As the last weeks of 2007 approach, the time has come to analyze and absorb the torrent of activity that traditionally accompanies the end of the year in MMA. This year however, it is a completely different landscape than just a year ago and miles away from what it was just two short years ago. By taking a look back just two years at New Year’s Eve events and comparing them to this years festivities, it’s easy to see that the most certain factor that will affect mixed martial arts in 2008 is uncertainty.
Historically, New Year’s Eve MMA was a celebration typically appreciated only by the hardcore fan. At least, outside of Japan. For several years, Pride and K-1 were locked in a bitter feud to rule the television ratings for the evening and utilized some extremely high profile matches as ammunition to try to take each other out.
The last big year for this rivalry was 2005 when DSE put together the highest single fight purse in the history of MMA for Hidehiko Yoshida to fight Naoya Ogawa. This fight drew enormous ratings over K-1, whose Premium Dynamite offering included Royce Gracie vs. Hideo Tokoro and a middleweight tournament final between Genki Sudo and Kid Yamamoto.
Just a year later, DSE was struggling to keep the Pride brand alive after losing a lucrative TV contract amid charges of corruption and involvement in organized crime. Nevertheless, DSE was able to put together one last year end blockbuster card that saw Takanori Gomi destroy Mitsuhiro Ishida, Minotauro and Josh Barnett in a war and Fedor Emelianenko get pushed farther than anyone expected by Mark Hunt. Meanwhile, K-1’s Dynamite 2006 offering included Pride defector Kazushi Sakuraba in a controversial contest with Yoshihiro Akiyama. Without a broadcast TV contract, Pride was forced to offer their card on a pay-per-view basis, a guarantee that K-1 would dominate the ratings.
Loading ...
