FIGHTS TO MAKE NEXT: Bellator 194 edition
With Bellator 194 in the books, it is time to look ahead at what could be next for the fighters’ on the main card. Matt Mitrione def. Roy Nelson via Majority Decision Matt Mitrione avenged […]
SPECIALISTS
FIGHTS TO MAKE NEXT: UFC 221 edition
With UFC 221 in the books, it is time to look ahead at what could be next for every fighter on the card. Main Card Yoel Romero def. Luke Rockhold I can’t help but feel […]
MMA War of the Worlds part 2. A look at the fights of the inaugural UFC and Pride events.
The origins of MMA will forever be shrouded in legend. Specifically, the inaugural UFC and Pride Fighting Championship started a revolution in combat sports that is now only fully realized. Here is a look at […]
FIGHTS TO MAKE NEXT: UFC on Fox 27 edition
With UFC on Fox 27 in the books, its time to look ahead to the next fight for every competitor. Here is a fresh fight for everyone on the card. Jacare Souza def. Derek Brunson […]
FIGHTS TO MAKE NEXT: UFC 220 edition
With two champions retaining their belts at UFC 220, it is time for the UFC to look to the future. Here are the next fights to make, for every competitor at UFC 220. Stipe Miocic […]
FIGHTS TO MAKE NEXT: Post UFC Fight Night 124-Choi-Stephens-VanZant more
With UFC Fight Night 124 in the books, here is a look at who every fighter should face next. Main Card (Fox Sports 1) Jeremy Stephens def. Doo Ho Choi Jeremy Stephens has been […]
MMA War of the Worlds part 1. A look at the aesthetics of the inaugural UFC and Pride events.
In this special multi-part series, Raffael Iglesias takes a look back at the early days of both the UFC and Pride Fighting Championship. Stay tuned for part 2. A couple of months back was the […]
FIGHTS TO MAKE NEXT – POST-UFC 219: Cyborg, Holm, Nurmagomedov, Barboza, more
UFC 219 closed out 2017 with some definitive victories and devastating defeats. Here is a look at who should be next for all of the UFC 219 competitors. Cris Cyborg def. Holly Holm Cris Cyborg […]
MEDIA & BUSINESS: Can UFC Fight Pass solve the UFC’s PPV problem?
Let’s be real, nobody expected UFC 215 or UFC 216 to be successful pay-per-view outings for the UFC. However, with the recent revelation by combat sports journalist Dave Meltzer that neither event sold over 120,000 […]
MEDIA & BUSINESS: How well does interim title fights fare on PPV?
With UFC 217 right around the corner, the debate regarding the importance of interim titles will once again be debated. The idea that an interim lightweight title fight between Tony Ferguson and Kevin Lee is […]
MEDIA & BUSINESS: An argument for variable pay-per-view pricing
In less than a month, the combat sports world has seen both sides of the pay-per-view spectrum. On August 26, Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor cashed in on ridiculous hype. While on September 9, UFC […]
MEDIA & BUSINESS: Picking a future star from every UFC division
Alright, this is the part of the column where I go on a long diatribe explaining how the UFC is currently devoid of major stars, and why this is a problem for all of 2017. […]
MEDIA & BUSINESS: Streaming customers are the real losers in Mayweather-McGregor super fight
After the dust settled, Floyd Mayweather was crowned the undisputed 50-0 king of boxing. Conor McGregor put up an admirable showing and all parties apparently came away from the Mayweather-McGregor extravaganza winners. Well, actually there […]
MEDIA & BUSINESS: Predicting the remainder of UFC’s PPV business in 2017
On August 27, the dust will be cleared from Floyd Mayweather boxing Conor McGregor, and the UFC world will once again focus on promoting…MMA. In so many ways Mayweather vs. McGregor has consumed the combat […]
MEDIA & BUSINESS: The State of the UFC “Money Fight” – what options are out there and how likely is each
If 2016 was the year that the UFC cashed-in on the “Money Fight,” 2017 is the year that UFC has chased the “Money Fight.” Thus far the UFC has been unsuccessful in their attempt to recreate […]
MEDIA & BUSINESS: Why the UFC promoting boxing would be a terrible idea
What a glorious time we live in. The best pound-for-pound UFC fighter is challenging the WWE Universal Champion, while the greatest boxer of this era is coming out of retirement to face the biggest draw […]
MEDIA & BUSINESS: The Pros and Cons of Jon Jones being the Face of the UFC
With one kick to the side of Daniel Cormier’s head, Jon Jones was rechristened the king of MMA, and order was restored at UFC 214. Despite his recent struggles outside of the Octagon, Jon Jones […]
MEDIA & BUSINESS: McGregor letting down the UFC under the bright lights, but is the setback for MMA’s image the big story
Mercifully, Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather are done touring the world to promote their upcoming boxing bout. Unfortunately, the talking points from the tour are focused on the racist, misogynistic, and homophobic comments made by […]
MEDIA & BUSINESS: Dana White undermining his business with his stream of public comments
UFC president Dana White is understandably frustrated with Women’s Bantamweight Champion Amanda Nunes, but his emotional outburst toward her does nothing to help grow his business in a time when star power is a diminishing […]
PRIDE WITH FRESH EYES – PRIDE 2: Marco Ruas vs. Gary Goodridge, Vernon White vs. Kazushi Sakuraba
Well after a bit of a layoff, I am back to reviewing Pride FC chronically for the first time. For a full explanation of why I am doing this, check out the inaugural column. After […]
MEDIA & BUSINESS: Fox shortchanges UFC fans with new video content strategy after laying off writing staff
Imagine a strange world where ESPN, Fox Sports, NBC, and CBS provided no substantive NFL news on their respective websites, while simultaneously broadcasting NFL games on a weekly basis. Well, UFC fans do not need […]
MEDIA & BUSINESS: Did Bellator 180 waste time? How did major media outlets cover Bellator in NYC?
If one word can be ascribed to Bellator MMA’s Madison Square Garden debut, it would be: Unpredictable. While the bizarre fight finishes and outcomes for touted prospects were among the most surprising and newsworthy items […]
MEDIA & BUSNESS: Segment by segment breakdown of debate shows “First Take” & “Skip and Shannon” in the wake of the Mayweather-McGregor announcement
The blockbuster announcement of Floyd Mayweather taking on Conor McGregor in a boxing match has everybody talking, but what are those who are paid to give their “Hot Takes” on cable television saying about the […]
PRIDE WITH FRESH EYES – PRIDE 1: Rickson Gracie vs. Nobihiko Takada, Dan Severn vs. Kimo, Taktarov vs. Goodrich
Pride With Fresh Eyes: Pride 1 What is this? While I realize that it might be dangerous admitting this, but I am completely unfamiliar with Pride FC. As someone who regularly writes about MMA, this […]
MEDIA & BUSINESS: Four ideas to revitalize UFC as a television product including reintroducing a sense of independent journalism, better pacing
The UFC on TV has gotten old. This assertion refers not only to regular UFC programming, but to those who are viewing the product. A recent study conducted by the Sports Business Daily Journal indicated […]