The Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Oscar De La Hoya junior middleweight championship bout earlier this month pulled in boxing's largest pay-per-view take to date, largely because of the novelty of the matchup. The so-called "Fight That Will Save Boxing" proved to be a relatively dull affair that should've taken place years earlier. Yes, a lot of people made a lot of money off the bout, but boxing remains a sport in need of a serious transfusion.
Not so for the Ultimate Fighting Championship's brand of mixed martial arts, which is riding a phenomenal wave of popularity that could hit new heights tonight when Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell (20-3) defends his UFC light-heavyweight belt against Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (26-6) at UFC 71 in Las Vegas.
With a price point of $39.95, the card at the MGM Grand could overtake the UFC's previous pay-per-view record set last year when Liddell met Tito Ortiz in a rematch that generated about 1.05 million buys and grossed about $42 million in PPV revenue, according to The Orange County Register.
The Register, quoting The Wrestling Observer, said UFC owner Zuffa, LLC, pulled in almost $223 million in PPV revenue in 2006. The all-time record for boxing was just more than $200 million in 1999.
The UFC made the cover of this week's Sports Illustrated and its biggest star, champion Liddell, has become as recognizable as any boxer on the scene today. He played himself in a recent episode of HBO's popular "Entourage" series and was on the cover of ESPN the Magazine. Even ESPNews got into the game on Friday when it televised the Liddell-Jackson weigh-in live. The cable network also plans live post-fight coverage.
The primary hook for tonight's showdown is that it's a rematch between the two combatants. Jackson upset Liddell in 2003 and the champ is looking to avenge the defeat as he's already done against the two other fighters that have blemished his record.
Liddell brings a streak of seven consecutive wins — all by knockouts — into tonight's bout.
I'm pretty bummed that I'm not going to see Liddell Rashad because of Chucks hamstring injury
Posted by: Jack | April 24, 2008 at 07:05 AM
Hey, I just wanted to say killer site. Keep up the good work
Posted by: stanley | December 27, 2008 at 04:53 PM
Thanks, Stanley. Appreciate it.
Posted by: H. Burns | January 02, 2009 at 09:29 PM