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Is GSP/Hardy The Right Fight For UFC Primetime 2?

Kelsey Philpott from mmapayout makes the case:

This is absolutely the right move for the UFC. 

There aren’t a lot of people that think Hardy brings a legitimate challenge, but his ability to trash talk and hype a fight is something the UFC can leverage to turn this fight into a must-see. Moreover, the added benefit of the Primetime segment involving Hardy is that it’s going to rapidly raise his profile in Britain to the point where he’ll likely equal or surpass a guy like Michael Bisping.

 

I honestly had not thought of the angle of raising Hardy's profile in Britain as that's a good point.  However, when you couple the cost that goes into producing these shows(the first one was around 1.7 million), I'd have to think there are more efficient ways to spend that money.  Maybe the UFC will be able to do things more efficiently cost wise in terms of traveling to the UK and Canada?  UFC 111 is stacked something ridiculous and GSP has become a reliable PPV draw for the UFC, not to mention Frank Mir will be on board to help boost those numbers with his trash talk when he fights Shane Carwin.  The odds of Dan Hardy ever becoming a champion are relatively small, and I think his profile could have been raised with a regular Countdown To UFC 111 segment.

Star-divide

The fight that I think should have gotten the UFC Primetime treatment is the re-match between Shogun Rua And Lyoto Machida.  There are TONS of back-story within the first match up, not to mention both guys do their training in the same country for the most part(which would cut costs).  Also, both of these guys are right on that thresh hold of becoming legitimate PPV draws(unlike Hardy).  If the UFC were to feature them on UFC PrimeTime I think that would incline the casual fan to think that these are guys that they shouldbe interested in getting to know, pushing them over that thresh hold.  Currently all of the champions in the UFC are solid/proven PPV draws except Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida.  Silva might receive a slight boost with his destruction of the popular Forrest Griffin at UFC 101.  Which would leave Machida to benefit from the exposure of the second UFC Primetime.

Poll
What Fight Would You Like To See Highlighting Most By UFC Primetime?
GSP/Hardy
48 votes
Rashad Evans/Rampage Jackson
99 votes
Shogun Rua/Lyoto Machida
83 votes
I really don't care
24 votes

254 votes | Poll has closed

Comment 14 comments  |  0 recs  | 

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I think, as two others do…Rampage/Rashad would’ve been the proper choice…seeing as how the rivalry is there AND Rampage has been off UFC television (as far as a fighter) for a while so what better way to get people up to speed with him….personally I’d like to see Shogun/Machida too…just to get in their heads for the upcoming fight….but I can understand they probably don’t want to have to subtitle as well as translate a whole Primetime series…GSP/Hardy isn’t really a rivalry and I think the Primetime shows should be saved for those fights that have some type of meaning other than just for a title

by Charles Walker on Jan 20, 2010 2:08 PM EST reply actions  

the british pound is still 2-1 over the american dollar correct?

even canada’s money is a little better than the american dollar last time i checked.

i'm all about covering the spread and moneylines. i was building a house, i don't deserve this, deserves have nothing to do with it. bang. "unforgiven"

by wolfmanshowlforever on Jan 20, 2010 2:20 PM EST reply actions  

Why the heck are some people getting pissy over this?

Who says they can’t still have Primetime for Machida/Shogun and Rashad/Rampage?

Plus this raises awareness for Hardy.

by SidHartman on Jan 20, 2010 2:22 PM EST reply actions  

dunno

I’m not pissy…lol…just think it could be used for a better fight…..and they could do another one for another fight…but since they only did one last year…I doubt they’d do another one so close….

http://www.mmaforreal.com
Follow Me On Twitter@MMA4Real

by Kelvin Hunt on Jan 20, 2010 2:30 PM EST up reply actions  

yeah I figure it should be used for special fights…I mean they already have a Countdown show, so Primetime should be for the big boys

by Charles Walker on Jan 20, 2010 2:34 PM EST up reply actions  

OK, I agree with BUT . . .

I really do hope that they put some serious promotional effort behind Machida vs. Shogun II or Rampage vs. Rashad because both fights have a bigger backstory compared to GSP vs. Hardy.

Considering that GSP already had a Prime Time Live, there’s so much more that can be said to the American audience with Machida, Shogun1, Rampage2 and Rashad Evans3.

1. They can leverage Shogun’s Pride fights for the new Friday night show.
2. Rampage just finished shooting a blockbuster film which will be released in June.
3. Evans = TUF2 winner, cool highlight reel with KO, and former LHW champion. Evans and his opponent KO’ed the former icon of MMA, Chuck Liddell.

Happy Holidays and A Happy New Year

by VeeisAnimated on Jan 20, 2010 2:41 PM EST up reply actions  

I like an Evan vs Page Primetime, but I understand why the UFC wouldn’t do it. Both of them already had a promo vehicle behind them. No real problem with Hardy GSP Primetime.

by Erich Vowell on Jan 20, 2010 2:37 PM EST reply actions  

Shogun fight and Rampage fights both need to have Primetime.

Mauricio Shogun Rua #1 LHW in the World. The TRUE Champion.

Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."

by xFenixKnightx on Jan 20, 2010 3:03 PM EST reply actions  

See

I don’t think the Evans/Rampage fight really needs Primetime….sure it would be entertaininig….but both those guys are pretty known to the fans in America….a Primetime for Shogun/Machida would be more beneficial in that aspect IMO.

http://www.mmaforreal.com
Follow Me On Twitter@MMA4Real

by Kelvin Hunt on Jan 20, 2010 3:11 PM EST up reply actions  

But

Those guys do’t speak english to well and how many times are you going to push the fact that Machida is a Karate guy? Shogun’s own Primetime would be pretty awsome tho!

by Erich Vowell on Jan 20, 2010 3:22 PM EST up reply actions  

Doesn't matter IMO..

They just did a whole season of TUF with subtitles for Big Nog…Machida speaks English enought to get by…also…it’s not like they would be talking on camera the entire time..they’ll be showing training footage and have thoughts from their trainers etc…having them on Primetime would show just how badass they are…which would cause people to overlook the language barrier IMO.

http://www.mmaforreal.com
Follow Me On Twitter@MMA4Real

by Kelvin Hunt on Jan 20, 2010 3:45 PM EST up reply actions  

this is going

to equate to somebody shit talking to a P4P guy for three weeks before getting smacked around like a little bitch, all over again. sweet, nice one Dana hehe

"I had to fight all my life to survive. They were all against me... but I beat the bastards and left them in the ditch." ~ Ty Cobb

by RearNakedPoke on Jan 20, 2010 3:51 PM EST reply actions  

i don’t need 3 shows to get more excited about GSP crushing Hardy. one 25 min’ segment would do it for me. but hey, let the Brits get hopeful. they might have a crop of guys that impressed on TUF……that’s a far cry from the pinnacle of the sport.

Gatti. Dekkers. Pele. Aoki. Kang. Vanderlei. Basillio. Harry Greb.

by theworldsoldestsport on Jan 20, 2010 3:52 PM EST reply actions  

Since the result is next to gauranteed in Hardy/GSP and the Shogun/Machida affair is hard as hell to predict I think they should invest somethn-somethn in the future champ of MMA’s glory division… GSP already has enough hype behind him – and a primtime at that.

"I don’t care, hit him with your groin!"

by 3PA on Jan 20, 2010 4:21 PM EST reply actions  

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