
Kendall Spider Groves- http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterid=10126
From- Maui, HI
Record- 7-3
WT.- 185
Age- 23
Team- Cobra Kai
Notes- trains under Marc Laimon.
Boogie said:Haven't heard of any of those fighters. It seems the talent pool for the show might be running dry. And yet their supposed to have greenlighted TUF season 4-7 already? :-/
I think my best friend trains with Kalib Starnes out in BC though. I should ask him.
Asbel said:They got a few good fighters like Bisping and Starnes to beat on guys like Pointon and look like a badass doing it. They're just trying to set up entertaining TV. A lot of the better unkown fighters seem to skip TUF and go straight to UFC.
Unfortunate but true that fighters can't get on TUF based on fighting skill alone. And they got to get rid of the 2+2 shit.Boogie said:Yeah, but it's the TUF fighters who get the 5+5k contract, while the better unknowns start from 2+2. That ain't right.
Not sure man.eff you guys![]()
Shamrock and Tito will fight at the end of the TUF 3 season which is around August. If Tito beats Forrest in next month's ppv and Shamrock later, he's getting a shot a Liddell. And Tito will continue to talk smack cuz it makes him a ton of money.Are Shamrock/Liddel and Tito ever going to fight again? All tito seems to do is talk smack. While he has some cause after the beating he gave Shamrock the last time, how can he be so cocky after getting dominated by Liddel?
karasu said:eff you guys![]()
THREE PRIDE FIGHTING BUSHIDO MATCHES TO BE TELEVISED EXCLUSIVELY ON FSN
Three bouts from PRIDE FIGHTING'S upcoming event, BUSHIDO Volume 10, will be shown exclusively on Fox Sports Net's (FSN) PRIDE FIGHTING SPECIAL on Sunday, April 9th at 9:00pm local time: Phil Baroni versus Yuki Kondo, Mark Weir versus Denis Kang, and a third fight to be announced.
Boogie said:Don't get my hopes up, dem....
Boogie said:Well, there are a few actual Machados fighting MMA. Gustavo Machado, for one. Trains at Gracie Barra.
Eddie Bravo learned from JJ Machado, and teaches Jiu-jitsu for a few MMA fighters, including Gerald Stebendt and Jason Chambers.
But unless there's direct lineage, it's hard to say what exactly "Machado-style" BJJ is.
Future Trunks said:Had my second tournament this past weekend. Took 2nd (Gi) and 3rd (No Gi). Haven't been able to attend BJJ much over the past 4 months....
Instructor called me at work to get a report on the tournament, told me that due to my performance in tournaments (quality of opponents) that I was getting stripes on my belt.
mmaweekly said:STEPHAN BONNAR -335
KEITH JARDINE +255
- Some good value with the underdog Keith Jardine if you think he can pull it off against the favorite Stephan Bonnar. Bonnar is at -335 which means you would have to bet $335 to make $100. If you like the underdog Jardine, you would bet $100 to get $225.
RASHAD EVANS -205
SAM HOGER +155
- Rashad Evans is the favorite at -205. The oddsmakers give respect to Sam Hogar at +155 which makes him a slight underdog.
JOE STEVENSON -500
JOSH NEER +400
- Stevenson is the favorite which isn't a big surprise. The suprise may come that Stevenson is at -500 while Neer has value at +400.
CHRIS LEBEN -575
LUIGI FIORAVANTI +450
- Chris Leben is the biggest favorite on the card at -575. Fioravanti a big underdog at +450.
LUKE CUMMO -200
JASON VON FLUE +160
- In what should be an interesting battle between two of the stranger personalities in Ultimate Fighter History, Luke Cummo is a small favorite at 2-1 over Jason Von Flue.
JOSH BURKMAN -240
JON FITCH +190
- Josh Burkman opens up as the favorite at -240 over A.K.A fighter Jon Fitch at +190
JOSH KOSCHECK -270
ANSAR CHALANGOV +210
- Josh Koscheck hopes to bounce back after a loss in his last fight. Koscheck is the favorite at -270 while Chalangov at +210.
TREVOR PRANGLEY -250
CHAEL SONNEN +190
- Two very good wrestlers square off as former South African wrestling champ Trevor Prangley, goes against former All-American University of Oregon Wrestler Chael Sonnen in what should be a good battle in the cage.
BRAD IMES -225
DAN CHRISTISON +175
- Brad Imes takes the ring for the first time since losing in the final of the Ultimate Fighter Final 2 as he battles Dan Christison who takes the fight on three weeks notice.
truffleshuffle83 said:ultimate fight night on tonight![]()
Yep, new schedule here http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=TvShow.TUFBoogie said:AND the premier of TUF season 3. Alas, I have jiu-jitsu tonight, so I'll miss most of UFN. I'll have to tape it.
edit: TUF starts at 10? Nuts. I'll have to tape that too.
Big or Li'l? Wow either way.Nogueira vs. Wanderlei Silva.
Asbel said:Yep, new schedule here http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=TvShow.TUF
Thursdays at 10 EST is the regular time now.
Big or Li'l? Wow either way.
'The Ultimate Fighter 3' on Spike TV: A Knockout Premiere With 2.4 Million Viewers
Monday April 10, 1:55 pm ET
The Most Watched Original Series Premiere in Spike TV History
#1 Among Men 18-34 in Timeslot Against Broadcast and Cable
NEW YORK, April 10 /PRNewswire/ -- The Season 3 premiere of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter(TM) on Thursday, April 6 (10:00 - 11:30 PM, ET/PT) drew record ratings for the network and out-delivered anything else in television in its timeslot in the hard-to-reach demographic of Men 18-34. The 90-minute premiere also out-delivered major competition on cable including the NBA on TNT (Pistons vs. Heat and Lakers vs. Nuggets) and USA Network's coverage of The Masters.
Among the notable ratings achievements for the premiere of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter 3 include:
* #1 among Men 18-34 (3.71, 971,000) in its timeslot out delivering
everything on broadcast, cable, or pay cable.
* #1 in HH rating (1.95), average audience (2.4 million), Men 25-34 (5.03,
758,000), Men 18-49 (2.70, 1,411,000), Persons 18-49 (1.67, 1,794,000)
(Ad-supported cable only)
* Highest household ratings for an original series premiere in Spike TV
history (1.95)
* Defeated TNT's NBA doubleheader featuring the league's marquee teams
including Pistons vs. Heat/Lakers vs. Nuggets in household rating (1.95
to 1.68), average audience (2.4 million to 1.8 million), and Men 18-34
(3.61 to 1.41).
* Defeated USA Network's coverage of golf's biggest tournament, The
Masters, in average audience (2.4 to 2.2 million), Men 18-34 (3.61 to
0.72), and Men 18-49 (2.70 to 1.01).
* Highest delivery of Men 18-34 in network history for an original series
* Versus last year in the timeslot (MXC), up +236% in households, +429% in
Men 18-49, +395% in Men 18-34, and +262% in average audience.
* Earlier in the evening, Spike TV simulcasted the first-ever LIVE network
sporting event (Ultimate Fight Night Live) to a mobile device via Amp'd
mobile.
"It's a great start to Season 3 which promises to be the best one yet with the intense rivalry between Ken and Tito and an incredible crop of fearless athletes," remarked Kevin Kay, General Manager, Spike TV.
"The momentum continues to build which is really exciting for us. We were confident people would respond to the sport of mixed martial arts once they got to know the professional athletes who participate in it. Stay tuned, it's going to be a great season," said Dana White, President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship® organization.
About The Ultimate Fighter 3:
Sixteen of the best up-and-coming mixed martial artists from around the world have convened in Las Vegas in pursuit of one goal -- to be named the "ULTIMATE FIGHTER" and to be given a contract in the Ultimate Fighting Championship® organization. UFC legends and bitter rivals Ken Shamrock "The World's Most Dangerous Man" and Tito Ortiz, "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy," train and coach the participating light-heavyweights and middleweights. The Ultimate Fighter 3 is hosted by Dana White, UFC President. The premiere episode of the thirteen-part series culminated in a first round victory by Team Shamrock's Kalib Starnes (Vancouver, British Columbia) over Team Ortiz's Mike Stine (Hicksville, Long Island).
Craig Piligian of Pilgrim Films and Television, Frank Fertitta III, Lorenzo Fertitta, Dana White of Zuffa, LLC, and Kevin Kay of Spike TV are the show's executive producers. Brian J. Diamond is Vice President, Sports & Specials, Spike TV and Co-Executive Producer. Peter V. Symuleski serves as Executive in Charge of Production for Spike TV.
Spike TV, the first network for men, is available in 90 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. MTV Networks, a division of Viacom International Inc.
BSsBrolly said:<<< Wandy getting pwned in the UFC.
Boogie said:Thanks, because I'm sure nobody in this thread is familiar with that fight. At all.
And, you know, it being eight years ago.
Minotauro said:More importantly, eight Vitor Belfort years ago.
dem said:Rampage says he will reveal who he has signed with on Saturday... the same day off the UFC pay per view.
Fucking Rampage.. now he's just fucking with us. He'll go and sign with rage cage or some shit on Saturday...
dem said:I'm lookin forward to Sherk vs Diaz
Sherk needs a win to get an idea of where he ranks in the UFC after getting pounded by GSP... and Nick Diaz REALLYneeds a win. Diaz might be right the fuck out of the UFC if he loses.