Jones flips out: Is he ready for the spotlight?

Jon Jones has been unflappable to this point in his young UFC career. The kid is only 22 years old and carries himself in and out of the cage like he's had 15 fights with the promotion. There's always a calm about him. That was until today when showed a little too much emotion during the weigh-in for his fight against Brandon Vera. Jones got in Vera's face prompting UFC president Dana White to separate the fighters. Jones was still bouncing off the walls during a quickie interview with UFC analyst Joe Rogan.

Is there reason to worry about Jones? Is the pressure finally getting him? Jones said he's fine, it's just that Vera rubs him the wrong way. 

"I'm not overwhelmed. I just really don't like Brandon as a person," Jones told Cagewriter shortly after the weigh-inl. "I just think he's disrespectful. I think he's arrogant. I think he's full of himself."

Jones (9-1, 4-1 UFC) admitted it was a good lesson to learn. 

"I guess I let his arrogance get under my skin a little bit. It's just a learning experience. In the future I'll deal with talkers better."

Jones said a lot of the anger stems from the way Vera has spoken during the prefight. 

"I'm finding a lot with Brandon, he has a lot to say with Mr. Jones. 'Mr. jones is the second coming of Jesus Christ' or 'he hasn't been kicked by me.'"

Vera (11-4, 7-4 UFC) does have a point. Jones was barely touched by guys like Matt Hamill, Stephan Bonnar and Jake O'Brien. Maybe that's a sign of how good Jones is? 

"I'm sure every opponent I've ever fought wanted to hit me. To say that I haven't been yet that's not my problem. All these guys really wanted to hit me and they weren't able to land anything real devastating." 

Jones admitted the weigh-in was probably a good test run for some of the emotions he feel tomorrow night just before the bout starts at UFC on Versus 1 in Broomfield, Co. 

UFC on Versus weigh-in: Jones amped, Irvin gaunt

The UFC is calling its debut card on Versus, "the best event in free television history." That's an argument for after the card. One thing for sure, there's a lot at stake in several fights and you could feel the energy during the weigh-in at the 1st Bank Center in Broomfield, Co.

The normally reserved Jon Jones was fired up, got in Brandon Vera's face and forced UFC president Dana White to play the role of security guard (1:33 mark). Jones was so fired up as he leered at Vera that he could barely put a sentence together with UFC analyst Joe Rogan. A Jones win and he vaults himself into the top six or seven at light heavyweight. A victory by Vera moves him right back into the mix for a shot at the title.

The same goes at heavyweight where the red hot Junior Dos Santos tries to keep his pain train rolling against Gabriel Gonzaga. Gonzaga (pictured with a mean stare in the middle) was the bigger fighter at 255 while Dos Santos looked trim at 238.

The oddest site of the day was James Irvin (pictured on the right). He was a big light heavyweight, now he's trying middleweight. He was 198 pounds on Friday, today he made weight but he looked very thin in his face. We'll have to see if it affects his stamina or power against Alessio Sakara. Speaking of skinny, Paul Buentello (pictured on the left) looked much thinner down at 246 instead of the 255 he fought at durign UFC 107. 

UFC on Versus weigh-in (weights courtesy MMA Junkie):

Televised card:
Jon Jones (206) vs. Brandon Vera (204)
Junior Dos Santos (238) vs. Gabriel Gonzaga (255)
Paul Buentello (246) vs. Cheick Kongo (237)
James Irvin (185) vs. Alessio Sakara (185)

Non-televised card:
Shannon Gugerty (155) vs. Clay Guida (155)
Eliot Marshall (204) vs. Vladimir Matyushenko (205)
Darren Elkins (155) vs. Duane Ludwig (155)
John Howard (170) vs. Daniel Roberts (169)
Chase Gormley (265) vs. Brendan Schaub (245)
Julio Paulino (170) vs. Mike Pierce (170)
Jason Brilz (205) vs. Eric Schafer (205)

UFC on Versus 1: Irvin tries to rebound from injuries and drug issues

He's been labeled by some as the most cursed fighter in UFC history. James Irvin probably wouldn't argue after dealing multiple freak injuries in and out of the Octagon. The injuries became the least of his worries when he got hooked on prescription pain killers. That's a big problem. Those pain killers aren't allowed by state commissions. Adding insult to injury, Irvin was suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, when he was nabbed after a 2008 loss to Anderson Silva. It all served as a wakeup call for Irvin, who quietly checked himself into rehab.

Irvin says he clean now and the UFC obviously holds the banger in high regard. Attempting a return at middleweight, he's been matched nicely against fellow slugger Alessio Sakara. Plus Irvin is on the televised portion of the card in Broomfield, Colorado. That's pretty impressive considering Clay Guida, who just lost a fight that may have gotten him a title shot at lightweight, is on the non-televised portion of the card. 

Germany Bans the UFC on Television

Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports breaks down the report released yesterday that the Bavarian Regulatory Authority in Germany has banned the UFC from airing on television in the country.

The German equivalent of the Federal Communications Commission on Friday issued a preliminary order that would bar Ultimate Fighting Championship programming from the Munich-based network German Sports Television (DSF).

 

Zuffa, the UFC’s parent company, plans to appeal the order of the Bavarian Regulatory Authority for Commercial Broadcasting (BLM) and, if unsuccessful there, file a lawsuit in a German court, said Lawrence Epstein, Zuffa’s executive vice president and general counsel.

Payout Perspective:

The ruling highlights one of the major obstacles that the UFC will encounter as it moves forward with its international expansion: overcoming differing cultural norms relating to violence in its many international markets.

In the US, violence is far more socially acceptable than in a great majority of other countries. The term fighting also tends to mean different things to different people depending on where you are. Thus, even if people are fine with the occasional good scrap, it’s more than likely that boxing’s pervasive 300 year history has influenced their perception of what a “fight” is.

The UFC must continue to tailor its approach to each new market entry in order to take into account the preferences of not only the target consumer, but also the cultural norms of the greater public. All of this with the realization, and expectation, that things will not come easy and not every market will be open to the idea of MMA in the immediate future.

Still, there looms an even greater challenge for the UFC in the long term: pursuing international growth without compromising the core MMA product and UFC experience. Expansion is important for many reasons – revenue growth and diversity, talent pool generation, etc. – but the UFC must be careful that it does not dilute or change its current product, and alienate its existing fan base, for the sake of new and uncertain potential markets.

Largely, I think they’ve done a pretty good job of this so far.  The key is likely to be patience. Sometimes people just need time to adjust; the message might not take until the 3rd or 4th time.

But I’m also inclined to think customized market content is the way of the future for a large scale UFC: things like individual market websites and individual PPV market broadcasts (like they’ll start for 111). This is probably a good few years away from coming to fruition, because it’s so resource intensive. However, if the UFC continues to grow, it’s something they’re going to want to do just because of the potential for it to leverage nationalism to identify new customers and deepen that relationship.

Note: Wrestling Observer columnist Dave Meltzer commented yesterday that the situation also appeared to be a political move; a decision that was made to win a portion of the German public, without really alienating any strong opposition (or lobbyist movement). This serves as yet another example of the entry obstacles the UFC faces.

Howard interview: Roberts first, then Johnson

If there ever was trap fight, this is it for John Howard. The UFC welterweight was primed to face Anthony Johnson in Denver at UFC of Versus 1. Even three months out, the trash talk was reaching awesome levels. Then Johnson injured his knee and in stepped the unknown Daniel Roberts. Cagewriter caught up with Howard on the day before he weighs in. He says he's focused on Roberts but there was still plenty of Johnson talk

Schaub interview: Is the heavyweight prospect fighting for his spot on the roster?

Brendan Schaub is back and gets to fight in front of his hometown fans in the Denver area. But could it be a short stay in the UFC if he loses again? You never know what the UFC is thinking when it comes to roster moves. Schaub is hungry for a win after getting knocked out by Roy Nelson in the finale of "The Ultimate Fighter" back in December. In the past, reaching the final usually meant a longer leash when it came to UFC prospects. Not anymore. Philippe Nover, once called the a lightweight Anderson Silva, is gone. Jake Rosholt, a three-time NCAA wrestling champ, has already been jettisoned. And now that more heavyweights are taking mixed martial arts seriously, the division doesn't allow for guys who can't compete at a high level.

Schaub does appear to have the goods to be a possible contender. In this day of behemoths cutting to 265 pounds, Schaub has a nice combination of size, power and athleticsm at 6-foot-4 and 246 lbs. The Aurora-native and former Colorado fullback will face another monster in Chase Gormley. Will be cutting down from around 277 for Sunday's fight on Versus. 

Visit to Cowboys Stadium has White dreaming

Dana White has been asked about holding an outdoor fight for years. Until recently, he expressed interest in the possibility of a fight at Aloha Stadium in Hawaii or even Fenway Park. Then around the holidays, he began to say it probably wouldn't happen because he didn't think the intimacy of UFC events would play well in a huge stadium. Well, the man has changed his mind in the past -- just look at his previous takes on Tito Ortiz and Kimbo Slice -- and it looks like a visit to Dallas has him thinking big again.

White and his buddy UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta road tripped to Dallas to take in the Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey fight. White, like everyone else in the crowd of 50,994, came away wowed with the experience of Cowboys Stadium. 

"I would love to do a fight there. Yep, and I'm Mr. Anti-Stadium," White told Carlos Arias from the Orange Couty Register. "Now that I experienced that [expletive] place, let me tell you what, it's incredible. It's incredible. The nicest stadium I have seen in my entire life."

White said there was also a different energy in the stadium. It wasn't like a lot boxing matches where you can hear a pin drop during the break in between rounds. 

"Not only was it a legit crowd, it was a different crowd other than boxing. It was [expletive] ... when I walked in that place, I got [expletive] mobbed," said White. "It was all young people and people that like UFC and it was a good crowd."

Yahoo! Sports Kevin Iole backed that up saying that White got one of the loudest roars when celebrities in attendance were put on the big screen at the stadium. White's new attitude is probably reserved just for an event at Cowboys Stadium. Boxing is going to try Yankee Stadium during the summer. I can't imagine a fight card working in any other stadium without Cowboys Stadium's best feature, the 60-yard high definition big screen. 

White also confirms there is no UFC show on Apr. 17 in Nashville. So no counterprogramming effort against Strikeforce's CBS card. But he was tight lipped on details of Tito Ortiz's health and what happens during Season 11 of "The Ultimate Fighter." Rumors emerged last week that indicated Ortiz exited the show in the middle of the season and that Rich Franklin would step in against Chuck Liddell at UFC 115 in June. 

Buentello taking his training seriously in what could be last shot

Time isn't on the side of Paul Buentello. You don't recognize the name? Buentello, 36, was around during the day when the UFC heavyweight roster was a bit thin. Andrei Arlovski was the champ and the promotion had a tough time finding opponents before UFC 55.

Buentello (27-11, 3-1 UFC) stepped up to the plate but he wasn't ready and fought recklessly. He treated his career the same way when he walked away from the promotion in the middle of 2006. Buentello's schedule got real sketchy and he made little money so when he had the chance to get back into the UFC, he jumped at it. But it's a different world now in the UFC heavyweight division. It's brimming with solid prospects and every fight could  be your last.

Buentello lost a close decision war against Stefan Struve at UFC 107 and now he has Cheick Kongo. What does a loss mean? Buentello can't even think about it.

He badly needs the win so he made a radical move from Northern California to the Denver area. Buentello, respecting the altitude change in Broomfield, Co. has been in the area for the last six weeks. He thinks it'll make a huge difference in his fight on Sunday.  

Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery, May 15th

Strikeforce has officially announced its rumored May show, Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery, that will take place May 15th at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

STRIKEFORCE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION
ALISTAIR OVEREEM WILL FACE BRETT ROGERS, ANDREI ARLOVSKI TO MEET “BIG FOOT” SILVA

 

MAY 15 AT SCOTTRADE CENTER IN ST. LOUIS

 

Tickets for STRIKEFORCE St. Louis: Heavy Artillery
Go On Sale Friday, March 26; Pre-Sale Begins
Tuesday, March 23, via “STRIKEFORCE Insider”

 

ST. LOUIS (March 19, 2009) -World Heavyweight Champion Alistair “The Demolition Man” Overeem (32-11) will make his highly anticipated return to action against heavy-handed knockout artist Brett “The Grim” Rogers (10-1) in the main event of a STRIKEFORCE mixed martial arts (MMA) extravaganza at Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo., on Saturday, May 15.

 

In another heavyweight confrontation, Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski (15-7) will clash with Antonio “Big Foot” Silva (13-2).

 

An exclusive special pre-sale ticket purchase opportunity for STRIKEFORCE St. Louis: Heavy Artillery will take place for “STRIKEFORCE Insider” e-newsletter subscribers (http://strikeforce.com/insider.html ) from 10 a.m. CT on Tuesday, March 23, until 10 p.m. CT on Thursday, March 25. STRIKEFORCE Insiders will receive a special e-newsletter on Monday with the pre-sale code.

 

All fans that purchase tickets to the event during the pre-sale will receive a limited edition, 17″ x 23″ high gloss STRIKEFORCE collectible poster.

 

…

 

Shamrock Promotions will assist STRIKEFORCE with local marketing for the event on May 15.

 

Doors at Scottrade Center will open for STRIKEFORCE St. Louis: Heavy Artillery at 6:15 p.m. CT on Saturday, May 15. The first non-televised preliminary bout will begin at 7 p.m.

 

The event will be televised live on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Payout Perspective:

The release doesn’t explicitly state that Overeem will defend his belt against Rogers, but that has been the subject of much debate over the last few weeks and it appears as though the bout will be for the Strikeforce HW title.

This is a good follow-up to the CBS card. The two heavyweight matches have a fair amount of appeal to hardcore fans, and hopefully Strikeforce can do enough convincing on April 17th that it grabs the sustained attention of some of that casual base, as well.

Expect more in the coming weeks.

UFC Primetime Episode Two: 506,000 viewers

MMAPayout.com has learned that Wednesday night’s episode of UFC Primetime: GSP vs. Hardy drew an average audience of 506,000 viewers, good for a .43 HH rating.

Payout Perspective:

The debut episode of the GSP vs. Hardy series scored big, but this follow-up has to be a little bit of a disappointment as it drops 50%. GSP vs. Penn only lost about 10% between its debut and follow up. Below is a summary of the ratings history of the entire UFC Primetime series:

January 14th, 2009 – Primetime: GSP vs. Penn E1 (880,000)
January 21st, 2009 – Primetime: GSP vs. Penn E2 (825,000)
January 28th, 2009 – Primetime: GSP vs. Penn E3 (662,000)
March 10th, 2010 – Primetime: GSP vs. Hardy E1 (1,000,000)
March 17th, 2010 – Primetime: GSP vs. Hardy E2 (506,000)

The show has done a good job of making Hardy look like a credible opponent – playing up his heavy hands and muay thai prowess –  but I’m not convinced that was or should have been the main objective for the series. Primetime is an effective promotional tool when it develops a story that can evoke emotion in the viewer. One of the best ways to evoke emotion and charge the situation would have been to better exploit Hardy’s trash-talking skills.

I also think Spike has missed the mark on promoting episodes. Not only have they aired advertisements for GSP vs. Penn on more than one occasion (the astute observation of MMAPayout.com’s Adam Swift), but the manner in which they preview the next episode really doesn’t leave the viewer anticipating the next episode. Normally, this is something they do very well; especially with the TUF series where they had people believing for 3 months that Kimbo would fight again.

Nonetheless, the production of these shows is still very high. While the cost is quite high (estimated to be $1.7 million by Dana White last year), the ROI the UFC receives is quite substantial. If they could find a way to get this on ESPN, it would sell like gangbusters.

Note: The drop in ratings isn’t totally a reflection of the difference between GSP-Hardy and GSP-Penn, either. Scheduling the show late on St. Patrick’s day, when many of MMA’s target M18-34 year-old demographic was having a drink at the pub, didn’t help!

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