UFC Fights Negative Publicity As It Prepares For Event In Germany
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UFC 99 Will Be In Cologne,
Germany Despite Protests |
UFC heads to Germany for the first time Saturday for UFC 99, and "it's ready for a rough introduction," according to Aki Kuwabara of FOXSPORTS.com. Child protective services in Cologne, Germany -- the host city for the event -- "requested a ban on minors' attendance at the card," and UFC's local promoter "agreed to the demand." Also, Cologne's city council has "tried to ban the event in the past months, claiming it was too violent." Negative publicity was "exacerbated by an article" from a major German newspaper that "contained erroneous information that everything is legal in UFC fights except biting and eye gouging." Kuwabara wrote the "uproar of negative publicity seems to be a knee-jerk reaction to the perceived violence of MMA: It hints at the same old issue that has saddled the UFC since the 'dark age' of MMA in the U.S." And the "general lack of recognition of MMA, partially due to the absence of media coverage of the sport, leaves Germany a fallow ground for a major MMA event" (FOXSPORTS.com, 6/11). UFC officials said that they had to "remind some that MMA fighters wear gloves and that the sport is not bare knuckles." UFC President Dana White said the negative publicity in Germany is "nothing new," but added, "This is a little more public than most places we go to." The CP's Neil Davidson noted Saturday's show "may not be a sellout" at the 18,000-seat Lanxess Arena, "although the UFC has done its bit to promote the show, sending fighters on a recent tour of U.S. military bases in Germany" (CP, 6/10). White: "As we take this thing global, we're bringing in this talent from all over the world, and we're working on doing a global 'Ultimate Fighter'" (USA TODAY, 6/12).
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