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Ken Shamrock's UFC 47 Preview
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Interview: Calls Royce Gracie a Chicken
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Interview w/ Bruce Buffer Part II
Reported By: Boxing Insider - 03.02.2004 02:04 AM
BoxingInsider.com Interview w Bruce Buffer Part 2
BoxingInsider.com: Going back to the fights, what other fights/performances over the last two UFCs have impressed you..
Bruce Buffer: Lee Murray impressed me, no question. Randy Couture -- the man never ceases to impress me but didn't get a chance that night. He's the greatest mixed martial artist of all time and he's the greatest role model -- as well as being a fantastic human being. You want to talk about class? Randy Couture. You want to learn from a fighter? Randy Couture. You want to see what you've got to do to promote yourself, to get sponsorship and make good ancillary money outside of your purses for fighting? Randy Couture. Even when he went on Jimmy Kimmel, I noticed the increased marketability of his personality. And that's what's happening. Tito's got it -- absolutely Tito's got it. Just keep the middle finger out of the air and watch what's coming out of your mouth, and he'll create the excitement and the sizzle needed to capitalize on all that is available to him.
Other fighters coming along? It's BJ. The man is incredible and there are some other really great fighters out there. I like Josh Thompson and Hermes Franca and want to see both of them back and maybe against each other again later on down the line. Heavyweights -- we need some work in the heavyweight division. Tim Sylvia is going to take the heavyweight championship I think again. Orlovski is a really gutsy, dangerous fighter -- the kind of guy that all the heavyweights are going to have to go through, and there's no guarantee they are going to beat this guy. But Tim Sylvia, I think, is going to win the championship back and, with the Miletich team and the whole bit, he's a very marketable fighter in his own right. That's what I would key in on -- who are the marketable fighters -- not putting it all behind one, putting it behind a good half dozen and building the sport, and then behind others as they come along.
I'd like to see Ken Shamrock back in there because he brings a lot of excitement and marketability to the Octagon and is good behind the microphone, especially because being a top fighter he is believable along with being articulate and likable.
BoxingInsider.com: Ken Shamrock's scheduled to return to the Octagon in July although no opponent yet has been signed (Tank Abbott is Rumored). If you were booking Ken Shamrock's return who would you have him face?
Bruce Buffer: As a light heavyweight I wouldn't want him to come in against an overpowering champion like Tito Ortiz right away. I would want to match him up directly with a fighter that would make for a really good fight and create huge fan interest, such as a legend from the past. It would be exciting to see if Don Frye was available and bring Don Frye in to fight Ken again and build that marketable match up to the fans.
BoxingInsider.com: OK, Chuck Liddell versus Tito Ortiz is finally going to happen. Has most of the excitement for this fight waned, and how do you think this fight will unfold? And do you think that most of the excitement for this fight has waned?
Bruce Buffer: I think the excitement for the fight has waned only a little bit because obviously it would be a lot more exciting if it was a year ago, but it is today and as far as I am concerned, up to now talk is cheap, and it's time to show what each one can do against each other. I see this fight starting out as Chuck trying to keep him standing up because I don't think Chuck wants Tito to get him on his back, and I don't believe Tito wants to stand up beyond a certain amount of time with Chuck. I see Chuck circling the ring in his methodic fashion, and Tito waiting for the opening. I think they're going to throw in the beginning. I think a few shots are going to land. I think the first time Tito takes a solid shot he's going to move in and he's going to take Chuck down. If Tito can get Chuck on his back it's going to be a very hard night for Chuck, but we all know that Chuck is one of the hardest people in the world to get down. So, he's going to try and keep Tito standing up and we'll see what happens from there. I think it's an evenly matched fight and Tito's got the edge because of his ground abilities. Tito can take a shot standing up and he can give a hard shot. It also comes down to which Chuck Liddell's going to show up that night. That's going to be the question. Tito also has an advantage fighting three rounds instead of five, so he can push his pace throughout. They are both friends of mine and may the best man win come April 2nd.
BoxingInsider.com: How do you see Arlovski versus Sylvia unfolding?
Bruce Buffer:I see Arlovski really training hard with side-to-side movement to avoid those bombs, because Sylvia does hit you with massive bombs. But I think Arlovski also realizes Sylvia's a very capable fighter and I see Arlovski trying to get Sylvia down. But what people probably are not aware of, is that with Pat Miletich, Sylvia is probably training heavily on the ground right now and we all know about his striking ability standing up. I personally don't know what Orlovski can do to beat Sylvia. I just see Sylvia beating him. But I see that tough Belarus fighter just doing what most people do from that end of the world and that's coming out with everything they've got. They don't tap out or quit as a rule. So we'll just see how long this fight lasts.
BoxingInsider.com: PRIDE is planning to come to America in 2004. How will his presence affect the marketing and development of the UFC?
Bruce Buffer:It should just heighten the awareness and marketability of the UFC and MMA as a fighting sport. People have to stop looking at other people as competition. To me, competition in fighting events is when you are on the same weekend and you are geographically in the same area and and let's say you are on the same night or possibly one's a Friday and one's a Saturday -- well then that's competition, but if it's on a different time, different week or different month, it's not competition. What that is, is success of the sport, and competition breeds success. So, as far as I'm concerned, let PRIDE come in and do what they want to do.
When PRIDE comes to the USA you are going to see a PRIDE that isn't going to have 40,000 plus Japanese fans in the audience, the great fans that they are -- and I witnessed this for the third time last New Year's Eve when almost 40,000 people attended the Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye New's Years Eve show. That was a great show to be part of. But you're going to see an American audience. You're going to see an audience that's like at UFC, depending where its at, it's anywhere in the area of 12,000 plus people in attendance. You're going to possibly hear the notable, wonderful classless booing that comes on from our great fans here in the United States at a slow moment, and you're going to see a show that's not going to be Japanese PRIDE rules, with no kicking to the head on the ground. If PRIDE comes to Vegas, my opinion is that Commission is going to make them fight under the UFC rules. So what you're going to have is another mixed martial arts show with UFC rules called PRIDE. Now they're not a brand that's as strong here in the United States but PRIDE puts on an excellent production and they have tremendous financial success in Japan. I think initially it's a money losing proposition. I think it's exciting for the USA fans. From a business standpoint I think it's putting out a lot of money for a slow return. Will it affect the UFC? It will affect the UFC in a very positive fashion as long as the UFC works it to their advantage and it will only make the UFC stronger and potentially more successful.
BoxingInsider.com: What's in store for 2004? If you can look into your crystal ball in December 2004 what do you want to say the UFC or mixed martial arts has accomplished this year?
Bruce Buffer:What I first want to see is the UFC on free TV. I want to see the free TV show done in a magnificent way that attracts attention and builds hundreds and thousands and millions of new UFC fans. What I also want to see is the State of California under Schwarzenegger approve the expenditure of $500,000 for a commission looking at this sport and realizing that the taxation of the sport is going to bring more money and revenue into the State of California than the sport of boxing when they really take a close look at it. Because the UFC alone will sell out the Staples Center in LA without even a question. I want to see the pay-per-view numbers go up for the UFC, and I want to see huge profits and more money coming into the UFC to pay the fighters more on the lines of top boxers and allow Zuffa to market the UFC in a stronger more effective fashion to the mainstream fighting sport fan so they will never want to miss an impending pay per view UFC event.
Fighter's personas should be marketed to become role models to the fans and heroes of the sport, which means champions staying consistent -- and that's where the Randy Coutures of this world are great. That's where BJ Penn, who brings a lot to the table, is a very marketable character. I want to see the sport receive the same grandiose attraction from the fans that other sports figures receive.
BoxingInsider.com: And, finally, can you tell us some of the projects you will be working on this year?
Bruce Buffer: A lot is happening this year. Last week my brother Michael and I just went down to El Paso and launched our first professional sports team venture. We now have a football team in Texas under the Intense Football League logo (IFL), which is an indoor football team, very similar to Arena Football, but you can't say Arena football because they own that like we own the "Let's Get Ready to Rumble" trademark phrase. The team is called the El Paso Rumble. It will be a 16-game season split between May and August playing against other IFL teams and we're very excited about that.
We have a number of TV and movie projects, and there's going to be an announcement at NASCAR this year about Michael appearing in NASCAR races and lots of "Ready to Rumble" co-branded NASCAR licensed merchandise for the fans. That, along with other MMA events I plan to announce internationally and other various promotions and appearances for Michael to appear at worldwide, it looks to be a great year for us here at Buffer Enterprises. I also hope to announce a new "Ready to Rumble" video game concept and alliance by the end of 2004 along with other projects in development. Most of all I want to continue to hold my passion for the UFC and MMA and all else I do while reaching optimum success and have as much fun as possible in the process.
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