[Mr.GM]

Here in Brazil,the sport is experiencing an unprecedent boom in popularity,even in the old Roice Gracie days the BJJ/MMA scene could be considered a "niche" sport, despite of many of the stars in the event history are Brazilians and the art who started all of this as well (BJJ) , in Brazil MMA always carried a "heavy" stigma , somewhat confining the show only to cable-tv audience and hardcore crowds.

But since UFC RIO edition , the event has accomplished its final step to widespread popularity.MMA/BJJ Schools are opening all-across the country and at least in SP in Rio its very easy and cheap to practice it in a good dojo.

For the first time in Brazilian history, A UFC fight (CIGANO X VELAZQUEZ) will be broadcasted live on the largest and most watched TV station in Brazil , Globo TV.The sport has somewhat managed to lose its "brutal" stigma and now seems appealing to the mass audience and family crowds.
I believe it will also be the first fight on FOX in the US right?


So my question is, UFC has really come to stay as a popular sport?
How do you see the sport popularity in the US comparing to my report about the Brazil scene?

Down here I think it has the potencial to come close to soccer in popularity in the next years.And you guys know how we love soccer in these lands.

[Caligula]

I don't follow it at all but it's certainly been entering my field of vision more and more. More people talking about it, getting invited to UFC watch parties, etc.

If the company that operates the whole thing were publicly listed I'd go long.

[OGNorCal707]

I think MMA is way more popular in Brazil than any where else in the world, including the U.S. Obviously the role of BJJ is huge, but when I was in Rio 2 years ago, I was surprised by how many people I met that trained MMA and how many BJJ/Muay Thai schools I saw, it seems like after football (soccer) it is the most popular sport in Brazil.

It's really big certain places in the U.S., I hear Las Vegas, Arizona, Southern Cali., and Hawaii, are especially huge on it, but overall I think it's only going to get more and more popular.

[speakeasy]

(11-08-2011 06:48 PM)Mr.GM Wrote:  

Here in Brazil,the sport is experiencing an unprecedent boom in popularity,even in the old Roice Gracie days the BJJ/MMA scene could be considered a "niche" sport, despite of many of the stars in the event history are Brazilians and the art who started all of this as well (BJJ) , in Brazil MMA always carried a "heavy" stigma , somewhat confining the show only to cable-tv audience and hardcore crowds.

But since UFC RIO edition , the event has accomplished its final step to widespread popularity.MMA/BJJ Schools are opening all-across the country and at least in SP in Rio its very easy and cheap to practice it in a good dojo.

For the first time in Brazilian history, A UFC fight (CIGANO X VELAZQUEZ) will be broadcasted live on the largest and most watched TV station in Brazil , Globo TV.The sport has somewhat managed to lose its "brutal" stigma and now seems appealing to the mass audience and family crowds.
I believe it will also be the first fight on FOX in the US right?


So my question is, UFC has really come to stay as a popular sport?
How do you see the sport popularity in the US comparing to my report about the Brazil scene?

Down here I think it has the potencial to come close to soccer in popularity in the next years.And you guys know how we love soccer in these lands.

That's a smart move by Dana White to show the fight for free in Brasil. He's going to draw in a lot more fans. It doesn't surprise me that UFC is so huge in BR, so many of the UFC fighters are from there, not least of which Anderson Silva, the best pound for pound fighter in the world. He's my hero.

[speakeasy]

Congrats to Junior Dos Santos and Brazil. I was so glad to see him knock out Cain Velasquez. I just didn't think it would happen that fast. The Brazilians are killing it in MMA.

[OGNorCal707]

Yeah that was a crazy fast knock out, I can't believe Cain dropped so quick. It was also crazy this fight was on Fox, I thought the graphics, background music, etc. were kind of cheesy, (the same ones they use for NFL games).

Another part of me wonders if it's good for UFC fights to air on primetime network tv, but I guess it's the job of parents to control what their kids are watching.

Oh yeah I'm sure boxing fans will point to this as an example of the effectiveness of the sport.

[Dash Global]

Junior must pack some heat because that punch hit Cain on the side of the head. People dont normally get knocked out from that.

I flipped to the channel RIGHT before the knockout.

[arafat scarf]

Considering that this was UFC's initial broadcast on network television, the one minute knockout was one of the worst things that could've happen from a publicity standpoint. In hindsight it probably wasn't wise to debut with a heavyweight fight since they tend to end more quickly. It also didn't help that the Pacquiao-Marquez bout, only three hours later in the evening, was comparatively brilliant.

Still, this is only a speed bump for UFC's emergence into the mainstream since boxing doesn't have UFC's centralized marketing and promotion, a rabid blue collar fan base, or growing international appeal.

[speakeasy]

So what was up with the UFC being on TV for free last night? Is it going to be free like this all the time now? I take it FOX must've paid a grip for the rights to show this fight.