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Printer-Friendly ModeLessons for the UFC to learn
June 25, 2007 —
The sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) has reached the point of no return: it has officially gone mainstream. And it's flagship product, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), is driving this growth. But as the cliche goes: with great power, comes luxury vodkas. Or something like that.
The UFC's owners, casino magnates Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta, probably love luxury vodka. But they also love MMA. With their purchase of rival promoter Dream Stage Entertainment (which was a big deal in MMA - imagine if Microsoft bought Google, and what that would do in the computer industry) they have created the world's most compelling MMA promoter, and possibly the world's most interesting sporting event, period.
But this scenario, long a fantasy for the sport's avid followers, is not without its risks. The UFC's management must realize that as the world's premier MMA organization, they must treat the sport as well as the sport as treated them. A little vague, I know, so I'll itemize:
Issue numero one: pay the fighters better. This, quite simply, is non-negotiable. As the sport has exploded, the quality of athletes as increased on an exponential curve. This means that it is more dangerous than ever to step into the cage. The sport is no longer dominated by a handful of elite superstars, as it has been for a long time, and the pay scale that favored those superstars is no longer adequate. If you do not pay fighters a decent wage, you will not get decent fighters. If you do not employ decent fighters, you will not televise decent fights. If you do not televise decent fights, you will not draw decent ratings. The UFC needs to loosen its considerably thick pocketbook, or the sport could stall out just as it is kicking into overdrive.
The second issue: make it legal. First and foremost, cooperate with sanctioning bodies. And it needs to be fast, fast, fast. Mark Ratner, the UFC's lobbyist (for lack of a better word) in government has a tough job, but an important one: get mixed martial arts sanctioned in every U.S. state. Legislators will warm quickly to the fact that UFC events in their home states often generate revenue in a hurry. Hotels, restaurants, taxes on admissions tickets - everyone likes having the UFC in town.
The third issue: don't doubt the sport's potential. This is a marekting issue, more than anything else. Since the UFC's inception, it has been marketed almost exclusively to young white males. If you doubt me, just check out the ads during a SpikeTV showing or even the pay-per-views. All this is not necessary - the sport's primary appeal has nothing to do with the thuggish, toughguy attitude that the UFC has tried to sell. That's a bunch of bullshit, to which Amp'd Mobile's botched marketing campaign aptly attests to (the company recently filed Chapter 11).
The sport's primary appeal is in its competition and its personalities, like any other sport. The UFC needs to realize the virtually infinite appeal to anyone of competition in its purest form: one on one, hand-to-hand combat. Thus far, it has managed to capitalize on the attractiveness of the sport's premise to young dudes, but anyone can love this sport. Just give it time.