subgenius

I don't feel a lull at all. A lot of great stuff is happening. Some events have experienced some growing pains that come with expansion within a company. Also, issues like Randy Couture and the HW title caused a lot of depressed feelings within the MMA community, IMO. Also, Fedor not signing with the UFC did not boost our collective morale. Add into that the steroids issue and stripped titles and it can get you down.

I actually think that the more serious problem with the UFC at the moment has more to do with over-hyping. The UFC needs to start letting the product speak more for itself. I wish that they would drop the event naming and just stick with the event numbering and the main event as the title of the event. UFC Stacked and Knockouts just did not live up to those labels. Sure, they may not have been bad events, but they seemed over-hyped.

I also think that the PRIDE fighters have a lot to do with any sense of a lull in the UFC. I don't feel that the UFC fighters are really to blame. I mean, we all saw how Cro-Cop failed to live up to his hype. Other PRIDE fighters have done well and some have done average. But, the era of PRIDE dominance in the UFC did not develop. The PRIDE heavyweights really did not excite the UFC HW division the way we all seemed to expect. It is ironic that it might take Brock Lesnar to fire things up at HW, LOL.

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BJ Penn stole my SHOE!!!

Crashsti

This thread reminds me of when i used to go to my Grandmother's house as a child. She used to always let us have one cookie out of the jar each time we visited. Never allowed to have anymore then that. I thought those cookies where the best in the world. Vienna Fingers if anyone is wondering. As soon as i was older and could buy things for myself i bought myself an entire box and ate them all in a day. Now i don't think they're so great. The UFC is this way. It used to be one event every few months, now they're monthly with the UFN events and all the other promotions. I can have MMA all i want now. It used to be you'd watch UFC 5 again and again without ever feeling let down. Now we forget about an event as soon as its over and start discussing the next one.

subgenius

I can agree with some of what you say. But, when I am a fan of something, then I am usually a junkie fan. For me, more MMA is not enough MMA. I don't want monthy MMA. I want weekly and even daily MMA. LOL. I cannot seem to get enough. I think that I am far from the average fan in that regard. And, maybe I am an obsessed fan, LOL. Crazed stalker fan? Nah. Just an MMA geek.

I can get that daily MMA feeling to some degree by coming here to FF or by searching the Internet for matches that come from promotions that have no footprint in North America the way that the UFC has in the US. I tried to support PRIDE by buying their PPVs. At least in the last few years of PRIDE the local cable company made them available.

I think that most all of the MMA promotions out there can see that a monthly PPV event is the only real business model that leads to big money. The TV model seems best suited to compliment the PPV model. With TV it's all about ratings. If Showtime does not see decent ratings with its MMA events, then they can just cancell it. Poof! There goes EliteXC down the drain.

If Spike TV dropped the UFC, then the UFC could still survive and still get a new TV deal somewhere else. The UFC is close to being able to make it's own TV cable MMA channel. EliteXC might get a new TV deal somewhere else, but it would be a huge blow to them to get tanked by Showtime.

The idea of a monthly event sets up an on-going UFC storyline that I think best suits MMA. If we had to wait two or three months to see an event, then I think that the UFC would never have taken off as it has now. As much as TUF is a gateway for new fans into the UFC and MMA, once those new fans get inside they quickly see that the UFC is much more than the stupid stuff we see on TUF. I think that monthly events make that happen.

Also, Dana White said that he had like 200 MMA fighters under contract. Only the champions are exclusive, as far as I can tell. So, they are not lacking in fighters to draw from to put on shows. So, there are enough fighters to create a storyline. Each fighter has a story, like with BJ Penn and Tito Ortiz. I think people love these guys and love watching their "story" as it unfolds. What will they do next? LOL.

I think that the problem with holding events only every two or three months is that in the long run, if you have two or three bad shows in a row, you could lose an entire year and hurt your profits and your on-going dramatic effect (that story or hype engine) upon the fans. If you run monthly shows, then a few bad shows here and there will not hurt.

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BJ Penn stole my SHOE!!!

Crashsti

I am also a MMA junkie and can't get enough either. I would'nt want to see the UFC go back to the old 4 PPV a year. I just wanted to point out why some people might not feel the excitement anymore. It has nothing to do with MMA, its the way they look at MMA.

Cacti45

this Shox show > last UFN

id like to see Semtex shut marcus davis up.

takenover

I have to say that was a good analogy. I believe you are correct entirely.If there was an event on everyday, I probably wouldnt be on this forum. It is everywhere which in turn will desensitize the hype.

Mickey Finn

you wont be feeling a lull once youve seen ufc 82, 84 and 85

khodey

I agree with what Krav was saying, there was a lull going on for a while there. I think with the next few cards that we will be lifted from this lull. Its just because all of the Championship belt drama in the UFC, with the light, welter and heavy belts in limbo there wasn't too much to look forward to for the time being. Now it seems to be heading towards normality again. Belts will change new contenders will come along, the UFC will be at peace again.....hopefully.

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Greenman is my hero.

GSP for the WIN!!!

Rush

I know what you mean Krav. I wasn't excited for 80 at all. Of course, I still watched it. I always watch the event regardless, I sat through the Ireland event, I can sit through anything. LOL! I am ready for 81 though. We do have some good cards coming up, so maybe this is the turning point.

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mlabelle

There is about 1 month of difference between each PPV event. And not every PPV are build like we like to.

for instance:

UFC 77 was October 20 and i bought it because i was interested by the card.
UFC 78 was on November 17 but i didn't bought it because i didn't like it.
UFC 79 was on December 29th and i bought it, Really worth it hehe

So between UFC 77 and 79 is more then 2 month... its normal you fell a Lull once in a while.

Its like UFC 81.. exept Lesnar and Mir i don't care much. But for UFC 82 i'll buy it for sure...still in more than a month.

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giguer

What I think is. PPV or free. Big name or not. We never know what can happen. And we could see some good fight whitout big name and some bad fight with big names. I just learn to watch most of the fight and after, see if is was good or not.

Mickey Finn

sometimes you get rewarded unexpectedly. like ufc 80 wasnt a great card but it sure did have some great fights