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When it comes to pay-per-view power, UFC delivers hits

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By Dann Stupp, Contributing Writer 10:49 PM Sunday, May 2, 2010

After two hugely successful annual shows, the Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to Montreal for a third event at a sold-out Bell Centre on Saturday, May 8.

The show — UFC 113: Machida vs. Shogun II — airs on pay-per-view one week after this past weekend’s PPV boxing blockbuster of Floyd Mayweather vs. Shane Mosley. According to industry insiders, that fight could break the all-time PPV “buy” record of 2.4 million, which Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya set in 2007.

“I’m simply the king of pay-per-view,” a victorious Mayweather said.

His claim is only partially true.

Mayweather-Mosley and other occasional boxing super fights prove PPV giants, but on a consistent basis no one does it better than the UFC.

UFC President Dana White usually doesn’t release his private company’s PPV figures. But when they’re spectacular, which was the case with an historic UFC 100 event in July 2009, he’s more than happy to reveal the show topped 1.5 million purchases. However, even the weakest UFC cards usually provide at least 300,000 buys.

That leads to some staggering numbers overall. For example, 2009 was a banner PPV year for UFC officials, whose 13 events last year did an estimated 8.5 million “buys” and an industry record $380 million in gross PPV revenue, according to insiders.

Injuries resulted in some sub-par numbers early this year, but UFC 113 kicks off an impressive stretch of star-studded cards that could make 2010 an even bigger year for the UFC. So what do PPV buyers get Saturday?

In the headliner, undefeated light-heavyweight champ Lyoto Machida (16-0) meets Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (18-4) in a rematch of their October meeting, which Machida won via controversial decision.

Also big-talking welterweights Josh Koscheck (16-4) and Paul Daley (23-8-2) fight for top contender’s status, and former street-fighting legend Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson (4-1) takes on former NFL player Matt Mitrione (1-0).

Cincinnati’s Zachrich exits Bellator tourney

Cincinnati native Luke Zachrich was knocked out of Bellator Fighting Championships’ eight-man middleweight tournament.

In an April 29 bout televised on Fox Sports Net, Zachrich (9-2), one of the region’s top fighters and a former cast member on the UFC’s reality series, suffered a first-round submission loss to Eric Schambari (12-1).

Bellator is running eight-man tourneys in four different weight classes. Each winner earns $100,000 and a title shot. Zachrich could re-enter the tourney as an injury replacement or land a nontournament fight before the end of Bellator’s season, which concludes June 24.

Dann Stupp is editor-in-chief of MMAjunkie.com, voted best media outlet in the 2008 and 2009 World MMA Awards. For the latest mixed-martial-arts news, go to www.MMAjunkie.com.

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