What are the top 3 decisions that made the Zuffa era a success (2M to 4.2B)?

[MadMardigain]

2 million to 4.2billion in a little over 10years. What are the key 3 decisions that helped them make that jump.

 

[ortizgnp]

TUF, Tito and Chael.

 

[Bacco]

Target dbags with dbag hype

 

[usfbrah]

Ken shamrock made the ufc into what it is

 

[Xaa]

Always promote the brand over the talent
Standardize Rules and weight classes (more sanctioning)
Make their talent recognizable to the public (TUF, Lesnar(already recognizeable))

 

[jimbob27]

Getting in bed with the NSAC, TUF and not letting PRIDE poach all their good fighters from the early days (Mainly Tito, Chuck and Randy)

 

[reddhelium]

1. major television deal (fox)
2. women's mma (ronda)
3. performance bonuses (fighters might not be happy with their relatively low pay, but for many, the idea of gunning for a $50k bonus keeps them "hungry" as dana likes to say)

 

[thechoice2]

Lobbying Congress
Tuf
International Expansion

 

[Tormund]

TUF, Rousey, McGregor.

 

[eiyuu]

Getting sanctioned in Las Vegas (though SEG helped get the ball rolling by getting sanctioned in the 2nd biggest fight town--Atlantic City.)

Getting back on cable PPV

TUF

 

[igorunso]

international expansion in connection with the death of american hw superstar boxing
wealth owners with high risk investment philosophy
always at least one high profile fighter with his own character in every era

 

[dontlaugh]

Hyping some fighters as the best thing in the world when they were in their primes (Tito, Chuck, Anderson, Lyoto etc)
TUF
Going all over the world

 

[Brass Balls]

1. Unified rules/regulations
2. Buying Pride
3. International TV deals

 

[Bangerous]

TUF
Women's MMA
McGregor

 

[mmaday4day]

2 million to 4.2billion in a little over 10years. What are the key 3 decisions that helped them make that jump.

With a little over 10 years, you mean 15 years?

 

[Towelie by TKO]

 

[ssc280]

Making Dana the ambassador of the sport

 

[Kowboy Karl]

Nick and Nate and their zero Fucks given

 

[Andre Xiong]

1. buying out Pride
2. buying out Strikeforce
3. TUF/Spike TV (Fox was bigger but Spike was early on when they needed it more?)

 

[BKMMAFAN]

1. Encouraging regulation and adoption of unified rules.
2. Mass marketing/reality TV
3. Remaining a private company that doesn't disclose financial figures. Allowed(s) the owners to keep fighters in the dark regarding the % of revenue being shared with fighters. Compare and contrast to leagues like the NFL and NBA where roughly half of league revenue is shared with the athletes.