Comments on: Matchmaking: WEC style http://www.total-mma.com/2009/03/05/matchmaking-wec-style/ Completing the perspective on Mixed Martial Arts Fri, 18 May 2012 06:27:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Fraser http://www.total-mma.com/2009/03/05/matchmaking-wec-style/#comment-24152 Fraser Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:21:55 +0000 http://www.total-mma.com/?p=600#comment-24152 I'm completely with you on thinking the PPV won't work. The real problem they have in selling the PPV is a lack of names and star power. This isn't really their fault - they've actually done a great job building up Faber's name in a little over a year, plus done good work establishing Torres and reestablishing Pulver, despite him having a platry 1-5 record in the post-TUF era. But the BW and FW divisions are just too new to American fans and there simply aren't many sellable names in those divisions. As I said, Faber is one, but even he only did those really strong numbers when paired with Pulver. The Faber v. Brown and Pulver v. Garcia card didn't have the same pull. Short of BJ Penn miraculously dropping down to 145 or moving Torres up for a Faber v. Torres fight, I don't see anything else being able to draw as a PPV. And even those (admitedly far out there) scenerios are just one fight a piece and not sustainable. What WEC really needs to make it fly is some sort of show to serve the same purpose of a TUF where they can get over the personalities of their fighters and create their own names. Which again, is a stretch. So no, I don't see PPV working, which is a shame since WEC is working well for them right now. If it ain't broke, don't try to fix it, you know? I’m completely with you on thinking the PPV won’t work. The real problem they have in selling the PPV is a lack of names and star power. This isn’t really their fault - they’ve actually done a great job building up Faber’s name in a little over a year, plus done good work establishing Torres and reestablishing Pulver, despite him having a platry 1-5 record in the post-TUF era. But the BW and FW divisions are just too new to American fans and there simply aren’t many sellable names in those divisions. As I said, Faber is one, but even he only did those really strong numbers when paired with Pulver. The Faber v. Brown and Pulver v. Garcia card didn’t have the same pull. Short of BJ Penn miraculously dropping down to 145 or moving Torres up for a Faber v. Torres fight, I don’t see anything else being able to draw as a PPV. And even those (admitedly far out there) scenerios are just one fight a piece and not sustainable.

What WEC really needs to make it fly is some sort of show to serve the same purpose of a TUF where they can get over the personalities of their fighters and create their own names. Which again, is a stretch.

So no, I don’t see PPV working, which is a shame since WEC is working well for them right now. If it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it, you know?

]]> By: Dave Walsh http://www.total-mma.com/2009/03/05/matchmaking-wec-style/#comment-24082 Dave Walsh Thu, 05 Mar 2009 22:25:51 +0000 http://www.total-mma.com/?p=600#comment-24082 I seriously don't see WEC on PPV working out for anybody, regardless of Faber vs. Brown II being on there. I gotta say, Faber vs. Brown II is probably one of the few fights that I am really looking forward to right now, if just to see exactly how good Brown is. A lot of people, including myself were saying "eh, it was just a lucky shot" when he beat Faber, but the absolute destruction of Garcia brings up some questions. When you use roundabout MMA logic, Faber had a long fight with Pulver, Pulver was decimated by Garcia. Faber then decimated Pulver. Garcia was decimated by Brown. When you look at that situation, what becomes clear is that Brown vs. Faber II should be incredible and Brown should be taken a lot more seriously. In their first meeting, Brown embarrassed Faber who tried to get his cred back doing something stupid and, well, was made to look even more foolish. I seriously don’t see WEC on PPV working out for anybody, regardless of Faber vs. Brown II being on there. I gotta say, Faber vs. Brown II is probably one of the few fights that I am really looking forward to right now, if just to see exactly how good Brown is. A lot of people, including myself were saying “eh, it was just a lucky shot” when he beat Faber, but the absolute destruction of Garcia brings up some questions.

When you use roundabout MMA logic, Faber had a long fight with Pulver, Pulver was decimated by Garcia. Faber then decimated Pulver. Garcia was decimated by Brown.

When you look at that situation, what becomes clear is that Brown vs. Faber II should be incredible and Brown should be taken a lot more seriously. In their first meeting, Brown embarrassed Faber who tried to get his cred back doing something stupid and, well, was made to look even more foolish.

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