UFC has its sights set on the Big Apple

Nov 13, 2007 - 6:52 PM By Anthony Malakian Special to PA SportsTicker

On October 7, 2005, at UFC 55, former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski stopped Paul Buentello in 15 seconds to retain his crown at the Mohegan Sun Arena in the woods of Uncasville, Connecticut.

Two-plus years and 23 "UFC's" later, the greater New York metropolitan area will get another Octagon fix as this Saturday's UFC will be held at the brand-new Prudential Center, in Newark, New Jersey.

It is well known that the Empire State is well behind the times and still doesn't sanction MMA events. UFC president Dana White plans to tear down that wall by late 2008, early 2009.

"I think since we bought the company, I think there has been 33 states or more now that are sanctioned in this country and we haven't really focused on New York yet," White said during a media conference call on Monday. "There were a lot of other areas that we knew we could get into fast and easy and that is where we have been focusing on.

"We really haven't had the time to put the effort into New York yet and now we are starting to."

The northeast has held other UFC events in the past few years. UFC's 50 and 53 were held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. For UFC 78, New York City residents will only have to travel approximately 30 minuets, sans traffic, to get to the Prudential Center, home to the New Jersey Devils.

White said that having Metro exposure and the opportunity to help break in the new arena were the biggest reasons for choosing New Jersey to host this Saturday's event. Like an invading army, the UFC clearly now has its sights set on the Big Apple.

Part of the process in sanctioning the sport in not only New York but all over the United States, was hiring former head of the Nevada State Athletic Commission Marc Ratner, who was one of the most respected individuals in the boxing world, in early 2006.

"I have been amazed at what Dana White and Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta III have done with the UFC brand of mixed martial arts," Ratner said when he joined the organization. "As a result, I am very excited to be joining Zuffa, and I hope that my efforts will be a benefit to the UFC organization and to the future growth of the sport of mixed martial arts."

Through White and Ratner's efforts, the UFC will be allowed to fight in Illinois come 2008, opening up the Chicago market. With California, Nevada, Florida, among others, all ready on board, New York remains the final gem to be had.

The only UFC event ever to be held in New York was at UFC 7, "The Brawl in Buffalo", which featured Ken Shamrock grappling to a 33-minute draw with Oleg Taktarov.

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When Michael Bisping and Rashad Evans square off in Saturday's main event at the Prudential Center, there will be an interesting sub-plot to their Octagon entrances: who will the crowd cheer for?

Both became very popular after winning titles on SpikeTV's "The Ultimate Fighter" reality show. They are also both coming off of controversial fights in their last outings.

For Bisping's part, no fight has drawn as much criticism in the past several years as his highly disputed split decision victory over Matt Hamill at UFC 75. Bisping, a native of Liverpool, England, was fighting in front of a partisan crowd at the O2 Arena in London that September night.

When the decision was announced, Bisping's own countrymen booed the result. With a still flawless record of 15-0, he will look to put the Hamill fight behind him.

"Life's a lesson and I am relatively new to all this myself," Bisping said. "I am learning all the time. I'm looking forward to the fight (with Evans) and moving on with my career and putting (the Hamill fight) behind me."

Bisping received a lot of flack at the post-fight press conference following the dubious split decision victory. Reporters, and members of the Hamill team, bombarded Bisping with questions regarding the fight. The Englishman kept strong and continued to profess that he felt he won the fight as tensions in the room built.

In fact, he still believes that he was the victor on that September night.

"I think I won that fight and so did a lot of people," Bisping said. "A lot of people that night said they didn't think I won the fight, but then when they've gone back and watched the tape, they changed their minds.

"They scored it for me and obviously I would have to agree with that."

First of all, Hamill deserved the decision that night. Second, Bisping has taken far too much heat in the fight's aftermath.

What fans, and even media folks, seem to forget, is that when a fighter gets to a certain level, part of what makes them great is their capacity to believe in their own ability.

Do you think that Evander Holyfield, a smallish heavyweight, would've become one of the greats had he not truly believed in his own capabilities? No chance.

It's a blessing and a curse. Blessing for Holyfield because he achieved feats no one thought he could or would have. Curse, because even at the age of 45, he still believes he can win the heavyweight crown.

Don't blame Bisping for the belief he has in himself and his unbeaten record. He's a fighter and proved that in the Hamill fight. While Matt may have deserved the nod that night, blame the judges, not the warrior.

Hopefully when Bisping and Evans (15-0-1) enter the Octagon at UFC 78, there will be cheers all around. Hopefully, if the fight goes to a decision, the fans in attendance will be able to cheer a "just" decision, rather than boo the workings of those outside the cage.