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Should UFC/MMA Be Covered on ESPN?


Ugly Bulldog

Should UFC and Mixed Martial Arts Be Covered on ESPN?  

11 members have voted

  1. 1. Should UFC and Mixed Martial Arts Be Covered on ESPN?

    • Yes
      8
    • No
      1
    • Not Sure
      2


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I was listening to Colin Cowherd on ESPN Radio today and he mentioned that there was a big ESPN meeting today regarding coverage of UFC and mixed martial arts (MMA). The general question is whether shoot fighting should be considered a real sport. The other issue is should ESPN cover it and report what goes on.

 

It's an interesting debate because UFC is huge right now. The only major media outlet that reports UFC results is the L.A. Times. If ESPN picks it up, then MMA would certainly be covered by just about everyone.

 

As a guy who reads the sports section in the newspaper and watches SportsCenter, I would like ESPN to start covering it. Guys don't care about WNBA or women's sports or even hockey (in the U.S. anyway). Meanwhile, UFC's buyrates and television ratings are thru the roof. And anyway, if boxing is covered (when everyone knows how rigged it has become and how greed has ruined it's reputation), UFC continues to interest new viewers with a great degree of credibility. As far as I see it, mixed martial arts has far exceeded a ton of sports in terms of popularity. It's kind of surprising that it's taken this long for people to really notice it's impact.

 

I don't watch it too much, but I do like it. If ESPN would pick it up, I'm positive a lot more people would turn in. Who knows what would happen then.

 

What do you guys think? Would you like ESPN to cover UFC and other mixed martial arts?

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  • 1 month later...
The problem is,imagine having to listen to guys like Jim Rome bad mouth this sort of stuff every chance he gets.

 

 

Sometimes Jim Rome is a complete idiot. I'm sure he'd consider this to be one step above professional wrestling as far as credibility as a sport is concerned. To me, I think it deserves coverage. Those guys are just as athletic as any other athlete in any other major sport. Hell, ESPN covers tennis. That sport puts me to sleep. And while Poker has become a really big thing, and I can see why ESPN covers it, I wouldn't consider any of those guys athletes.

 

As for Americans not watching Hockey, I couldn't agree with you more. When the XFL was on the verge of folding, they did a comparison with the veiwership of the XFL weekly games, and the NHL Stanley Cup Finals, and the XFL was still on top. And that was after the ratings drop that supposedly killed the XFL. Plus the XFL was watched more than the WNBA, reaching ratings that the WNBA still hasn't been able to obtain. Some things the typical American male sports fan just really doesn't get into. But when it comes to fighting and breaking bones and blood in the ring, we're typically all over that kind of stuff. MMA and UFC seems like a natural addition for ESPN coverage that would only help ESPN's ratings in the long run.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I stand corrected. Rome had one of the guy's on from one of the promotions on as a correspondent today. So,if ESPN wants to cover this stuff,then by all means let them. I mean they run crap on ESPN 2 like bowling,darts and spelling bees and whateever else they think are "sports".

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  • 2 weeks later...

I 100% think that ESPN should cover it. Boxing is all but dead. They cover Bowling and have commercials with pro Bowlers in them. They should at least start covering the title defenses in MMA. I don't know why they don't but would guess somewhere along the line $$$ sorry I don't have a theory on the how's or why's but I'm sure that place a part. Also maybe because ESPN is owned by Disney that may have something to do with it. They may think that it is too violent and blah blah blah. So they only cover Steriod use (Barry), Bar fights and shootings (Pac Man Jones and Chris Henry, both proud alumni from my old college) and things of that nature. For those that think MMA-ers are not athelets and should not have a spot on ESPN then I'm sorry if it would interfere with watching a juiced up freak throw empty beer kegs over a 10 foot wall or squat 12 kids on a bench. Altough I do like watching that also, I'm just saying.

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@hmmm@ This is the same network that covers the rock, paper, scissors championship and they're wondering if they should cover UFC??? @hmmm@

 

Yeah, somthing is definitely wrong with this picture!

 

 

I've gotten into watching UFC on Spike and I gotta say that I LOVE IT! Sadly enough, the only other sport where you can see fights that good is hockey, which coincidentally, ESPN bailed on save for highlights on Sportscenter. @pow@

 

ESPN SHOULD cover UFC, but I wouldn't hold my breath. Perhaps if there are no spelling bees, RPS championships, or food eating competitions to talk about then maybe they will.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I said "Not Sure". I didn't say "No" mainly because these two events are in fact, a sport, just like any other sport that ESPN shows on their channel. Other more popular sports should generally be shown the majority of the time.

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I kinda like the way it's covered now...WITHOUT ESPN's acknowledgment of it as a "legitimate" sport or not. Gives it that controversial feel, like a dirty, underground, illegal, FIGHT club, sorta thing, ya know? ^_^

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The problem is,imagine having to listen to guys like Jim Rome bad mouth this sort of stuff every chance he gets.

 

I'd like to see Rome pull something like he did on Jim Everret on one of the MMA people.

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The problem is,imagine having to listen to guys like Jim Rome bad mouth this sort of stuff every chance he gets.

 

I'd like to see Rome pull something like he did on Jim Everret on one of the MMA people.

 

 

 

@loll@ Yeah...me TOO! Of course, Everett gave him a good slap down on his own.

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