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Yahoo.com “Buzzing” About the Iceman |
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Written by Chad Dundas
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Tuesday, 19 April 2005 |
 Yahoo.com’s “Buzz Index,” which tracks Internet trends by
monitoring the Web site’s search engine, featured a short article about
the increasing popularity of mixed martial arts fighting on Monday
after a bombardment of traffic in the wake of Saturday night’s UFC 52.
The UFC was No.1 on the Buzz Index’s list of top sports-related
searches over the weekend, moving up from the No. 5 spot since the week
of April 14. New UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell topped
Yahoo’s list of the weekend’s sports “movers” — or those who saw a
dramatic increase in public interest — with a 356.38 percent increase
in searches for his name.
Randy Couture, who Liddell knocked out in the first round Saturday, was
third on the list with a 274.28 percent rise in searches.
“Bubbling up from the underground, Ultimate Fighting is pummeling the
buzz with its brand of mixed martial arts competition,” the article,
titled 'Knock Out,' read. “With boxing on the wane and the butt of
jokes (who is the heavyweight champ right now, anyway?), UFC has
stepped in to fill the void for fans of mano a mano ring action.”
Searches for “Ultimate Fighting Championship” doubled on Sunday, the
Index reported. By Monday, the UFC was listed second on Yahoo’s list of
overall searches. Only Brittany Spears got more search orders on
Monday, according to the Buzz Index.
“Hot on the heels of the buzz success of reality TV show The Ultimate
Fighter, the UFC seems primed to continue its crossover into the
mainstream,” the Index reported. “The Las Vegas card (of UFC 52)
accounted for some of Sunday's largest search spikes.”
The surge of interest in the UFC illustrates MMA’s growing popularity
and also that the sport is still largely dependent on the Internet as
mainstream media continues to ignore coverage of UFC events.
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