How will the media and the public view UFC 168?

[DWx]

If you hadn't heard already, Anderson Silva brutally broke his leg during his rematch with Chris Weidman on Saturday night.

Video and photos here (warning!! pretty graphic photos):

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-2530633/UFC-168-Silvas-leg-SNAPS-Weidman-retains-title-shocking.html

Any thoughts on how the general media or public will see this?

Time is calling it "a disaster for the sport":

http://keepingscore.blogs.time.com/2013/12/29/anderson-silva-leg-ufc-mma/?iid=gs-main-mostpop2

[ShoriKid]

Honestly, I doubt they will see it at all. MMA, for all it's growth is still limited in the scope of it's reach and influence in the general public and even the general audience for sports.

Reading the article I would say the writer has an axe to grind with MMA. Silva's injury doesn't hurt the UFC/MMA at all. Fans understand what happened better, that it's very unusual. I'm sure that I could find similar injuries in the NFL, NBA, FILA etc. if I tried.

[Wastelander]

The same injury recently happened in the NBA, I believe. Honestly, I think this is actually a GOOD thing for the sport--any publicity is good publicity, after all. You had an event that was considered by pretty much everyone to be a good, entertaining event, there was a high profile women's fight on it that brought with it some controversy, and then a very high profile fighter received a devastating injury that got spread around the internet.

People I know who don't know anything about the UFC or MMA knew about Silva breaking his leg on Monday. That kind of exposure will only help them in the long run.

[tallgeese]

I agree. I don't see any long term harm coming from it. I'd also agree that it will probably just amount to publicity in the short term. Every sport will have traumatic injuries that are exceptionally violent from time to time, this is one of those.

[sensei8]

I don't think that the sport will suffer because our drive-by media write about what they write about in the way that they write it, and the way that they write it is to sell. Grab the attention of the reader, and that makes them money!!

[quinteros1963]

These things happen in sports. Granted the visual was gruesome, but think of the broken arms and legs, torn ACL's basketball and football. Its a part of the game. Kevin Ware had a similar break last year in the NCAA tournament and I think he is expected to play this year. Fans are not going to stop watching, the UFC will be just fine.