Max Holloway is a STAR. He's bringing in the people and the money. Give him what he wants

[JM Barrie]

UFC 231

• Ticket Revenue (live gate): $2,481,552
• Attendance: 19,039

UFC Fight Night 142: Dos Santos VS. Tuivasa

• Ticket Revenue (live gate): $1,400,000
• Attendance: 8,652

The Ultimate Fighter 28 Finale- Dos Anjos VS Usman

• Ticket Revenue (live gate): $204,600
• Attendance: 2,020

UFC Fight Night 140: Magny VS Ponzinibbio

• Attendance: 10,245

UFC Fight Night 139: Korean Zombie VS Rodriguez

• Ticket Revenue (live gate): $946,706
• Attendance: 11,426

UFC 230: Cormier VS Lewis

• Ticket Revenue (live gate): $2,841,718
• Attendance: 17,011

UFC Fight Night 138: Volkan VS Smith

• Ticket Revenue (live gate): $526,741
• Attendance: 6,282

UFC Fight Night 136: Hunt VS Oleinik

• Ticket Revenue (live gate): $1,840,000
• Attendance: 22,603

UFC 228: Woodley VS Till

• Ticket Revenue (live gate): $1,714,556
• Attendance: 14,073

I dont know why Dana has to pick a fight with the fighters.

Max has been asking for a show in Hawaii for years now.
Give Max the ESPN 4 or the ESPN 6.
Have him sell out that stadium in Hawaii.

Aloha Stadium

50,000 capacity



Is Dana afraid of it being outside?
The weather in March is 60's to 80's degree F.

 

[rodn86]

Would be an awesome spectacle. I'm game.

 

[Sapp]

Yes, Dana is scared of it being outside. The weather being 60-80F doesn't mean it wont rain in a tropical climate like Hawaii btw.

I hope they get it done though.

 

[MMA_enthusiast]

Pretty sure the state of Hawaii is the problem for UFC breaking in there, i can’t remember exactly when but Dana W said they have very stringent demands. Here’s hoping the blessed one gets to defend his belt at home.


Edit: Hawaii tourism board shut it down.
From April 2018
https://www.mmamania.com/2018/4/5/1...nt-be-going-hawaii-this-year-anytime-soon-mma

Also sounds like the taxes to host there is super expensive
From 2009: https://www.fiveouncesofpain.com/2009/07/18/ufc-is-headed-to-hawaii/

 

[Mortal Wombat]

Surely tickets would sell out fast in Hawaii. Dont they love MMA there because of Penn?

 

[Pancake Sprawl]

there's a reason they pulled the pro bowl from Hawaii, it's too expensive for not enough pay back. and that's the NFL, one of the richest sports in the world.

the tourism committee wanted a ridiculous amount of money from the UFC to go there, Dana tried before.

the other problem is, Hawaii is an expensive place to come to that is full of people who aren't rich.

how many celebs are actually going to fly to Hawaii to see the fight? zero?

nobody wants to sit in the rain, trust me, i live in Hawaii, we once had 40 DAYS OF NON STOP RAIN.

you know how shitty the fights would be with a cage that is like a giant puddle?

 

[Pancake Sprawl]

Surely tickets would sell out fast in Hawaii. Dont they love MMA there because of Penn?

they love MMA not just because Penn, they love MMA because fighting is part of Hawaii culture.

that's why so many fighters come from Hawaii, most everyone has gotten into at least a few fist fights.

but it wouldn't sell out fast because the tickets will probably be ridiculously priced and Hawaii isn't full of rich people.

 

[Congo66]

you know how shitty the fights would be with a cage that is like a giant puddle?

The last Anthony Joshua fight in London was outside and it was pissing it down.
The ring was completely dry however, there was a cover over it, so that's easier to fix than the other problems.

 

[Mortal Wombat]

they love MMA not just because Penn, they love MMA because fighting is part of Hawaii culture.

that's why so many fighters come from Hawaii, most everyone has gotten into at least a few fist fights.

but it wouldn't sell out fast because the tickets will probably be ridiculously priced and Hawaii isn't full of rich people.

thanks. are you from there?

 

[Pancake Sprawl]

thanks. are you from there?

yes

 

[FrontNakedChoke]

It's crazy how they gave Darren Till UFC Liverpool, but they haven't given Max UFC Hawaii.

 

[sudo uber alles]

I am a huge fan of Max, but he went a year without defending, including two false starts. That literally impacts the bottom line, which is the only thing that Dana cares about. He's a thrilling fighter to watch, he's not hitting pregnant women and running away, attacking buses full of UFC fighters and fucking with other cards, and he's not jumping the cage to attack audience members. He's putting asses in seats.

But he's still not what I would consider reliable. And if it were my company [among many, many sweeping changes I'd make] I'd want rock-solid reliability before I booked in Hawaii, and I wouldn't book an outdoor fight there, regardless. If they did book it, I'd go with a UFN at the Blaisdell center. Even with a weak card, he could sell out a 9k indoor arena. That would be perfect for a defense against Edgar. It's a fight that should happen, but doesn't have the ambient drama that a bigger-name opponent may have, or if Edgar had a hotter streak.

If he defends twice in the next 14 months, I think he'll have a lot more leverage to get what he wants. Even if he defends again within 6 and crushes the weight cut like he did this one, he'll have more traction to get there.