The UFC's use of Freakshow Fights

 The recent signing of James Toney to the UFC has been the hot topic in the MMA community this week even with WEC 47 only a day away. This is an obvious attempt by Zuffa to a attract the attention of the main stream media who find little interest in the sport in general, and of course to stop Strikeforce from making Walker vs Toney down the line. Despite Dana White speaking against any and every freak show fight a rival promotion has put on over the last few years this isn't the first time the UFC has put on a freak show to help business. 

 Tank Abbott coming back into the UFC in 2003 after a near five year absence to fight a young upstart by the name of Frank Mir was a ridiculous mismatch designed to put Mir over to the crowd after a deflating loss to Ian Freeman. Did Abbott have a real chance? No. It was a easy yet great win due to Abbott's name value for Mir which put him right back into a upper level contender spot.

The same could be said for the use of Ken Shamrock against UFC poster boy Tito Ortiz. Shamrock clearly past his prime was still thought by some fans to be on the same level if not above the new generation of fighters going into his first fight with Ortiz. Obviously they were wrong, Ortiz dominated Shamrock completely. However 13,022 people piled into the MGM Grand for a record at that point $1,540,000 gate. It also did 150,000 pay per view buys which seems weak by todays standards but at the time it was the biggest pay per view since Royce Gracie rematched Ken Shamrock at UFC 5. During a very difficult time for the UFC this pay per view which featured a overmatched past his prime fighter against a young dominant champion at the top of his game probably saved the company. Ortiz has since headlined some of the biggest pay per views in MMA history including a rematch with Shamrock. Was this fight a freak show? Sure, but it was essential for the UFC at that time.

The UFC used the same tactic by bringing in Royce Gracie who at the time was almost mythical to the casual fanbase to fight 170 pound king Matt Hughes. Many of my friends who hadnt watched the UFC in years ordered this event to see " Gracie submit some guy named Hughes." When I told them Gracie was going to get crushed they told me I was stupid, obviously there were many people out there that gave Gracie a great chance. After seeing how far superior Hughes was to Gracie many casual fans and some of my own friends became more interested in modern MMA.

Even UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar was originally a freak show project that the UFC invested in. Obviously he's proved himself as one of the best heavyweights in the world since but signing him wasn't based on this guy being a champion someday, it was based on this guy making us big money right away. Luckily for them he's done both.

The most interesting freak show in MMA right now is Kimbo Slice, a fighter in his late 30's with limited skills who is quite possibly the most popular fighter in North America. His skills are light years behind the top fighters in the sport and he was knocked out by a jab on CBS, yet he continues to break ratings records each time he fights. He obviously doesnt belong in the UFC but any card he's on will gain twice the amount of viewers which is only a good thing for the other fighters fighting on the same event. While I will never understand why the casual fanbase is so fascinated by Kimbo I cant blame the UFC or anyone else for using his star power. 

James Toney is one of the best boxers of the past 20 years and with some serious MMA training he should be looked at more respectably than Herschel Walker was upon entering the sport. However a 0-0 MMA record, 41 years of age, and signing with the biggest MMA promoter in the world reeks of freakshow. James Toney will be CRUSHED by any half decent grappler and quite frankly being kicked and kneed might not be his thing either. Im fine with the UFC signing him but Dana White shouldn't insult my intelligence by saying this wont be a freak show, it already is.

 From my stand point I don't have a problem with any organization making the occasional freak show fight if it gives the other fighters more attention and recognition from a larger veiwing audience. The only issue i've ever had is Dana White acting as though he's above making such fights when he clearly isn't.