The Sports Informant

You know a sport has gotten popular when there’s applause in a press conference.

That was the scene Friday in Sacramento with those in attendance of the WEC: Brown vs. Faber II press conference. Whether the culprits were media or not (although I thought a press conference was for the media), several answers and a few speeches from fighters drew rousing rounds of clapping.

Apparently fans get front row seats in media press conferences now, too. (Courtesy photo)

Right or wrong, ethically speaking from a journalistic standpoint, it showed how times have changed in just one year, as the WEC returned to California’s Capital City for what is being labeled “the greatest featherweight fight of all time.” Last June we saw mixed martial arts legend Jens Pulver come to town to challenge hometown fighter and champ at the time Urijah Faber. While the crowd was, well, crowded, and loud, the press conferences before and after had a ho-hum about them, and media coverage leading up to the fight was mainly speared by myself — who wrote a three-part special on Faber and the sport leading up to the fight – as the Sports Editor of The Sacramento Union.

I even wrote about how Sacramento was a ghost town after the fight, the WEC putting on a traveling circus that whooshed out of town as soon as it came in, as the media stopped caring once the organization left.

Things are different now. Rather than a story in the Sacramento Bee the day before the fight, and a few commercials on the radio trying to sell tickets, the month of May became a whirlwind of promotion. Faber threw the first pitch at a Stockton Ports and Oakland A’s game, he’s appeared on numerous radio stations for interviews and both he and champ Mike Brown are asked to fly to UFC pay-per-view events to make cameo appearances.

While a sellout last year at Arco Arena would have been a welcomed surprise, this year, it’s expected.

“We’re thrilled to be back here,” said Peter Dropick, Vice President of the WEC. “Sacramento is a great town. We’re close to selling out. There’s still tickets available, but I would advise that you don’t wait.”

A lot of the attention has come from the media, and deservedly so. This is a big-ticket item, and whether you’re a fight fan or not, you’re going to hear about the event this weekend. To pass it up as a member of the media is like missing President Obama giving a speech on the steps of the Capitol Building.

“Without the media, it would be hard to get the word out about our shows,” WEC General Manager Reed Harris said. “In Sacramento we have had a lot of support obviously, which is one of the reasons our ticket sales are so strong.”

Add in the fight will be televised on a growing Versus channel, one booming after the NHL playoffs, and you’ve got a firestorm of coverage for a relatively new show.

The hype surrounding Mike Brown, left, and Urijah Faber's fight has brought a lot of press to Sacramento. (Courtesy photo)

I’ll get more into the minds of Faber and Brown tomorrow in my fight preview article, but know this today: All of Sacramento, a good chunk of the nation, and some of the rest of the world, have their eyes fixed on this fight. That’s a welcomed sight for the sport of MMA, and even more so for the City of Sacramento. With an NBA team finishing as the worst in the league, the city is starving for some positive press. Fans need something to cheer for, someone to carry the torch. With the spotlight on Sunday’s event, the stage couldn’t be set any better.

“Not only are these guys two of the best fighters I’ve ever seen in my involvement of MMA, but they are probably two of the best guys I’ve ever met,” Harris said. “These guys are dedicated. They are at the top level of their game.”

Let’s hope so, because there’s a whole city riding on the result. Hopefully there’ll be a whole lot more clapping on Sunday, where it’s actually supposed to happen.