Is Ronda Rousey becoming the Tiger Woods of MMA?

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you said it in your last part, they are ronda fans and probably not ufc fans. When ronda leaves i see interest dying back down to average levels, same when brock left and casuals who followed him lost interest in mma

edit: i dont think ronda is on the level of someone like woods or mj

 

You're right, but I have a feeling that she is the first MMA fighter to really transcend the sport. Was there ever a fighter who was this popular among non-right fans? Lesnar's fans all came from pro wresting, which has always been connected with MMA and Kimbo fans were still fight fans, even if it was just YouTube street fighting videos.

 

No, Tiger defeated the best.

 

It's a good analogy.

Some of these sports have their hard core base of fans, and then once in a while someone spikes that interest into the mainstream, but then when that person goes away, it pretty much goes back to where it was before.

Tiger Woods & golf is the clearest example. My mom would watch that guy golf... now golf is back to just having golf fans watch.

Danica Patrick and racing may be another example.

Michael Phelps & swimming kind of.

Mike Tyson & boxing...everybody wanted to see Tyson fight, boxing fan or not.

I don't suspect Ronda is bringing a lot of new fans to the greater sport of MMA....they're interested in her and her fights and may watch other events while she's active, but once she's gone the mainstream will go back to their mainstream ways.

 

It will be good just for her, her "fans" will mass suicide when she retires, or love the next "big thing".

 

I only meant that they both have an appeal which reaches beyond the fan base of their respective sports. I wasn't comparing them as athletes.

 

Wait a minute... When you say Beckham, do you mean Ronda has average technique and is all about marketing?
If so, it's a correct analogy!

 

It's good for both the UFC and Ronda...MMA has less to do with it. It's on the UFC to produce cards which retain the fans who are tuning in to see Ronda. By adding the women's divisions and giving talent a chance to grow, they're doing just that.

Will some people become disinterested if she isn't fighting? Of course-- that's part of the game. How many Irish fans suddenly took interest in MMA, when McGregor became a name? Conversely, how many Irish fans fly to Vegas for cards not headed by McGregor? Are we worried about Irish fan retention for non-Ireland cards, or once he exits? How many Canadian fans continue to watch Lawler fight? How many have stopped caring about MMA since GSP retired?

These are the questions nobody really cares about, and neither should we care when it comes to Ronda.

 

She can't be the Tiger Woods or Roger Federer of MMA. They already said those were Fedor. Jordan is also out since Travis Lutter is the Michael Jordan of jiu jitsu.

 

Somewhat. I mean Rousey is bringing casuals to the sport. But she's more a novelty than anything. People are interested in a chick out there laying into other chicks. Plus the brutal KO of Bethe. People aren't used to seeing that in women's sports man

 

Just seen Ronda is the 8th highest paid female athlete right behind Simona Halep. Wonder how sherdoggers have heard of Simona halep lol.

 

She is more like the Gina Carano of MMA....

 

In my honest opinion the Jordan of MMA should be Jon Jones, the only true best

 

Oh you americans.

 

Whats helped Rousey become the biggest MMA star we've seen in the US I'd say is...

1.Being by far the best in her division even if that division isn't very strong.

2.Being good looking.

3.Having the gender equality issue cancel out the normally rather un PC image of MMA.

4.Building her stardom outside the UFC.

The last one is I think perhaps the most important. Ronda has been hyped by Zuffa a good deal but most of her fame is based on mainstream media coverage not directly connected to them.

The key to someone becoming a real breakout star from there sport is IMHO selling them as there own man/woman and their personal story. The big problem the UFC has always had IMHO is that whilst the Zuffa in house hype works well on the hard-core MMA fan base the average person see's it as cheesy and that it produces your supposedly breakout star to a mere employee of Dana and co. When people see Rousey they don't see a "UFC employee" they way they did with Chuck, Tito, Rampage and now Conor they see someone more indepenant who happens to fight within the UFC.

 

ronda is more likely possibly the venus williams of mma.

or using golf, probs the patty berg of mma.