Can UFC create an actual mega star by their own hands?

[FrankieNYC]

It has to be a COMBO - The fighter PLUS the UFC promoting.

Conor has self-promoted like a bawse, but he has also gotten that push.

Of course
You can't make someone a star that is not doing their part

 

[MEAN357]

What did they do? The only thing I remember is Joe Rogan comparing him to Fedor each fight...



Nowadays? When was it enough?

And social media by itself is not enough as well. Tony Ferguson posts some idiotic and irritating stuff twice a day, does a world care? Accorging to UFC 216, not really.

It was enough back when the sport was about being the best and fighting the best and not whatevers going on now lol. Silva and GSP were big draws (for their time) despite not being in the media at all.

As far as Ferg he just comes across as cringey and unoriginal. Its already the conor shtick other MMA fighters are gonna have a tough time rehashing the same content. Think looks have a lot to do with it. Looking like a hipster douchebag like conor is probably more conducive to attracting an audience. Whereas Ferg looks like a guy who would show up at your house to install gutters or someshit lol. No social media isnt enough by itself you gotta be good too, have the right look, and get the push from UFC .

It's gonna be harder moving ahead for other fighters to check all those boxes, especially now that they can't call out Mayweather to become a household name like Ronda and Conor did. I fully expect to keep seeing UFC brass trying to generate their own stars to no great avail, especially with USADA knocking big names off left n right lol

 

[AimedWithV]

UFC is pretty bad at actually producing any stars that are good fighters. Conor has the gift of gab and has backed it up with exciting fights that are generally stand-up based. He's Chuck Liddell 2.0 for them basically.

I'd say more Anderson Silva due to in-ring psychology, with Chael Sonnen (better!) interview skills.

It stinks they can't take guys already who are skilled fighters but not great at using the mic to become stars.

Couldn't have said it better.

They have so much of the footage already, I don't get why the UFC doesn't borrow some stuff that Pride used to do. Pride promo's for fights were 100x better than any I've seen in the UFC. They usually showed a more human element to each fighter. It gave people a reason to connect and root for the fighter. It wasn't just fighter A saying he's gonna prove he's the best, fighter B saying he's going out there to get the KO, Rogan popping up on the screen talking about how this is an unbelievable fight etc.

Exactly!

I remember then making a big deal from the fight between Aleks E. and Kharitonov.
Two Russians! None of them is Fedor! Yet promos delivered, and the hype was real!

 

[Rittsy]

You know when Conor became the most talked-about fighter in MMA community? Pretty much after his fight with Holloway.
And all the Q&A came after a night with Dublin. World tour, in the point Conor held interim belt, was absolutely a no-brainer to do.

But you're correct in one thing: "eventually" he got UFC backing, this "eventuallly" though happened after he was already literally the most popular mixed martial artist in the scene.

So UFC indeed helped his mainstream case, but Conor did all the big, dirty job for them.
This is not how stars are created.

Yes. That was my point. Fighters and the UFC need to work together in order to create ‘mega stars’.

 

[AimedWithV]

Yes. That was my point. Fighters and the UFC need to work together in order to create ‘mega stars’.

Together how?
What, you actually need to become the most popular fighter in the scene so UFC will start their engines?
No, this way they will not create $hit.

Conor worked too hard. Unproportionally hard. And he's a unique person, a smart businessman.
If UFC relies on other fighters to be like him, their PPV ratings will reach the bottom.

 

[MCS]

No, they need to bring in a fan base. Then the UFC tries to grow that seed. UFC's problem is their inability to help create such a initial fan base, which SF or Pride didn't have.

 

[superpunch]

Yes, by having credibility in all of their titles, contenders, and contenders-running-up statuses, they can make the mega-star the UFC brand.

Contender matches for 155 lb + mens divsions used to sell like 500,000 + PPVs no matter who was fighting when that was the case.

In 2017, no one watched Ferguson vs Lee because, even though it was for an interim title, no one actually 100% believes that the winner is going to get a title shot. The faith in the divisions is questionable and so the UFC product alone doesn't sell.

 

[Rittsy]

Together how?
What, you actually need to become the most popular fighter in the scene so UFC will start their engines?
No, this way they will not create $hit.

Conor worked too hard. Unproportionally hard. And he's a unique person, a smart businessman.
If UFC relies on other fighters to be like him, their PPV ratings will reach the bottom.

They don’t want fighters to be like Conor, they want fighters to resonate with people. You can’t force that. Conor is Conor, and people liked it. GSP was GSP. Jones was not Jones, and never caught on despite alll his in cage achievements and push by the UFC. He needed a rival.

Joanna Champion is a great example of a fighter who wrecks her opponents, is a fan favourite, has gotten a push from the UFC but still hasn’t caught any mainstream appeal. It can’t be forced.

They have 400ish fighters on their roster. It’s hard to choose who to back. If they win they might have zero charisma; they may be charismatic but also be using PEDs; they might be clean and popular but lose the big fights...

There needs to be something there so they take a risk in investing.

 

[AusMMAfan]

I don't know but I think they are need of some new ones right now.

Ronda = Gone
Conor = Paper champ who never fights or defends his belt
JBJ = Train wreck
Brock = Gone
Diaz brothers = Never fight/waiting for payday fights
GSP = Too many hits to the head thinks aliens are manipulating time
Paige/Sage = Didn't make it
Other champs = Not really big PPV sellers

 

[AimedWithV]

Yes, by having credibility in all of their titles, contenders, and contenders-running-up statuses, they can make the mega-star the UFC brand.

Contender matches for 155 lb + mens divsions used to sell like 500,000 + PPVs no matter who was fighting when that was the case.

In 2017, no one watched Ferguson vs Lee because, even though it was for an interim title, no one actually 100% believes that the winner is going to get a title shot. The faith in the divisions is questionable and so the UFC product alone doesn't sell.

They have their undisputed HW champion.

Had Miocic been a star, believe me, the whole UFC/WME brass would've had a huge relief. Already one mega star that they 100% have is better than 4 questionable ones.

 

[AimedWithV]

.

They have 400ish fighters on their roster. It’s hard to choose who to back. If they win they might have zero charisma; they may be charismatic but also be using PEDs; they might be clean and popular but lose the big fights...

There needs to be something there so they take a risk in investing.

This is a great task to a knowledgeable, talented marketing/campaign professional.
Great, but not something that should be impossible to resolve for the time being.

 

[AimedWithV]

I don't know but I think they are need of some new ones right now.

Ronda = Gone
Conor = Paper champ who never fights or defends his belt
JBJ = Train wreck
Brock = Gone
Diaz brothers = Never fight/waiting for payday fights
GSP = Too many hits to the head thinks aliens are manipulating time
Paige/Sage = Didn't make it
Other champs = Not really big PPV sellers

That's exactly what I meant in the OP.

They have a big chance to enter 2018 without any key fighters for ratings...

 

[soulsstealer]

they created dana?

ufcs style has been never to make stars but to make their brand known.

 

[FrankieNYC]

They don’t want fighters to be like Conor, they want fighters to resonate with people. You can’t force that. Conor is Conor, and people liked it. GSP was GSP. Jones was not Jones, and never caught on despite alll his in cage achievements and push by the UFC. He needed a rival.

Joanna Champion is a great example of a fighter who wrecks her opponents, is a fan favourite, has gotten a push from the UFC but still hasn’t caught any mainstream appeal. It can’t be forced.

They have 400ish fighters on their roster. It’s hard to choose who to back. If they win they might have zero charisma; they may be charismatic but also be using PEDs; they might be clean and popular but lose the big fights...

There needs to be something there so they take a risk in investing.

100% this
Vince controls his outcomes with WWE & hasn't created a mega-star since John Cena & that began 12 years ago. The two next biggest stars were Punk & Bryan (outside of Brock who comes & goes) & both of them Vince was against & they got popular on their own.

This idea that it easy is silly.

Now that said, I'm amazed that WME & all their Hollywood connections & power, have not done more to put UFC fighters in mainstream situations.
Kimmel owns a small share & you rarely (if ever) see a fighter on the show.

 

[Rittsy]

This is a great task to a knowledgeable, talented marketing/campaign professional.
Great, but not something that should be impossible to resolve for the time being.

Yes. But you can see what the difficulty is can’t you? It’s not just a matter of give X fighter a World Tour and have them coach TUF.

Can you name a fighter who would appeal to mainstream audiences and isn’t going to lose their next fight?

 

[AusMMAfan]

That's exactly what I meant in the OP.

They have a big chance to enter 2018 without any key fighters for ratings...

Well they think they are a talent agency in which excels at minting stars let's see what they can do in 2018.

I don't they are even interested in MMA to be honest with the quality of cards they are putting on..

 

[ILove4MinutesHyuna]

I'm not sure TS if familiar with the crazy power of the UFC PR machine. Your guy, beginning of the year he tap like chicken, end of the year he fight for the title. Crazy. You know this is true, this is not trash talking.

 

[ortizgnp]

Conor McGregor has done all the PR and marketing work himself.

Please..

 

[AimedWithV]

they created dana?

ufcs style has been never to make stars but to make their brand known.

In this case, the time for them to fail is NOW - when the fighters get an actual self-awareness.

100% this
Vince controls his outcomes with WWE & hasn't created a mega-star since John Cena & that began 12 years ago. The two next biggest stars were Punk & Bryan (outside of Brock who comes & goes) & both of them Vince was against & they got popular on their own.

This idea that it easy is silly.

They created dozens of very popular wrestlers during the end of the 90s.
And some extra, super popular, like Steve Austin and Dwayne The Rock.

1
Now that said, I'm amazed that WME & all their Hollywood connections & power, have not done more to put UFC fighters in mainstream situations.
Kimmel owns a small share & you rarely (if ever) see a fighter on the show.

And they should've started with their less popular champions...

 

[ortizgnp]

McGregor was cruising down the Vegas strip with Dana in a Ferrari when he was 1-0 in the UFC. Of course he has put in a lot of work but the UFC was there from the beginning.