We've watched UFC a few times and weren't too surprised to find that we don't quite get what all the fuss is about. Maybe it's because it costs $40 for each event and there's a pretty good chance that "big fight" you're paying for will last all of two minutes. Admittedly, the beginning of UFC was pretty great. Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, those guys beat the crap out of each other and were incredibly watchable. These new guys - Chuck Lidell, Tito Ortiz, Matt Hughes, whoever the other main guys are - don't really compel us to shell out the same amount we pay each month for Extra Innings and its endless list of MLB games. Apparently, we've become old-school sports fans without even realizing it. We may have to rethink our policy, though, before the current UFC media blitz is through with us. Already this month, UFC has graced the cover of ESPN The Magazine, Sports Illustrated and the New York Times' sports section. Nothing to scoff at. And ESPN just bought out a mixed martial arts Web site and fused it with its own, surely a nod to the explosion of the once-obscure sport and its massive popularity among the coveted 18-49 male audience.
So, what do we make of all this? Mixed martial arts is here to stay. At least for now.
From the Edge of Madness to Fighting's Mainstream [NY Times]
ESPN launches Sherdog.com. [ESPN.com]
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