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Wesley Writes: With all the talk about the UFC going to New York or Cowboys Stadium, why no talk about the New Orleans Super Dome, I mean the Mercedes Bens Super Dome? I mean, Muhammad Ali fought there, why not hold a huge event there?
MMATorch Columnist Rich Hansen Answers: Muhammad Ali fought Sonny Liston in Lewiston, Maine, should they go there too? Seriously though, the UFC has done exactly one stadium show in their 19.5 years of existence. They ran that event in Toronto, which is a major international city and just oozing money and UFC fans. They headlined with one of the five best fighters of all time, who happens to be Canadian himself. It was the perfect storm and an outlier, and should not have people expecting to see a glut of stadium shows in the future. And considering the fact the one and only stadium show was UFC 129, I think that fact is well-documented.
Why do they want to run Cowboys Stadium? One: running in that stadium in that market will pretty much guarantee a fifteen million dollar gate. Two: Cowboys Stadium is the most over the top grand stadium in the world, and the UFC would love to be associated with that.
Why do they want to run in New York? One reason: money. The cheapest ticket for a mega-show in Madison Square Garden could generate a five million dollar gate. Not to mention that NYC is the media capital of the world. Not to mention that it is Zuffa's latest great white whale. And any of a dozen guys with local ties would be huge local draws.
Why would they want to run in the Superdome? It's a dilapidated relic of a stadium, with all the amenities of my laundry room. There are zero Fortune 500 companies based out of New Orleans. The residents of New Orleans are not exactly flush with disposable income. The only reason the Saints and Hornets are there is because in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, there was no conceivable way the NFL was going to allow Tom Benson to take the cash and run. One could easily make the market for 30 or 40 cities to host stadium shows before New Orleans and the Superdome.
Unless of course they run a main event of Melvin Guillard - Rich Clementi II.
Eugene Writes: Why do most if not all the writers on the Torch write about Chael Sonnen with a negative connotation? He doesn't seem like a bad guy and I don't think he's a bad fighter. I think he is good for the sport overall and it's not his fault for getting himself into good situations.
MMATorch Editor Jamie Penick Answers: I can only speak for myself, but the reason there's been such negativity surrounding Chael Sonnen is simply because the schtick got old fast and yet was allowed to continue. When he's got that side of him turned off he seems like a very nice, intelligent person with a lot to offer on an either coaching or analysis basis.
The problem comes when the schtick continues to bleed through and take the forefront. The complete dichotomy of his personality in public led to a completely uneven build up to his fight with Jon Jones, as he alternated between moments of sincerity and moments of scripted, canned lines. And most saw through it this time around.
And that doesn't even take into account his history which has brought it's own share of reasons not to be a big fan, between xenophobic rants against Brazil to a conviction on money laundering charges to his farcical hearings regarding his TRT use. It all adds up to a fighter taking up valuable exposure from others when his gimmick has run its course.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
STAFF COLUMNISTS: Shawn Ennis - Jason Amadi
Frank Hyden - Rich Hansen
Chris Park - Matt Pelkey
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