UFC Taps Into Latino Market, Boxing Promoter Bob Arum Says, “Dumb.”

UFC head honcho Dana White is reaching out to Latinos in order to help salvage his obviously deteriorating business. Spanish cable network Galavision will air an hour long UFC show called “El Octagano”, which translates to, “we were too lazy to really brainstorm.” The show will be filled with interviews, highlights and mixed martial arts education, but probably no actual fights, leading us to believe White and his cronies are experimenting with a new aerobics show and Latinos are the Guinea pigs.

Believing Latinos flock to boxing because they can relate to fighters of relevant ethnic decent, UFC hopes to garner new Latino fans by profiling the leading Latino mixed martial artists.

“It’s important to get those fans,” UFC lightweight Kenny Florian said. “They’re so passionate about boxing, and this is very much in line with what they like about combat. We know they support Latino fighters in boxing, and now it’s just about giving them more awareness about our sport, and showing them how exciting our fights are. Awareness has been the main obstacle.”
Florian, 31, is a fluent Spanish speaker from Boston whose parents are from Peru. He’s preparing for an August fight at UFC 87 in Minneapolis against Roger Huerta, 24, a Latino best known for being the first UFC fighter featured on a Sports Illustrated cover.
“Once Hispanics see there’s plenty of fighters they can relate to, guys who speak the same language, that’ll be a big plus,” Huerta (22-1-1) said. “It’s like a brotherhood, they can relate to us.”

We relate to guys who aren’t money-hungry bastards, but that’s us. Formiddable boxing promoter and talking marshmallow, Bob Arum, weighed in.

Meanwhile, veteran boxing promoter Bob Arum is making a bundle of cash on his pay-per-view “Latin Fury” cards, featuring popular Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Jorge Arce.
Arum stages the fights in Mexico, pocketing live gate and Mexican television rights revenue. He had 80,000 pay-per-view buys in the U.S. on his most recent “Latin Fury” card, Top Rank spokesman Bill Caplan said, netting more than $17 per purchase.
“The reason Hispanic fans buy into it is the Hispanic fighters,” Arum said. “Brazilian is not Hispanic. Hispanic means Mexican, and how many good Mexicans, or Mexican Americans, do they have? Without that, there’s no interest. None.
“If you develop the Mexican stars, you can attract the younger Latino audience, but it seems as if that’s a long way from happening, and you don’t want to spend so much time on it that you lose your core audience: white, male, tattooed. . . .”

It’s true. All of it. We referred to our Argentine cousin-in-law as Hispanic the other day and he replied, “No mames guey.” We. Were. Stunned. So you think this will catch on?
UFC targets show for Latino audience [LATimes]
Image [Punch Free Blog]