411 MMA Interview: Jon Wertheim
Posted by Dan Plunkett on 02.11.2009
Come see what the author of Blood in the Cage has to say!
L. Jon Wertheim has written for Sports Illustrated since 1997, and his work has been featured in the Best American Sports Writing anthologies in 2005, 2006, and 2007. Recently, Wertheim took a liking to mixed martial arts, and decided to write a book about it called Blood in the Cage. The book goes in depth about the history of MMA, and of Pat Miletich, on of the all time greats. To see 411mania's review of the book, click here. Now on to the interview!
411mania: Thank you Jon for taking time to speak with 411mania.com! When and why did you decide to write a book on mixed martial arts?
Jon Wertheim: I wrote a cover story for Sports Illustrated about MMA/UFC in 2007 and in the course of that, I realized this was pretty rich soil. When I got done—and still felt like there was more to say and discover—I tried to spin it into a bigger project.
411: Of all of the fighters to write about, what was it about Pat Miletich that led to you base the book around him?
JW: I wanted to try and figure out how MMA/UFC had implanted itself in the culture and come so far. At the same time, I wanted to personalize the story. It wouldn't make for much of a read just to give a year-by-year history. With Pat, I had a guy who was a bridge between the past and the present. He has a backstory fit for a movie. And we got along personally, so it was a pleasure and honor to deal with him.
411: I'm sure you know that Pat recently fought in December, and he won the fight. Have you kept in touch with Pat since then, and if so, will there be one of those bonus chapters chronicling that fight in future releases of Blood in the Cage?
JW: Sure, Pat and I have been in touch. And I watched the fight on t.v. I suppose if there's a paperback edition for "Blood in the Cage," I can add this as well as his work with WAMMA.
"He has a backstory fit for a movie"
411: What is your favorite story told in Blood in the Cage?
JW: That's a tough one. UFC might only be 15 years old, but man are there great stories out there. I guess I would go with the bank heist allegedly masterminded by Lee Murray. Here's a guy who trained at Miletich's gym in Iowa, won a UFC fight, and went the distance with Anderson Silva. He's now accused of orchestrating the single largest bank job in history.
411: Some of the media has been critical of multiple aspects of MMA, as a senior writer for Sports Illustrated, do you think that MMA will eventually be covered as much as Baseball, Basketball, and Football are now, or will they still be hesitant because of the misconceptions some of the public has?
JW: I don't. Realistically, you're talking about two dudes fighting in a cage. That's always going to be controversial, always going disgust some fans and sponsors and networks. MMA and the UFC are growing at a tremendous rate. But when people talk about it overtaking the NFL or baseball….I think that's a bit of a pipe dream. I agree with you though: as more and more people are exposed to MMA and distinguish reality from (mis)perception, the sport will get more and more mainstream acceptance. There's still a ways to go. People still ask me, "Can they use props?" ‘Is it real?" "Is that the same thing as Toughman?" But that's changing.
411: Even in the past three months, PPV buys for MMA events have done extremely well, with the UFC having three PPV's at or near the million buy mark, UFC 93 did about 100,000 buys better than other overseas shows, and Affliction did the best buyrate for any company in MMA without the initials UFC. Do you think in the future MMA PPV's will break all of the records in the PPV industry, including De la Hoya vs. Mayweather's 2.4 million buy mark?
JW: Interesting question. Keep in mind too, we'll have maybe 25 UFC cards in 2009. So it's not just that people are buying the PPV, but they're doing it twice a month. Also, unlike boxing, fans are watching the entire card, not just the main event. This is just anecdotal, but the PPV model strikes me as being "recession proof" as well. Instead of blowing $50 or $100 on a night out, you round up a dozen friends, everyone chips in $10 and you watch the UFC, order pizza, drink beer and make a night of it.
"He's now accused of orchestrating the single largest bank job in history."
411: The UFC is obviously the biggest MMA organization in the world; do you think there needs to be one organization where all the best fighters go in order for the sport to reach its full potential?
JW: Yes and no. For a variety of reasons—bigger fighter purses being the most obvious one—a viable competing organization could help the sport. On the other hand, by having one dominant organization, MMA has been able to avoid a lot of boxing's problems. You don't have the confusion and garbage and the meaningless organizations and sanctioning bodies. You don't have guys ducking obvious opponents and padding their records by fighting tomato cans. From a fan's perspective, it's great not only because the best fighters are under one roof but if there's an obvious fight (GSP versus Penn) it's going to happen.
411: At any point in the future, do you think will MMA be the most popular sport in the world?
JW: Again, I think there's a ceiling on how big a combat sport can be, especially when it takes place in a cage. People might not like soccer or basketball or cricket; but they're not morally bothered by it. You and I might enjoy and respect MMA, but there are still so many people who will have a strong negative reaction. That doesn't mean MMA won't continue growing or become an international success; but no sport with blood and "putting guys to sleep," will overtake soccer. That's just reality. Look at the numbers too: let's accept the premise that the UFC is a billion dollar business. That's still less than the value of the Washington Redskins or Manchester United. That's just one team. Also, kids might do martial arts and wrestling but I think you need to be a certain age before you put it together, starting really throwing punches, etc. And go to a UFC show and you don't see many fans under, say, 16 years old. That's a big head start you're giving away to other sports. Again, I think MMA/UFC is here to stay and will continue growing.
411: In the book you talk about Pat Miletich's style being technical, or as some would put it, boring, do you prefer to watch a technical fight or an exciting, not so technical fight?
JW: Depends on context. But yeah, I'd rather watch a tactical, technical fighter—say, Dustin Hazelett—than an "exciting" brawl. I'm just speaking for myself, but once I was able to appreciate the ground game, it really added to my enjoyment.
411: You met many of fighters while writing the book, who was the nicest?
JW: Honestly, top to bottom, from Randy (Couture) and Pat Miletich to the amateurs, you couldn't find a nicer and more honest group of people. Not athletes, people. I think this will help the sport survive and grow, too. When people realize these "violent cage fighters" are thoughtful, decent, compassionate men, you're more inclined to view them as athletes.
411: What is your favorite fight?
JW: Ever? For sheer base instincts, I'd say the first TUF finale. Even watching it years later on DVD, it's gripping. One of the first live fights I saw was Leonard Garcia v. Roger Huerta. I was sitting behind the Octagon with Randy Couture. That was a pretty intense experience. Those two just came out guns blazing for the entire fight. Huerta wins decisely. Then the second it's over they embraced and walked around raising the other's arm. That was my sign that the reality-perception gap was wide.
"Leonard Garcia v. Roger Huerta...That was a pretty intense experience."
411: Who is your favorite fighter to watch?
JW: If you gave me truth serum I'd admit that there's special about heavyweights. "Bigger they come, harder they fall," and all that. But I also like the crafty, skilled athlete. Florian, GSP, Uriah Faber.
411: Who wins: Georges St. Pierre or Anderson Silva for the middleweight title?
JW: Good question. And it depends on so much: who has the easier time making weight? Who comes in more prepared? Who has more gas late in the fight? GSP obviously looked pretty stellar last weekend. But my gut says Silva.
411: At the moment, who is the pound for pound best fighter in the world?
JW: (Anderson) Silva.
"...my gut says Silva."
411: You can pick any two fighters in their prime, to fight each other, who are they?
JW: How about one that could really happen? (Brock) Lesnar – Fedor (Emelianenko).
411: You can pick any two fighters, and you want to make the most money on PPV, who do you pick?
JW: Again, I'd think Lesnar – Fedor.
411: Thank you very much for covering the sport of mixed martial arts, and very honestly so at that, and thanks again for taking the time to talk to 411mania.com!
If you would like to purchase Blood in the Cage, you can do so here.
