Is Bellator the future?
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
That was the question I was constantly asking myself all Friday night. I am witnessing the start of something big, or am I a part of another flash-in-the-pan organization?
The Bellator promotion gets instant credibility the second you start seeing those ESPN graphics. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, ESPN is dictating what the popular sports are in the culture.
And if ESPN gets behind MMA 100 percent and not just through MMA Live Web shows and bottom line updates, Bellator may indeed be the future.
I took some pictures of the event to try to give you guys a sense of the environment and atmosphere at Lloyd Noble Center. When I get a chance, I’ll upload them.
The video packages are well-produced, and I felt they were the perfect length. Not too short where you didn’t get a real glimpse at the fighter. But not too long where it kinda dragged on.
I also appreciate any event where ring announce Lupe Contreras is at. He’s big-time, even if some people don’t recognize it yet. He’s just below Jimmy Lennon Jr. and Michael and Bruce Buffer.
Logistical issues
- Only having one side of the concession stands open. It was a madhouse from 7-8 p.m. in those lines. You didn’t know what was a line, what was people trying to get through. For their part, those concession workers handled it very professionally.
- The start time. Having it start at 8 with 11 bouts is something I hope Bellator chooses to not do again.
This was the first time Bellator taped two shows at one venue, and it drained on the crowd. For a crowd that was revved up in those first two hours, that same excitement cannot be said for the last two + hours.
A start time at 7 is more feasible. I even suggested 6, but I understand not many people could actually be there when it starts if you do it that way. But 8 is a little too late.
- The intermission hurt. Right after a spectacular KO by Hector Lombard, there was a good 15-20 minutes of nothing. It was already past 10 p.m. at that point and saw a lot of people head to the exits after that one.
- Phenomenal presentation. From where the cage was located to the big monitors on all sides of the arena, never felt like I didn’t know what was going on. Big ups to the monitors having the time left in the round. Little things like that go a long way.
- Good atmosphere. Felt like a big-time event. Didn’t feel like club-level quality all night. Obviously some of the guys were more talented than some of the others, but it’s just starting out. And any mismatch in the tournament is nullified when the semifinals and finals come around.
Fight Thoughts
- Most impressive was easily Lombard. He’s the total package and the one guy on that night that I would say is ready for the UFC right now.
- Norman native Wayne Cole ran out of gas vs. Oklahoma City’s Rudy Lindsay. Cole called me Thursday and said how I was working his butt off to make the weight, but it depleted him of his strength. Lindsay weathered the storm and finished the job.
- New Mexico’s Tyler East had me write down one thing: “youthful exhuberance.”
The 18-year-old made his pro debut at Bellator and had so much pent up emotion and just let it all hang out. He wasted so much energy, but this was his night.
At 6-5 and 230 pounds already, East has a future with the proper amount of seasoning. He was badly injured in a car accident his sophomore year and has a new lease on life because of it.
- Dave Menne was the feel-good story of the night. The former UFC champ has overcome Lyme’s disease and at 34, might be the final run. Trailing after the first two rounds, came back to win. His record is a ridiculous 46-15-2. Not too many fighters with 63 MMA fights.
- Excited about the potential of Jared Hess. Admit the name was familiar from his UCO days but first time I had actually seen him fight.
Solid head on his shoulders, good technique and making $25,000 in one night is not that bad, either.
Bellator is on Saturday nights on ESPN Deportes on a tape-delay situation. The English version of the broadcast is played Wednesday on the Web.
According to Bellator executives their blog traffic for last night’s show was better than the previous two weeks, so that’s a positive sign.
Hope to check in with Bellator representatives later this week for their thoughts at how it went in Norman, and if they would consider coming back.
***
Won’t see UFC 97 tonight because I will be at a horse racing event in Oklahoma City. I’ll chime in with what I read, but hate to not actually see the fights. Anderson Silva and Chuck Liddell are the two picks. And just saw a heavyweight bout between my Chicago Bulls and the Boston Celtics. Let’s just call that Derrick Rose’s coming out party.
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