Dewey's Diva
07-21-2006, 01:01 PM
Okay, this article is worth some debate...
http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/1153450528218210.xml&coll=7
WFA tries to answer Ultimate question
Is it big-name fighters or the brand of fight that draws fans to the world of mixed martial arts?
Friday, July 21, 2006
BRAD McCRAY
The Oregonian
For years near the glare of a grandiose spectacle, close to the spray of blood and sweat, intimate with rage and skill, Jeremy Lappen was planning a revolution. Or perhaps an epic folly.
As the manager of some of the world's top mixed martial arts fighters, Lappen took mental notes from the edge of the cage, systematically analyzing the hype, the money and the emotional investment of the dominant organization in the sport, the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
"I saw mistakes the promoters were making," he said. "I thought things should be done differently."
As a result, Lappen created the World Fighting Alliance, which holds its first card Saturday at The Forum in Los Angeles. With a quartet of main-event fighters who have gained renown in UFC, the lineup is regarded by many observers as one of the strongest put together on U.S. soil.
But the biggest fight might be for the hearts and minds of the live and pay-per-view audiences. That struggle will have far-reaching effects as fans decide what the attraction is: the names of the fighters or the brand name of the fight.
Lappen's opinion is clear.
"Look at boxing. No one cares who the promoter is," Lappen, the chief executive officer of WFA, said. "Fans only care about who is in the ring.
"We're giving the top fighters the exposure they deserve. The superstars will drive this sport to the next level, like Tiger Woods did with golf or Andre Agassi with tennis or Michael Jordan."
Lappen's comments were a dig at UFC, the king of mixed martial arts in the United States. On July 8, UFC 61 in Las Vegas reportedly generated $3.3 million at the gate. The WFA probably will not equal that Saturday, but it has positioned itself as the only other 10-ton gorilla in the jungle.
"I don't see (the WFA) as competition," UFC President Dana White said. "It's good for the sport. They certainly aren't competing with us. We've been around for a while. They will have to spend a lot of money. This business isn't cheap and it isn't easy."
The WFA lineup Saturday has a noticeable UFC flavor. Saturday's co-main events feature Quinton "Rampage" Jackson against Portland's Matt Lindland, a former UFC No. 1 contender, and former UFC champion Bas Rutten, who is coming out of retirement, against Kimo Leopoldo, from the UFC's bare-knuckle early years.
Jackson is the last man to beat current UFC 205-pound champion Chuck Liddell. On the undercard, Lyoto Machida, the only man to beat UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin, fights UFC veteran Vernon "Tiger" White. Also, former UFC heavyweight champion Ricco Rodriguez fights UFC veteran Ron Waterman. Throw in Jason Miller against Lodune Sincaid, from the first season of the UFC's "The Ultimate Fighter" television series, and the comparisons are inevitable.
"By the lineup we brought in, there is a natural, very organic rivalry with the UFC," Lappen said. "The UFC is the biggest organization in the U.S. We want to get to the point where we could operate at that level. The UFC is feeling the heat. We put together an incredible card for our first show."
Potential bad blood between the organizations was fueled during UFC 61 when Lappen, who had been a manager for UFC champion Randy Couture and Ken Shamrock, was removed by security.
"Shamrock gave me tickets and I sat down for about three minutes before three security guards threw me out," Lappen said. "They wouldn't give me a reason until I got outside when they told me it was because I didn't have credentials. But none of the people sitting with me had credentials, either. I chalk it up to the UFC being nervous."
The WFA existed in name for six years but disappeared in 2000 after it staged a few fights in Nevada. The organization resurfaced in 2005 with new financiers, added Lappen and began throwing money at the world's best free agent fighters. Lindland, the first signee in November, said he will make about $70,000 on Saturday.
"To be honest, I (signed with the WFA) because of the money," he said. "They offered more than anyone else. I didn't even negotiate. I saw the contract and signed it."
Signing high-profile fighters put the WFA on the MMA map, but a rivalry with the UFC is more than just forks banging the plate for more pie. They have contrasting marketing approaches that could change the future of the sport. The WFA is trumpeting a desire to put fighters first and has been airing a 30-minute spot on Showtime that delves into the main event fighters' backgrounds and family lives.
The WFA is "doing a good job of promoting the fighters. The UFC likes to promote their brand," Lindland said. "Time will tell which is right."
http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/1153450528218210.xml&coll=7
WFA tries to answer Ultimate question
Is it big-name fighters or the brand of fight that draws fans to the world of mixed martial arts?
Friday, July 21, 2006
BRAD McCRAY
The Oregonian
For years near the glare of a grandiose spectacle, close to the spray of blood and sweat, intimate with rage and skill, Jeremy Lappen was planning a revolution. Or perhaps an epic folly.
As the manager of some of the world's top mixed martial arts fighters, Lappen took mental notes from the edge of the cage, systematically analyzing the hype, the money and the emotional investment of the dominant organization in the sport, the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
"I saw mistakes the promoters were making," he said. "I thought things should be done differently."
As a result, Lappen created the World Fighting Alliance, which holds its first card Saturday at The Forum in Los Angeles. With a quartet of main-event fighters who have gained renown in UFC, the lineup is regarded by many observers as one of the strongest put together on U.S. soil.
But the biggest fight might be for the hearts and minds of the live and pay-per-view audiences. That struggle will have far-reaching effects as fans decide what the attraction is: the names of the fighters or the brand name of the fight.
Lappen's opinion is clear.
"Look at boxing. No one cares who the promoter is," Lappen, the chief executive officer of WFA, said. "Fans only care about who is in the ring.
"We're giving the top fighters the exposure they deserve. The superstars will drive this sport to the next level, like Tiger Woods did with golf or Andre Agassi with tennis or Michael Jordan."
Lappen's comments were a dig at UFC, the king of mixed martial arts in the United States. On July 8, UFC 61 in Las Vegas reportedly generated $3.3 million at the gate. The WFA probably will not equal that Saturday, but it has positioned itself as the only other 10-ton gorilla in the jungle.
"I don't see (the WFA) as competition," UFC President Dana White said. "It's good for the sport. They certainly aren't competing with us. We've been around for a while. They will have to spend a lot of money. This business isn't cheap and it isn't easy."
The WFA lineup Saturday has a noticeable UFC flavor. Saturday's co-main events feature Quinton "Rampage" Jackson against Portland's Matt Lindland, a former UFC No. 1 contender, and former UFC champion Bas Rutten, who is coming out of retirement, against Kimo Leopoldo, from the UFC's bare-knuckle early years.
Jackson is the last man to beat current UFC 205-pound champion Chuck Liddell. On the undercard, Lyoto Machida, the only man to beat UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin, fights UFC veteran Vernon "Tiger" White. Also, former UFC heavyweight champion Ricco Rodriguez fights UFC veteran Ron Waterman. Throw in Jason Miller against Lodune Sincaid, from the first season of the UFC's "The Ultimate Fighter" television series, and the comparisons are inevitable.
"By the lineup we brought in, there is a natural, very organic rivalry with the UFC," Lappen said. "The UFC is the biggest organization in the U.S. We want to get to the point where we could operate at that level. The UFC is feeling the heat. We put together an incredible card for our first show."
Potential bad blood between the organizations was fueled during UFC 61 when Lappen, who had been a manager for UFC champion Randy Couture and Ken Shamrock, was removed by security.
"Shamrock gave me tickets and I sat down for about three minutes before three security guards threw me out," Lappen said. "They wouldn't give me a reason until I got outside when they told me it was because I didn't have credentials. But none of the people sitting with me had credentials, either. I chalk it up to the UFC being nervous."
The WFA existed in name for six years but disappeared in 2000 after it staged a few fights in Nevada. The organization resurfaced in 2005 with new financiers, added Lappen and began throwing money at the world's best free agent fighters. Lindland, the first signee in November, said he will make about $70,000 on Saturday.
"To be honest, I (signed with the WFA) because of the money," he said. "They offered more than anyone else. I didn't even negotiate. I saw the contract and signed it."
Signing high-profile fighters put the WFA on the MMA map, but a rivalry with the UFC is more than just forks banging the plate for more pie. They have contrasting marketing approaches that could change the future of the sport. The WFA is trumpeting a desire to put fighters first and has been airing a 30-minute spot on Showtime that delves into the main event fighters' backgrounds and family lives.
The WFA is "doing a good job of promoting the fighters. The UFC likes to promote their brand," Lindland said. "Time will tell which is right."