Ronda Rousey Gets More Media Attention Than Any UFC Fighter Ever – Dana White

Cat--Smasher · 02-21-2013, 06:04 PM

Ronda Rousey Gets More Media Attention Than Any UFC Fighter Ever

Quote:

“This is without a doubt, the most media attention we’ve ever had leading up to a fight. And when I talk about media attention, I’m talking about big time media.”

Those were the words of UFC president Dana White, referring to Ronda Rousey, as he opened the UFC 157 pre-fight press conference in Anaheim, Calif., on Thursday. That’s no minor statement considering the kind of attention that welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre and middleweight champion Anderson Silva attract, not to mention the splash that WWE crossover star Brock Lesnar made when he jumped to the UFC.

“She blows (Brock Lesnar) out of the water,” said White. “No fighter has ever fought in the UFC that has had more attention than she has. It’s a fact.”

Even before she was donned the UFC women’s bantamweight champion, Rousey was garnering media attention that evades most fighters. She made an appearance on the Conan O’Brien show while she was still the Strikeforce champ.

Once Rousey was named UFC women’s bantamweight champion and the UFC 157 headlining bout with Liz Carmouche was set, the media came out of the woodwork to cover the former Olympic medalist.

Even White, who has been accused of conducting the Ronda Rousey hype train, says he was surprised by the amount and type of attention that Rousey has drawn.

“I didn’t think that HBO and Time Magazine and all these other outlets that never cover us would. And if they did, I didn’t think it was gonna be positive,” White commented. “I thought it was gonna be freak show. Nobody pulled the freak show card. Nobody has really smashed the main event on this card. It’s been pretty cool.”

That type of attention usually translates into financial rewards as well, and White says that it is translating. UFC 157 has yet to sell out, but he stated that most of the available tickets are in the cheap seats and declared “this is gonna sell out.”

“This gate beat the last gate when we were here (at the Honda Center),” said White, “which was the heavyweight championship between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos.”

Velasquez vs. dos Santos headlined UFC on Fox 1 in November of 2011, drawing an attendance of 11,607 for a live gate of $1.1 million. That of course, was an event televised on free TV, but it’s not insignificant that Rousey vs. Carmouche has already surpassed a $1.1 million gate, especially considering the skepticism of many critics.

A strong live gate, in turn, is usually indicative of solid pay-per-view numbers as well. The UFC doesn’t release those numbers; so it’s a little more difficult to gauge success on that front, although White insists the pay-per-view numbers are “trending very well.”

http://www.mmaweekly.com/ronda-rouse...nference-video

dimerules28 · 02-21-2013, 06:33 PM

After the ppv Dana white " we outsold Gsp, brock lesnar and Anderson silva combined".. Dana has ready said he can't wait to rub it in everyone's face when this fight is over. Lol he's already made up his mind this was a success whether it is or not. And since the ufc doesn't release ppv numbers we can't really say he's wrong. This is gonna be fuuuuuun

Qball1974 · 02-21-2013, 06:37 PM

If it means more people watching MMA good.

Dr. MMA · 02-21-2013, 07:21 PM

Ever since the fight was announced, I thought to myself that this event will do well and it will be because of the women, not the rest of the card. We have to remember people's intrigue is that this is the first women's fight in UFC history, so it's automatically a big deal in the fight world and sports world in general. The big question is how well will the next women's main event do or the one after that. My prediction is not so well.

Sniggles · 02-21-2013, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. MMA

Ever since the fight was announced, I thought to myself that this event will do well and it will be because of the women, not the rest of the card. We have to remember people's intrigue is that this is the first women's fight in UFC history, so it's automatically a big deal in the fight world and sports world in general. The big question is how well will the next women's main event do or the one after that. My prediction is not so well.

This card will do 300k buys at best.

Leucoethiops · 02-21-2013, 07:47 PM

I'll watchUFC 157, until the main event, then probably turn off my TV and go to bed.

MIZjitsZOU · 02-21-2013, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sniggles

This card will do 300k buys at best.

You think that low?

I am obviously excited because my main man Dan is on the card. I also like Ronda. Do you think this would have been a better free card? I get that people might not want to tune in b/c of the ppv money. I saw a Hooters sign that was pumping it, and they don't pump every card.