How MMA Can Reach That Next Level
The sport of MMA has progressed greatly within the past few years. Just 4 years ago the largest MMA promotion in America was bleeding millions of dollars for every event they produced. Nobody thought they would ever see MMA on prime time network television. However, this weekend MMA will make its second appearance in the form of EliteXC: “Unfinished Business” on CBS. The Ultimate Fighting Championship is reportedly worth over a billion dollars. There is so much more room for this sport to grow, and I have to wonder why isn’t hasn’t progressed even faster?
I think it’s safe to say that Zuffa is THE major player in the MMA world. They are the only promotion that continuously produces events that yield a profit. In fact, Dana White says “I’m glad we make this business look easy…because it’s not.” Since the UFC began operating in the black back in 2005-2006, we’ve seen a multitude of promotions sprout up hoping to become the next UFC. If not all…most of them now defunct after losing millions of dollars…and for what? Only to have their fighters and assets consumed by the UFC to strengthen that company.
Money is at the root of all of this, not the love of the sport as most would have you believe. Every promoter’s first obligation is to make money, and therein lies their biggest mistake. Does Dana White want to make a ton of money? Sure..who doesn’t? However, the one thing that separates White from the rest of the crowd is…I believe he is trulya fan of the sport unlike the Calvin Ayre, Donald Trump, and Mark Cubans of the world. Being a true fan has helped White understand the fight game better than anyone else listed above.
How can MMA reach the next level?
Instead of all these billonaire’s trying to start up their own promotion…I propose that they support the UFC. The UFC is clearly the front runner…and has clearly demonstrated that their brand name is dominant(In America). The UFC is clearly the one lobbying and trying to get MMA sanctioned in parts of the world that don’t recognize it as a sport. I mean you don’t see anybody trying to start basketball leagues that rival the NBA. There’s no way to determine the best fighters at certain weight classes with seven million MMA promotions competing for the same fighters.
Could you imagine Dana White, Donald Trump, Calvin Ayre, Lorenzo Fertitta, and lets say Mark Cuban all working for the betterment of the sport of MMA? Dana White has stated that he wants to take the sport of MMA global in 8 years, and that may be possible. However, I can’t help but to think of the endless possibilities if Zuffa’s competitor’s teamed up with them to make it happen quicker.
What do you think MMA needs to do…to reach that next level?
July 25, 2008 at 3:08 pm
During the early years of the NBA and the NFL there was more than one league.
The NBA merged with the ABA in 1976.
The NFL merged with the AFL in 1970.
In basketball you still have a lesser league surviving on a smaller scale.
In football you still have a lesser league in the Arena league.
So I think what you saw during the early years of those sports is playing out now in the early years of MMA. Just like one major organization emerged from those sports is a likely indicator of how things might play out in MMA.
I do think working together would be a good thing but why would the UFC let people in when they look to be the one to emerge as the industry leader such as the NBA or the NFL.
I think it is just a matter of time and growing pains just like all the other sports leagues went through over decades to get where they are now. I think MMA won’t take quite as long to develop as the other sports given the advancements in the world but I think it will just take time to grow the fan base and build the core to support it properly.
July 25, 2008 at 4:14 pm
nice story. let’s get Luke Thomas to front it.
July 25, 2008 at 4:19 pm
“During the early years of the NBA and the NFL there was more than one league.”
Right…however, after one was ‘established’ as THE league…they merged…which is kinda what I’m suggesting….while also retaining the heads of those promotions to help the UFC. Like with the UFC acquiring the IFL…Jay Larkin could only help them get some things done IMO…why just cast him aside(if they do so)?
July 25, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Thanks for posting on the site steakknife…I don’t know why…everytime I see your name I chuckle…lolol.
July 25, 2008 at 6:06 pm
One more thing all those other things have in common after the merge is that they all developed player’s unions to protect the players.
I agree Jay Larkin might be valuable to the UFC.
Another slight difference is in those other sports the owners had franchises that had value and they became partners really.
Are you suggesting that Mark Cuban or Donald Trump and Atencio should or could become partners with the UFC?
And would they have to do what Master Dana says?
July 25, 2008 at 6:39 pm
I know Zuffa/UFC is privately owned…however, I’m sure there is a way in which they could involve business partner’s like Cuban/Trump to some degree. As far as answering to Dana White…it would all depend on their roles within the company. Frankly, I could see both guys have similar roles like Lorenzo Fertitta…but have them centralized in America…hammering out merchandising deals…commercials for fighter’s etc etc.
July 25, 2008 at 6:56 pm
For some reason I just don’t ever see Cuban or Trump and Atencio ever being a part of the UFC.
I could see a scenario where they buy them out and maybe keep the upper management in some capacity.
Unless by chance the UFC gets sold to other investors then I could definitely see what your saying happen.
July 25, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Well, I’m not saying it’s going happen…or should happen…I just wanted to speak on the possibilities of instead of guy’s trying to start their own promotions…just accept the UFC as the flagbearer of MMA and support them. Whether it be financially….business dealings..etc…
July 26, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Good piece. I think that one dominant organization – looks like the UFC at this point – and some lesser organzations will emerge. I don’t think that the UFC, or one promotion, can gain a monopoly. Unlike the team sports and NASCAR (which technically does consist of teams) the financial barrier for starting an MMA promotion is relatively low. If fighters are unhappy with the major promotion, it’s likely some investors with deep pockets will step in (i.e. Affliction), and put on some events. I think a deep talent pool is crucial to the success of any promotion.
Certainly, Dana White’s knowledge and passion for the sport have been instrumental in the UFC’s success. Abrasive and controversial as he may be, even his detractors should admit that he has done more for the growth of modern MMA in North America than any other one person. Any organization that wants to unseat the UFC at #1 will have to have a leader that can match Dana’s overall understanding of the sport and where it is going in the future.
July 26, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Thanks Cannon J…keep checking back!
July 28, 2008 at 6:36 pm
> Instead of all these billonaire’s trying to start up …
The moguls and entrepreneurs don’t really care so much about the future of MMA as they care about making money and their enterprises succeeding.
> There’s no way to determine the best fighters at certain weight classes with seven million MMA promotions competing for the same fighters.
No moguls care about that either. How many professional boxing associations are there? What organizations’ belts did Mike Tyson hold? Who knows? Who cares?
It’s possible we armchair analysts have our analogies (NBA, NFL, NASCAR) all wrong. History does repeat itself, yes, but not necessarily in the exact same way.
July 28, 2008 at 9:33 pm
Neijia, thanks for replying…I indicated that those moguls are money driven…and that money is the root of all of it…however, I did indicate that Dana White was a true fan of the sport unlike the other guys I mentioned…therefore, if he could form some type of partnership with these other businessmen…that would be beneficial in him running the UFC….when compared to them losing millions of dollars try to compete against him. This should be a prime example of if you can’t beat’em…join’em.
July 29, 2008 at 6:36 pm
I think it’s way too early to say the can’t beat ‘em phrase. There are 27 professional boxing associations in the world with 3 or 4 top ones. We don’t know how much money they make but that’s some indication that the business for individual fighters may not be like car racing, basketball, etc. I’m sure there is a much larger pool of boxers but that is probably changing fast.
July 30, 2008 at 8:03 am
I’m not so much saying they can’t beat’em. It’s moreso of all of the other start up organizations need to realize they shouldn’t be competing directly with the UFC if they want the sport of MMA to be recognized as legitimate. Having the UFC as THE major league of MMA…with all of the best fighter’s would make things a lot easier…in determining who the best fighter is in each weight division…to instead of having millions of dollars split between EliteXC, Affliction, and the UFC…all those millions could goto one organization.
August 1, 2008 at 8:55 am
I’m trying to figure out how said billionaires “support” the UFC when its clear that the UFC isn’t looking to go public or for investors.
August 1, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Well…the first thing they could do is stop trying to create their own MMA promotions and competing with the UFC…
August 1, 2008 at 2:37 pm
That’s not really an answer though. They’re looking to make money in MMA given that its clear there is money to be made, and the UFC doesn’t want their money in any form or fashion apart from sponsorships. What exactly are they supposed to do?
August 1, 2008 at 2:48 pm
Like i said…they should just stay out of the game…because realistcally there is no money to be made unless you are the UFC…check it…IFL=Dead, WFA=Dead, EliteXC=Hospice Has Been Called, Affliction=Bleeding Money, DREAM=Hospice Has Been Called
August 1, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Saying “they shouldn’t get in” is irrelevant. As long as the UFC doesn’t utilize slaves, their talent is available to depart and go elsewhere, and given the enormous sums of money they make, it is merely a matter of time before others enter the market in some fashion, just as startups have throughout the entire history of MMA. EliteXC having lost money is irrelevant if CBS wants to use Kimbo Slice for the indefinite future. They already own most of the company and they’d just buy the remainder to get his contract and use him themselves, just as they and Showtime have used exclusively contracted talent in boxing (Ray Mancini and Mike Tyson come to mind).
August 1, 2008 at 3:14 pm
The difference is that the UFC has branded themselves so well…that America equates MMA as UFC…I mean people actually say “I train UFC”…lol. That type of branding/influence is nearly impossible to conquer for any startup MMA company.
August 1, 2008 at 3:45 pm
The UFC has its big name stars who sell PPVs, regardless of how great their brand marketing is. Just because they’ve been the big dog on the block for all of 2 years now doesn’t mean they will be for the indefinite future. They’ve found themselves outspent before, its certainly possible it’ll happen again.
August 1, 2008 at 5:04 pm
They’ve been the big dog on the block here in America the entire time…regardless of if they were making money or not…again the likelyhood of someone supplanting them isn’t likely.
August 3, 2008 at 8:12 pm
Being the “big dog” was pretty meaningless when KOTC was oudrawing them back in 1999/2000 or when other “smaller” promotions were cherry picking their talent.