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AronaBeatsJones
Guest
(This is intended to be a long-term collaborative project to gauge the perception of the UFC from the hardcore fanbase; feel free to add your own entries below)
GOOD DEEDS
GOOD DEEDS
2005: High-Risk Investment
- Reward: dumping tens of millions of dollars on "The Ultimate Fighter" and bringing top stars like Ken Shamrock, Tito Ortiz, and Royce Gracie back to revitalize MMA ended up being a huge success and led to the boom period in the mid-late '00s, resulting in dozens of fighters becoming big stars and making good money, IE: Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva, Jon Jones, etc.
- Consequence: increased market capitalization of the mixed martial arts industry gave Zuffa enough money/power to achieve a virtual monopoly (see below).
2011: Health Insurance
- Reward: healthier fighters + less financial stress.
- Consequence: endless chain of bout cancellations due to injury: creating frustration with fanbase and possibly causing irreparable damage with fan loyalty.
2015: PED / Weight-Cutting Crackdown
- Reward: good publicity from the UFC's proactive approach to reduce PED usage + weight-cutting.
- Reward: possibly healthier fighters + less brain injuries.
- Reward: possibly normalized performances between fighters in the same weight class.
- Consequence: possibly massive PED failures + bout cancellations.
- Consequence: possibly large wave of bad publicity for the UFC when fighters get popped.
BAD DEEDS
2007: Virtual Monopoly
- Reward: all top fighters housed under one promotion + easier to book fights between top fighters.
- Consequence: purchase of PRIDE FC, WFA, WEC, Strikeforce, etc. limited the free market for mixed martial artists; gave Zuffa absolute power for things like restrictive contracts and forced sponsorships (see below).
- Consequence: UFC currently being sued by numerous ex-fighters due to antitrust allegations.
- Consequence: UFC currently being investigated by the FTC due to virtual monopoly and business practices.
2008: Restrictive Contracts
- Consequence: (exposed by AKA dispute) fired Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck, Vain Velasquez, and all AKA fighters due to their refusal to sign over their names/likeness for the UFC to profit off of in perpetuity.
2015: Forced Sponsorship Exclusivity (The Reebok Deal)
- Reward: cleaner presentation + professionalism.
- Consequence: forced exclusivity: fighters unable to wear other sponsors during fight week.
- Consequence: poor compensation: fighters receving a pittance in exchange for exclusivity.
- Consequence: massive backlash: poor fighter treatment and high price of fight kit merchandise has antagonized the promotion in the eyes of their fanbase.
- Consequence: bad publicity: Stitch Duran firing due to mild comments about the Reebok deal caused a wave of bad publicity for the UFC; Reebok forced to make statement.
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