- I agree about the Bravo/Spike comparision. Whilst both clearly appeal to the same viewer demographic, Spike has established itself as a relatively big player in the US market where virtually everyone has cable (Americans even refer to it as ‘free tv’ which I find amusing and something you’d never hear over here). Bravo is a niche channel, popular with young males, but with relatively small viewing figures and little mainstream appeal.

- I think the issue of PPV coverage is a double-edged sword. The current Bravo PPV coverage simply isn’t good enough. A lot of ‘hardcore’ MMA fans would willingly pay ¬£15 a pop to watch the PPVs live on Setanta. But I think that would alienate a large number of casual fans who the UFC needs to attract at the moment. I know a lot of people who watch the PPVs on Bravo but wouldn’t dream of shelling out money every month to watch a PPV at 3am. Moving to the PPV format would drive away these viewers and limit the audience before the sport has even taken off. PPV sport has never been particularly successful in the UK like it has in the States, we’re just not accustomed to it.

The middle-ground would be getting coverage on Sky Sports, but Cage Rage wisely stole a march on the UFC there. Hopefully it won’t be long before Sky Sports News starts to run Cage Rage stories and promote the events they broadcast like they do with every other sport. Long-term, however, I think the UFC would be a much better fit here.

- UFC 75 should be a massive event, hopefully with tons of exposure and media interest, simply because its being held in London. But the UFC needs to do a lot more than turn up a few times a year, put on decent(ish) cards then go home, thinking that just because they did well at the gate they’ve cracked the market. If MMA is to be considered a respectable long-term sport in this country and not just seen as a WWE-type spectacle then the UFC needs to take responsibility for regulation, marketing, educating, etc and stay here for the long-haul.