Has fan backlash ever forced UFC to change?

[TerraRayzing]

So the petition to strip Jones of the title got to 100,000 signatures and I don't think that means much, there has been a movement of sorts. Every instagram post or UFC video has a shit ton of comments about stripping Jon Jones.
Has fan backlash ever made UFC think twice tho? I've been watching since 2008 and I can't remember anything tbh. Has it also ever been this widespread?


I'm also curious about whether UFC is feeling a bit of pressure of about this situation or do they don't care at all? What do you guys think?

 

[KungFuCow]

I actually posted in that thread that the next step is to try to get people to boycott 1 PPV. Just one. If fans can drive down PPV buys and attendance in protest of the whole JJ thing, I promise you the situation would be dealt with within days.

Hitting the UFC the only place they care about (their precious money) will get some action.

 

[jsbx45]

So the petition to strip Jones of the title got to 100,000 signatures and I don't think that means much, there has been a movement of sorts. Every instagram post or UFC video has a shit ton of comments about stripping Jon Jones.
Has fan backlash ever made UFC think twice tho? I've been watching since 2008 and I can't remember anything tbh. Has it also ever been this widespread?


I'm also curious about whether UFC is feeling a bit of pressure of about this situation or do they don't care at all? What do you guys think?

Great question. Wish I knew the answer. I don't think that public sentiment about the status of a UFC champ has ever been this strong. Also, I don't think the UFC cares that much about what the fans want.

Personally, I think the UFC is holding the Jones plans close to the chest while they negotiate their next broadcasting contract with the next network. Jones fight gives them some leverage and a contract will guve them cash flow knowledge with which to negotiate with Jones.

Seriously though...Conor, Jones, the UFC brass...they only care about themselves.I wish we as fans had a little clout, but I don't think so. We've strayed so far from "As Real as it Gets". Until sales and ratings tank, the UFc will do as they please.

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

Rich Franklin/Dan Henderson 2 was thankfully cancelled by UFC due to fan backlash, I assume.

 

[Substance Abuse]

 

[RiseAboveHat]

"Does UFC care about it's fans?"

Fixed the title for you, TS. They never have.

 

[Mohawk Banditó]

I think it's entirely possible that it has happened, but it would never be admitted by the UFC, and they'd just say something like that they're just rearranging some cards because a different fight got agreed to, so this person got pulled for this fight, etc etc.

Which fans would typically go "Ok, sure bud, whatever you say" and then not hold onto that info/perception over time, so if we were to retroactively search to remind ourselves, we'll only find the "official" bullshit reason given by the UFC

 

[Neck&Neck]

If it was going to happen it would of been when Dana introduced WMMA to the UFC

 

[europe1]

I actually posted in that thread that the next step is to try to get people to boycott 1 PPV. Just one

Question is: How many of those 100.000 signatures are PPV-buyers in the first place?

Seems that PPV-buyers are more casual, low-information viewers.

The UFC doesn't care about hardcores because its the casuals who are the needle-movers. The hardcores they get "for free".

 

[BangBang]

Tell me you're a newb without telling me you're a newb.

Never thought I'd get to use that line, lol

 

[Daniel Henry]

Ufc has a fight booked at MSG Jons playhouse later this year. They will probably slip Tom another 250k to hold him over n book it then.

 

[Alacran]

Corporations only change when something affects their money.

 

[jeff7b9]

I think there was a Frank Mir vs Brock trilogy fight announced and then they scrapped it.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/534616-brock-lesnar-why-a-third-fight-with-frank-mir-would-be-the-wrong-move

 

[Shaolin Alan]

Dana said he's keeping Frank Shamrock out of UFC Hall of Fame because fans don't want him there.
He also said fans never like Randy Cotoure and that's why he isn't allowed to attend/corner any events.

Source: Stupid shit I just made up because I need a job. Please notice me Uncle Dana!!

 

[Fahcough]

We got Lawler vs Hendricks 3 canceled then blessed with Lawler vs MacDonald in its place.

 

[BenjaminDuffy]

Fan backlash may not be able to, but fan stupidity can.

Remember fifteen years ago when the UFC tried handing out the "Fight of the Night" bonus based on an online fan vote? Georges St. Pierre beat Josh Koscheck in an absolutely miserable fight; after busting Kos' eye with a jab in Round 1, the remaining four rounds were basically a ritual dance.

Their fight won the bonus anyway, because it was the main event and GSP had the most recognizable name—the only recognizable name, really, to 2010-era casuals. Meanwhile Sean Pierson and Matt Riddle did everything but set the Octagon on fire in their prelim. (One imagines that they would literally have done so, if Matt had a bong big enough to fit it.) Dana White admitted the bonus had gone to the wrong guys, and the UFC never tried it again.

The moral of the story? Get enough doofuses praising Jon for not fighting, let Dana realize that fan opinion is costing the UFC money, and he will react to the unintentional reverse psychology by telling Jones to shit or get off the throne, as it were.

 

[fedorthegoat777]

Ufc has a fight booked at MSG Jons playhouse later this year. They will probably slip Tom another 250k to hold him over n book it then.

Agree.
But instead of 250k, it will probably be a free pair of Reebok shorts.

 

[Dr Fong]

The UFC has always been scumbags but they used to be very receptive to fan opinion. Joe Silva was a piece of shit but also a genuine hardcore MMA fan that usually tried to deliver the fights everyone wanted.

Because in these simple times fan opinion used to = more money or less money.

Under the ESPN deal nothing they do matters, so why would they care?

 

[Mohawk Banditó]

Something that can't be overlooked here is fan backlash can lead to advertiser backlash and that is definitely something that any company wants to avoid. They used to care about media-company backlash too. These are things they knew would actually hurt their wallets.

-AnheuserBusch threatened actions if UFC fighters kept making certain out of pocket insensitive statements on social media, because there'd been a string of incidents around then (though Dana says this pressure more likely came from the Culinary Union), so the UFC stated they would have mandated sensitivity training for the fighters.

-There was backlash by fans and media members when the UFC has announced it would ban Helwani and some other MMAfighting members, and they went back on it a few days later, acting like they were just making a point

-Disney and ESPN directly stepped in to tell the UFC not to run UFC 249 a month into quarantine, so that got shifted after major backlash, but that's not purely "fan backlash," and that was a highly unique situation.

-It is only speculated that the UFC may have had some hand convincing/pressuring NSAC to heavily reduce the Diaz suspension, but given the details, it was always likely to be reduced. 5 years to 18 months is quite a jump, but the fine was only reduced from 165k to 100k

 

[VinceArch]

They acted on the backlash of Lawler-Hendricks 3 being the first announcement, IIRC.