MMA fastest growing sport (I doubt it)

[yannick35]

Like everyone here i am a big MMA fan, and i will watch pertty much anything related to MMA.

But in this big pound there seem to be only one doing very well and on top of the others its no secret its the UFC.

I dont understand why Affliction who put on one of the best MMA cards ever could barely sell 700 tickets for there October event, they had to cancel the show due to poor ticket sales?????

Exlie XE after purshasing a lot of the smaller shows like king of the cage and others are 55 million dollars on the hole this year????

IFL where in huge financial trouble last year too.

So if MMA is the faster growing sport on the planet why is the UFC the one that is making money and all the rest seem to be dragging along?

[MuscleScience]

I have wondered the same thing. The UFC has a lot of good talent, it is very hard for someone to get into MMA and put the kind of time into it to be a high level competitor. I personally train in MMA but I do not do it for any other reason than to have fun. I will never compete most likely. I just cant put the kind of time in to train and be at a top level of fitness to be at a competitive level. I think the smaller shows at least the ones I have been to do not have a real high level of competition. There is a huge difference when you watch locals shows versus watching something like UFC and when you see it you just do not want to watch the smaller shows.

[WARMachine]

Well it all comes down to name recognition.

This question is like asking why Band-Aids sell more of thier product than genric adhesive bandages.

It all comes down to who the public sees more.


Plus it doesnt hurt that the UFC has the best fighters in the world (Generally) fighting for their organization.


btw, Muscle science, check your box.

[CSAR]

Anyone read the latest Playboy interview with Dana White? Yes, I understand the irony of reading Playboy for the interviews...

But it was pretty interesting. He's predicting UFC will overtake baseball and basketball to become the #2 sport (behind football...that's American-style football to you Limeys, Aussies, & Kiwis). He even sees MMA becoming an Olympic event. Personally, I don't care for the guy, but he does have some interesting ideas.

[madmancman]

i have see mma have a massive jump in popularity in the last 5 year.
the amount of mma gyms that have opend in the last 3 years is huge.
we never even had any of the ufc in the newpapes untill bisbing won the contender.
now the ufc is in there nearly daily.
when i first started waching i used to have to buy the copyd dvds from under the counter at a pono shop.

[Panzerfaust]

Just the amount of douchebags walking around in TapOut and Affliction gear should tell you how popular the UFC has become. I say "UFC" because most don't are brainwashed to believe that the UFC is the sport of MMA in which it is NOT.

Everyone is a "fighter" or "i'm training MMA"....it's ridiculous. I never mention I have anything to do with training or MMA around most people. I don't have the mentality that I need to let everyone think I am some fighter or something. Fighting is one of the hardest jobs in the world and I would hate to be a wannabe poser.

I'm no fighter, i'm a complete *****! At least I admit it.


I like that it has grown, but there should be no secret as to why EliteXC went under, they were being run into the ground by that fat ****ing snake Gary Shaw, who is a BOXING promoter. He was in MMA to grab as much cash as possible and get the **** out. He was horrible for the sport, do some reading on the business practices of EliteXC and you will quickly understand why they went under.

TJ Thompson said it best, they had people in key positions that didn't have a ****ing clue about MMA.

[Brown Ninja]

I am not even certain that it is the fasterst growing sport at the moment but it has risen from the depths of where it was 5 years ago. I am still trying to figure out if its a good thing that the common fan refers to everything as "UFC". Even back when Pride was around it always cracked me up to listen to people refer to it as UFC and talk about how superior the UFC was in comparison.

This lack of knowledge is what I find so annoying. I honestly hope that the UFC never does eclipse MLB or the NBA. I think we will stuck with a watered down version of the sport that we all love. Think about it, the average fan is a dumb ****. All they want to see is looping overhand rights. I think that we would lose the ground element all together. BJJ/Judo/Wrestling etc. are amazing arts that are generally frowned upon by the moronic public who are so eager for a "stand-up". The only good that could possibly become of the sport becoming that big would be the fact that maybe fighters could finally be paid what they are worth. Just my 2 cents

[WARMachine]

Just the amount of douchebags walking around in TapOut and Affliction gear should tell you how popular the UFC has become. I say "UFC" because most don't are brainwashed to believe that the UFC is the sport of MMA in which it is NOT.

Everyone is a "fighter" or "i'm training MMA"....it's ridiculous. I never mention I have anything to do with training or MMA around most people. I don't have the mentality that I need to let everyone think I am some fighter or something. Fighting is one of the hardest jobs in the world and I would hate to be a wannabe poser.

I'm no fighter, i'm a complete *****! At least I admit it.


I like that it has grown, but there should be no secret as to why EliteXC went under, they were being run into the ground by that fat ****ing snake Gary Shaw, who is a BOXING promoter. He was in MMA to grab as much cash as possible and get the **** out. He was horrible for the sport, do some reading on the business practices of EliteXC and you will quickly understand why they went under.

TJ Thompson said it best, they had people in key positions that didn't have a ****ing clue about MMA.

Agreed 100%

Im so tired of it...

Especially here guys, keep in mind im in So. Cal. Which is like the Mecca of MMA wanna-bes.

Nothing wrong with being fans of the sport. Thats what makes growth possible.

Im just as tired of it as Ninja is...

The amount of people who "train" or even worse, claim to "fight" MMA, has been amazing.

I cannot take it anymore. Thank god im well known in my area or surely i would smack the piss outta 100's of people daily.

btw, check out my new thread, you guys'll love it!

[WARMachine]

I am not even certain that it is the fasterst growing sport at the moment but it has risen from the depths of where it was 5 years ago. I am still trying to figure out if its a good thing that the common fan refers to everything as "UFC". Even back when Pride was around it always cracked me up to listen to people refer to it as UFC and talk about how superior the UFC was in comparison.

This lack of knowledge is what I find so annoying. I honestly hope that the UFC never does eclipse MLB or the NBA. I think we will stuck with a watered down version of the sport that we all love. Think about it, the average fan is a dumb ****. All they want to see is looping overhand rights. I think that we would lose the ground element all together. BJJ/Judo/Wrestling etc. are amazing arts that are generally frowned upon by the moronic public who are so eager for a "stand-up". The only good that could possibly become of the sport becoming that big would be the fact that maybe fighters could finally be paid what they are worth. Just my 2 cents

You dont have to worry about me bro!

Ill never stop taking fights to the ground. Granted i want to stand up and KO dudes too, but the GG is SO looked down upon by these "casual" fans.

Its just sickening to hear them boo...

[madmancman]

i hate to hear people boo at events.

it is always som big fat c*&K that starts it. they never tryd to even stand up and have a fight let alone get in a ring or cage.

[Brown Ninja]

I agree with you both. My dream job is with the UFC and I make 6 figures by just attending every event and everytime I hear someone boo I wade thru the crowd and then drag them down to the cage and have them fight the fighter they were booing. Hell Mr. Arlovski this is Jim Fat F**K, he drives truck for a living and thinks that you are a *****.....

[BG]

I agree with you both. My dream job is with the UFC and I make 6 figures by just attending every event and everytime I hear someone boo I wade thru the crowd and then drag them down to the cage and have them fight the fighter they were booing. Hell Mr. Arlovski this is Jim Fat F**K, he drives truck for a living and thinks that you are a *****.....

hahahahahahaha great post !!!!!

[ectomorph28]

Unfortunatley, to your casual fan, UFC=MMA. The Fertittas said something along the lines of the UFC is popular NOT MMA. I disagree, but he has a point.

The UFC has some great fighters but not all of them. And the UFC has done a great job of creating the perception that their fighters are the best in the world when in reality most of them arent.

[KAEW44]

Yes it is UFC that is the fastest growing event in the world...NOT MMA!'
I personally was a big fan of Pride and still beleive that even the average Pride cards were better than the best UFC cards, but no point in whining about that, MMA is losing popularity in Japan after Pride went down, and the other events that took its place (Dream,Sengoku,WVR) although they have good matchups at times and also they have some top fighters, but they are all complaining about low ratings, MMA just declined there after Pride, and K-1 standup is the big deal there now which bought a rise to Muay Thai tourism in Thailand and Holland and the whole business of "Muay Thai Camps".

Art of War was a lame attempt to bring MMA to china and the event no longer can continue because the Chinese mainstream never accepted MMA.

The truth is MMA is declining and countries around the world are accepting it less and less.

However the UFC is forcing its growth by presenting itself as an A-level entertainment event, that is why they managed to walk into England and now Japan/Dubai and many others coming soon too. They are not focusing on attracting MMA fans, they are focusing on attracting fans of events in general.

Dubai was a shock to me because the Abu Dhabi sheikh next door was pretty much out of the event promoting since the old school ADCC events, and i personally know of many attempts from everyday people to big time international mobs that tried to get that Sheikh to help them open a door into Dubai's entertainment industry to promote fight events, and they were all shut down! But then Lorenzo flies into Abu Dhabi in his private jet and sais "whats up billionaire?" and suddenly the sheikh gets them a tv deal and they are in Dubai to make their event.

Like i said Dubai isnt by any means a large MMA community or fan base, but it is a HUGE entertainment city which can sell out any event, even if it is retarded kids playing musical chairs on stage, they can sell 50,000 tickets!!

UFC is going to be the biggest event in the world in the next 5 years, and the prestige the UFC brand name will carry is what will be impossible to match by other promotions, UFC will be the only A-level event.

[Brown Ninja]

^^^^Lofty expectations but still far from realistic in my eyes. The UFC is still gain groudn especially by opening up new markets but I honestly feel like they are grwoing a tab stagnant. Every company needs major star power and I feel as if the UFC is slowly losing that. A. Silva is 18 months away from retiring, Chuck is old and a shell of what he once was, Nog is amazing but the casual fan does not recognize his brilliance, Randy has two fights left. I think that the UFC is coming to a cross roads and if they don't step it up and start putting out better overall events and building up future stars they are going to lose the strangle hold that they have worked so hard to obtain.

[BG]

You hit the nail on the head. Hence the Tuff show, they are trying to produce up and coming stars, thats why they let the assholes on there. Like you said, they need to fatten up the cards, they can, they just dont want to spend the money I guess. Theres so many fights that should have happened already......and some that should'nt have.

[Brown Ninja]

I feel you for sure. It feels as if they are scared to bust their wad. Like if they do one huge card then the company will fold. I get that every card cannot look like Pride's Grand Prix but how many times do I have to see Pete Sell fight? I mean Drew Mcfedries can bomb but his ground game is worse than mine. Either way I think they have a good chance to redeem themselves with these next two cards. They look stacked so far.