K-1 and UFC

[Powka]

Today’s Nikkan Sports newspaper has a bombastic article talking about an “aggressive” tag team between K-1 & UFC, with both sides starting heavy co-promotional deals. The article talks about Chuck Liddell maybe working the HERO’s 8/5 Ariake Colosseum show in Tokyo, with Kazushi Sakuraba and Norifumi “KID” Yamamoto working in America. Dana White is quoted in the article as saying that Sakuraba and Yamamoto are great fighters and that he would like to see them in UFC.

The article goes on to claim that the UFC 60 show (Matt Hughes vs. Royce Gracie) drew 20,000 fans at the Staples Center in Los Angeles (the real attendance is lower) and a claim of 800,000 PPV buys (don’t ask me where they get these numbers). K-1 views their tie-up with UFC as the best way to expand into the American marketplace.

http://www.fightopinion.com/2006/05/31/k-1-ufc-strong-tag-alliance/

[Dado]

I think they should stay away from UFC personally.

Why not expand on the large European market? Seems like there is more opportunity to make parternships there.

[( o Y o )]

sounds decent for both.....we`ll just see how it turns out though.

[ANdYX]

To see Kid in the cage would be really awesome, I don't think anyone would beat him.

[Flibb]

I would like to see Liddell in a K1 bout just to shut up Joe Rogans "k1 level kickboxer" garbage.

[sparkles]

K-1 and boxing would have been better choice. It already happened in Atlanta 1998.

[FieldingMellish]

LOL at 800,000 buys for UFC 61. Especially as all the most reliable sources have yet to even come up with a preliminary number. 500,000 would a hugely impressive number for that show but I'd be completely AMAZED if they got anything like 800,000.

[AKA]

JLB in the octogon???
It would be nice :)

[LethalSassonic]

This marriage has potential, but words are only words, let's see what really happens.

[Lord Gaul]

I think this would be a good move for both companies. UFC could use the international star power of bringing in Kid and Sakuraba, and Hero's could sure use the depth, because they really don't have any. Plus I really want to see LeBanner fight Tim.

[AKA]

This marriage has potential, but words are only words, let's see what really happens.
For now, I follow u!
But like u said the potential is incredibly exciting!!!!

[BEEF]

LOL at 800,000 buys for UFC 61. Especially as all the most reliable sources have yet to even come up with a preliminary number. 500,000 would a hugely impressive number for that show but I'd be completely AMAZED if they got anything like 800,000.


Do you really it find so surprising considering the mma craze that is going on with TUF etc.? Both stadiums in CA were filled in no time.

[FieldingMellish]

Do you really it find so surprising considering the mma craze that is going on with TUF etc.? Both stadiums in CA were filled in no time.

Yes.

And there were THOUSANDS of unsold tickets for the hughes-Gracie fight as they came nowhere near to selling out.

Also, the only shows that draw 800,000 or so PPV buys in North America are the very biggest boxing matches and some WWE Wrestlemanias.

If Hughes-Gracie did anything like 500,000 buys it was an enormous success. But 800,000 is completely unrealistic. Liddell-Couture 3 did 400,000 and that was the biggest UFC PPV ever. Actually doubling that is practically inconceivable.

[Powka]

UFC really need to power up their heavyweight division, 'cause they got almost nothing good except Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski, and the alliance with K-1 could make a good show. Btw, Le Banner in the octagon would be awesome. I'd like to see how he knocks the F. out either UFC champ.

[bero]

I would like to see Liddell in a K1 bout just to shut up Joe Rogans "k1 level kickboxer" garbage.

I doubt Chuck would fight in a K-1 rules fight, if he goes to Japan he'll most likely fight at HERO's.

[BEEF]

Yes.

And there were THOUSANDS of unsold tickets for the hughes-Gracie fight as they came nowhere near to selling out.

Also, the only shows that draw 800,000 or so PPV buys in North America are the very biggest boxing matches and some WWE Wrestlemanias.

If Hughes-Gracie did anything like 500,000 buys it was an enormous success. But 800,000 is completely unrealistic. Liddell-Couture 3 did 400,000 and that was the biggest UFC PPV ever. Actually doubling that is practically inconceivable.


Wowwwww.... I thought they(Zuffa) said the event was sold out a few days after starting ticket sales. UFC just blatantly lying? Reminds me of MTV where they keep playing a song to make people think it's popular. Eventually. people buy into it and the song becomes popular for real.

[blacks]

Wowwwww.... I thought they(Zuffa) said the event was sold out a few days after starting ticket sales.

That was UFC 59, not 60.

[K1power]

JLB vs Sylvia potential..?

[www.k-1sport.de]

I would like to see Liddell in a K1 bout just to shut up Joe Rogans "k1 level kickboxer" garbage.

hahaha I have the same feeling about that ;)


Tanikawa already told the press in january that they want to start exchanging fighters with the UFC this year. That was when they announced the Hero's events dates.

Tanikawa also said on that january 30th that the return of Royce Gracie to the octagon was done by the K-1 management.

I'm really looking forward to these exchanges but right now it looks as if we won't see any K-1 <--> UFC exchanges but only Hero's <--> UFC exchanges. And since the UFC has no tough opponent for Kid and Hero's has no tough opponents for the upper weight classes it won't be as interesting as it sounds right now.