How many UFC fans are out there?

Great UFC article in the 3/30 Sun Times.....it's nice to see fair and accurate mainstream media coverage of the sport of MMA!

I look forward to seeing your MMA work in the future and hopefully more frequently!

Thanks

Jason Kazmierczak

Excellent article about such a little known sport. The best I have seen by mainstream media and the most accurate. It is appreciated because I am a mma instructor, federal police officer and a pro mma fighter. It is exciting to see this much attention and this size of an article being distributed. Now if only the fights/events would be reported on like boxing or football. That is the next step...*fingers crossed*

Roman responds: I write "Fightin' Words" every other Friday and will do more periodically. Been writing a lot about the UFC maybe coming to Chicago. Stay tuned.

Cmon man! No final 4 discussions????

Roman responds: I'm just not feeling it this year. I'll start a thread and see what happens.

Well, lets call it Mixed Martial Arts because that's what it is. Regardless, it's nice to see a well written article on the sport. Keep up the good work.

Roman responds: Yeah, I know it's MMA, but the UFC has almost turned into a brand name. I know the IFL is trying, but right now, nothing is hotter than the UFC.

NBA since MJ's Retirement Who?
NFL since Rex is an idiot Who?
MLB since the 2005 White Sox Who?
NHL ??? What is that?
Don King, Lou Duva, Wrestling in it's entirety Who?

THE UFC, THATS Freakin' WHO!

Yes, this paper needs more UFC Coverage.

UFC is awesome- It is the only PPV event that people actually want to come by and watch on the big screen. I am mystified by the lack of coverage.

Roman responds: Keep reading my paper.

Boxing is on a comeback and you need to ride that wave.

Roman responds: I have a feeling I know who wrote this. We'll see about a comeback. Who's leading this comeback? Certainly nobody in the heavyweight division. Even my favorites like Barrerra and Morales are past their prime.

I am a huge fan of MMA and people all over need to experience it is far more advanced then boxing the paper should cover MMA more often instead of only when Andrei Arlovskis fighting. I could write an aricle every week on for this paper get it together folks or better yet hire me.F.Y.I the coverage on ufc 69 stating that GSP said that on the phone is a lie. He took that from a promo for UFC 69 or Inside the UFC.

Roman responds: Brilliant detective work! I searched all over the Internet looking to steal GSP quotes, and finally - SUCCESS!

Boxing is bust with an good fight or two every year. Bulls are fun to watch in the playoffs but not a lot of interest before then. I could care less about the Sux (I am mean Sox). Cubs? Oh boy. Bears are the only sport team in Chi City who don't give me an ADD episode throughout the season. Sun-Times should have provide more MMA coverage on daily/weekly basis. As for co-workers, give them a flying kneee or put them in triangle armbar and see if they continue to scoff.

Roman responds: I took MMA for a few years, and one of the most embarrassing things was throwing a knee, missing and ending up flat on my back.

Mixed Martial Arts is a great sport to be a fan of and I've followed it for years. I can't wait till we're all watching a major organization in our hometown.

Great article, Roman. It's good to have an MMA fan in the local media. Let's get a UFC show here in Chicago!

Roman responds: I'm trying. I think it will happen, but there's some red tape to cut through.

As a fan for about six years, I am happy to see coverage of my favorite sport in your paper. Thanks for helping spread the word, and I hope to see more great articles in the future.

Excellent article Roman, I'm a huge UFC fan, and love the fact that it's finally starting to get some press. I'm looking forward to the regular articles and insights to this quickly growing sport. With the recent news of a UFC takeover of Pride, I expect MMA to easily overtake some of these 'dying' leagues like the NHL, MLS, etc, as far as fanbase goes. I'd love to see a UFC event here in Chicago, I was in Vegas for a PPV last year and it was amazing. The athletes/participants were easily available, and the whole event is very "fan-friendly".

Roman responds: Which one did you go to? I went to Liddell-Ortiz II. Wouldn't mind going to Liddell-Jackson.

I think there is superior MMA action in Japan, and that UFC does not attract the top talent. The opportunity to have this covered in the Sun-Times is super.

Roman responds: My nephew thinks PRIDE is better, too, but I never get to see it here.

Loved your article as much as I love MMA. Did you know there is a local event in May at the Cicero Stadium? Lots of local guys on the card. I found information at www.chicagocagefight.com.

When I first became aware of it it was really brutal,which I liked. I used to get the tapes and we'd gather around at work and watch it. I've fallen out of it because he's changed a little. Too commercialized and toned down. It was for me a guilty pleasure. I might get back into it. Royce Gracy was my GUY. I use to like seeing Ken Shamrock getting beat since he used to act like he was such a hardass in wrestling. That shows you how long it's been since I've been a fan. I'll just glance at it like a car accident now. Everyone slows up more for train wrecks.

Please provide more coverage of this awesome sport! I have been to 2 live UFC events and I can't wait for it to be approved in Illinois so I can go to an event right in my hometown. Side Note: I'd like to see a nice size interview with Arlovski since he does make Chicago his home and he will re-capture the belt.

Now that Pride FC and UFC have joined together, this sport is going to skyrocket!

As a part of a hard core MMA contingency, its nice to see mainstream
media finally covering the sport that was labeled "barbaric" by many.
I hope what America realizes is that MMA is a true sport, not just "cockfighting", that takes training and complete dedication just like any other sport. Its also great to see that there are knowledgeable writers out there. The aspect of the article that I enjoyed the most is its context in that it reaches out to the longtime fans and newcomers of the sport.

Roman,

As a former Chicago-area high school wrestler, what I find remarkable about MMA is the multiple skill level. To add value to your content, briefly explain a rule, a hold, or a discipline in each blog and/or article. Hyperlink them and create a table on the side of each blog/article you subsequently write. The more you inform your readers, the more they will want to read your work.

It is a barbaric sport, but it is thrilling, courageous, and represents one of the highest levels of physical achievement. Can one compare the contests of fighters like Ortiz, St. Pierre, Liddel, etc. to anything else in sports?

Roman responds: Well, I don't want to diminish boxing. It's also a sport that takes extreme dedication and skill to do it at the highest level. I just think that right now boxing is dying because of a lack of marketable fighters. Oscar's the only one who sells pay per view. Football also is a very tough sport. But right now, the UFC has some marketable and talented guys.

UFC is a hard hitting full contact sport . I have the greatest respect for the men who engage in it . Next to football its the most exciting event I can watch .

Yo, Roman, that's cool that you're gonna be doing this new column dedicated to MMA (and boxing, though it's not what it used to be). The UFC and MMA in general has really busted out. As far as next week's UFC ppv goes, did you say you wanted Matt Serra to lose to St. Pierre because he's too cocky? What the hell are you talking about? The way he took the lead and helped guide his team to almost a sweep on the Ultimate Fighter 4 really showed something. I think he has a chance against Pierre. But, what's really gonna be the fight to watch on that card is the Diego Sanchez-Josh Koscheck rematch. That has match of the year written all over it. You read it here first.

Roman responds: I'm a big Nightmare fan. That should be the best fight of the night. As far as Serra, I thought he was the cockiest guy there. Just not a fan. And he has zero chance against Rush.

Keep the MMA coverage coming. This sport isn't going to be huge...it is huge. The competition on every UFC/PRIDE card is consistantly entertaining. With many great fights on each card rather than one main fight on a boxing card it's laughable how much better watching MMA vs. boxing has become. And the level of respect and show of sportsmanship that 99% of the MMA fighters appear to have for each other is impressive as well. Really IS the sport of the future...that and bowling.

Roman responds: MMA and bowling. Interesting combo.

UFC may be the hottest sport going, much like NASCAR. Got to have something for the gap-toothed morons to watch when the hillbillys aren't smashing their cars into each other. They should just give the fighters baseball bats so they can bust open each others skulls , the ratings would go through the roof.

I am a very formal, prim, and reserved middle-aged British woman. However, there is something primal and thrilling about the UFC. I love it.

Roman responds: That belongs in a UFC commercial.

I enjoy watching most of the combat sport events such as Boxing, K1, KOTC, UFC, Pride. I have watched almost all of the UFC events since the begining. it is interseting to have witnessed the UFC's evolution from a "no holds barred" martial arts tournament into Mixed Martial Arts, a full fledged world class athletic sport. the original format with few rules, no weight classes and no time limit was closer to an actual fight but prevented it from gaining mainstream acceptance. the present owners have done an incredible job of marketing the UFC to the public and the various governing bodies. the success and development of the UFC is very similar to the WWE in Pro Wrestling. Pride has showcased most of the top fighters until recently. having the most talented fighters with the use of penalty cards for stalling and a boxing ring made it the premier league. the cards and the ring force the fighters to use more skill to defeat the opponent. I look forward to the next phase of evolution now that Pride has been bought out by the UFC. when the MMA fighters can make as much money as boxers you'll know that MMA has reached the top. one change I would like to see in the UFC is to stop the use of elbows to the head on the ground. it causes a lot of unecessary blood and limits some of the grappling techniques. Roman glad to have you aboard and remember no one talks about Fight Club!

Roman responds: I agree with the elbows. Those things are like knives. I think the UFC is beyond the point where people need to see blood, or at least that much blood.

The UFC has grown into the apex of combat sports. I'll always be a Bears fan first, and team sports are much more interesting than solo sports (really, who loves tennis or even golf?), but there is such a high intensity to the UFC that can't be duplicated by basketball, hockey, or even baseball.
The beauty of MMA (especially the UFC) is the complexity and brutality of the sport.
MMA is also well-packaged. Exhibited by the reality show, the Spike-TV specials, and Joe Rogan (just kidding about the last one), the best part of MMA pay-per-views is the speed of the matches and the lack of down-time between them. This is something that Boxing forgot. I don't believe that waiting 45 minutes between fights is a good way to waste a night.
Now the UFC has more popularity than boxing, with more household names competing than boxing. The competition is top-notched, and even the lesser-known fighters have a stable of fans in their corners.
I know UFC will never be as popular as football or baseball, but basketball better look out. With more admirable fighters in the UFC than players/thugs in the NBA, UFC can easily become the 3rd most watched sport in the country (and no, NASCAR does not count).

I really don't believe in MMA that much. I'd rather see someone who was an expert in Kickboxing take on someone who was an Expert in Ninjutsu. This MMA vs MMA thing is kinda silly. The IFL is like the American Idol/McDonalds of combat sports. They show you a lot of pretty faces who are way too young to get in the ring. None of them hold your attention though.

"With more admirable fighters in the UFC than players/thugs in the NBA"

Just wait until the big marketing/advertising agencies get a whiff of MMA sports. Liddel will be dropping his rap CD in late 2008.

I don't know if everyone here watched UFC Ultimate Fight Night Thur. Mar. 5th and then the following TUF 5 premiere, but, they were thrilling. Joe Stevenson in something like 28 seconds submitted Melvin Guillard. BJ Penn mixing up the TUF premiere by asking "anyone of you [fighters] who know for definitely that you want to me on my team and don't want anything to do with Jens Pulver raise your hand." 10 of the 16 raised their hands... it will be a good season for the return of the LW division.
Anyways, those of you who also watched it would have noticed the HUGE increase in sponsorship. Specifically, with GRAW2 and The Condemned... replays brought to you by GRAW2 and quick 'sneak peaks' of The Condemned... those who say UFC and MMA aren't getting HUGE and more popular need to look no further than here. Not that The Condemned is going to be a huge success at the box office, but the fact that a major motion picture is putting money here is saying something. They did the same thing with having Chuck Liddell do promotions for 300...and look how big that movie is. It's on the rise folks and big money companies are starting to take notice...