Rogan-vs-Lou DiBella "MMA-vs-Boxing"

[Rush]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtKx41UdCj0"]YouTube- Joe Rogan UFC vs Boxing[/ame]

Great watch.

 

[EmpireWF]

This was from that glorious weekend that was UFC 71 in 2006. ESPN covered UFC for days like they never did before (and have never done since) to try and eventually lure them away from Spike.

So much buzz and Chuck ends up getting knocked out so quickly.

 

[Rush]

You think we'll ever see the days of MMA on ESPN?

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

You think we'll ever see the days of MMA on ESPN?

Yes. I'd say its a lock. They cover it, and they know the ratings and young demos it attracts.

 

[EmpireWF]

UFC won't be on Spike forever, it's got to come to an end at some point

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Another org will get a live MMA event on ESPN before the UFC.

 

[EmpireWF]

Another org will get a live MMA event on ESPN before the UFC.

Well Bellator was on ESPN Deportes last year.

I'm not so sure another promotion will get to ESPN unless it's Strikeforce but they already have the deal with Showtime.

ESPN is not going to go low rent with an MMA promotion.

 

[JeremyHight]

I remember watching this live with a buddy of mine. Absolutely hilarious and why I see boxing as comparable to having a free throw contest in basketball. Free throws are a part of basketball, but there is SO much more. Boxing is a part of MMA, just a part. MMA is everything put together.

 

[Kuzzy Powers]

Boxing guys are too emotional about their dying sport, its quite pathetic. And boxing fans always seem to be epically ignorant towards MMA, I cant get why they cant open their minds up a bit.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Another org will get a live MMA event on ESPN before the UFC.

I disagree.

If ESPN wanted second rate MMA, they could have had it a million times. All of these groups that end up on FSN would sell their first borns to be on ESPN instead. They also could have moved Bellator up to ESPN or ESPN2 after it did pretty well on ESPN Deportes. They chose not to.

ESPN has been very careful to treat Dana well, because I believe they want UFC programming badly.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Well Bellator was on ESPN Deportes last year.

I'm not so sure another promotion will get to ESPN unless it's Strikeforce but they already have the deal with Showtime.

ESPN is not going to go low rent with an MMA promotion.

Strikeforce would dump Showtime in a second to go to ESPN.

If ESPN wanted MMA, they would have it. They are waitiing for UFC.

 

[Rush]

I would LOVE to have more MMA coverage on ESPN. Wish it didn't involve BS and politics. Im sick of Top 10's being all fucking baseball for 5-6 months.

 

[davie]

I enjoy boxing more than I enjoy MMA. I preferred the earlier UFCs since they were a lot closer to representing a street fight. For me it is more aesthetically pleasing to watch 2 of the world's best boxers than watch any MMA title fight.

Rogan is wrong about there not being a next generation of boxers though.
Chad Dawson, Andre Ward, Andre Dirrell, Paul Williams, Andre Berto, Tim Bradley, Devon Alexander, Amir Khan (sick in my mouth), Juanma Lopez, Edwin Valero (lol), Nonito Donaire are all quality boxers with years left.

 

[SHOGUN]

Boxing guys are too emotional about their dying sport, its quite pathetic. And boxing fans always seem to be epically ignorant towards MMA, I cant get why they cant open their minds up a bit.

Hard to be open about another sport that sport's fanbase constantly makes inflammatory comments like the bolded.

 

[Kuzzy Powers]

Hard to be open about another sport that sport's fanbase constantly makes inflammatory comments like the bolded.

Why? Its not MMA guys who are emotional about boxing. Most MMA fans were boxing fans originally. Comments like the bolded are based on boxing fans emotions, not vise versa. IMO you're completely off base on that. Boxing fans disliking MMA has nothing to do with me or any other fan, the whole "they're all hicks with tattoos" shit is just an excuse for losing those same fans to MMA.

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

I disagree.

If ESPN wanted second rate MMA, they could have had it a million times. All of these groups that end up on FSN would sell their first borns to be on ESPN instead. They also could have moved Bellator up to ESPN or ESPN2 after it did pretty well on ESPN Deportes. They chose not to.

ESPN has been very careful to treat Dana well, because I believe they want UFC programming badly.

There will be a time when they realize that they won't get the UFC and they'll move on to something else...or, there will be a somewhat viable #2 (definitely not competition, but something a little better off than Strikeforce).

If the UFC goes to ESPN, ESPN is going to want exclusivity...I just don't see that happening.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Rogan is wrong about there not being a next generation of boxers though.
Chad Dawson, Andre Ward, Andre Dirrell, Paul Williams, Andre Berto, Tim Bradley, Devon Alexander, Amir Khan (sick in my mouth), Juanma Lopez, Edwin Valero (lol), Nonito Donaire are all quality boxers with years left.

I don't think anybody thinks boxing lacks talent, but the point Rogan was trying to get across was that after the current group of stars retires (and Oscar already has), boxing has failed to create new stars to take their place. And he's right. None of those guys you listed can draw on PPV....shit, guys like Williams, Dawson, Berto can't even draw on cable.

I'm speaking from a North American point of view, btw. Klitchko is about to draw 50k in Europe, and sold 15,000 tickets before an opponent was even named.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

There will be a time when they realize that they won't get the UFC and they'll move on to something else...or, there will be a somewhat viable #2 (definitely not competition, but something a little better off than Strikeforce).

If the UFC goes to ESPN, ESPN is going to want exclusivity...I just don't see that happening.

They gave Spike exclusivity (kinda), but I think if ESPN gave Dana a deal he liked, he would grant them exclusivity and jump off Spike. It's simply more eyeballs, and ESPN is the final step in acheiving "legit sports status".

Would ESPN play hardball with production the way HBO did? I don't know the answer to that, but that's an issue Dana won't budge on (and he shouldn't because UFC does a great job producing their own product - it's first rate all the way).

UFC hype machine + ESPN hype machine = unstoppable. The question, is could Dana handle ESPN covering other orgs, and if not, would ESPN risk journalistic intergrity (ok, ok, I know, but play along) for the sake of ratings?

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

They gave Spike exclusivity (kinda), but I think if ESPN gave Dana a deal he liked, he would grant them exclusivity and jump off Spike. It's simply more eyeballs, and ESPN is the final step in acheiving "legit sports status".

Would ESPN play hardball with production the way HBO did? I don't know the answer to that, but that's an issue Dana won't budge on (and he shouldn't because UFC does a great job producing their own product - it's first rate all the way).

UFC hype machine + ESPN hype machine = unstoppable. The question, is could Dana handle ESPN covering other orgs, and if not, would ESPN risk journalistic intergrity (ok, ok, I know, but play along) for the sake of ratings?

Ehhhhh, on Spike's exclusivity...its a "kinda"...

In regards to ESPN's journalistic integrity...they don't have any, anymore...I mean, look at what they do in regards to the SEC or how they completely pulled the plug on the NHL when they went to Versus and wouldn't take their ridiculous deal...only within the past two seasons has ESPN's coverage picked up again on the NHL.

 

[Epidemik]

I enjoy boxing more than I enjoy MMA. I preferred the earlier UFCs since they were a lot closer to representing a street fight. For me it is more aesthetically pleasing to watch 2 of the world's best boxers than watch any MMA title fight.

Rogan is wrong about there not being a next generation of boxers though.
Chad Dawson, Andre Ward, Andre Dirrell, Paul Williams, Andre Berto, Tim Bradley, Devon Alexander, Amir Khan (sick in my mouth), Juanma Lopez, Edwin Valero (lol), Nonito Donaire are all quality boxers with years left.

I think what Rogan meant by not being a next generation of boxers, is after Floyd, Oscar, Pacquiao, and a few others, who is the NEXT GENERATION of "Holy Shit Guys"

MMA in general has more, especially younger guys, who are almost at or soon will be at that oh shit level.