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

[Mad Dollar]

No, The UFC promotes the events and he fighters and/or their managers do the talking. Are you suggesting that the fighters stop talking since it's not up to them to promote themselves? Can you name a successful wrestling or fighting promotion that doesn't have the athletes and/or the managers of he athletes do any talking to promote themselves..

I definitely don't think that the fighters should stop talking, but what I meant was that for the fighters to become superstars they need that promotional push from the UFC

 

[Zangief HW GOAT]

Charisma and self promotion is harder than it sounds. Most of the time, when a fighter tries to do that, they sound like assholes.


I'm happy to see that some fighters are self promoting themselves as 'not shit talkers', like Rose, Miocic, Maia, Whitaker and Holloway (who had his share of failed attempts on self promotion before). Maybe it's bad for them initially, but I believe it's better for their careers to stay true to themselves, as nobody likes a fake.

 

[Robbie b]

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

Exactly. I actually miss the days of the fighters being respectful outside of the cage and then trying to kill each other in it. If they are good fighters it should be easy to promote. All the fighters trying to fake it to be like Conor is just irritating to me. Let the ufc go back to the best fighting the best. Not who can talk the best. I have been greatly entertained by Conor because he is a unique individual but fighters trying to follow his example to me just come off as fake and irritating.

 

[Jackonfire]

Uh, The UFC is the promotion side of the business. They aren't a league. They are a promotional company. Their main job is to promote.

 

[209NickDiaz]

Exactly. I actually miss the days of the fighters being respectful outside of the cage and then trying to kill each other in it. If they are good fighters it should be easy to promote. All the fighters trying to fake it to be like Conor is just irritating to me. Let the ufc go back to the best fighting the best. Not who can talk the best. I have been greatly entertained by Conor because he is a unique individual but fighters trying to follow his example to me just come off as fake and irritating.

Yeah... Way too many fighters tried to be like Conor, but in reality, Conor copied Nick Diaz, he just exaggerated Nick Diazs talking....

One thing to remember is that the Diaz brothers are always real, no fake shit, that's why they are unique, other fake copycats came off as cringe worthy...

Remember back in the days, when JBJ tried to act like a good guy? "Go get some fans"? U can clearly tell that's not him, I used to dislike his fakeass personality, it's not until his fight with DC he started to embrace his heel role...

My point is that fraud between fighters needs to be real, like Dom and Faber, Chuck and Tito, Wand vs Rampage, too many people copied Conor that they tried to start fake fraud on Twitter and shit.... That's just lame

 

[20falarVerdades]

They don't understand capitalism

 

[209NickDiaz]

Are you serious that a fighter who doesn't have the gift of gab shouldn't be allowed to hire a manager to assist him in his promos and interviews so that he can start to draw more people and make more money?

Assist with promos sure, but doing interviews for him, that's too much, I would still prefer fighters doing their own interviews... But they need to think about their answers, too many fighters when asked what's next, they always says up to the UFC, which is boring, but the matchmaker of the UFC could have told them if u win call out XXX, at least that would give fans something to talk about, preparing fighters for some specific questions is what UFC should do, but not answering it for them

 

[Ozze]

Last time two heavyweights who didn't like to do media tried to do promotion:

 

[Blackjack]

Assist with promos sure, but doing interviews for him, that's too much, I would still prefer fighters doing their own interviews... But they need to think about their answers, too many fighters when asked what's next, they always says up to the UFC, which is boring, but the matchmaker of the UFC could have told them if u win call out XXX, at least that would give fans something to talk about, preparing fighters for some specific questions is what UFC should do, but not answering it for them

Hey 209NickDiaz, I think when you wrote: "Assist with promos sure, but doing interviews for him, that's too much...." you suggested a compromise of sorts between what I was suggesting and on the other extreme, the people here who were saying "Absolutely not" to any form of assistance for fighters who weren't born with the gift of gab. I think your compromise is not only realistic and practical but badly needed by fighters who have the physical tools to be a star but not the charisma or a personality to reach the income level they deserve and could make the difference in some cases between a fighter getting a title shot soon and having to wait an unfairly long amount of time.

This s the typeof thing that rarely happens on Sherdog but when it does, when two guys can each accept a solution to a problem that is neither one's favorite answer, but is still acceptable to both of them, it's quite rewarding. I only wish that this meant at least a few fighters in The UFC were about to give managers who "assist them with promos" a try starting right now!

 

[kflo]

Uh, The UFC is the promotion side of the business. They aren't a league. They are a promotional company. Their main job is to promote.

And it’s proven over and over they can provide the forum but they don’t create stars. Stars emerge.

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

If you want interviews and characters and angles, watch WWE.

 

[Typrune Goatley]

 

[Apollo33]

It is. And to do that job properly they need help from the individual athletes they are promoting. This is why in more established sports interaction with the media is strictly mandated. Marshawn Lynch was famously fined $100K for failing to talk to the media. It doesn't mean they have to go all WWE. But media work is part of the the job description of pro athletes.

edit:


The NFL rode Marshawn hard until he started showing up for media events.

literally apples to oranges, NFL rode Marshawn hard because he was not showing up at all to media stuff. They don't give a shit if the players promote themselves or not, they just have to show up and sit there. They can say no to all the questions if they want, but they have to be there.

This thread isn't about mandatory media appearances, UFC athletes are pretty good at showing up at pre and post fight media appearances. OP is talking about them having to an act like a fucking fool because somehow that's part of the job which clearly isn't.

 

[Jorge Luis Borges]

literally apples to oranges, NFL rode Marshawn hard because he was not showing up at all to media stuff. They don't give a shit if the players promote themselves or not, they just have to show up and sit there. They can say no to all the questions if they want, but they have to be there.

This thread isn't about mandatory media appearances, UFC athletes are pretty good at showing up at pre and post fight media appearances. OP is talking about them having to an act like a fucking fool because somehow that's part of the job which clearly isn't.

It is not apples to oranges at all. The NFL fully appreciates the need to promote star players and this is why they mandate media sessions. While it is possible to sit and say no to every question, very few athletes do so because they also see the need for promotion and understand that fan involvement through the media is a critical part of why they are paid the way they are. The NFL doesn't even wait for guys to shower up and come to the post-game press conference. They send reporters into the locker room while the athletes are showering and getting dressed, because media interaction with the athletes is so critical.

Where the NFL and MMA are different is that self-promotion is far more important in an individual sport than in team sports that can play on regional loyalties.

 

[Darth_Inv1ctu5]

Thing is talking doesn't matter when you are taking the life and soul out of people...

Which is exactly what N'gannou is doing.

Motherfucker is highlight reel heaven.

For every ome N'gannou you have 40 middling or slightly-above-average fighters who could use a well-honed promotion game to elevate their case with UFC...

If you can't wreck people, you need to bridge the gap between performance and fandom by becoming likeable, hated or at least talked about frequently. I'm not saying that's how it should be, merely how it be.

 

[NotSurprised]

It is. And to do that job properly they need help from the individual athletes they are promoting. This is why in more established sports interaction with the media is strictly mandated. Marshawn Lynch was famously fined $100K for failing to talk to the media. It doesn't mean they have to go all WWE. But media work is part of the the job description of pro athletes.

edit:


The NFL rode Marshawn hard until he started showing up for media events.

And he still didn’t say shit lol. Lynch built a brand on hating the media and it worked.

 

[NotSurprised]

In the area of promotion MMA fighters need to think like boxers. MMA has long prided itself on being “real” and “pure” and “talking in the cage not on the mic”. The fighters have to realize that mindset is bullshit and the UFC doesn’t care about promoting them.

 

[NotSurprised]

The UFC used to have a mentality of “just do your job, win and you will be rewarded”. That mindset was bullshit then and it’s proven bullshit now. Fighters need to look out for themselves at all times. Put themselves first before the company and do what is smart for them. That’s how you make money.

 

[quantiqus]

Miocic doesn't care about this and Ngannou makes Woodley look interesting.
You can say the same thing about Whitaker or Ortega.

There are 4 kinds of fighters:

- fighters that can trash talk and they can be funny while doing it.
Examples: McGregor, Bisping, Kevin Lee, Chael Sonnen

- fighters that are terrible at trash talking and they look desperate and jealous while doing it
Examples: Joanna, Colby, Cormier, Rockhold

- fighters that realize they are not good at trash talking so they stay quiet and do the talking in the octagon
Examples: Stipe, Ortega, Whitaker, GSP


- fighters that look completely retarded while trash talking. Tourette & Down syndrome combined
Examples: Mike Perry (no offense, Platinum Nation, you are the best, nobody wants to mess with you)
This is not fighter bashing, by the way. You can give me an infraction, dear admins, but this is reality. If you had a child who would do this in society, you would consider him severely retarded and would want qualified help for him: psychiatrist, doctors, tests, maybe some hidden tumor.

 

[High Altitude]

Wow this is the most stupid shit i have read here, fuck no, who is so pathetic to want to hear some imbecile goofs talking out of their asses in other people name?

Smh this is the fight game, if there some casuals who doesn't care about a great HW fight just because they won't be doing stupid trash talking, so be it, at the end of the day this is a combat sport and no FIGHTER should be really taking the promotional thing to serious, that's just a minor part of the business, look to Chase Sherman, guy has a great social media management and thousand of followers, probably more than half of the top 15 HW, but that won't get him anywhere if he can't win fights.

Of course you have to win but the difference between not promoting yourself and promoting yourself and making those emotional connections with casuals is the difference between making millions per fight and making 70k/70k.