# BET Jumps on the MMA bandwagon- "Iron Ring"



## NikosCC (May 16, 2007)

Black Entertainment Television (BET) is the latest outlet to dive into the MMA fray, commencing auditions this week for a reality TV series entitled “The Iron Ring.” Under the New Jersey Athletic Control Board’s eye this past week, hopefuls sparred and grappled for the camera in the hopes of being selected. The hook is these fighters will be relegated under hip-hip celebrities who will oversee their training, culminating in a round-robin tournament. 

In N.J., musical artist Ludacris attended auditions; while in Florida, Baltimore Ravens’ linebacker Ray Lewis and infamous Internet brawler Kimbo will have a hand in the selection process. In Los Angeles, comedian/actor Eddie Griffin and musical artist Snoop Dog have been enlisted.

The project is being spearheaded by Zilo Network Co-Founders and Executive Producers David Isaacs and Campbell McLaren, who with Semaphore Entertainment Group, produced some of the Ultimate Fighting Championship events throughout the 1990s.

BET Jumps on the MMA bandwagon- "Iron Ring" - No BS Martial Arts

Combat sports just got tougher. From the creator of ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHALLENGE - one of the most successful new sports formats in entertainment - comes IRON RING, a new show that introduces ‘new jack’ celebrities from music, sports and Hollywood to the most dangerous fighters in the world. An all-star line-up of celebrities will manage teams of fighters in the best mixed martial arts match-ups on television. From a steel ring above the arena, the celebrity ‘owners’ will interact with their gladiators between rounds – and sometimes right in the middle of them. Each week, as top competitors enter the battle zone to face off using the combined techniques of jiu-jitsu, judo, karate, boxing, kickboxing and wrestling, viewers will witness true-to-life bone-crushing, face-smashing sports entertainment unlike anything ever seen before. Only the strong will survive!

PREMIERE TELECAST: July, 2007

SHOW SCHEDULE: 1-hour weekly, 6 episodes

PRODUCED BY: Warrington Hudlin, David Isaacs and Campbell McLaren

EXECUTIVE IN CHARGE: Robyn Lattaker-Johnson

MEDIA CONTACTS: 
Tosha Whitten Griggs, BET
310/481-3812
[email protected]

Zabrina Horton, BET
310/481-3737
[email protected]

BET Networks PR Website - Entertainment


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## Alula (Apr 13, 2007)

Wait, shouldn't this be 'The Platinum Ring' and I'm assuming all these fighters are black?

Also, what's with the celebs? I'm assuming it's for the ratings, because WTF is Snoop Dogg going to know about MMA? Talk to them between rounds? Yeah, great advice.

"viewers will witness true-to-life bone-crushing, face-smashing sports entertainment unlike anything ever seen before. Only the strong will survive!" This is the type of advertising I DON'T want to see. Crap like this attracts all the wrong fans.

[/rant]


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## NikosCC (May 16, 2007)

LOL really


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## NikosCC (May 16, 2007)

Alula said:


> This is the type of advertising I DON'T want to see. Crap like this attracts all the wrong fans.


im just postng what i read..


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## Damone (Oct 1, 2006)

Eddie Griffin has a mean ground game.


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## LV 2 H8 U (Nov 7, 2006)

I'd rather see a Hippity Hop vs. MMA fight.
Snoop getting punched in the face repeatedly by Corey Hill:thumb02:


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## Alula (Apr 13, 2007)

NikosCroCop said:


> im just postng what i read..


Much appreciated.

Despite my reaction, that should not suggest that I do not intend on watching this show.


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## funkymunky (Jan 2, 2007)

lmao at kimbo snoop and eddie griffin coaching mma. i hate what this show is about, but im not gonna lie, i will check it out. but between Pride and IFL reruns on Fox, IFL Battleground on MyNetwork TV, WEC on VS and Tapout on VS, and the constant UFC shows on Spike, add that to 2 hours of Tagg radio and mmaweekly radio every day and im getting my fair share of mma and maybe its just not worth it to watch this show too


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## Craig88 (May 27, 2007)

this is the dumbest thing i've ever heard of, what are these clowns going to be able to teach anyone about mma. anyone who watches this junk is an idiot. does anyone know if the fighters on the show are actual fighters and is it just for blacks


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## mike123 (May 25, 2007)

I hope this doesnt take mma a step back.


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## Craig88 (May 27, 2007)

mike123 said:


> I hope this doesnt take mma a step back.


if they all act like corey hill it will. I see this show being allot of trash talking amd barking at one another.


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## southpaw447 (Mar 21, 2007)

Kimbo Slice is suposed to be featured on this show but i don't think it's mma i think it's boxing :dunno:


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## WestCoastPoutin (Feb 27, 2007)

Craig88 said:


> if they all act like corey hill it will. I see this show being allot of trash talking amd barking at one another.



Come on! Corey isnt so bad. I admit I hated him in the first episode but in the later shows he showed better character.

Im not too worried about the trash talking or even the barking for that matter. The only thing that would really suck is if BET's mma would be advertised as the same thing as UFC/Pride etc. 
I can imagine having Dana White, or Joe Rogan being interviewed on ESPN or any other major sports channel and being put on the spot, having to explain BET's Iron Rings (or whatever its called). Explaining ''That's not us! Thats not us'' Then having some boxing fanatic analyst saying 'you're all the same! Its ALL the same''

That would suck.

That would suck hard.


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## WestCoastPoutin (Feb 27, 2007)

That being said...I just realised I jumped to conclusions very fast.

MAYBE, just MAYBE -

They will get great fighters with great credentials and will hire excellent training staff and a few of their fighters will get the exposure they need to make it in the main organizations!

All snoop would do is rap during their entrance. That would be cool? no? maybe?

Positive thinking


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## GodlyMoose (May 20, 2007)

Not the one to be negative, but this just sounds really stupid...


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## Slamnbam88 (Oct 23, 2006)

maybe it could just be a TUF but on BET...it doesnt say its gonna be all black fighters or anything so theyve gotta have a few white guys.

that being said theyre gonna need real coaches otherwise these kids wont gain anything...kimbo? umm no and unless snoop got a black belt under gracie and hasnt told anyone hes prettymuch worthless.

im just hoping this is a slightly different version of tuf...and it doesnt get to 'ghetto'


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## Maximus (May 17, 2007)

As a black dude, I'll be the first to admit that I hate BET. Their programming could be a lot better, and tends to be more "ghetto" than it should be. This program is just another example of them "ghetto-fying" a good thing. BET has a long history of taking successful white or "mainstream" programming and making a crappy ghetto version of it (TRL vs. 106 & Park, Real World vs. College Hill, etc. etc.). Part of that is because BET is owned by Viacom, who also owns MTV & VH1, so they try to market stuff to each of the race demographics.

I'll also go a step further to say that MMA has not garnered a lot of popularity in the black community like basketball, football & boxing. That's not a racist statement, nor does it mean that black folks don't like MMA, there just aren't as many of us watching it yet. I went to an HBCU (historically black college or university) and I'm a member of one of the oldest black fraternities (Omega Psi Phi), but when I get around my friends in those circles, they're more concerned with the NBA & NFL draft, what LeBron is doing and who is the next up & coming boxer. I'm the outcast who knows nothing about the on-goings of the NFL & NBA, but can analyze the hell out of an MMA fight.

I said all of that to say that even though this show is going to suck some, it's now going to hurt MMA as a sport, MMA's credibility, nor will it attract a great following of black viewers any more than Tiger Woods attracting a mass influx of black golfers. 

I'll probably check the show out to see if there are any great fighters, and see what the production value is going to look like.


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## Kameleon (Apr 20, 2006)

*I'll give it a chance. People were quick to write off the IFL because of the team concept so I'll see what BET has to offer.

Not sure how the celebs will train the fighters, that sounds stupid but I'm sure they will have real coaches on the side but make it seem like the celebs are actually coaching.*


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## sickcat (Apr 22, 2007)

Who watches BET for anything but standup comedy anyway?


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## FromHereOn (Sep 4, 2006)

This is amazing!

Haha, people used to give Pride a lot of shit for their pro-wrestler to MMA promotions...

Give that ticket to the folks in the states, and we can make the Japanese look like the Amish.


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## NikosCC (May 16, 2007)

i wonder if Don king is promoting this ..lol


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