http://www.insidefighting.com/betweenRoundsDisp.aspx?uid=1193
This is a topic I feel very strongly about. I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Regards,
Marco
Just part of this tremendous article:
"The UFC could take a few lessons from what PRIDE does in Japan. Watching the Bushido 5 Japanese broadcast I saw a pre-fight video package that got me psyched to watch Takanori Gomi versus Charles Bennett. And I didn’t even understand a word of it!
While casual fans rejoice at brutal knockouts, purists may cringe at the
image of MMA they convey
They showed pictures of Gomi growing up as a child. It showed him riding his first bicycle. It showed him at his first martial arts class. It showed him speaking calmly and respectfully about his PRIDE career. This was then contrasted by the crazy persona of Bennett. Among other ludicrousness Bennett was quoted as saying “I hate life”. I can vividly remember that Gomi/Bennett video package from two months ago, yet I find it difficult to remember one single video package the UFC has ever done.
Every one of their video segments is exactly the same. They first show the fighters training and then they show them talking trash about their opponents.
The UFC also needs to desperately repackage their DVDs. Every single DVD has tough looking dudes on the front with a colored background scheme you’d think Satan would choose as his wallpaper in hell.
The back of the DVD has several generic fighting pictures. The writing says “exciting and explosive action with…” a bunch of names of which the casual fan doesn’t recognize. How about the back of the DVD having a normal (say in street clothes) picture of both main event fighters with a little synopsis of the story line of the fight?
A little creativity certainly wouldn’t hurt.The UFC DVDs do not have fighter entrances or replays for all but the final two fights. This is ridiculous. I should not have to hit pause on my DVD, rewind and slow play if I want to see a knockout over again.
I must have worn out my slow play key for the Frank Mir knockout of Wes Sims! The theme of the DVD is fight after fight after fight after fight. This actually waters down the perceived importance of the fights.
Each fight should be thought of like a scene in a grand Shakespearean play with the main event being its climax. Of most importance is the fact that the main event is usually not the best fight on the card!
By passing so quickly over fights like Edwards versus Thomson and Parisyan versus Diaz one may actually think UFC 49 was not such a great event. What a shame that would be.
2005 is a potentially huge year for our beloved sport. We may be witness to the UFC walking a tight rope without a net as they venture into mainstream television.
Their mission is to sway popular sentiment from ignorance and disdain to attentiveness and acceptance. If they fail, the sport may forever be seen as a violent, barbaric spectacle unsuitable for mass public appeal."
http://www.insidefighting.com/betweenRoundsDisp.aspx?uid=1193
I think it's a good read & agree about the way it's marketed!