I'm writing in response to this article: http://www.mmamania.com/2011/10/17/2495473/chael-sonnen-doesnt-deserve-super-bowl-weekend
Beyond his fighting skills and ability to dominate world-class talent, he's got a mouth that seems to generate more attention than anybody in the sport before him. And while many have labeled him an "ass" or a "clown," love him or hate him, he may just be the best damn thing to hit MMA since 4oz gloves...
Let's be honest, MMA is as much entertainment as it is sport. If not, fighters wouldn't have nicknames or walkout music. And quite frankly, it's a very profitable and successful form of entertainment. And while we in combat sports hate the MMA-WWE comparison, there is a great deal of showmanship lacking in MMA that has for years been the backbone of the WWE's success. Therein lies Chael's genius.
Guys like Mayhem Miller get it. Shonie Carter got it. Tito Ortiz got it. Any fighter who ever wore a mask or costume, danced his way to the cage, or carried a 6' flag understood the need for showmanship in combat sports. Like them, Chael Sonnen gets it, but he's taken it up a notch and borrowed a page from Boxing and the WWE.
People tune in to watch combat sports because they love the athleticism, but they love the backstory even more. Fewer people want to watch two friends duke it out than two arch rivals who've spent months talking trash and have, at least in the public's eye, the intent to murder one another. And there's no better way to build that anticipation than with a hearty amount of trash talking. Heck, the WWE has built a billion-dollar business around trash talking and phony feuds. In fact, I would argue that nearly all of the top grossing UFC fights have been between two men the audience was lead to believe hated each other. We want to see rivals fight. It's in our caveman hardwiring. We can't deny it.
What Chael has done to capture the public's attention in creating a feud with a man who seldom/never talks trash about anybody is near masterful. He's successfully provided enough talk and energy to make up for Anderson's lack thereof, which is no small task. Chael has, in essence, become a less poetic Ali. He is a media circus. And he knows how to build intrigue for a match between he and the (somewhat boring) champion who he believes is holding his belt. He knows that Dana is in the business of putting asses in seats and selling pay per view buys and there's no better way to do that than with a feud the paying public wants to see settled in the cage. Dana gets his numbers, the fans get their blood, Chael gets his title shot.
Love him or hate him, Chael drives intrigue and conversation, which in the sporting world is entertaining... and profitable.
I agree with you whole heartedly. If we all can remember, before the Chael fight, Anderson was getting criticized by fans and Dana White for putting on a boring show. What Chael did was only put asses in seats, but put Anderson Silva back to the front of the conversation. Novice spectators didn't want to watch him anymore. Then came Chael Sonnen who pointed the finger and actually backed up what he said he was going to do, and that was take down Silva and pound him out. Chael Sonnen actually talked me into believing he was going to beat Anderson that night.
ReplyDeleteHe is good for the sport. Chael understands how to work people into tuning in, which other fighters can't. I see nothing wrong with his approch to MMA. What he did personally is something he has to deal with, but people, fans, and the peanut gallery need to learn to separate the fighter from the person, and as a fighter he can fight and hype the fight as well!