If you don't want to spend $50 on the PPV broadcast of UFC 111 and don't like watching it in a crowded bar on a small TV screen, you can watch it live at several movie theaters in the Tampa Bay area on March 27, 2010 at 10 p.m. for only $20.
Not only will you save a load of money, but you can actually enjoy exciting mixed martial arts bouts on a big screen for the very first time in MMA and UFC history. There is only one way to trump this: watching the fights in 3-D which is unfortunately not available yet.
While most MMA fans will no doubt be grateful for this new option, some may wonder just why the Ultimate Fighting Championship it suddenly rolling out the red carpet and slashing the prices. The most obvious reason is without a doubt UFC president Dana White's increased effort to combat online piracy of the UFC broadcasts on PPV that has already cost the UFC millions in lost revenues. Moreover, the movie theaters combined with the lower prices should attract a new target audience of viewers who might not be able to afford the pricey PPV subscription or who might not feel comfortable at sports bars. Either way, this new option should be quite beneficial in the support of White's goal of turning MMA into a mainstream sport.
This article appears in Mar 24-30, 2010.