Three weeks ago, Urijah Faber helped launch the UFC on FOX Sports 1 debut. The new 24/7 sports channel hopes to compete with ESPN. Their initial UFC fight card was a scintillating success, and Faber was a huge part of it. On Friday, September 6, Faber visits Tulsa as the special guest of promoter Dale "Apollo" Cook and his Xtreme Fight Night. Faber will be available for meet and greet opportunities as well as taking in the action cageside. Faber is easily one of the most identifiable faces in mixed martial arts. His signature chin, small-but-powerful stature, and California style separate him from his competitors. He is also a former champion. He is one of the first MMA fighters to be featured in a prominent companies advertising. His AMP Energy Drink commercials were groundbreaking and paved the way for his fellow martial artists to earn endorsement deals on top of their fight purse. All of this to say, will he move the needle? Will a superstar like Urijah Faber cause casual fight fans (yes, there are casual fans) to purchase a ticket to XFN when they otherwise might have skipped the event? The merits of bringing in a special guest to promote an event have long been debated. Some of the super duper stars collect their fee and have little fan interaction. Others go out of their way to bring a smile to the faces of all. They engage and come across as down to earth regular people. Faber seems to fit the bill for the later. But the belief by hardcore fans is that the fight card and matchups make the difference. While this is true, we cannot overlook the casual fan who may dream of their next profile pic standing next to UFC star Urijah Faber.
Posted on: Thu, 05 Sep 2013 06:58:55 +0000
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