Every Wednesday, Administrative Editor Jordan Breen welcomes a member of the mixed martial arts media into “Press Row” on the Sherdog.com blog. This week, Breen is joined by Fox Sports MMA writer Damon Martin.
Following Demetrious Johnson's UFC 174 flyweight title defense as well as the rumor that Bellator may acquire notorious boatyard slugger Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson, Breen and Martin look at the recent strategies employed by the UFC and Bellator to generate starpower. The pair look at the struggles the UFC have had following the North American MMA boom to create PPV draws from scratch, why “Mighty Mouse” may never factor into that equation despite his greatness in the cage and the importance of international talent for Zuffa going forward. The duo also discuss Viacom and Bellator's opposite strategy of relying on established fighter brands like Quinton Jackson, Tito Ortiz and the aforementioned Kimbo to drum up interest in their product and what it means for MMA's other top promotion.
Breen and Martin also discuss whether or not UFC title fights should always be the main event of a particular event, how many pay-per-views Nick Diaz could sell tomorrow, misguided theories about “casual” and “hardcore” MMA fans and their sports consumption habits.
Grab your credential and get a seat in “Press Row.”
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