Viva la MMA! ESPN Deportes jumping on the MMA reality show bandwagon

by Jesse Holland on Nov 3, 2008 8:39 PM EST

TUF: The Ultimate Flattery.

If imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery, then UFC President Dana White has to feel pretty good about himself.

On the heels of the announcement that WEC is planning a 2009 reality show, Sherdog.com is reporting that ESPN Deportes is partnering with Bellator Fighting Championships to produce a 12-week MMA reality series featuring four eight-man tournaments from the featherweight, lightweight, welterweight and middleweight divisions.

ESPN Deportes is the all-Spanish version of ESPN and as such will focus on fighters of Hispanic origin for its upcoming series, set to air as early as April 2009. Already being courted are popular Hispanic fighters Jorge Masvidal and Eddie Alvarez.

How successful the show will be is of course impossible to predict. M-1 and Affliction will debut "Fighting Fedor" at some point in 2009 as well as the aforementioned WEC show, but ESPN Deportes is targeting a more specific audience, perhaps to test the waters in a smaller market to gauge the worth of future, more expensive MMA projects.

From that standpoint, it should have to worry less about competition and more about quality fights. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if they're off to the best start.

Bellator Fighting Championships is run by former CEO and president of Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing Bjorn Rebney. I don't want to pass judgement right away, but the track record of boxing promoters in mixed martial arts is not a very good one.

Just ask Gary Shaw.

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Comments

lol ridiculous… wonder if they are gonna air all their shows on the same nite

by brendan on Nov 3, 2008 8:48 PM EST reply actions

it will flop.

by Jizzo on Nov 3, 2008 8:51 PM EST reply actions

I definitely smell flop with this one. Not very marketable to the English speaking Americans who predominately watch shows like TUF.

by halljam2 on Nov 3, 2008 9:50 PM EST reply actions

I don’t think they’re marketing it to them.

It probably won’t do bad. We already have reruns of TUF in Mexico and a version of UFC Unleashed.

by Space on Nov 3, 2008 11:26 PM EST up reply actions

i hope it does well for the sport the more fans the better

by ukmma on Nov 4, 2008 4:51 AM EST reply actions

I believe it will do good for the sport as it will attract the hispanic crowd, which I think is what they are after. If the fights unfold like their sibling sport boxing the ratings should go off the roof ala bonnar vs griffin. Mexican fighters usually equals war, considering all the great wars mexicans have had in boxing I dont think it will be any different with MMA ala Huerta vs Garcia. I will tune in just to see the fights, because when it comes to a good all out war it doesnt matter were your from our what language you speak.

by hk on Nov 4, 2008 2:14 PM EST reply actions

hi my name is ley…i hear about your looking for mexicans fighters. .i would like to know if your going to have a reality show in mexico..i am mexican,i do taekwondo an boxing,,live in houston texas.just one opportunity its all i need thank you

by leicester rivera on Oct 29, 2009 1:22 PM EDT reply actions