TV offers recognition, fame, wealth to fighters
McCullough, Condit put World Extreme Cagefighting titles on line
Exposure means a lot of things to professional fighters including instant recognition, possible fame and perhaps eventual wealth.
Champions Razor Rob McCullough and Carlos Condit realize this and that’s why they’re both happy defending their World Extreme Cagefighting titles on Wednesday Feb. 13, at the Santa Ana Star Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It will be televised on Versus.
“A lot of people tell me they see me on television,” Condit says.
Yes, both fighters would love to be fighting for the larger Ultimate Fighting Championship organization. But fighting as the main headliners for WEC’s nationally televised bouts makes a lot of sense.
“People always come up to me to say they’ve seen me fight,” said Condit (20-4), who lives and trains in New Mexico. “It’s kind of cool.”
Condit holds the WEC welterweight title for 170-pounders and finally makes a title defense in his home state New Mexico.
“Now my friends and family can see me in person,” said Condit, who faces Carlo Prater (21-5-1) of Texas.
It won’t be easy. Prater owns a win over Condit that took place more than three years ago. Condit is nonplussed.
“We know each other,” Condit said. “I’m just here to fight and beat the best.”
McCullough, who defends his WEC lightweight title against Jamie Varner (10-1), said the television exposure not only gives him more limelight, but it puts a bull’s eye on his chest.
“I don’t know if there is jealousy from seeing me on television, but it makes a lot of guys start drumming for me,” said McCullough (14-3) of his peers. “They’re all saying ‘hey I want that guy’ and you’ve got to take that as a compliment.”
Television exposure has become the number one diamond nugget for any professional fighting including MMA, boxing or kickboxing. Without it, you might as well fight in a deep water well.
Nobody is going to see it.
Jay Larkin, the former television executive for Showtime and now the CEO for International Fight League, knows it’s the jaws of life for his organization.
“It’s the lifeline for mixed martial arts,” said Larkin last fall after being named the new CEO for the IFL organization. Recently the IFL partnered with HDnet.
McCullough, though considered by many to be one of the top lightweights in a division filled to the brim with talent, realizes that fighting main events on television out does fighting on the under card of a UFC event that won’t be televised.
“It’s an honor,” McCullough says, who listens to advice from his mentor Tito Ortiz. “For me it’s like an artist painting a masterpiece in front of millions. I get to show off.”
McCullough faces Jamie Varner a known grappler, who like other opponents, sees an advantage for himself against the Huntington Beach fighter’s penchant for punching, not wrestling.
“He’s a good grappler and wants to take it to the ground. He also likes to stand and throw little hands here and there,” said McCullough about his next opponent Varner. “Hit me in the face, that’s cool. Cause you’re close enough for me to hit you right back.”
Others on the loaded WEC fight card are Chase Beebe (12-1), the WEC bantamweight titleholder from the Chicago area, defending his title against a fellow Chicagoan Miguel Torres (18-1). It’s been two years since Beebe lost a fight and five years since Torres was defeated. It should be a Chicago firestorm.
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Leonard Garcia (14-2), who is best known for his riveting battle against Roger Huerta that was featured in Sports Illustrated last May, has his hands full with Japan’s Hiroyuki Takaya (9-4-1) in a fight held at 145 pounds.
Newly added to the fight card is bantamweight contender Charlie Valencia (9-3) of East L.A. who is a late replacement and opposes Japan’s Yoshiro Maeda (22-4-2). Valencia, a former wrestler, has a rugged challenge against veteran Maeda.
“A lot of those Japanese guys have a lot of heart,” said Valencia. “He’s a left-hander who likes to stand up and bang.”
All in all television has made fight fans take notice of the WEC.
Assessing the Brock
Last week millions of MMA fans saw former pro wrestler Brock Lesnar dip into the Octagon against former UFC champion Frank Mir and lose by submission.
It lasted only 90 seconds but in that short span other fighters and experts saw just exactly what Lesnar had to offer as he pummeled Mir with punches, hammer fists and elbows in a hurried quest to put his opponent into unconsciousness. It was a heady gamble that could have paid off but not against an experienced fighter like Mir.
“I liked those combinations Lesnar threw, he was throwing them very fast,” said Juanito Ibarra, who trains Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, the UFC light heavyweight champion. “I also liked that he was disciplined enough to drop down from 300 pounds to 265. That shows dedication.”
Lesnar’s skill as an amateur wrestling champion is what convinced UFC president Dana White to sign and match him with Mir in the first place. Though many wrestlers have found success in MMA it’s not as easy as one-two-three.
“I think Brock did a good job. It goes to show from a wrestling standpoint going to jujitsu a lot of wrestlers can’t adjust to that leg lock,” said Valencia, a former wrestler turned MMA fighter. “A year and a year and a half doesn’t give you enough time to adjust to people dropping to your legs.”
Ibarra, who also trains heavyweight contender Cheick Kongo, said Lesnar’s athletic ability and training regimen were on target. It’s just adjusting to the other elements of MMA that the former pro wrestler needs to absorb.
“He’s going to be very good,” Ibarra said.
Valencia says all wrestlers have to adjust to MMA.
“It takes a while to adjust to jujitsu,” said Valencia of the move that Mir used on Brock to force a submission. “He just needs to sharpen up his tools…jujitsu is Kryptonite for wrestlers.”
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