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Tue Jun 02, 2009 11:16 am EDT

Kimbo news puts UFC, not Strikeforce or WEC, center stage

By Maggie Hendricks

This was supposed to be a week about Strikeforce and the WEC. Both promotions have huge events this weekend, and for once, the UFC was to take a back seat. As it turns out, the UFC isn't comfortable in the back seat.

By confirming with Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole that Kimbo Slice had joined the cast of the 10th season of "The Ultimate Fighter," and holding the TUF 10 media day today, the UFC has asserted itself as the biggest player on the MMA stage. No one will take that spotlight away from it.

UFC's motivation for wanting to steal Strikeforce's spotlight is clear and easy to understand. Strikeforce is a competitor, and many of the fighters on its card made their name in the UFC. Just as UFC put together a last-minute fight night to oppose Affliction, and have aired counter-programming against Elite XC, this move is completely congruent with its previous practices.

What makes no sense, on the other hand, is stomping all over the WEC's stage.  Sunday's fight features some of the WEC's most popular fighters, with Urijah Faber, Mike Brown and Jens Pulver all taking to the cage. Why not let them have the spotlight?

The next TUF announcement and media day could have easily been held in conjunction with the finale of the current season of "The Ultimate Fighter." By waiting just a week and a half, they could have allowed some publicity to be given to the WEC. Of course, that would have meant allowing some press to be given to Strikeforce, and the UFC just could not allow that. 

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43 Comments

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  1. Tami D
    1. Posted by Tami D Tue Jun 02, 2009 11:38 am EDT

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    Kimbo is a joke.
    http://www.jaranreese.com
  2. Instant Money
    2. Posted by Instant Money Tue Jun 02, 2009 11:46 am EDT

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    Great picture Maggie, can you say Penishead?
  3. Kenneth T
    3. Posted by Kenneth T Tue Jun 02, 2009 11:53 am EDT

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    Could Dana have waited a week? TUF Heavies just started filming. I am sure it would have leaked from another source in no time. I think it was better for him to come out and tell everyone instead of it coming out on its own and Dana looking like he was hiding it. Plus this really doens't take anything away from the fights this weekend. I am sure a good amount of people could care less and I am not going to not watch the fights this weekend because of this news.
  4. Steelersfootball
    4. Posted by Steelersfootball Tue Jun 02, 2009 11:53 am EDT

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    Wow, he may suck, but this is huge. It will finally prove his critics or his supporters right. I know I wont miss an episode of the next season.
  5. Judoka
    5. Posted by Judoka Tue Jun 02, 2009 11:56 am EDT

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    It's a smart move. Brown v Faber is free on Versus. People will watch it whether the anouncement was made or not (if they even have the channel).
  6. Judoka
    6. Posted by Judoka Tue Jun 02, 2009 12:02 pm EDT

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    Dana is smart. Running the sport like the early days of the NFL, not like boxing. Dominate all other promotions. Regligate them to minor league status. This is best for the fans in the long run. All the best fighters fighting each other. No speculating on who is the best. Also, it creates a nice niche for "minor league" promotions to produce up and comers and cheaper shows for us to enjoy. We get the best of both worlds. The UFC will rpovide the ultimate in high level MMA, and the others will provide an alternate competition for younger competition and cheaper venues. (IE 18 dollar trickets for Strikeforce this weekend, yeah Im all over that!).
  7. bobby g
    7. Posted by bobby g Tue Jun 02, 2009 12:02 pm EDT

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    I highly doubt the announcement will take anything away from WEC. I plan on watching it still. I think the timing was due to the fact that they wanted to announce it before it slipped out. Now for the next few days Dana will be all over doing all sorts of interviews about this and since EVERYONE will follow, he'll throw in reminders to watch the WEC fight. He is a smart business man.
  8. Allen
    8. Posted by Allen Tue Jun 02, 2009 12:23 pm EDT

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    How did you guys manage to get a picture of Dana on the can???
    Doesn't anyone close their bathroom door anymore???
  9. KJ-MMA Armchair
    9. Posted by KJ-MMA Armchair Tue Jun 02, 2009 12:32 pm EDT

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    The way I see it is, Dana will have far more media attention today because of Kimbo, and he can piggy-back plugging the WEC on the back of it.
    That's if he's shrewd enough to plug the WEC in addition to the TUF 10 media business.
  10. vudusup
    10. Posted by vudusup Tue Jun 02, 2009 12:46 pm EDT

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    Bravo for the UFC in finally bringing in some top HW's to compete in the limelight.
  11. kahuna69
    11. Posted by kahuna69 Tue Jun 02, 2009 12:50 pm EDT

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    To address the topic first, it does.nt really seem to me that news of Kimbo will steal thrunder from any fight promotion, people see, and hear of fighting through talk and tv coverage and it boosts the whole fight scene in general. Last season when Kimbo was getting his butt handed to him by the Smoothie-Maker, err...Razorback. It seemed like all forms of MMA got more attention and coverage, The WEC has its own fan-base and the casual viewers will be guaranteed to go up in numbers if there's any publicity at all associated with MMA. It's a good situation all around for Dana...and Zuffa, there really wouldnt be a way to contain the fact that Kimbo's fighting in TUF if he's already in taping, and the publicity's good for the whole caboodle, WEC and Strikeforce as well.
  12. odie1941
    12. Posted by odie1941 Tue Jun 02, 2009 12:59 pm EDT

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    Maggie -
    Stick to caption contests and Tapout fashion.
    "By telling Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole about Kimbo Slice joining the cast of the 10th season of "The Ultimate Fighter," and holding the TUF 10 media day today, the UFC has asserted itself as the biggest player on the MMA stage. No one will take that spotlight away from it."
    Really? What is this UFC you speak of??? /sarc
    UFC is and has been the dominate MMA organization for 10 years now, get with the program. I understand your "knowledge" consists of Wiki pages and f*&^ buddies - but the writing in itself lets us know how horrid your "knowledge" is. Instead of "asserted", you may have properly used words like "reaffirmed their dominance", - as in they have been in that place for awhile, which ironically you do later in the piece .
    And as many people have stated - being Versus is free to cable subscribers and the fight is this weekend - wtf do you think is not going to watch it - while waiting with baited breath for... September TUF and a fraud named Kimbo??? Yeah, thats it...
    Here's a tip - real fans with real knowledge who follow the sport REALLY will watch Brown v Faber, regardless of press releases 5 days earlier...
  13. GREY WOLF
    13. Posted by GREY WOLF Tue Jun 02, 2009 1:06 pm EDT

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    OH, so now the UFC spearheaded by DDDDana, needs a "GIMMIC" or "STUNT ACT" to pull in better ratings?,Hummm,,you would think he would believe in the pure sport of MMA more. But hey, if the other organizations are forcing Dana to do this, maybe he knows their more of a threat than he wants to admit. Or, maybe he going to prime KIMBO to take on the UFCs nightmare, FEDOR. That way when KIMBO and Dana gets their a$$'es handed to them, Dana can once again, blame it on the circus attraction he brought into the UFC,and not himself.
    Nice article Maggie Hendricks, maybe you could help the other guys that write for Dana, pull their lips off of Boss Mans butt cheeks.
  14. Steve W
    14. Posted by Steve W Tue Jun 02, 2009 1:07 pm EDT

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    I think the announcement had to be now that way the UFC managed to break it and not some indepentent news source getting insider information.
  15. SplashOfPee
    15. Posted by SplashOfPee Tue Jun 02, 2009 1:13 pm EDT

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    I think that Kimbo made Dana a deal he could not resist in bed.
    This should be fun --
    I can hear it now -- NEver before seen on TUF a fighter fights a coach.
  16. Jason H
    16. Posted by Jason H Tue Jun 02, 2009 1:13 pm EDT

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    The New York Yankees don't worry about stealing the Trenton Thunder's thunder.
    The Dallas Cowboys don't worry about distracting from the Dallas Desperados.
    The UFC doesn't worry about stealing WEC's spotlight, nor should it. When you're the big dog, you eat first.
  17. scott
    17. Posted by scott Tue Jun 02, 2009 1:40 pm EDT

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    blah blah blah Nice sensationalism journalism right here.
    Why do i picture Maggie and Loreta Hunt skipping thorugh a field of flowers giveing each other high fives after their latest weak jab at Dana. You go girls!!
    If you are that upset about it go write another article hyping the upcoming strikeforce card.
  18. Kobe Bryant
    18. Posted by Kobe Bryant Tue Jun 02, 2009 2:13 pm EDT

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    I love how everyone cries on here about Maggies posts. Last I checked this was the "BLOG" section of yahoo. If you're such a fan boy and get limp every time you read an article that is not from sherdonk, then DON'T READ IT!
    Freakin' babies all over these comment boards.
  19. Ill Will
    19. Posted by Ill Will Tue Jun 02, 2009 2:15 pm EDT

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    All I can say is this I am POSITIVE 100% that you will see BOBBY LASHLEY on this season as well...all you have to do is go back to his interviews he expressed an interest in being on TUF after his first fight !!! so when you see BOBBY LASHLEY on TUF dont be surprised..they are gearing up for a LASHLEY vs, LESNAR showdown right after EVANS vs JACKSON....you people are so BLIND !! And Besides Kimbo aint that bad a fighter anybody can get knocked out at anytime Mike Tyson could still kick the ass of anybody who has posted on this blog....he may lose to other boxers and his career took a nosedive not to mention Chuck Lidell has gotten his ass kicked and handed to him in 3 of his last 5 fights...let KIMBO FIGHT and lets see what he is made of with some real MMA traingin and Im sort of under the impresssion that as BADLY as he truly wants to fight that he hasnt just been SITTING on his ASS since he lost that last fIGHT I guarentee you that he has been training with a ground game somewhere over the last few months DANA is a very SMART BUSINESS MAN I can almost puit my life on it that he has been knowing about this all along and that he has had KIMBO hidden AWAY somewhere working DILIGENTLY at becoming a REAL MMA Fighter...think about it and quit being so blind !!!
  20. Ill Will
    20. Posted by Ill Will Tue Jun 02, 2009 2:16 pm EDT

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    All I can say is this I am POSITIVE 100% that you will see BOBBY LASHLEY on this season as well...all you have to do is go back to his interviews he expressed an interest in being on TUF after his first fight !!! so when you see BOBBY LASHLEY on TUF dont be surprised..they are gearing up for a LASHLEY vs, LESNAR showdown right after EVANS vs JACKSON....you people are so BLIND !! And Besides Kimbo aint that bad a fighter anybody can get knocked out at anytime Mike Tyson could still kick the ass of anybody who has posted on this blog....he may lose to other boxers and his career took a nosedive not to mention Chuck Lidell has gotten his ass kicked and handed to him in 3 of his last 5 fights...let KIMBO FIGHT and lets see what he is made of with some real MMA traingin and Im sort of under the impresssion that as BADLY as he truly wants to fight that he hasnt just been SITTING on his ASS since he lost that last fIGHT I guarentee you that he has been training with a ground game somewhere over the last few months DANA is a very SMART BUSINESS MAN I can almost puit my life on it that he has been knowing about this all along and that he has had KIMBO hidden AWAY somewhere working DILIGENTLY at becoming a REAL MMA Fighter...think about it and quit being so blind !!!
  21. Ill Will
    21. Posted by Ill Will Tue Jun 02, 2009 2:16 pm EDT

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    All I can say is this I am POSITIVE 100% that you will see BOBBY LASHLEY on this season as well...all you have to do is go back to his interviews he expressed an interest in being on TUF after his first fight !!! so when you see BOBBY LASHLEY on TUF dont be surprised..they are gearing up for a LASHLEY vs, LESNAR showdown right after EVANS vs JACKSON....you people are so BLIND !! And Besides Kimbo aint that bad a fighter anybody can get knocked out at anytime Mike Tyson could still kick the ass of anybody who has posted on this blog....he may lose to other boxers and his career took a nosedive not to mention Chuck Lidell has gotten his ass kicked and handed to him in 3 of his last 5 fights...let KIMBO FIGHT and lets see what he is made of with some real MMA traingin and Im sort of under the impresssion that as BADLY as he truly wants to fight that he hasnt just been SITTING on his ASS since he lost that last fIGHT I guarentee you that he has been training with a ground game somewhere over the last few months DANA is a very SMART BUSINESS MAN I can almost puit my life on it that he has been knowing about this all along and that he has had KIMBO hidden AWAY somewhere working DILIGENTLY at becoming a REAL MMA Fighter...think about it and quit being so blind !!!
  22. SplashOfPee
    22. Posted by SplashOfPee Tue Jun 02, 2009 2:49 pm EDT

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    I like Maggies comments -- it breaks up the monotony of boring news. And if kobe bryant likes it he does work you have to enjoy it.
    Thanks mags.
    Looking forward to the next commentator commentary.
  23. Swift
    23. Posted by Swift Tue Jun 02, 2009 3:10 pm EDT

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    Maybe he just announced it because it was information that he hadn't yet shared with the public, not for some fabricated reasons an emo blogger concocted.
    He had news; he shared news. Nothing to see here.
  24. atikiN
    24. Posted by atikiN Tue Jun 02, 2009 3:55 pm EDT

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    Maybe the UFC should have postponed the taping of the new TUF season so not to "steal" WEC thunder.
    Maybe the UFC should put on weaker cards so WEC looks better.
    Maybe Maggie should stick to writing about fashion.
    I'll take option 3 thanks.
  25. Greg J
    25. Posted by Greg J Tue Jun 02, 2009 4:12 pm EDT

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    This is a horrible article that demonstrates just how little Maggie knows about mixed martial arts, especially on the business end. Maggie, it's not like the WEC and Strikeforce are younger, nerdier siblings being out shined by their star QB older brother in the UFC, this is an ultra-competitive business dealing with a sport that is evolving by the day. Not to mention that taking away the "spotlight" from the WEC makes no sense considering Zuffa owns both companies. If you take 10 random people and ask them about mixed martial arts, I would bet anything that at the most, 2 or 3 people would be able to somewhat identify it. Use that same test with UFC, and probably 7 or 8 would have at least a passing knowledge. Strikeforce? Give me a break. I love the shows they've put on, but the public at large has no idea who they are and what they do, so you can go ahead and rethink that one too. So to answer your question, it makes PERFECT sense for the UFC to come up with this press release at this time... As the actual MMA fans here (obviously unlike yourself) have already stated, they will be plugging the crap out of Brown Faber 2.
    A simple community college business class would solve this problem you've got.

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