Page 5 of 11 FirstFirst ... 34567 ... LastLast
Results 61 to 75 of 154

Thread: China MMA

  1. #61
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,946

    Legend gets 150 million viewers on TV

    Asia takes on the best in mixed martial arts
    AFP
    Sunday, 24 July 2011

    It has taken time and a few false starts but Asia, the spiritual and physical home of martial arts, now seems ready to take on the best in the world of modern mixed combat.

    When Bae Myung Ho raised the Legend Fighting Championship welterweight title belt last Saturday night he showed it briefly to his fans and then the South Korean mixed martial artist went straight for the television cameras.

    Bae fought in front of around 1,500 people inside Macau's City of Dreams casino complex - but an estimated 150 million households across the globe watched on TV.

    Mixed martial arts incorporates the skills of everything from Brazilian jiu-jitsu, through judo, wrestling, karate and Muay Thai kick-boxing.

    From the sold-out ringside in Macau it was easy to see why MMA has become so popular.

    Fight fans were treated to everything from a knockout to a submission and, finally, Bae's high-octane display in wresting the welterweight crown from New Zealander Rod MacSwain through a unanimous points decision over three rounds.

    The fighters enter the ring through smoke, lights and pounding beats. There are rules, of course, including no eye-gouging or blows below the belt, but pretty much everything else goes.

    For Bae that meant making use of his superior strength over MacSwain and dumping him to the canvass for long periods in both the second and third of their five-minute rounds.

    Once pinned, MacSwain could do little more than try to cover up as his opponent pounded knee after knee into his head and upper torso.

    "We are experiencing a tonne of momentum now," said Legend co-founder Chris Pollack. "You have to have world-class fighters and we have that. We now think we are producing something that is as good as anything you will see."

    In the United States, mixed martial arts - primarily through the Ultimate Fighting Championship - has long been the most-watched sport on pay-per-view television, a feat it first achieved in 2006 when its bouts generated more than $200 million in revenue over the year.

    The sport also has a long and successful history in Japan but the rest of Asia has struggled to consistently organise and market its major events internationally.

    A spate of failed ventures and cancellations culminated in the debacles of the "Fury 2" and "Mayhem in Macau" cards, planned for October 2010 and January this year respectively.

    Both events were axed at the last minute after poor ticket sales, rumours of internal wrangling and negative press.

    But organisers of Saturday's event signed previously unmatched broadcasting deals throughout North America and beamed the event live from Macau into the rest of China, a market even the wildly successful Ultimate Fighting Championship has struggled to pin down.

    "It's a sport where athletes can draw on the best from so many sports from this region and they now have a chance to show them to the world," said Pollack.

    The fact that Asia finds itself at the forefront of the sport has, for some, been a long time coming.

    "It seems to be turning full circle as it can all be traced back to one man - Bruce Lee," said Hong Kong-based film director/producer Bey Logan, who specialises in martial arts films and wrote the script for action icon Jackie Chan's "The Medallion".

    "The first filmed MMA match was the opening scene of 'Enter the Dragon' - 38 years ago. Bruce Lee has the trunks and the gloves, he is fighting on a mat and takes the guy down and makes him tap out. It all goes back to that."

    He pointed to the upcoming release of Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh's production "Haywire" - which stars American mixed martial arts star Gina Carano - as further proof that the sport has gained wide acceptance.

    Pollack and his Legend Fighting Championship have three more events set for Macau in the next 12 months, as well as others in Hong Kong - all to be beamed across the globe.

    "A lot of our guys are still coming from single sports - they are learning all about what you can use in mixed martial arts," said Pollack. "They are learning about the sport and now the world is learning about them."
    Legend Fighting Championship official site
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  2. #62
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,946

    Our latest e-zine article

    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  3. #63

    MMA in Asia - is it the UFC's next takeover stop?

    from MMAinASIA.blogspot.com:

    UFC: Next stop, Asia.
    At the Versus 6 post-fight press conference, UFC President Dana White only spent about 20 seconds talking about its plans for 2010, but those 20 seconds were monumental to MMA in Asia. A new flyweight division. China. South Korea. TUF reality TV expansion into the Philippines. Taking a look at the UFC's past record of dropping mini-bombs in press conferences, following up with well-timed match ups, then announcing major events, it's blatantly obvious that the Zuffa-owned promotion has its sites set on Asia. Right now.



    Since 2009 the UFC has been talking about putting on a show in Japan. The earthquake and resulting economic conditions delayed this from happening. However, at the beginning of 2011 Zuffa was able to secure some distribution deals pushing the event closer to reality. Then, on August 27th, Japanese fighter Yushin Okami was set to challenge Anderson Silva in UFC 134 to be followed by 3 Japanese fighters on the next card,135: Takeya Mizuzaki, Takanori Gomi, and "Kid" Yamamoto (who cancelled due to injury). Smack in the middle of this was the announced return of the UFC to Japan with an event set for February 26, 2012. Perfect media strategy.

    Given White's most recent comments on expanding the UFC into China, South Korea, and the Philippines, can an actual game plan for their conquest be deduced?

    Earlier this year, White announced an interest in expanding the reality show TUF to other countries - expressly the Philippines. This got the interest of UFC fighter Mark Munoz as shown plastered all over his personal website. Just last month, Anton Tabuena of bloodyelbow.com in the Philippines reported that the organization is indeed finalizing plans and working out a broadcast deal with the Philippine sports channel Balls. This was Step 1 - dropping mini-bombs. Step 2 - well-timed events - are on the horizon: UFC Light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is set for a Philippine tour on October 22nd. Mark Munoz, the Filipino hero of the UFC, headlines UFC 138 on November 5th. The TUF 14 finale is on December 3rd. And Dana White just tweeted that Jon Jones will defend his title against Lyoto Machida at UFC 140 on December 10th. Step 3 - the big announcement - could happen at any one of these Philippine attention-aimed events.



    That's Japan and the Philippines covered. What about China and South Korea?

    Rumors and news of the UFC in China have been circulating since the Beijing-based promotion Art of War kicked off it's 12th event under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. UFC heavyweights Big John McCarthy and Michael Buffer were inside the ring. Rolles Gracie was on the card and brought Rickson, Royce, Royler, and Renzo into his corner. Around the same time, Flash Entertainment - a subsidiary of the Sheikh's Abu Dhabi government - purchased a 10% interest in Zuffa. The Renzo Gracie-facilitated deal was thought to help the UFC's chances in China. During the same period, Aaron Randolph was a consultant for the UFC in China, and he confirmed that the UFC was indeed working its way into the China market. However, in the two years since, Randolph has gone on to work directly for Legend FC in Hong Kong, and Art of War stopped running events. China went silent.

    Until now. Dana White's simple mention of China holds a great deal of portent. There may not be a huge quantity of information coming out of the UFC on China matters, but the flurry of activities behind the scenes in Asia is pointing heavily back to the UFC. So step 2 - event - well that would be this very weekend's October 8th event, UFC 136. China's only rising star in the organization, Zhang Tiequan, is on the prelim card which will be shown live on Facebook - ironically which is banned in China. Zhang is from the Xi'an Sports University, where Pat Healy from Team Quest is currently running a 6-week training camp. This is a partnership set up with Hong Kong-based Legend FC to develop Chinese MMA talent, specifically in the lead up to Legend FC 6 in Macau.

    Macau is a good choice for fight promotions to find venue partnerships with casinos; it is aptly named the "Las Vegas of Asia". Legend FC signed a multi-event deal at City of Dreams starting with their 5th event last July. Now Victor Cui of new Singapore promotion One FC has stated they will hold a future event in Macau. So the China market seems to be getting hotter. Even Shanghai-based promotion RUFF, fresh off its first event, has indicated that its next event might not be in Shanghai, but elsewhere in China. And although its from a source who wishes to remain anonymous, I was told that the UFC is in talks with a China venue in regards to a 2012 event.

    The flurry of activity doesn't stop at the "where and when" level, it goes deeper into the "who" - the actual talent pool. Recently, Filipino superstar MMA Team Lakay was personally visited by both Victor Cui of One FC and Mike Haskamp of Legend FC. Talent from Team Lakay has appeared on both promotions. Three Filipino fighters also signed management agreements with URCC Talent Management, which is reportedly to help them defend their titles in the Philippines-based URCC and gain new ones across several promotions. One FC has signed partnership deals with Thailand's DARE and South Korea's Road FC, including a champion versus champion event with Road FC's tournament winners. RUFF is currently seeking fighters. With Legend FC's sponsored fight camp in Xi'an and One FC's recent signings to multiple fight deals from DARE's fight roster, plus both wooing the Filipinos, they are snapping up talent at the speed of light.

    In regards to the UFC, many promoters have stated they would like to have the reputation of being a 'feeder' of talent to that promotion. Another option is being bought out by them. With these promotions all scrambling for more talent, more venues, more cross-promotion connections - essentially 'assets' in the MMA industry - it remains to be seen if they are aware of and moving towards a UFC bid, or hedging against it.

  4. #64

    RUFF announces next MMA event in China

    ‎RUFF锐武终极格斗 (Ranik Ultimate Fighting Federation) announces its second show:

    December 17, 2011
    Chongqing, China

    FIGHT CARD:
    Zhang LiPeng vs. Rodrigo Caporal (70kg)
    Wang Guan vs. Wang JinGang (70kg)
    Jumabieke Tuerxun vs. Zhao YanFei (66kg)
    Ayideng Jumayi vs. Irshaad Sayed (61kg)
    Liu PingYuan vs. Amu RiJiRiGaLa (61kg)
    XueGuoBin vs. Dong YanJun (66kg)
    Yang Liang vs. Liu LianJie (61kg)
    Li LinLin vs. Li BoLin (66kg)
    Ta Yier vs. Wan HongChen (70kg)


  5. #65
    sweet, I had no idea...

  6. #66
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,946

    More on RUFF

    Anyone been to a RUFF event?
    Mandt Bros. Gets RUFF in the Land of the Dragon

    Company to Develop Groundbreaking Mixed Martial Arts League and Events in China with Exclusive Government-Sanctioned Professional MMA-Rights Holder, Ranik Ultimate Fighting Federation (RUFF)

    SHANGHAI, Jan. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- In the birthplace of kung fu and such action fighting stars as Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li, the still-nascent sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) gained some muscle today when RUFF (Ranik Ultimate Fighting Federation), the first government-sanctioned professional MMA organization in China, announced a strategic partnership with L.A.-based Mandt Bros. Productions. RUFF and Mandt Bros. will collaborate on the creative development of the league and live events, with Mandt Bros. leading all television production, from one-off specials to a potential reality television series.

    "This is a huge opportunity to help grow MMA in the most populous country in the world, where martial arts is already popular," offered Neil Mandt. "Mandt Bros. has strong expertise in sports and reality television, with deep relationships with networks, sponsors, athletes and others, and we are thrilled to team with RUFF to bring all of our creative and production skills to China."

    In October 2010, after four years working with the Chinese government, RUFF founders and entrepreneurs Joel Resnick and Saul Rajsky secured the exclusive rights to produce and stage live, government-sanctioned, professional MMA events in China. RUFF produced its first two events in late 2011, which garnered television viewership of close to 20 million and 27 million, respectively. They anticipate that their third MMA fight, scheduled to take place in Chongqing on March 24, will reach a TV audience in excess of 60 million people.

    Working with RUFF to engage investors, sponsors and other partners in gaining further traction across China, Mandt Bros. will help execute at least a half-dozen MMA events in 2012, which will include the crowning of official Chinese national champions across all weight classes.

    For now, says Joel Resnick, it's about developing Chinese fighters for Chinese fans. In the past, he says, "nobody was willing to build the fighters, give them a personality, and make them fan-favorites. It's about showing ordinary kids that they can be the fighter, and you don't have to be the biggest or strongest guy to win."

    About Ranik Ultimate Fighting Federation (RUFF)
    Headquartered in Shanghai, Ranik Ultimate Fighting Federation (RUFF) has the exclusive rights to produce and stage live MMA events as a sanctioned sport in China, by permission of the General Administration of Sport of China Wushu Administrative Center. Its first two MMA events were produced in late 2011 in Shanghai; a third event is scheduled take place on March 24 in Chongqing. For more information, please visit www.ruffchina.com.

    About Mandt Bros. Productions
    Brothers Neil and Michael Mandt are partners in the Los Angeles-based production company Mandt Bros. Productions. Between them, they have earned four Emmy Awards, nine Emmy nominations and a Cable Ace Award, among numerous other accolades. Their projects include the critically acclaimed feature film Last Stop for Paul, its TV adaptation "Next Stop for Charlie" (Showtime) and other television projects which have included "Destination Truth" (Syfy), "Jim Rome is Burning" (ESPN), "Ice Brigade" (Food Network), "Strangers in Danger" (Fuel TV) and "The Car Show" (Speed Network).

    SOURCE Mandt Bros. Productions
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  7. #67
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Sebring, FL U.S.A.
    Posts
    1,243
    What ever happened to the Art of War Fighting Championships? I thought they would be the big dogs in China, since they seemed to have had some pretty good cards, and then they just fizzled out? I was hoping they would become what Pride FC was to Japan. Haven't heard much from them, or they officially done?
    "Neither is "safe", if you want to be safe stay home and play with yourself" -lkfmdc

  8. #68
    it is the common perception that Art Of War gained a big sponsor with the assistance of Renzo Gracie: Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. the Sheikh's dual investment in Zuffa would supposedly help the UFC gain inroads to China. it didn't fast-track, and the Sheikh stopped sponsoring the Art Of War. Co-Founder Andy Pi still insists he will resume producing events one day.

    currently there are are only a few promotions in China which the outside, English-speaking world knows about: Top of Forbidden City, Ranik Ultimate Fighting Federation, and Legend Fighting Championship. TFC is co-run and sponsored by Bokesan and the Chinese government. RUFF is privately run and sanctioned by the Chinese government. Legend FC is privately owned and run. there are many regional fly-by-night shows going on all over China, but the MMA culture isn't developed to the point that anyone sees longevity in being a promoter. there's a complete list of promoters all over China and Asia - past and present - here on my website.

    Legend FC has an event this weekend. you can watch the undercard streamed live and free on their YouTube channel. international PPV and broadcast information cab be found on their website. their are six Chinese athletes on their card, and one of them is from a Chinese Shuai Jiao background, Yao HongGang of China Top Team. he's being challenged for his Bantamweight title by Jumabieke Tuerxun of Xian Sports University. CTT is a private sector team, whereas Xian Uni is part of the government-sponsored athletics scheme.

    there's a very good podcast interview with Mike Haskamp, Co-Founder of Legend FC with Eddie Goldman, "the Godfather of MMA Media" on No Holds Barred here. Haskamp gives a thorough explanation about MMA in China - he's like an encyclopedia on it. really worth your time if you want to understand how MMA is developing in China.

    i will be at this weekend's Legend FC 7, so if you're interested in what's happening on the ground from weigh ins to after party, check out my website, MMA-in-ASIA.com and Facebook page!

  9. #69
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,946

    More RUFF

    RUFF brings martial arts back to China
    April, 2, 2012 11:17AM ET
    By Josh Gross
    ESPN.com

    The fate of Chinese mixed martial arts apparently rests on a handful of guys who've never been in the fight business before.

    So stamped the Chinese governmental division that controls martial arts within mainland China, the Wushu Administrative Center, which recently issued one permit to stage mixed martial arts events as a legal sport throughout the country.

    While there were several suitors, including Zuffa LLC, Joel Resnick believes his startup group, the Ranik Ultimate Fighting Federation, was awarded the government sanction because it offered the right "mix between Chinese culture and Western mentality. I think that's really what did it."

    "We decided right at the very beginning that if we're doing to do this, we're going to do it right. So it's going to be done as a sports event. It's going to have the backing of the government. Most importantly we have to be able to award a country's national MMA championship, which at the end of the day is what we're doing," said the 51-year-old Canadian, a longtime resident of Shanghai and principal in the Ranik Group -- a buying agent that calls Nike a major client.

    RUFF is three cards into what its backers hope is the start of something massive. With the foundation of a burgeoning Chinese middle class learning what to do with its disposal income, the government handed RUFF the opportunity to develop Chinese MMA as a sport while selling it as a new entertainment option across the country.

    On March 24 in Chongqing, a major city in Southwest China, 4,000 Chinese watched a nine-fight card in a sold-out arena. The event was RUFF's first since the company announced its ambitious intentions through the next Chinese new year. Capped by awe-inspiring prize money per Chinese standards, seven National MMA Champions will be crowned. Fighters aren't required to be Chinese nationals, but they must live and have a work permit in China, Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan. Each winner will receive RMB 1,000,000, the equivalent of about $160,000. The average Chinese household brings in a bit more than $10,000 a year, so the idea is for the siren song of big money to prompt a generation of quality Chinese fighters to quickly emerge.

    "We needed to make a statement out to the general public that said, 'Hey look, this is a new sport, but you guys can do this.' We needed to make it attractive," Resnick said. "We needed to draw attention. Something small wasn't going to do that."

    The figure got the Chinese media talking, which is what Resnick and his partners -- Saul Rajsky along with American brothers Neil and Michael Mandt -- hoped for.

    "We feel that the events we'll have in the next year will gain attention," said Michael Mandt, 40, who, with his brother, operates the Los Angeles-based production company that will deliver RUFF to tens of millions of Chinese televisions. "It will be natural for Chinese athletes to want to be involved. I think there will be a grass roots development because of the chance to win 1,000,000 RMB. It's not easy to be Yao Ming. To be a RUFF MMA champion, you don't have to be seven feet tall."

    Considering the martial arts heritage of the region, China appears to be a natural fit for MMA, which is among the reasons UFC has maintained an office in Beijing since August 2010. Former NBA executive Mark Fischer operates out of the office and heads the promotion's Asians Operations division.

    Just this week UFC president Dana White promised that the UFC will hold an event "in China" this year. Yet claiming that Macau, where the card is expected to take place, is in China "is similar to having a fight in Puerto Rico and claiming to be in the United States," said Resnick, who worked four years inside the bureaucracy of the People’s Republic of China before receiving the license to work with the government. "Chinese citizens require a visa to go from China to Macau. Macau is a separate territory with its own government, currency and passports."

    Resnick welcomed the UFC to hold an event in Macau "as it will only bring more attention to the great sport of MMA in Asia."

    For the UFC to host something on the mainland, it would need to be considered a one-off cultural event, which means no ticket sales, no revenue streams.

    The idea for RUFF came about five years ago when Resnick's son, Brandon, a teenager at the time, talked about his love of MMA. Brandon Resnick, now almost 20 and a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, serves as RUFF's matchmaker and talent scout. RUFF fighters compete under the Unified Rules, and referees are certified under John McCarthy's C.O.M.M.A.N.D system. The Chinese government too will be a sort of talent scout via its support for MMA, especially in schools. Resnick expects the government to help with the cost of finding and grooming fighters, as well as regulating them through soon-to-be formed associations.

    The government is “really excited about this because this is a growth sport here," Resnick said. "This is something the Chinese public can wrap their hands around, they can get it.

    "We're finding that this can be a mainstream sport out here and people are willing to spend the money to come out and see it. As long as they get their value back."

    The cheapest ticket to an event costs $15, though live attendance is insignificant compared to the potential access into China's 700,000,000 homes. Through the government, TV relationships are already opening up for the Mandt brothers in Chongqing and other major municipalities. RUFF is the first MMA organization in China permitted to advertise its events in mass media. Neil Mandt, 42, is moving to China, where he'll handle broadcast production of events every other month.

    Sponsors have taken notice. Chinese arms of multinational companies -- Nike, Ford, Ducati Motorcylces and Sofitel Hotels -- have already aligned with RUFF.

    "The exposure RUFF has on TV and magazines is something we're interested in," Mike Bordiga, CEO of Ducati Asia Pacific, is quoted as saying in the organization's promotional packet. "The audience has a low average age; It's exactly what we're aiming for."

    There's talk of a North American-esque reality show aimed at the core 18-28 demographic. But this is first and foremost a sporting venture in a country that does not have much in the way of pro sports.

    "We're starting a sports company in China," Resnick said. "That's amazing. The most amazing thing is we're bringing martial arts back to China. This is where it all started. That's the coolest thing."
    Spot on about Macau.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  10. #70
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,946

    Even more Ruff

    There are half a dozen photos if you follow the link. I'm posting this one because of the emblem on the corner post.
    RUFF, China's New Home for Martial Arts
    2012-05-03 15:55:20 CRIENGLISH.com Web Editor: Sun
    Mixed Martial Arts, the world's fastest rising sport, has officially arrived in China with the rise of the Ranik Ultimate Fighting Federation; China's only government sanctioned fighting promotion.
    by Stuart Wiggin


    Mixed Martial Arts, or MMA, a combination of Boxing, Muay Thai, Jiu-Jitsu, Sanda and Wrestling, is the fastest growing sport in the world; but many people are still unaware of this growing phenomenon, not least in China. The sport is becoming increasingly popular in America and Europe, and the organization spearheading its rise there is the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). However, the UFC is far from a household name in China, and the sport has not exploded here as it has in North America. But that may be set to change with the rise of a Chinese organization, the Ranik Ultimate Fighting Federation, or RUFF.

    RUFF is the brainchild of Toronto natives, Joel Resnick and Saul Raisky. The pair managed to navigate the various government channels and achieve the only professional fighting permit for MMA in the country, awarded by China's governing body for combat sports, the Wushu Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport in China. As Resnick himself states, "I wouldn't say we have (the market) cornered; there's always cultural events and promotional events. But we're the only ones that are sanctioned by the government to do it as a sport and give out China's national MMA title championships belts". As a result, RUFF is in an enviable position, leading the charge of MMA in China; and it is being led in a very particular way.

    They have already issued a one million yuan Super Fight challenge which will see China's first set of national champions across seven weight classes crowned in 2013; with each winner receiving a one million yuan purse. The organization also plans to start filming a reality television show at the end of June, which will air in the fall, serving as the build-up for the Super Fight event which is expected to take place prior to Chinese New Year.

    While many combat sports depend upon name talent to draw an audience, the lack of Chinese names within the MMA world means that foreign organizations have not had much success creating buzz in China. Resnick understands this limitation, and is under no illusion that bringing in big names from abroad would help to improve the prospects of the sport here. As Resnick says, "We're building a sport in China for China. We're not bringing in 'X' fighters from North America, or Europe or from across the world. We're interested first and foremost in building the Chinese fighters; building the sport of MMA in China".

    That's not to say that foreign fighters are discouraged from participating in RUFF events, but as the co-founder points out, "one thing that we're insistent upon is that foreigners can fight, but they have to have a connection to China. Whether they're in Macao, Taiwan, Hong Kong, or the mainland; they must be living and working here and under a work permit. It's going to be for a country's national championship; so you have to have some roots here".

    Bill Eng, Beijing-based MMA promoter and agent, has been in the business for a number of years and previously worked with now-defunct Beijing-based promotion Art of War. Eng is also of the opinion that the fighters are the most important commodity within any organization. "In any promotion, everybody knows you have to promote the fighters. Everybody knows Muhammad Ali, everybody knows Mike Tyson; do you know what promotion they fought in or who the organizer was? We don't know. So, I think the promotion is not as important as the fighters themselves", Eng said when asked whether RUFF will be the promotion to crack the Chinese market. And with regards to reports citing that RUFF's rise signals the return of martial arts to China, Eng holds a slightly different opinion. "Martial arts is part of the Chinese culture, it's engrained into Chinese society. You have people in the parks practicing all kinds of martial arts. In China back in the 70s and 80s, Sanda was MMA basically; they didn't have boxing gloves. Having this so-called MMA coming back into China, well it's not really coming back into China, because China already had this many years ago."

    But despite the tradition's continued existence within daily life, there is no doubt that martial arts are seen more as a cultural element rather than a sport within the country. However, after WUSHU granted RUFF the only competitive fighting permit in the land, martial arts is firmly back in the sporting category. So far, RUFF has held three events; one in Shanghai and two in Chongqing. Attendance figures have gradually improved over the course of the events. The first show in Chongqing attracted some 1500 people, while the second event sold out with more than 4000 people in attendance. Their television deal provides them with an approximate viewing audience of 357 million, and the level of interest in the promotion is constantly increasing. With high production values and world renowned sponsors, such as Nike and Ducati, it seems as if it's only a matter of time before RUFF taps into the wider Chinese market.

    As for why a sporting brand such as Nike would be willing to sponsor a Chinese MMA organization, when they tend to steer clear of the sport in the West, Resnick pointed out that mainstream sponsors are likely to view the Chinese market very differently from the Western market: "The way it is out here; this is the home of martial arts; this is it. It would be like basketball in North America. It's looked at completely different. We've spoken to a lot of people, and from what we can see; a lot of parents would rather that their kids do MMA than play basketball. We feel out of any country in the world, MMA could be a mainstream sport in China".

    The Ranik Ultimate Fighting Federation's next event is likely to take place in Inner Mongolia, though no date has been set. If the sport flourishes on the mainland, thousands of martial artists will have a platform upon which to demonstrate their skills and gain recognition and reward. However, the success of the sport is almost wholly dependent upon the approach that RUFF takes, which according to Resnick relies on "building the market in China for China".
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  11. #71
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Pound Town
    Posts
    7,856
    i felt really disappointed about zhang tiequan, i had high hopes for him in the ufc, but i cant blame him since hes already past age 30. hopefully there will be more upcoming talented martial artists from china.

    Honorary African American
    grandmaster instructor of Wombat Combat The Lost Art of Anal Destruction™®LLC .
    Senior Business Director at TEAM ASSHAMMER consulting services ™®LLC

  12. #72
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,946

    Legend Fighting Championship to stream to the Americas

    I just got this press release
    DramaFever and Hulu Strike Legend Deal for MMA

    Legend Fighting Championship World-Class Mixed Martial Arts Events Stream Online for Free on DramaFever and Hulu in US, Canada and Latin America

    HONG KONG / NEW YORK [January 15, 2013] – For the first time, millions of mixed martial arts (MMA) fans in the USA, Canada and Latin America will be able to watch some of the Asia-Pacific’s most elite fighters compete for free and online. New York-based DramaFever and Hong Kong-based Legend Fighting Championship have teamed up to make Legend’s Asia-Pacific Championship MMA events available online exclusively through DramaFever, starting January 15. Fans can catch up with all previously televised fights in high-definition as originally televised on Pay-Per-View, online and for free.

    All past and future Legend events will be streamed in their entirety on both DramaFever.com and a dedicated Legend-Hulu channel, which DramaFever is creating as part of a recent content deal. On DramaFever.com, each event will appear as its own series, giving viewers the option to watch the whole event, individual bouts, or highlights. Viewers will find information about the events and fighters in both English and Spanish via a bilingual player. Future features are being added to enable deeper fan engagement, such as adding photos and comments to videos or athlete pages.

    Backed by AMC Networks, Bertelsmann, co-founders of YouTube and Machinima, MK Capital, and NALA Investments (the investment vehicle for the family that created Univision and Televisa), DramaFever’s global digital entertainment platform specializes in primetime television from around the world. DramaFever co-founder Suk Park went to Columbia Business School with the co-founders of Legend, Michael Haskamp and Chris Pollak, who have created the largest and most popular international MMA competition in the Asia-Pacific region.

    “More Enter the Dragon than Mortal Kombat-style bloody slugfests, the Legend fights have very broad appeal, reaching the merely curious about MMA, true martial artists, and Bruce Lee fans, as well as hardcore fans, we hope,” said Suk Park, co-founder of DramaFever. “By making the fights available online and for free, on demand, US viewers and MMA fans gain some variety and a world-class, yet affordable, alternative to relatively limited choices that exist now.”

    Co-founder of Legend, Chris Pollak added, “Sports fans will discover masters in non-traditional MMA fighting styles such as Sanda (“freestyle kung fu”), Wushu, and Shuaijiao, as well as the styles you see all the time in MMA, such as Muay thai, Brazilian Jiujitsu, boxing, and wrestling.”

    Starting January 15, DramaFever and Hulu will stream over 17 hours of fight entertainment not previously available online to US consumers. The events include plenty of drama and reasons to root for the fighters’ personal stories, the countries they represent and their fighting styles. Each event is approximately two hours in length (110 minutes), featuring current champions from South Korea, Japan, Mongolia, China, and 10 more Asia-Pacific countries. In 2013, Legend Fighting Championship plans to hold six events, with a new event televised and then distributed over DramaFever every two months. Viewers will find Legend featured prominently on the main page of DramaFever.com, or can use the Search fu nction anytime. Existing and future Legend events will also be added to a Legend Fighting Championship Collection on DramaFever.com and Hulu.com.
    If someone notices when these go live on DramaFever.com, please to notify us here. Right now, it's just got of Korean dramas.

    Perhaps I'll split Legend into it's own thread soon.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  13. #73
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Midgard
    Posts
    10,852
    Thats good news. I like the variety of styles that get to fight. For me personally UFC has gotten stale and stagnant. Its like watching the same three fights over and over almost. I think breaking away from the repetition is important. Sport fighting , after all, is entertainment. Lets spice it up a bit!
    For whoso comes amongst many shall one day find that no one man is by so far the mightiest of all.

  14. #74
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,946

    Ruff

    This perspective is a tad skewed, but quite relevant here.
    Modern martial arts
    Ain’t that a kick in the head
    New forms of martial arts are catching on, despite the nostalgia of filmmakers
    Feb 9th 2013 | HOHHOT

    Zhang’s no kung fu panderer

    THERE are now many ways to become a millionaire in China, and for Zhang Meixuan, the route has been through martial arts. In 2011 Mr Zhang, the son of poor farmers, was jailed for assault. On February 2nd in the grimy northern mining city of Hohhot, he became flyweight champion of China in mixed martial arts (MMA) and collected a cheque for 1m yuan ($160,000). His rise from the paddy fields of dirt-poor Guizhou province mirrors the rapid rise of more modern forms of martial arts such as muy thai and Brazilian jiujitsu and their challenge to traditional forms of Chinese kung fu.

    Partly responsible for the shift is the Ranik Ultimate Fighting Federation (RUFF), a China-based promoter run by Joel Resnick, a Canadian businessman (pictured, behind Mr Zhang). RUFF has been awarded the only permit to hold MMA events in China. The first, in 2011, was seen on television by perhaps 100,000 viewers. The Hohhot event was beamed to millions across China.

    Traditional kung fu, incorporating different styles such as Wing Chun, Shaolin and tai chi , though still popular, has been in decline for decades, because of a one-two to the head, first from Maoism and now from commercialism. Youths with smartphones and short attention spans have no time for breathing exercises and meditation. The MMA crowd also accuses kung fu of being useless in an actual fight, and believe even Jet Li and Jackie Chan, two fighting film stars, are more like dancers than real toughs.

    Into this debate has stepped Wong Kar-wai, an award-winning director from Hong Kong. His new film, “The Grandmaster”, opened the Berlin International Film Festival on February 7th. For many, Mr Wong’s film is just another kung fu epic. In China, however, the film has sparked further debate on the connections between traditional martial arts, beautifully portrayed in the film during the 1930s, and more modern forms.

    A behind-the-scenes documentary, that shows Mr Wong’s largely unsuccessful search for kung fu masters of the old school to help train his actors, has been an online hit. Many Chinese people, including practitioners of MMA, still have a soft spot for the history and discipline of traditional kung fu. But, as in many areas of modern China, the new, the brash and the million-yuan cheque pack a bigger punch.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  15. #75
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Ontario
    Posts
    22,250
    Traditional kung fu, incorporating different styles such as Wing Chun, Shaolin and tai chi , though still popular, has been in decline for decades, because of a one-two to the head, first from Maoism and now from commercialism. Youths with smartphones and short attention spans have no time for breathing exercises and meditation. The MMA crowd also accuses kung fu of being useless in an actual fight, and believe even Jet Li and Jackie Chan, two fighting film stars, are more like dancers than real toughs.
    I think the point that is lost is that, quite simply in the information and access age, the fact is that TCMA are getting beaten up over and over again by MMA.
    Psalms 144:1
    Praise be my Lord my Rock,
    He trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle !

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •