Deadspin: Whatever Happened To The UFC?

[Strange King]

A very good article. Ive been feeling this way for the last couple years. More intensely this last year.

http://deadspin.com/whatever-happened-to-the-ufc-1596400838/all

Sorry I didnt see the other article.

Just delete

 

[SnowBlynd]

Not to be that guy but there is an identical thread below this.

 

[mccallievols]

When the sport enjoyed a surge of general interest in the mid- to late aughts, it had to do with compelling athletes and compelling fights. People didn't become fans because of some accidental exposure to the sport, as such; they became fans because they were exposed to rivalries like Chuck Liddell vs. Randy Couture, or because they saw an incredible highlight reel of Anderson Silva knockouts online, or because they heard that pro wrestler Brock Lesnar was going to try his hand at a real fight.

For a lot of reasons—the aging of a generation of stars, the promotion's habit of running down its own fighters, and bad luck, among others—the UFC, even though it runs some great shows from time to time, doesn't have those kinds of broadly compelling athletes or fights on offer right now. What it does have is its #brand, and a Rovellian faith in it—a belief that you can't run too many shows, that fighting is destined to be the biggest sport in the world, and that if you can get people to watch a UFC card, any card, you'll make some new fans.

this is spot on

 

[Unbreakabull]

whatever happened to predictability?

 

[Tankeray]

lol

 

[pointfighter]

Whatever happened to reading the front page?

 

[AmericanMMA]

Not to be that guy but there is an identical thread below this.

I came here to be that guy on purpose. Just to be a dick really. Don't feel bad, you're better than me.

 

[Which Doctor]

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

 

[kurtwpg]

Heh heh. I'm not defending the UFC or taking a side. Merely pointing out some observations of mine. Besides, Dana isn't a news or opinion writer. He's a promoter.

Most promoters don't call themselves "president". Vince McMahon does, I suppose.

 

[Ianstaine]

Imo, its kind of like a grass is greener on the other side kinda thing and then you wake up with a fat girl.. People thought the ufc would be better as a dictatorship to rule all fighters and have the.best fight the best, it just doesn't work to have one big promoter for all fighters and sell out all the events. Guys like Miguel Cotto can lose a few fights and still sell out arenas and draw huge numbers because of promotion and also the many different belts etc... But most of all, the ability to promote themselves.. Its hard to build a fighter to when they lose a title shot.. It will be years for them to get another, and they can't go fight another title fight.with a different promoter or fighter.. Just reading all these replies, figured i could point out the obvious

 

[kurtwpg]

The UFC doesn't focus on politics and fighter pay....sherdog does. If you don't want to focus on that, stop coming here and just watch the fights.

If you don't want to perceive Dana as the main attraction...don't watch scrums.

If all you do is watch main event of a ppv....you won't ever even see dana.

If you watch the prelims you can see his "hype spot" before the ppv starts....but if you're getting overloaded with dana....then you're seeking out videos that he's in.

When the UFC "president" call press conferences to talk about politics and fighter pay, the UFC is focusing on them.

 

[mccallievols]

people can try to deny it all they want, all the numbers point to declining interest in the ufc domestically.

question is what will they do about it? i truly hope that putting on more events is not the only bullet in their chamber.

 

[Which Doctor]

Yeah they can go back to calling things "The War of 04", "Super Saturday", and "Unfinished Business".

Instead of UFC Johnson vs Bagautinov it should have Been UFC 174 "Hyper Drive!"....

I always wondered when they were gonna run out of "XTREME" words.

For the record, I'm not against their expansion. What I am against is the way the PPV's are organized.

 

[Bigj383]

Most promoters don't call themselves "president". Vince McMahon does, I suppose.

Dana was given the title President by the CEO Lorenzo Fertitta. Dana acts as the promoter. He doesn't go around reffering to himself as president that is just his title.

Bob Arum is actually the CEO of top rank boxing so he actually has Lorenzo's position.

 

[Unbreakabull]

Buyrates are low today because stars weren't built properly during the spike years.

So... when is the ufc gonna start figuring out how to build stars?

Maybe they could do the same things that made stars before?

Buyrates are low today because stars weren't built properly during the spike years.

So... when is the ufc gonna start figuring out how to build stars?

Maybe they could do the same things that made stars before?

here u go

 

[ultraninjastar]

What ever happened to C+C Music Factory?

 

[Bigj383]

people can try to deny it all they want, all the numbers point to declining interest in the ufc domestically.

question is what will they do about it? i truly hope that putting on more events is not the only bullet in their chamber.

It has to be more shows with fighters being more active. They are doing the right things with Lawler and Ben Henderson with quick turnaround times. Non Champions should be fighting 4 times a year easy. Prospects should shoot for 6 fights a year.

 

[phatron]

When the UFC "president" call press conferences to talk about politics and fighter pay, the UFC is focusing on them.

but you still don't have to watch the press conference. you could watch the ufc forever and never look at fighter pay and rarely ever see dana. its only a focus to the viewer if he chooses to partake.

 

[theycallitMurda]

What ever happened to John Lennon?

 

[kurtwpg]

The analogy holds via dilution. Mighty mouse may not have been the champ at Bantam, but he was one of the top 10. Now you have flyweight as an option and all the guys who didn't think they have a shot at the bantamweight crown now move down. You've split the talent.

I'm not against the low weight classes, just stating that the analogy holds.

We could look at Kenny Florian as an obvious example. When he came out of TUF, the lowest weight class in the UFC was 170. He was a good 170, a lot of fun to watch, better than a lot of the guys on the roster. Then lightweight was reinstated. Suddenly he, Sean Sherk, Joe Stevenson, Spencer Fisher, and a bunch of others moved down to 155. Suddenly Sherk wasn't just a borderline top 5 guy, he was the best. Kenny was right behind him. A real, genuine force at 155. The 4 guys I just mentioned, and some others, were better than the WW who replaced them in that division, by the simple obvious fact those guys could not get a job while Kenny, Sherk, etc were 170.

Now what about the rest of the LW division. They brought in mostly guys who weren't good enough to get into the UFC at 170. So at 155 they were likely to be what? That's right, not as good as the guys who came down from 170.

Anyhow, I digress. Kenny moves down again, to 145. So now suddenly the 155 division has to replace a force, a perennial elite guy like Kenny Florian, with the best 155 that wasn't good enough for the UFC before.

That said, I am OK with 155, 145, 135. 125 is not necessary. Too small of a talent pool in 2 senses, absorb them into Bantam. The problem with having a 125 pound champion is that you are now trying to promote a 125 pound fight as a worthy main event for a PPV.