Bellator: Big Challenge for UFC?

" They love the box -- came -- Mike Straka and we're gonna talk to. Bjorn ready to CEO of -- tour just signed a new deal April 2010. Like fights on Fox Sports Net. And -- and highlights on NBC and telemundo we are ready joins me now here spots like game as the dominant thanks for having him. This is a very big step for you and how quickly. You made this transition from ESP and -- days to Fox Sports Net and NBC congratulations -- to make it happened so fast."

" I appreciate you saying so fast -- it seems like it lasted forever you know we had -- we had a great -- he's number one with ESPN attraction was good. The fan response was -- the format -- the tournament format work. And we had some options we had some opportunities which is unique in the television game unique in the fight business but we had to match two different. Different concept to once one we wanted to -- huge universe wanted to make it available to the English language audience to. It had to be a deal structure that workforce had -- deal structure so you when I could be sitting here two years three years or five years down the road. And still be talking about -- are fighting championships so when you could marry those two of the fox sports network distribution alliance -- NBC and telemundo. Maybe Thomas cents lot of work lots -- flight we got -- done. We know we're in a wait and for -- came from Reno where Scott -- came from even -- Gary Shaw came from where the hell did you come from well I I came from. -- agency. Representing athletes represent I was working -- Leigh Steinberg. For a number years and and I had a boxing promotion company was Sugar Ray Leonard culture ray Leonard boxing that we had on ES -- the highest rated by chill on the network for four years. On I was an enemy fan I was an -- I love you to get the dvds and -- used to get the DHS's back when that we're VHS is from Japan. On and I just watched it it was what I would do when mile mine I would buy the tickets that watch the shows I would by the paper -- just a fan of the game. I don't those great opportunities where you have the chance. Actually going to business and something that you'll love that you would do for free or paid Leigh Steinberg famous Super Bowl party -- few times. About what did you learn from -- and quickly he's a legendary sports agent a -- guys on don't know yet I think Tom. To think through everything in terms of when you're really angry -- when you're really upset. To take a step back to never respond to anything just immediately to give everything a lot of thought because what seems to be due to good typically is too good what seems to be too bad typically is not as bad -- think it is. And to just analyze and and now. Everything to get research and now everything you can possibly know about. Whether it's the athlete of promotion of the city -- the marketing whatever it is understand the dynamics line it understand the business track line just information in --"

" If that's strictly very well because that when I interviewed Leigh Steinberg asked them what it takes for and happy to be one of his clients and said first and foremost he got to -- a good person. And what -- what you said about -- won the championship here's a guy. Who's in -- place and he says if I win I'm gonna take my sister's -- here and so what kind of -- look for propeller --"

" Guys that obviously have that Lyman good back story -- the Eddie Alvarez back story. But but. More importantly obviously in the back story is -- defied the world class level -- world class athletes and of course with this new alliance 82 million homes on FS and a 112 -- And DC and another 62 -- It's about. The best athletes from every corner -- hello guys who want to control their own -- guys who ultimately want. The determination of them becoming champion in their own hands -- their own elbows her own -- Those -- the guys we want guys like Eddie Alvarez who want to fight three times in three months to make that determination to become the champion of -- more. You have driven this talk about that about that tournament structure how does that work. On television as opposed that -- make -- structure. Well I mean it's it is a singular thing that makes -- were fighting championships different from. The USC and WEC and strike force all of whom -- a magical job I watch their shows and -- by the paper views of the USC but. Ours is a place that is more analogous to real sport it's like football -- baseball hockey soccer golf you name it. And the best play the best and those who win make it -- final -- championship and if you win you're the winner you're the champion. And that's what I thought was missing from the fight -- I thought that objectivity where fighters could ultimately just control how much they make how often they fight if they become champion. I thought that was a huge thing that was missing from boxing and -- just as a fan as a guy watching with a bunch other guys drinking beer and eat pizza. That's when I looked at but. How did that I get a shot the title right why is -- I positioned as the number one -- to potentially fight extra wires today what -- says -- clarify when you say more analogous to real sport that's an enemy is not a real sport now -- I happen to believe that it's the greatest sport in the world today it is the greatest combination of speed and power and technique. I mean. The evolution of the sport over the last you 1015 years I've watched it's just that on real -- if you look clip from a decade ago in the NBA it looks similar. You look at clips from a decade ago and -- totally different game. I think it's the greatest sport on earth or I -- real I mean. Competition where ultimately -- athlete determines if he becomes champion. As opposed to a shiny suits sitting behind -- desks and hate Hernandez versus Johnson yeah let's make that our title fight. That's just as a disconnect. For me as sports as a huge fan of MMI am and I watch everything I watch versus I watched. Spike I watched a -- fights -- what showtime watch everything that I can watch it MMA but that's that's what I thought was missing."

" What do you think your your secret ingredient TU is -- getting ESPN deal with the in and -- itself and now this is even bigger deal. And you're relatively new in the game at least as far as like fans are concerned right how did you get to where you are so quickly well you know -- I appreciate you -- so quickly at the same time. Many many years ago I was doing television I was doing television production I was doing agency work and it was all -- on the fight. So you know you're talking about. Back into the ninety's that it started pitching ESPN in terms of boxing in the term to term -- understood. He had to have television you have to have a weekly drivers same time same place and Kelly and -- alliance has had to know how to work with -- yet to bring sponsors on board. That would promote your branded what you were doing outside of the -- just putting -- A sticker on the map. Understood the drivers so it's really -- you know twenty years in the making to get to this point and like a set I was just blessed that I have the opportunity. To do for a living something that I would -- to do for free. You know but it was just getting all those different skill -- to George Greenberg he will pay to do this for for. Quickly. Let's talk a little bit about CBS strike force because it looks like. They're doing the same thing again when we talk about Kimbo Slice losing the set after selling out it -- Herschel Walker. And -- Brett Rogers and and the door it mean it just seems like they're going down the wrong direction again why. Do the big networks constantly do this."

" You know it's an interesting question I I think com. The the way that you can build a brand in this space up. Is to create stars who are world class fighters and who have some semblance of a back story. And to allow fans like myself for yourself to see them week in and week -- same time same place same channel. The special events as a standoff one time where you don't get to see them week after week and you don't get to track bomber learn about them. Is a disconnect to me is a fan -- I I know what you're saying and I mean the -- lead XE model with -- failure. On Scott cookers got to cut tremendous track record in terms of promoting events and putting butts in seats he's had a great promotion for a number of years -- it's not our model. It's different -- our model on many fronts I mean you know that that. We're looking for the -- of those of the world the -- goods at the world fighters were just on the costs. And -- given the exposure and given that shot and that that brass ring exit out there they will grab the giving everything they got. Joe Soto was -- last year at this time one of the top ten ranked at which the world today. Lyman good was known in the northeast you and I know about it but across the country you'd -- guys in the west coast -- never heard -- but now they now. Those -- the kind of guys that we want to build up and those -- the kind of guys that are true athlete but happen to have great personality great back story so it's just a different model. An aunt who knows if that'll work. I hope as a fan of MMA that the CBS showed as the ratings has just pop out of the roof and I pray that it does well because if it does well. The -- CBS -- gonna look at it are exacts an NBC you're gonna look at and they're gonna go this is awesome. -- unbelievable numbers ultra freak of nature ratings and yet it failed miserably because. They put their money in an area in terms of fight promotion that. Wouldn't work they should put their money between. I mean you're you're you're speaking -- preaches acquire Jake shields is a world class fighters you've got a fighter of that ability in 85 or seventy you take him -- promoting tellem Baxter. He speaks well he's -- good looking guy he's can beat anybody in the world in any given night that's tonight which money behind. Got -- Kimbo Slice it I applaud him for trying and he seems like a great guy. But he surely not a world class heavyweight fighter -- he ever be correct and you can't that's -- model that's not what's gonna work."