I was fortunate to get Calvin Ayre, Bodog founder and CEO, to answer just a few questions about BodogFight, its competitors, and the MMA landscape today. Here are his responses.
Our ultimate goal is to raise the profile of the sport in every geographic region around the world. One of the ways we are going about that is by utilizing exotic locations, which sets us apart from what other organizations are doing. Costa Rica and St. Petersburg, for example, not only provided us with beautiful backdrops for filming, they also provided our fighters with a unique experience they just cannot get with any other MMA promotion. Certainly, the success of these two shoots reinforces our view that we should continue to make use of such exotic locations in the future. We see this as a critical component of how Bodog Fight will differentiate itself. Stay tuned, because you never know where we are going to be next!
2. Can you explain what you intend to accomplish with your partnership with Elite XC, Strikeforce, Cage Rage and Spirit MC?
Our mandate is to try and grow the sport and build the MMA community, so we’re open to working with anyone who shares this vision.
3. Can you tell us more about season 3 of BodogFight?
I believe our third season marks another gigantic leap in both the quality of our production and the quality of the fights themselves. It was no small task, though, shooting more than thirty fights in just three days. No one has ever really tried that before, and it’s a testament to our talented crew that we were not only able to pull it off, but able to really raise the bar in doing so. As mentioned, the fights were all outstanding, as was the commentary team, which includes the legendary Royce Gracie.
4. BodogFight has been one of the few promotions outside of Japan to feature female fights. Do you think America is ready for that?
Bringing female MMA to the world audience is something which certainly differentiates Bodog Fight from other organizations and is something we take great pride in. Our female roster includes several of the world’s top ranked athletes, such as Amanda Buckner and Tara LaRosa. Whether America is ready for Female mixed martial arts is a topic of considerable debate; what I can say is that ratings for our female Bodog Fight episodes have been some of our highest yet, and rightly so, as their bouts have been among our most entertaining and action packed. There’s no question that there’s tremendous potential for growth in the women’s fight game right now, and we are very proud to be leading the way.
5. When can those of us with DirecTV expect to watch BodogFight on PPV?
Soon I hope. We are constantly negotiating with television networks and international carriers to air the Bodog Fight series and new outlets are consistently being added. DirecTV is certainly on the list of carriers we wish to associate with in the future.
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