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Thursday, Jan 24, 2013

Full Contact Fighter’s “The Daily Takedown”: Manti Te’o Scandal a Good Lesson For MMA Media

Manti Te'o

By Joshua Molina

CNN has an excellent sports journalism story today that is a good lesson for MMA reporters.

The story outlines how sports journalists failed in their coverage of the Manti Te’o-fake girlfriend scandal that has rocked the sports world.

It wasn’t sports reporters who scored the big interview; it was Katie Couric.

Sports journalists weren’t the ones who landed the Lance Armstrong interview; it was Oprah Winfrey.

The premise is that sports journalists often cover the games, but look the other way when it comes to everything else.

MMA reporters should take note. The sport of MMA is still evolving and so is the industry that covers it.

MMA reporting, for the most part, is still in the adoration-of-the-athlete-and-UFC phase. It’s not unlike how reporters cover the X-Games or other relatively new sports.

Some reporters have had access to their media credentials removed for falling out of favor with UFC President Dana White.

When it comes to the MMA media, there’s far too much of an infatuation with every little thing White says. Even White would probably agree with that.

. . .One of the most talented MMA fighters in the world not under contract with the UFC will fight tonight and look to reclaim his glory.

Muhammad “King Mo” Lawal (10-1) fights Przemyslaw Mysiala (16-7) tonight in his big comeback fight since serving a nine-month drug suspension for a banned substance.

The fight means a lot to Mo and Bellator. Mo has the charisma to be a breakout star, and no doubt Bellator is paying him well to be the face of the company.

And any failure in a real MMA fight is going to hurt his value in pro wrestling and TNA.

There’s a lot riding on Mo’s shoulders.

. . . Finally Anderson Silva wants to fight Luke Rockhold: MAKE THAT FIGHT!

Rockhold will be a lot more competitive with Silva than people think. An excellent wrestler and striker, Rockhold  is also tall and muscular, and probably not even in his prime yet.

Whatever happens, it would be a fight, unlike the disaster that was Silva vs. Stephan Bonnar

posted by JoshuaM @ 9:00 pm
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