By Steven Kelliher on November 30, 2009
Prior to his CBS fight against Jason “Mayhem” Miller on November 7, Jake Shields was already considered one of the very best welterweight fighters in the world. Since defeating Miller in a relatively one-sided affair in the co-main event of Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers, Shields is now the Strikeforce Middleweight Champion and remains one of [...]
Posted in Exclusive Interviews | Tagged middleweights, strikeforce, welterweights
By Gregory Saks on November 29, 2009
American MMA fans typically focus their attention on American fighters. October’s high profile all-Brazil UFC 104 main event, however, helped move the needle in the direction of international talent. Brazilian MMA fighters collectively represented 18.5% of all MMA fan interest in October, well ahead of the 3rd ranked category of Japanese fighters. U.S. fighters still [...]
Posted in Industry Analysis | Tagged brazil, dream, england, japan, ufc
By Gregory Saks on November 27, 2009
Propped up by the buzz surrounding its Fedor vs Rogers CBS primetime event, Strikeforce drew increased fan interest in October as compared to September. Strikeforce’s fighters collectively drew 11.4% of all fan activity, up 2.5 points from September, slightly eating away at the huge lead held by the UFC. With the UFC’s star-laden roster still [...]
Posted in Industry Analysis | Tagged strikeforce, ufc, wec
By Steven Kelliher on November 25, 2009
When John”Doomsday” Howard steps into the Octagon on Saturday, December 5 against veteran Dennis “Superman” Hallman, he will not only be competing for his third straight victory in the UFC, he will also be taking part in a real-life reenactment of the most iconic comic book battle of all time. In the original 1992 storyline, [...]
Posted in Exclusive Interviews | Tagged ufc, welterweights
By Gregory Saks on November 25, 2009
Fueled by a highly anticipated and competitive UFC title bout between Lyoto Machida and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, MMA’s light heavyweight division drew increased fan attention in the month of October. 23% of all fan interest in the month was focused on the 205 pound class, an increase from September. The heavyweight division still remained atop [...]
Posted in Industry Analysis | Tagged buzz rankings, light heavyweights
By Gregory Saks on November 24, 2009
The top two spots in the bantamweight buzz rankings were unchanged in October with Miguel Torres and Brian Bowles holding onto 1st and 2nd place, respectively. Despite Bowles having stunningly TKO’d Torres to win the WEC bantamweight title, Miguel remains the most recognizable face of the division and still draws more attention from fans than [...]
Posted in Industry Analysis | Tagged bantamweights, buzz rankings
By Gregory Saks on November 23, 2009
In a surprising move, former WEC competitor Chase Beebe rose to the top of the featherweight buzz rankings in October, generating more interest among fans than any other fighter in the division during the month. With little 145 pound activity here in the states and Beebe having competed in a notable Japan bout at Dream.12, [...]
Posted in Industry Analysis | Tagged buzz rankings, featherweights
By Gregory Saks on November 22, 2009
Diego Sanchez stayed atop the lightweight buzz rankings in October in a sign of how wide his appeal is among MMA fans. While BJ Penn is the champion of the division, Sanchez’s star-building turn on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter show continues to pay dividends. With the charismatic Penn taking on Sanchez in [...]
Posted in Industry Analysis | Tagged buzz rankings, lightweights
By Gregory Saks on November 20, 2009
UFC 106 is live on pay per view this Saturday night from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. While the cancellation of a Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin heavyweight title fight took away the blockbuster potential of the event, the Tito Ortiz vs. Forrest Griffin bout that now takes top billing should [...]
Posted in Industry Analysis | Tagged buy rates, ufc
By Steven Kelliher on November 20, 2009
Though the UFC 106 card took a serious hit following Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar’s withdrawal from his scheduled title defense against Shane Carwin, it elevated Tito Ortiz vs. Forest Griffin 2 to the main event slot, offering a matchup with intrigue, history and a wealth of personality. Given that four of the UFC’s five champions [...]
Posted in Industry Analysis | Tagged light heavyweights, ufc, welterweights
