Blood sport takes centre stage
22.02.2010



By: DAN KOCH

A massive crowd welcomed ultimate fighting to Australia

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
AS he strode from the Octagon, his face bathed in blood, a broad grin spread across the face of ``The American Psycho'' Stephan Bonnar.
Battered, bruised and bloody when the fight was held up 1 1/2 minutes into the third round, the sports medicine graduate from the prestigious Purdue University raised his arms and a staggering electricity swept through a sold-out Acer Arena. The heaving crowd stood and cheered with a roar that made hairs stand on end.
This was the scene in Sydney yesterday, as Australia got its first taste of the Ultimate Fighting Championship with 17,831 at the arena and hundreds of thousands watching the live broadcast around the country -- loving what they saw.
Bonnar, sporting a broken nose from a devastating straight left-hand by opponent Krysztof ``The Polish Experiment'' Soszynski shook off his disgust at the cage-side doctor's decision to put a stop to the fight following an accidental headbutt that left both men needing stitches.
``I messed up your shirt, you'll have to send me the dry cleaning bill,'' Bonnar said to the show's host Joe Rogan after dripping blood on him. ``I was feeling strong and was excited to keep going.
``I'm sorry guys. I wanted to give you a few more minutes entertainment. Bring on rounds four, five and six, I say.''
Incredibly, this brutal clash between two fighters made famous with their efforts on the popular The Ultimate Fighter reality television series, was not even part of the main card.
And therein lies the key to the UFC's success across the globe. Every week in Australia, UFC television programs attract more than 500,000 viewers.
Borrowing more than a little from the marketing genius of the WWE, the UFC has created characters the fans invest in. From top to bottom of the nine-fight card were names and faces the fans know and love, or in some cases hate.
Case in point, veteran UFC combatant Randy ``The Natural'' Couture. The man known affectionately as ``Captain America'' was sitting quietly in the crowd not too far from James Packer. The camera swung past Packer to little more than a murmur and settled on Couture's face.
A standing ovation ensued.
That sort of recognition, coupled with UFC kingpin Dana White and his matchmaker Joe Silva's commitment to listing fights the fans want to see, and it becomes obvious why mixed martial arts is the world's fastest growing sport.
Boxing, with its multiple world champions, disposable undercards and ridiculous number of weight classes, has been left floundering in its wake.
And whatever negatives you may aim at the sport, one thing is undeniable. The UFC knows how to put on a show.
Everything from the merchandise tents to the pre-fight build up on the six big screens; from the lightings and card girls to the heart-pounding musical introductions, draws the fans in.
By the time the first punch was thrown, the stadium was at fever pitch. And while the winners of the dual main events -- Wanderlei ``The Axe Murderer'' Silva over Michael ``The Count'' Bisping and heavyweight prospect Cain Velasquez over Minotauro Nogueira -- were well received, the loudest cheer of the day was reserved for boom Aussie lightweight George Sotiropoulos