Most important factor for a marketable fighter?

DanMMAleague

Purple Belt
@purple
Joined
Nov 3, 2014
Messages
2,430
Reaction score
0
What do you think is the most important factor for assessing how marketable a fighter is?

Personally I think nothing puts bums in seats like a knockout puncher.

Muscularity, trash talk and region/nationality are also factors. As is having a congruent image.

But I think being a knockout artist tops the list.

If it were an actor I’d say looking like Brad Pitt but this is the cage fighting business.
 
Just look at Conor taking everything and everybody else starving and you'll see it takes multiple factors:

- He has a very good WWE style gimmick being an Irish trash talker.
- He has a country behind him.
- He's an entertaining striker.
- He wins.
- His look suits his role.
- He has charisma, wit, funny.
 
What do you think is the most important factor for assessing how marketable a fighter is?

Personally I think nothing puts bums in seats like a knockout puncher.

Muscularity, trash talk and region/nationality are also factors. As is having a congruent image.

But I think being a knockout artist tops the list.

If it were an actor I’d say looking like Brad Pitt but this is the cage fighting business.

Nothing here is a factor.
That just an "It" factor, and whether the marketable fighter has it, or it doesn't.

That's why marketable stars - GSP, Ronda, Brock, Conor - are so different
 
depends. for the casual charisma and a own personality is importand... fashion, how to talk right... and be a instagram face... represend a western country.. besides winning fights.

but for the martial arts professor.... when bjj black belts whatch ufc for example and all that guys who are deep in "how to grow mma"... guys like zabit is much more interesting than conor because he goes into new level of mma. he brings up deep shit what u only see in specialist sport. that "banana split" (cormier) submission u will most likely only see in pure grappling matches but he brings it in the UFC on the table and shows how to get it.. or some slick kicks what u only see in tea kwon do matches zabit brings it into the UFC and combines that with grappling in a very smooth way. thats nasty man.

zabit is comin to bring martial art to a new step, mcgregor is coming for fame and money.

but zabit is not casual friendly.. and he shouldnt start to get into that because he needs to focus on his martial art stuff in the cage what brings him pure attention.
 
Last edited:
christ... lately it seems you just have to make weight and show up.
 
Relatability with fans (McGregor) or meeting fans expectations (Ngannou) and winning fights

Deep down McGregor is a normal guy that struck it rich

Ngannou is how most people expect a HW fighter to look. Intimidating AF.
 
Say what you want, but whiteness is sadly a factor.

Even the poster above me that says Conor, Ronda, Brock and GSP are very different had to notice they all have the same skin color
 
Knock outs are THE shit. Finishes in general are, and the earlier the better (i.e.Ronda).

Being undefeated is great, but having been defeated in the past is very much tolerable, as long as you've evolved since then or at least are able to be portrayed as having evolved.

Having charisma is great, as long as you keep winning. No one wants to pay to see a charismatic loser, unless the loser has enough charisma to make you hate him/her.
 
Knock outs are THE shit. Finishes in general are, and the earlier the better (i.e.Ronda).

Being undefeated is great, but having been defeated in the past is very much tolerable, as long as you've evolved since then or at least are able to be portrayed as having evolved.

Having charisma is great, as long as you keep winning. No one wants to pay to see a charismatic loser, unless the loser has enough charisma to make you hate him/her.

That's why Mairbek Taisumov is such a huge megastar
 
depends. for the casual charisma and a own personality is importand... fashion, how to talk right... and be a instagram face... represend a western country.. besides winning fights.

but for the martial arts professor.... when bjj black belts whatch ufc for example and all that guys who are deep in "how to grow mma"... guys like zabit is much more interesting than conor because he goes into new level of mma. he brings up deep shit what u only see in specialist sport. that "banana split" (cormier) submission u will most likely only see in pure grappling matches but he brings it in the UFC on the table and shows how to get it.. or some slick kicks what u only see in tea kwon do matches zabit brings it into the UFC and combines that with grappling in a very smooth way. thats nasty man.

zabit is comin to bring martial art to a new step, mcgregor is coming for fame and money.

but zabit is not casual friendly.. and he shouldnt start to get into that because he needs to focus on his martial art stuff in the cage what brings him pure attention.
FYI that wasn't the first banana split sub in the UFC.
 
Lots of different factors but having a promoter that will actually try to promote you is key.
 
Charisma > Winning > Finishes > Everything Else
 
Nothing here is a factor.
That just an "It" factor, and whether the marketable fighter has it, or it doesn't.

That's why marketable stars - GSP, Ronda, Brock, Conor - are so different

Personally I think Brock doesn’t count because he was so famous from the WWE.

Secondly, Ronda and Conor both were first round finishers.

GSP is the exception.

If you look at boxing out of the 10 most marketable fighters outside of the HW division over the last 10 years 9 out of 10 are all knockout artists, the exception is Floyd who played the heel.
 
Personality > Winning > Finishes > Everything Else

It's not that simple. First and foremost "personality" is a pretty difficult term to define.

Was Fedor a personality? In some ways yes, ind other ways no.
 
It's not that simple. First and foremost "personality" is a pretty difficult term to define.

Was Fedor a personality? In some ways yes, ind other ways no.
Perhaps charisma is a better word for what I was trying to say.
 
Aura.

Lesnar isn't exactly a good talker or a skilled fighter, but coming into the UFC, he had the aura of a guy who could just beat the hell out of dudes, and so he was (controversially) popular and could draw. Once he had a few consecutive losses, he lost his aura and his popularity dropped.

Rousey isn't the most charismatic or eloquent, but she had the aura of being a dominant, unbeatable badass, and while she had it, she was popular and could draw; as soon as she lost it, she was toast.

McGregor isn't the most well-rounded fighter, isn't undefeated, and has had some ugly moments, but he has the aura of a guy who will throw down, so he is popular and can draw.

GSP can't exactly talk well and isn't really charismatic, but man, he could fight like a demon, and he dominated top competition for years, giving him an aura of being on another level, and for that, he was popular. Then he disappeared from the sport for a bunch of years. When he came back, his aura wasn't as strong anymore because had been gone for so long, so he wasn't as popular anymore.
 
Back
Top