The UFC is trending towards a boom year after a lull.

[FrankieNYC]

Not even for the espn plus shows? I must have been confused, but even so the attention ESPN will give the ufc will be refreshing. I like Anik I think he's just super professional, but he gets excited and emotional at the right times.

no its still UFC production
That is bad IMO
I disagree about Anik

But the amount of hype ESPN should give will be a big plus

UFC made $330m from TV in 2017.
In 2019 it will be near $500m
So as I try to tell people (on here) they don't live & die by PPV anymore

 

[FrankieNYC]

I don't think I'm being too optimistic.

There is so much negativity from supposed MMA fans on here, that it is good to see

I think you are a bit too far on the optimistic side, but a fan rooting for positivity should be the norm.

Don't forget ...
UFC is dying (they had their biggest year in 2017)
WME were conned (UFC went up in value since the sale)

 

[digitalman45]

no its still UFC production
That is bad IMO
I disagree about Anik

But the amount of hype ESPN should give will be a big plus

UFC made $330m from TV in 2017.
In 2019 it will be near $500m
So as I try to tell people (on here) they don't live & die by PPV anymore

It's become obvious that PPV isn't as important to them anymore. If a good ppv card comes together so be it, but they really don't go out of their way to make them happen any more than they do a good fight night. It doesn't take a genius to realize that everything is shifting towards streaming as ppv industry wanes.

 

[Bubba32]

you know Dana gonna fuck it up right?

 

[digitalman45]

There is so much negativity from supposed MMA fans on here, that it is good to see

I think you are a bit too far on the optimistic side, but a fan rooting for positivity should be the norm.

Don't forget ...
UFC is dying (they had their biggest year in 2017)
WME were conned (UFC went up in value since the sale)

I agree I'm being too optimistic, but it's in an effort to combat the negativity. Like I said it's unlikely all of this will come together on the first try or in sequence, but I do believe with patience we will eventually see most of these fights. I can't help being optimistic about the contenders though, I'm a sucker for a hype train.

 

[Crimson Glory]

That all sounds nice TS, I doubt alot of that catches casual attention.

 

[masfonos]

↑
Perry, Meek and Pettis all looking to get back on track towards a title shot.
LOL

 

[digitalman45]

That all sounds nice TS, I doubt alot of that catches casual attention.

Nice avatar, Rush is my favorite band. I think with the espn machine behind it and if they can get the ball rolling the casuals will be more into the ufc than they have been in years.

 

[digitalman45]

↑
Perry, Meek and Pettis all looking to get back on track towards a title shot.
LOL

View attachment 409095

You're crazy if you don't think the ufc would want those three guys fighting for a title someday. Perry and Pettis got back on track and I'm sure that made the ufc brass very happy. We'll see what happens to Meek on Sunday. I'm not even a fan of the three, but they all did or are looking to get back on track and surely have title aspirations and enough appeal to get them there with some favorable matchmaking.

 

[FrankieNYC]

It's become obvious that PPV isn't as important to them anymore. If a good ppv card comes together so be it, but they really don't go out of their way to make them happen any more than they do a good fight night. It doesn't take a genius to realize that everything is shifting towards streaming as ppv industry wanes.

They are a $200m profit company now without a PPV sold.
I am shocked they still are doing 12 PPVsin 2019

Way too much IMO, but hopefully they have it figured out

 

[Matthew Fedler]

I’m pretty certain Jones will end up fighting the winner of DC vs Lesnar later in the year. Jones vs Gus II could also be big.

 

[Aforo88]

Brock vs D.C - huge fight with crossover wwe and casual appeal, in the works.

Conor vs Khabib - possibly the biggest mma fight of all time, should be announced sometime very soon.

Nunes vs Cyborg - Wmma first super fight, with two legitimate and established champions. Cyborg is a draw and Nunes has been apart of some of the biggest UFC ppv's ever.

Tyron vs Colby and or Till - huge fights that will generate a ton of interest either way especially if Colby does get into the white house to meet Trump.

TJ vs Mighty Mouse - There's no excuse for this fight not to happen after the next PPV. I'm almost certain they'll call each other out if they both win and the fight will be booked sometime after.

Whoever Rose Namajunas fights next should be a big fight as she's become very popular with the casual audience.

The return of Anderson Silva, The return of GSP, the return of Nate Diaz. All seem probable for 2019.

UFC stars on the rise: Paulo Costa, Stylebender, Sugar Sean, Till, Ortega and Moraes.

Return of the Heavyweight division: Volkov, Blaydes, Ledet, Tuivasa, Stipe as a contender, Olenik, the resurgence of JDS, Lewis as the no. 2 contender.

Return and Resurgence of fan favorites: Lawler, Ferguson, Cruz, all poised to return, Rockhold and others moving to new weight classes. Perry, Meek and Pettis all looking to get back on track towards a title shot.

All of this going down and ESPN coming in to give the ufc a new, long overdue fresh coat of paint. More stars to come through Tuesday Night Contender series. inb4 injuries tl;dr ufc is heading towards a massive late 2018 and 2019.

But theres 2 jokers....... USADA and weight cutting.

 

[FrankieNYC]

Nice avatar, Rush is my favorite band. I think with the espn machine behind it and if they can get the ball rolling the casuals will be more into the ufc than they have been in years.

I don't think the sport (not just UFC) will get the same level of casuals interested on a regular basis

the biggest issue UFC has (both regimes) is they are not getting the younger fans
in the mid-late 00's, the MMA fan were 20-somethings
As a lot got older some dropped off (that is natural)
The issue is they were not replaced by younger fans

That is why I think they need different production and more social media tie-ins.

WWE has lost a lot of TV viewers but they are brilliant on social media
UFC uses social media to argue like teen girls

 

[FrankieNYC]

I’m pretty certain Jones will end up fighting the winner of DC vs Lesnar later in the year. Jones vs Gus II could also be big.

If Jones gets 2 years, he is back in August 2019.

But I don't know if DC will stick around.
The money might be tempting though

 

[Zeroinnes]

They'll all get injured or something.

 

[Matthew Fedler]

If Jones gets 2 years, he is back in August 2019.

But I don't know if DC will stick around.
The money might be tempting though

That seems like the most likely scenario to me. I think DC has hinted at sticking around beyond 40 for one more shot at Jones if it’s available.

 

[pick999]

why should mm give tj a shot? let him earn it.

 

[Nightwish]

USADA and injuries will make sure 3/4 of those fights wont happen.

 

[BigDramaShow26]

It 100% relies on Conor. Everyone has said boxing is dead for the past 15 years, but they have always had at least 2-3 stars who sold a lot of ppvs every year. UFC struggles to get 300k ppv buys.

 

[BigDramaShow26]

It needs to be said, UFC is going to ESPN at their worst. FS1 is actually gaining ground. But ESPN has helped boxing out a ton.