UFC PPV: Liddell Stops Ortiz Again in Rematch
Matt Stolow, BoxingConfidential.com: The real jolt won’t come for a few more days. I’m talking about when an announcement of the number of pay-per -view buys for last night’s UFC contest featuring light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell and challenger Tito Ortiz is made during the coming week.
Brace yourself because the numbers and dollar signs will seem staggering. But like boxing they will be inflated. However, they will be significant.
I watched the event with a few hundred others at a smoke-filled posh North Dallas hotspot via good old - fashioned closed-circuit TV. It was one of hundreds of clubs broadcasting the event nationally. I have to admit I had a good time watching both the event and the customers at the club. Thank you Joe Hand Promotions.
It’s too late to jump on this hot IPO opportunity. The UFC juggernaut might be the hottest thing since Mark Cuban and the dot.com revolution a decade ago. The UFC has this slickly and tightly wound up. The UFC has some warts. I saw them last night. But they might just be growing pains.
It is a shame because boxing is one sport that could have used an infusion of several million young white male fans flush with cash and growing at a staggering rate.
Enough cash, to purchase several PPV events per year. Enough cash to fill the MGM Grand Garden last night (14,000) to register a whopping $4 million gate. Enough cash, to patronize the event sponsors: an energy drink I can’t pronounce or spell, tires, razors and other guy stuff.
Enough cash to buy lots of Christmas presents online at the free ufc.com website. You know, DVD’s, posters, T-shirts and a lot more.
I’m sure other prospective sponsors will be lined up outside the UFC offices Tuesday morning to buy in somehow.
I wrote here last month that a previous PPV event coincided with the Morales-Pacquiao card and Manny, Erik and I were shown an outdoor patio on a chilly night while the huge
UFC crowd played the main ballroom.
Unless UFC has some really bad nights, as did challenger Tito Ortiz last night, UFC is going to be around awhile.
UFC fans seem to come from collegiate wrestling and all those karate studios around the country. These people seem to listen to head-banging and classic rock music and not lame sports talk radio.
Now, a few things I noticed last night and have put together:
1) Most fans were pulling for the guy with the better wrestling techniques. That was Ortiz. Champion Liddell was known as the classic puncher. He didn’t bother with much wrestling other than to avoid the charges of Ortiz. But it was clear from the opening moment of the fight that Lidell was just too much for Ortiz.
2) Champion Lidell is at least 37-years old. This would have to be considered past his prime.
3) While these UFC and other mixed martial art athletes are quite skilled in their areas of expertise they have no amateur program per se. So these UFC guys are basically walking in off the street, similar to professional women’s boxing.
In the closing moments of the program, one of the announcers said this was the best Tito Ortiz they have seen. Well, it was pretty bad. And this was a rematch! So is anyone else good enough at this to give Liddell a good fight?
I remember a quote of Larry Holmes many years ago. He said, “Everything else is just watered-down boxing.” If the champion (Liddell) is basically a boxer, does that make UFC watered-down boxing? I don’t know.
I do know that they had maybe seven fast-paced fights in about two and one half hours. All the fights were one right after the other and no long pauses between bouts. And everyone looked in pretty good shape.
And the crowd seemed to have a good time. They ate and drank a lot and many were sporting UFC apparel.
Also, I noticed that the announcers seemed to be in there twenties and wore blue jeans. No gray hair and no tuxedos were seen during the broadcast.
At the end of the night many fans were clapping and having a good time as they filed to the exits. I don’t know where they go when they leave but I do know they will be back.
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Posted January 2nd, 2007 l 75 views
