GSP Not Marketed Enough?

Does anyone here agree with Brent Brookhouse over at BE when he suggests that the UFC isn't marketing GSP strongly enough?

I could be classified as something of a GSP nut-hugger, so I want some other opinions first.

In Canada he is marketed all the time, i assume you mean in the U.S?

If the pay per view numbers come in weak for this fight in the U.S., then maybe there's an argument to be made. 

It doesn't help GSP that he's grinded out and failed to finish his last 5 opponents.

A lot of people have now heard of GSP and he's a big star, but to CASUAL fans I guarantee you his fights are not electric and particularly compelling.  If GSP had some big highlight reel finishes, it would make a lasting impression and they'd probably want to keep seeing him again. I'm not sure that's happening, given how his fights have played out lately.

And before people point out that he finished BJ Penn, I understand, but it's not the same as a wicked submission or KO. He grinded and beat up Penn for 4 rounds and Penn gave up in the corner.  I just don't see casual fans going gaga over a fight like that.

GSP is incredible and I'm in awe when he fights. Yet what matters is what the average Joe Sports fan thinks.  Marketing can only do so much if the product isn't delivering what Joe Sports fan wants.

I don't get it, but there do seem to be quite a few idiots out there that don't understand just how good GSP is. The UFC does appear to pander to the crowd that wants to see him lose more than those of us who enjoy watching him win. That may be simple enough to explain: the UFC knows folk like me and @skelliher are going to tune in no matter what and it's the naysayers they have to convince. On the other hand, they have to convince EVERYONE that someone like Anderson Silva is even going to show up to fight, so they play up his knock outs.

I dunno. GSP has been the subject of three "Prime Time" specials and is easily the most heavily sponsored UFC fighter. That the UFC has to convince us that his opponents even have a chance is more about GSP's consistency than some anti-Canadian conspiracy. However, if a card with GSP, Jose Aldo, Randy Couture, and Ben Henderson can't do more than 1M PPV buys, then I would have to agree that the UFC is doing it wrong.

I would say that the UFC really doesn't market most individual fighters.  They market cards and match-ups.  You only ever see ads when they are about to fight. In my opinion, if this card doesn't get the "right" amount of buys, it is b/c they didn't advertise the card as much as they should have.  Like raray says, GSP has been on Prim Time, gets a ton of sponsors, in both the US and Canada, but these shows are advertising fights and fight cards.  I think the UFC as a whole could do a much better job at this all the way around the spectrum.

He is in the best shape of his life, and he is facing the most dangerous opponent  in the biggest fight of his career.  And he has a game plan but he cannot show his hands just  like a poker player.  I know all this stuff, because the UFC did a good enough job with his marketing.

I'm starting to enjoy it when Jono makes an appearance.

That was pretty good, Jono, but overall, I'm not impressed by the UFC's performance.

Lol!  I know all that because I am an MMA fan.

i think gsp is marketed just as well as any of the other top fighters. the only real exception i see is brock lesnar who is pushed like crazy which i think is ok because of his name and history. if you ask me who needs to be focused on more its jose aldo, hes a wrecking machine and its sad that most people who will be watching the card have no idea who he is

@popmytrunk but that's why they put Aldo on this card, to make sure that everyone tuning in to see GSP will also get their first glimpse of Aldo.

I'm sure for Aldo's next defense (sorry Hominick) he will headline a PPV.  And I wouldn't be surprised if they put him against a well-known, former UFC lightweight.

thats true im just surprised he is only a co main event when cruz is going to be main eventing his first fight in the ufc. then again cruz and faber have some sort of a backstory

Why Gregory, you wouldn't be hinting at a Florian/Aldo FW title fight would you? That would be a great fight!!!

Ha, yeah maybe. Or there are a bunch of guys who could probably make the weight cut.  Or if Edgar loses to Maynard, he could easily drop down. Fans would be up in arms that they shouldn't give an immediate title shot to someone who's never been at 145, but the UFC makes exceptions when it needs to.

Edgar vs. Aldo would be even better than Aldo vs. Florian.

If any fighter has gotten enough media exposure, it's most definitely GSP.  His fight promos get more airtime than "5 dollar footlongs" and "Verizon's 4G coverage area" combined.
The casuals that I socialize with only ever ask me about upcoming fights when they involve GSP, and they always ask who he'll be "knocking out" this time.

@skelliher

I read the article, and to me it seems like two things. 

One, they genuinely are running out of new things to show about GSP.  I've seen and listened to all his primetimes/countdowns/pre-post fight conference/radio interviews, the man says the exact same thing everytime.  He respects his opponent but you will see the best gsp blah blah i will take the fight where my opponent is weakest yada yada yada.  Producers spend hours sifting through endless amount of material to get the best quotes from a Chael interview, while they spend the same amount of time trying to find any little scrap they could piece together to shed some new light on GSP. 

Two, Shields absolutely needs the extra care to make a compelling case as a title challenger, at the very least for PPV sake.  He's less known to the casual UFC fans than a paulo thiago, and his less than stellar performance against Kampmann only got him booed after the win.  People are less likely to buy a PPV when its a onesided mismatch, I'm not saying it is but that's probably what zuffa believes the casual fans believe, otherwise they wouldn't be pushing him so hard.  They have to try and plant that nugget of "yeah.. shields really does have chance doesn't he..." every chance they get.  In the end, it almost seems like a perfect marriage, having a consequential lack of material for gsp and the need for an extra push for Shields sake.  Zuffa marketting is as clever as they come and I wouldn't be surprised if all this was deliberate in that if they pump up Jake as much as they are, and GSP thumps him a good beating, it's ultimately a brilliant bit of marketting in favor of promoting GSP, albeit somewhat indirect and slightly disingenuous as well as being after the fact.  I know i'm blabbing on, I don't know if I conveyed my points correctly but hope you get the jist of it.

@Gregory/Skilliher... What about Griffen/Aldo?