Why Does It Take UFC Fighters So Long To Learn The Promotion Side Of The Business?

[The guest]

I thought it was the UFC’s job to promote its
fighters?

Unless you’re a shit talking douchebag. The UFC doesn’t want to know you. Even if you’re a champion. And imo, they actively work against certain fighters ever becoming the champion ( ie...Maia ).

If the UFC put a push behind certain fighters ( including certain current champions ). They could surely become popular, and a ppv draw. But, the UFC makes their decisions based on complete bullshit. It’s all about Dana.

How does Dana talk shit about GSP when he took his hiatus ? Then apparently keep him out much longer than GSP actually intended ( up to two yrs longer ). Then he beats Bisping. Dana, and anybody not a complete douchebag hailed him as the Undisputed GOAT. Dana blubbering about how huge the numbers in Canada were ( Record numbers apparently ). Wanted GSP’s first defence at Skydome.

GSP was having health problems. And, decided to vacate. So, Dana is back to shit talking about him.

Or, how does Dana actually PLAN, and WANT a champion ( former at the time ) to move DOWN. To fight a champion on the cusp of a GOATish record ?

Then cowardly fighter gets the belt back. And, they’re still pushing for an actual CHAMPION to move DOWN, to challenge. Dana would NEVER have suggested, or allowed that bullshit, just a few short yrs ago.

And, the fans would have turned so badly against such blatant cowardice. That the fighter would have ended up being cut.

If you’re on Dana’s good side. He’ll give you all the promotion the UFC can muster.

But, unless you’re a shit talking douchebag. The UFC isn’t going to promote you... PERIOD.

 

[209NickDiaz]

They need to hire Paul Hayman "My client Brock Lesnar..." That worked out great for Brock

Oh wait, that's WWE, but TS doesn't care

 

[Blackjack]

They need to hire Paul Hayman "My client Brock Lesnar..." That worked out great for Brock

Oh wait, that's WWE, but TS doesn't care

I think you're referring to Paul Heyman. I hope you don't think he's the first or only example of someone successfully being used to act as a mouthpiece for a guy who has limited speaking ability. It did work great for Brock and no, I don't care that is in WWE because whether we're talking about a pro wrestler or a UFC fighter, they are paid on how many people they can get to pay to see them in the ring or in The Octagon.

Whichever arena it is, the objective is to find a way to get people to care whether you win or lose. Make the people like you so much that they pay to see you hopefully win, or make them hate you enough that they will pay to see you hopefully lose. That's not that hard of a concept to understand is it? Yet if you were to randomly name ten UFC fighters, chances are that most people don't either like them a lot or hate them. That's indifference and it's the kiss of death for a career whether it's a UFC career or a pro wrestling career.

 

[BabyBlue_Bomber]

They need to hire Paul Hayman "My client Brock Lesnar..." That worked out great for Brock

Oh wait, that's WWE, but TS doesn't care

I think this perfectly illustrates the point that not every person is good at promoting themselves. Even Brock Lesnar sucks at it and he's been in the business for over a decade.

Luckily he has Paul Heyman as a mouthpiece to cut all his promo's for him.

We've all seen the cringey Rothwell, Buentello, Romero, etc. Post/Pre fight interviews. It's definitely something that some fighters have and some don't.

The UFC SHOULD be promoting their fighters, but they usually only really promote fighters that they KNOW will benefit the company, or put butts in seats.

 

[Congo66]

The fighters promoting themselves works to an extent if the fighter isn't that good or if that's their natural persona, trying to fake it just looks terrible.

The Klitschkos seemed to do just fine and so is Anthony Joshua without doing all the WWE bullshit.
GSP, Chuck, Anderson, Hughes, Aldo didn't really bother with all that bollocks either.

 

[Cheapshart]

I thought it was the UFC’s job to promote its fighters?

No. It's the UFC's job to promote its events. All they can realistically do is say, "Hey, Consumers, look at these fighters!"

It's up to the fighters themselves to be interesting and engaging enough to actually benefit from that spotlight. To inspire people to care about them and invest in their fortunes.

If the UFC had the power to create McGregors and Rouseys themselves there would be a lot more of them.

 

[RogerD]

lol promotional skills has sooo much to do with interpersonal skills, being a yappy extrovert, full of quick wit.. are those traits normally associated with fighters accustomed to proving their worth through physical means.. give me a break. most of them are real fighters that just rise to the top cause they beat other fighters.

 

[Blackjack]

lol promotional skills has sooo much to do with interpersonal skills, being a yappy extrovert, full of quick wit.. are those traits normally associated with fighters accustomed to proving their worth through physical means.. give me a break. most of them are real fighters that just rise to the top cause they beat other fighters.

That just supports the point i made in the OP that there are fighters who need managers because they aren't good talkers and can't connect with the audience on their own without a manager whose job is to be their mouthpiece. Someone might be a great fighter but if he can't get the fans interested in whether he wins or loses because they don't feel strongly (either like or dislike) about the fighter, then why would they pay to see if they win or lose?

If a manager is needed to help get the fans to either like the fighter so much they'll pay to hopefully see him win, hate the fighter so much they'll pay to hopefully see him get beat, then why wouldn't the fighter get a manager? These fighters aren't paid on how well they fight; they're paid on how many fans they get to come to the arena to see them fight or to buy the PPV.. The more fans you draw, the more money you make. If you need a manager to help draw fans why wouldn't you get one?

 

[smiles mma]

Yeah, it's hard to understand a lot of things looking in from the outside. In theory everyone wants to be Dwayne Johnson, and if it was easy they would be. After you follow the sport for a little while you'll see the guys that try to force themselves to be "marketable", the greatest legends didn't have to talk shit, they won fight. Silva, Aldo, Edgar, gsp, Liddell couture ect

 

[Fyreborn]

Managers? WTF? This isn’t WWE.

Managers acting as mouthpieces for fighters would not fly in MMA.

Fact is, not everyone can be charismatic, or have an exciting style. That’s just reality. Not everyone is “special”, whatever elementary school tries to teach you.

 

[whougonnacall]

I thought it was the UFC’s job to promote its fighters?

This
They take the lions share for their part of the bargain and they actualy suck at it!

 

[Blackjack]

Yeah, it's hard to understand a lot of things looking in from the outside. In theory everyone wants to be Dwayne Johnson, and if it was easy they would be. After you follow the sport for a little while you'll see the guys that try to force themselves to be "marketable", the greatest legends didn't have to talk shit, they won fight. Silva, Aldo, Edgar, gsp, Liddell couture ect

"Talking shit" is just one way to market yourself and it happens to be the least creative way to do it, which explains why it's used so much that the less educated fans think that being good in interviews and getting a reaction from the fans equals "talking shit."

If you want to be hated, and your strategy is to get people to hate you so much that they'll pay to hopefully see your opponent kick your ass, then "talking shit" and "trash talk" can be a very effective way to accomplish that. But if you're a likable person and can get that cross to the fans whether on your own or with the help of a manager who acts as your mouthpiece, then insulting fighters and the countries they come from isn't anything at all like the approach you would take. Instead you'd talk about your life while telling stories that are interesting and get people to like and respect you, talk about the fans and how much you appreciate their support, etc. That doesn't require any "shit talking" but again, UFC fighters and even a lot of the fans are so ignorant on the different ways of self promotion that they just equate self promotion with "talking shit." It's just pathetic that the amount of knowledge of so many MMA fighters an fans regarding self promotion starts and ends there.

 

[Blackjack]

Managers? WTF? This isn’t WWE.

Managers acting as mouthpieces for fighters would not fly in MMA.

Fact is, not everyone can be charismatic, or have an exciting style. That’s just reality. Not everyone is “special”, whatever elementary school tries to teach you.

What data do you have to back up your claim that it wouldn't work in MMA? The objective is to get a fighter over with the fans so that more fans pay to see him fight and the more money the fighter draws, the more money he makes! If a fighter with a manger can do that better than a fighter can by himself in some cases, what are you claiming is the problem with that? Is it because the idea originally started in The NWA? You do know that Ali patterned his interview style after the pro wrestler Gorgeous George, right? Fortunately Ali didn't have the unsupported, unfounded belief that "what works in pro wrestling won't fly in MMA."

Managers acting as mouthpieces for wrestlers or other athletes isn't an idea that began in WWE. In fact I think WWE only use it for one guy - Brock Lesnar. The practice of using managers for people who din't have the gift of gab began many years before there even was a WWE and over 50 years or more, it's been a time tested, time proven successful way to promote athletes.

 

[HelloJapan]

Promoters promote, fighters fight...not the hardest concept to grasp. Not only does The UFC make the bulk of the profits, they now want fighters to do the bulk of the work.

 

[Blackjack]

Promoters promote, fighters fight...not the hardest concept to grasp. Not only does The UFC make the bulk of the profits, they now want fighters to do the bulk of the work.

Anytime a fighter gives an interview or a press conference he is self promoting. The UFC provides the medium for the fighters to get their message across. The fighters and/or their managers use the medium provided by The UFC to promote themselves. That's a simple concept to grasp, isn't it?

What is your ideal - no more fighter interviews and no more press conferences where the fighters answer questions? Muhammad Ali was master self promoter and he's known as the greatest boxer of all time. he didn't whine about the boxing promotion not doing everything for him - he was glad of it because they wouldn't have known how to promote Ali as well as Ali did!

 

[wtkace**]

TS......don't try to hide the fact that you are clearly Conor's fan who trying to pump in the same mind set into everyone else...,

 

[Oeshon]

I thought it was the UFC’s job to promote its fighters?

If you think this as a pro fighter then you will never be a superstar

 

[Gangsters_Paradise]

Fedor never had to do any promoting and everyone wanted to watch him fight because his fights were always amazing to watch. Conor started the whole promotion thing and ever since then it's one cringe act after the other

 

[Blackjack]

TS......don't try to hide the fact that you are clearly Conor's fan who trying to pump in the same mind set into everyone else...,

I don't have to hide that so called "fact" because I've only bought 3 PPVs with McGregor I bought the two McGregor - Diaz fights and one other I don't even remember well. The UFC is so far behind in the art or promotion that they seem to think "talking shit" is the only way to become a "star." "Talking shit" is the most crude and least creative way of self promotion.. There are so many other ways to get yourself over with the fans but the vast majority of UFC fighters just don't have a clue as to what that would be.

Why not learn from the legends? Have them learn from watching interviews and promos from Rhodes, Mulligan, Piper, Jake Roberts, The Road Warriors with Paul Ellering, Terry Funk, Jerry Lawler, Raven, Shane Douglas, Nick Bockwinkle, Ole Anderson, Harley Race, etc.

 

[Blackjack]

Fedor never had to do any promoting and everyone wanted to watch him fight because his fights were always amazing to watch. Conor started the whole promotion thing and ever since then it's one cringe act after the other

That works in Asia and to an extent, Europe. Have you ever wondered why Fedor is virtually unknown in North America? It's because he never fought here in The UFC and because he had the personality of a head of cabbage. People here want to like the fighters they pay to see. Why should they pay hundreds of dollars to see a guy who they don't like because he has no personality or charisma? He couldn't make American fans love him or even like him a lot. If you don't really like a fighter very much, why would him winning a fight matter enough for you to want to pay a lot of money to see it happen?

Even Fedor's eyes looked dead. Americans like warm people with soul and heart - not cold emotionless, dead-eyed people.