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Randy Couture hopes ‘Gym Rescue’ series helps some of MMA’s ‘growing pains’

BAD MMA News — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 23:30:00 +0000

Randy Couture counted seven Xtreme Couture franchises in the U.S. and Canada at the height of MMA’s boom late this past decade. Then the market cooled, and gyms began to close. “The economy, especially in the gym industry, has been very difficult,” he told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “The economy took care of a bunch of them. There’s two left now with Las Vegas and Toronto.” You could see irony in the UFC Hall of Famer’s new role in “Gym Rescue,” a new reality show that mirrors the popular “Bar Rescue” program, or a bit of savvy casting from the cable network, which inked Couture to a TV deal early this year. In the show, Couture travels to cities around the country to help MMA gyms in the fickle business of getting everyday people into the cage, and keeping them there.

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Randy Couture hopes ‘Gym Rescue’ series helps some of MMA’s ‘growing pains’ – MMA Junkie

USA TODAY: UFC targets Mexico expansion in 2014

BAD MMA News — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 16:00:00 +0000

(This story appeared in today’s edition of USA TODAY .) Canada, Brazil, Britain and Australia have all been recent targets of the UFC’s ambitious expansion plans. However, after years of the world’s most prominent MMA promotion teasing the possibility, Mexico could finally be next. To date the UFC has never ventured south of the border despite Mexico’s quickly growing circuit of regional fight promotions. But the pieces are falling into place, including a new TV deal and a planned Spanish-language version of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series. UFC executive Marshall Zelaznik, who serves as a managing director of international development, had hoped an event could take place in Mexico this year, but said that’s probably a bit too ambitious. “I think it’ll probably slide to next year, in Mexico City,” he told USA TODAY Sports and MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “If we can get ‘The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America’ and get the live event in Mexico City, that will really token charge our business there.” In addition to 17 American seasons of its competition/reality series, the UFC has hosted three international installments of “TUF.” The second wrapped Saturday in Brazil, and an Australia vs.

Bellator Announces New TV Deal, Launches Into the U.K. Market on VIVA

BAD MMA News — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 01:57:25 +0000

Bellator MMA on Thursday announced that it is finally moving into the U.K. market with a new television deal. Bellator will begin airing its live events with Bellator 96 on June 19 on the VIVA channel in the U.K. VIVA is owned by Viacom, which is also owns Bellator and Spike TV. VIVA will air Bellator’s Summer Series events, as well as its ninth season over the fall and winter of this year. Bellator’s foray into the U.K. market increases its global reach to 116 countries and territories.

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Bellator Announces New TV Deal, Launches Into the U.K. Market on VIVA – MMA Weekly