Are Lower weight classes less marketable?

[divljak]

As someone previously mentioned, if you get someone at HW with the mystique of Mike Tyson, in all likely hood they'd outdraw everyone else. Like you said though, there is still room for the smaller guys to be popular, under the current system the odds of that aren't pretty, but they exist.

Light figters are less marketable the HWs, and thats the point of the subject.

I did not say they are not marketable at all.


In fact, when you look at weight divisions, as you go up, fighters became more and more marketable

 

[FinBJJ]

Below LW it seems to get harder.

 

[divljak]

Light figters are less marketable the HWs, and thats the point of the subject.

I did not say they are not marketable at all.


In fact, when you look at weight divisions, as you go up, fighters became more and more marketable

There are exceptions, like BJ Penn is his prime, he was marketable as a light fighter, but, and big but, BJ Penn also professionally fought in higher weight divisions.

He made his goal to prove he can beat bigger guys, and thats what made him popular

 

[Steve08]

Light figters are less marketable the HWs, and thats the point of the subject.

Well, that's true, but only because your average person is an idiot who genuinely believes that "bigger = better" as it is the answer that is easiest and most palatable to their psychology.

People like to get behind a guy who is bigger than them because it makes sense that he could kick their ass. They take comfort in the fact that their Glorious Benefactor is a muscle-bound giant. What they don't like is having to wrestle with the nagging sense of inferiority that stems from considerations of "FUCK, that little guy could kick my ass?!?!".

 

[roller]

There have been HUGE draws at 155 and 170.

It's a persons charisma not weight.

Having said that Heavyweights will always have the potential to be the most marketable in my opinion.

Who has been a HUGE draw at 155? BJ Penn has been the only fighter at 155 or lower to pull any kind of numbers. And even that is debatable considering that he was fighting at both 155 and 170. Not only that but on the cards where BJ did do big numbers very often he was fighting a big name like GSP or Hughes or there was another big fight on the card like Anderson Silva.

 

[Steve08]

There are exceptions, like BJ Penn is his prime, he was marketable as a light fighter, but, and big but, BJ Penn also professionally fought in higher weight divisions.

He made his goal to prove he can beat bigger guys, and thats what made him popular

If that was actually true then he did a pretty shit job of it seeing as how he has precisely two (2) wins at Welterweight.

In reality, BJ Penn was a marketable LW because he was a blood-licking savage with a brash, outspoken personality and he fought like one too.

Taking a big-money rematch with GSP at the height of both their stardom was just the icing on the cake.

 

[Dr Who]

The cage is too big and the refs are too large, it just makes the little guys look ridiculous.

 

[attftl86]

HW is where its at


Low weight classes are like watching 2 mosquitoes buzzing and plinking at each other for 15 mins.


Now...
To save low weight clases we need to give them some weapons, not bladed of course, but stuff like sticks, tonfas, police bats, etc, even make it so like every fighter has its own preferred weapon and style

Right, because watching two unathletic heavyweights that have little technique and gas with 5 min literally, are much better to watch. 85% of the heavyweights are shit athletes, and all they rely on is size. It's embarrassing to watch fat sloppy guys like Soa get on top and punch like a 9 year old girl, but since he weighs 250lbs of 57% body fat, his weight in his punches help him win, because it's damn sure not due to technique in punches or the power in them.

There's 0 HW's that I'd pay to watch before any of the lower weight classes.

P.S. Conor McGregor is the answer to this thread, 145lbs and more people know him that the champ and the number 1-3 contenders. Self promotion plus entertainment goes beyond weight classes

 

[attftl86]

It's still early as well for these classes, give it time.

 

[divljak]

Well, that's true, but only because your average person is an idiot who genuinely believes that "bigger = better" as it is the answer that is easiest and most palatable to their psychology.

People like to get behind a guy who is bigger than them because it makes sense that he could kick their ass. They take comfort in the fact that their Glorious Benefactor is a muscle-bound giant. What they don't like is having to wrestle with the nagging sense of inferiority that stems from considerations of "FUCK, that little guy could kick my ass?!?!".

you are completley wrong of course.


When anderson dominated MW, everybody was callig him out to go up in weight class, and why is that.
Why they didnt suggest lower weight class for him, being so skillful.



Why did for instance Randy Courture dropped to LHW?

Because he couldnt stand with HW any more.


HW are best of the best, end of story, and that is why they are most marketable, and with every weight div. down there is less and less prestige

 

[kwd1253]

Ufc and fighter don't really market themselves right at all. There is a lot of reason why the 125-145 champs not doing good at ppv buys. Yes most like heavier weight class but that kind of bs too. Because Ronda is a 135 and she getting a lot of market publicity and selling ok ppv 350k-600k buys.

I think what really kills must fighter ppv sells is the ufc. The ufc charge a % of sponsors ship. Then that kind hurts the fighters to get really good deals get out there and do really good marketing to me. I don't think the ufc wants none of their fighter to make that mayweather money, they would tell Dana and the fuck off and go some where else to fight and still sell 1-1.5mill ppv buys.

I think that is what hurting the lower weight classes to me. Not getting really good marketing time. And your opponent has really good marketing too. You can't say this have just one person in that weight class getting all the marketing. If no one really knows the champs opponent, the champ not goin have great ppv buys.

I don't know the buys for barao vs dillashaw but how can you market that fight really win a guy is -800 underdog. But if was Cruz vs barao it would have double the buys.

Then some champs fight to much in one year. Two fights a year is good enough for a champ. You got the time to sell both fighters get out there market the fight. You can't train for 2 mths and have 2 weeks to 1 mth to sell the fights.

If there a guy coming up say someone like Dillashaw. Ufc and barao both should been promoting Dillashaw 3 fights before they fought. It gives a lot hype behind it to sell. Not say Dillashaw is -800 underdog. It would been a lot closer to a -250 and more people would have bought the card. Know one really wants to buy a card when the champ should blow him out the water in the first round.

But that just me tho


Sorry for typos I hate using my phone to post on here

 

[Zarathustra]

No, but the UFC treats them like they are, which becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

 

[Deleted member 245586]

Yes it is. And I know people will immediately bring boxing, but these are two different sports. Women in MMA are very popular, no one gives a shit about women in boxing. Lower weightclasses in boxing are popular, no one gives a shit about lover weightclasses in MMA.

Do you really believe that?

 

[roller]

Ufc and fighter don't really market themselves right at all. There is a lot of reason why the 125-145 champs not doing good at ppv buys. Yes most like heavier weight class but that kind of bs too. Because Ronda is a 135 and she getting a lot of market publicity and selling ok ppv 350k-600k buys.

I think what really kills must fighter ppv sells is the ufc. The ufc charge a % of sponsors ship. Then that kind hurts the fighters to get really good deals get out there and do really good marketing to me. I don't think the ufc wants none of their fighter to make that mayweather money, they would tell Dana and the fuck off and go some where else to fight and still sell 1-1.5mill ppv buys.

I think that is what hurting the lower weight classes to me. Not getting really good marketing time. And your opponent has really good marketing too. You can't say this have just one person in that weight class getting all the marketing. If no one really knows the champs opponent, the champ not goin have great ppv buys.

I don't know the buys for barao vs dillashaw but how can you market that fight really win a guy is -800 underdog. But if was Cruz vs barao it would have double the buys.

Then some champs fight to much in one year. Two fights a year is good enough for a champ. You got the time to sell both fighters get out there market the fight. You can't train for 2 mths and have 2 weeks to 1 mth to sell the fights.

If there a guy coming up say someone like Dillashaw. Ufc and barao both should been promoting Dillashaw 3 fights before they fought. It gives a lot hype behind it to sell. Not say Dillashaw is -800 underdog. It would been a lot closer to a -250 and more people would have bought the card. Know one really wants to buy a card when the champ should blow him out the water in the first round.

But that just me tho


Sorry for typos I hate using my phone to post on here

So every other thread on here says they don't fight enough and here you say they fight too much.... How many champions currently in the UFC fight more than 2 times a year on average? Not many.

The UFC should have been promoting that fight for 3 previous events? Or for 3 previous fights for each fighter?

Because Dillashaw lost in October 2013 and then fought for the championship in May 2014.... In 7 months he went from losing a fight to fighting for the title.

And besides Dillashaw was a replacement. It was supposed to be Barao vs Raphael Assuncao.

 

[CrimsonFan]

People don't give a shit about WMMA either, they just care about rousey.

Carano was pretty big too..

The idea of a dominant, hot women cage fighting gets peoples attention.


The lower weight classes just arent developed enough yet

 

[roller]

Its the culture. Plain and simple.

In boxing its always touted as being "the great art" and about skill. Thats why the smaller fighters can pull in numbers. The boxing fans are looking for a great fight between skilled opponents.

Look at the UFC and go back to when Zuffa took over.... They have marketed it as being the baddest and the toughest. They have marketed the knockouts. You have Joe Rogan screaming when there are knockouts. You have bonus money going out to guys who finish the fights via submission or knockout.

Then you have guys like BJ Penn and Anderson Silva moving up in weight to take fights and everybody in the organization hyping it up big time. They make such a big deal about guys moving up to fight in weight. What message does that send to the casual fan? That is must be harder to fight at the higher weight classes.

Everybody who knows anything can tell you that the fighters at 125-155 are much more skilled than your average heavyweight. But skill isn't how the UFC has marketed itself unlike Boxing.

 

[divljak]

Its the culture. Plain and simple.

In boxing its always touted as being "the great art" and about skill. Thats why the smaller fighters can pull in numbers. The boxing fans are looking for a great fight between skilled opponents.

Look at the UFC and go back to when Zuffa took over.... They have marketed it as being the baddest and the toughest. They have marketed the knockouts. You have Joe Rogan screaming when there are knockouts. You have bonus money going out to guys who finish the fights via submission or knockout.

Then you have guys like BJ Penn and Anderson Silva moving up in weight to take fights and everybody in the organization hyping it up big time. They make such a big deal about guys moving up to fight in weight. What message does that send to the casual fan? That is must be harder to fight at the higher weight classes.

Everybody who knows anything can tell you that the fighters at 125-155 are much more skilled than your average heavyweight. But skill isn't how the UFC has marketed itself unlike Boxing.

so your point is that smaller guys have more skill?

Dont make me laugh


Only, and only if they beat bigger guys, then they have more skill.

 

[Deleted member 245586]

MMA fans have spokedn TS, just look at the PPV sales, TV ratings, and live gate receipts

 

[welcometohavoc]

Casual fans are inherently ignorant about MMA, it will always just be blood sport to them. They want to see heavy leather, smashed faces, blood etc, and lets face it, those types make up the majority of the UFC/MMA fan demographic.

It's sad that amazing fighters like MM, Barao, TJ, Aldo, Mendes, even the LW division, as stacked as that is, will never been top draws

 

[MilesAbove]

you only see skill in low weight clases because there is no mass behind it.


If you think they are more skilled, you are wrong.

Way to both be wrong and try to move the argument away from the point.

People will watch sloppy big men > talented small men. Regardless of it being daft or not.