If I Were a Promoter...

Saturday night's modest Return of Macaco event in Newark illustrated a point I've made in the past, specifically, that nation vs. nation MMA events can work if done correctly. At Return of Macaco, the vast majority of the few hundred in attendance were clearly Brazilian, and their fevered shouting in Portuguese and their cheering whenever a Brazilian competitor threw down in the cage took me back to when the Mixed Fighting Championship held those "USA vs. Russia" cards or "USA vs. Japan" cards. Those MFC events were marketed heavily to local Russian and Asian communities, and the resulting crowds made for some seriously passionate bouts. Sadly, those MFCs were held at the Taj Mahal and Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, so venue costs far exceeded ticket sales, but if a mass of screaming Russians can make a bout like Vadim Kulchitskiy vs. Joey Brown seem as frenzied as Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock I, then there's something there that promoters can't ignore. On Saturday night, thanks to Newark's well-represented Brazilian community, the Return of Macaco made the gymnasium of Essex County College feel like downtown Sao Paulo. It was awesome. And when New York opens up to the sport, you can bet the first promoter to hold a USA vs. Russia show in Brighton Beach, a USA vs. Korea event in Flushing Chinatown, or a USA vs. Guidos event on Long Island is going to make a mint.