UFC 95: A Jackpot for the UFC and MMA

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There is a bit of a gamble involved for an organization like the UFC when it comes to putting together a fight card.  Will it live up to the hype, is there enough hype?  Will out do the expectations? 

For weeks leading up to events fans are told, “the biggest event in UFC history” or “the most important MMA  matchup ever”.  Those tags seems to follow every big name fight out there.

What was the most important match up in UFC history, what was the biggest event?  Gracie-Hughes, Lidell-Silva, Couture-Lesnar, Penn-St. Pierre?  All carried the title of the biggest ever.

No folks, the biggest event ever, the greatest match up ever was Bonner-Griffin.  Why you may ask, unless you already understand the point, is because this fight was aired live and free on Spike TV.

There is a breed of consumer out there that will not pay for MMA events.  Or even look them up actively on the Internet.  These folks will watch what is on the t.v. though, and April 9th of 2005 what was on was the Ultimate Fighter Finale.

Fans were treated to the most epic battle this sport has ever seen, and even thought they may not have been looking for MMA, MMA found them and made fans for life out of many unsuspecting victims.

UFC 95 was aired free on Spike TV.   This card was not talked up very much.  Had Sanchez-Stephenson not been on the card, at first glance it may have been a hard sell.  Even with them, there were rumblings of “lackluster” from even the deepest of fans.

UFC 95 was aired free on Spike TV.  This card may have accomplished as a whole what one fight back in 2005 did alone.  Here is the quick math for you.  10 fights, 2 decisions,  meaning 80% of the fights ended in submission or knockout, only four fights went beyond round 1 two of which ended early.

Those are the overall numbers.  That doesn’t even scratch the surface of what can only be described as a night of  fireworks, one big left hand explosion followed up with crackling of bones, only to hear yet another boom after that and on through the night. 

The main event was a war with non stop action between two great competitors.  They put on their own grand finale of fireworks that really held the viewer.  There is not enough that can be said about what an exciting night of fights it was.

This fight card was a diamond in the rough.  Not much thought given by those casually watching and not a lot of interest by even some hardcore fans.  Just some folks sitting around killing another Saturday night and next thing you know an hour  later new found MMA fans cheering along side re energized enthusiasts. 

The UFC, Dana White, and Joel Silva take gambles when they put together a card.  They don’t have a lot of choices as they have just got done absolutely ground and pounding us Colemen style with event after event.  They have some huge events on the horizon to prepare for, not leaving a lot of options with regard to big match ups. 

We got the scraps at UFC 95, and that’s exactly what we got,  absolute scrapping.  It was beautiful.  And this could not have happened at a better time.  A free card that pulled in otherwise non engaged viewers and with all that is about to happen in the sport.

Consider the bonus being that whatever fans were pulled in last night, will be prime candidates to kindle their appetites for upcoming events like Lesnar-Mir, Silva-Leites, and of course UFC 100.  Didn’t Inside fights mention Fedor had commented about talking with Dana White?  What exciting times for the sport, and what a great time to become a fan.

Great timing, and a great roll of the dice by Mr. Silva, Mr. White, and the UFC.  This card was a gem, and quite a nice gift for the fans off MMA both hardcore and new found.

All these new fans are the lifeblood of the sport.  Bringing in new fans and gaining that attention will help the sport become more accepted as a legitimate sport, with world class athletes under its employ. 

This sport still wont be sanctioned in New York.  This sport is a red headed step child considering other competitive sports widely accepted today.  It must be more commonly appreciated to become more accepted in society.  The more fans that both enjoy and understand the sport, the more forward progress it can make.

UFC 95 definitely pulled more than one unsuspecting casual fan this weekend.  And that my friends is a good thing.  This sport is young.  Zuffa taking over the UFC was a huge step for the sport, TUF and Griffin-Bonner was another great leap, Penn-St. Pierre was a stumble, and UFC 95 was yet another victory in the quest to bring MMA to the people.

The coins were dropped, the lever pulled, and the Mr. Silva, Mr. White, and the UFC enjoy now the benefits of the jackpot triple sevens they just hit.

Todd enjoys the MMA fight game tremendously. Not only the physical and entertainment side of things, but also the philisophical, historical, and business side of MMA. Todd will be covering any wide variety of these topics here on Inside Fights, and loves a great discussion. Share your thoughts, whether you agree or not. Your input is not only appreciated but requested. Let us know what you think!