Whats weird about the Apex arena

[CroCopsLHK]

It wasn't a thing before the pandemic was it? Maybe I'm missing the picture. But I'm watching Reyes vs Jiri and I'm thinking "damn it's a shame there was a pandemic"

And here we are all these years later. Do you see any of these other big sports playing in empty arenas? It's just weird. They are sacrificing touring, fans, energy all that for in-house cost and it just seems lazy, foreboding and uninspired

But who am I? Definitely not someone who makes these calls. Nowhere near that level of job title

And if the lack of environment was one thing... the cards aren't even delivering. Thus weekends card too it's so hard to be pumped for it. I'll watch it like all of us but eventually it becomes a time management thing. I reserve my right to complain, I just hope things could improve. They have a network negotiation coming up too

 

[azerty]

The APEX definetely suck, but at least, even if it's not really a good thing in the end, the cards that take place there are getting worst and worst so it's easier to skip entirely now, before there was at least a couple fights worth watching on them, it's almost like they're not real UFC events anymore, DWCS is the C-league and APEX cards the B-league

 

[TheMoa]

They build it up because of the pandemic to keep the show going, good. But then they realized that is real cheap to make cards there and because of their deal with ESPN they dont need to sell tickets to profit. After that they started to bag on the cards as money is flowing in anyway.
On top of that there are no other major organization to push them to put an effort. They don't even put an effort to promote anymore, just pay some influencers and let ESPN/the algorithm do the rest of the work. Smart fighters try to promote themselves more them the company.

It can be a problem on a new media deal negotiation, but even so they'll keep profiting since most of the revenue stays with organization. I can't see it changing anytime soon as going to the road with shitty cards always is riskier as the expenses are bigger.
IT's a shame, Apex should be used only for Contender series.

The only way out of this I can see is if in new rights negotiations ESPN/netflix/amazon play hardball and wants smaller packages with only ppv cards, road cards, etc... but I don't see it happened anytime soon.

Other way would be if a serious organization showed up to put some pressure, but we all now it's not feasible in the short/medium future

 

[CroCopsLHK]

They build it up because of the pandemic to keep the show going, good. But then they realized that is real cheap to make cards there and because of their deal with ESPN they dont need to sell tickets to profit. After that they started to bag on the cards as money is flowing in anyway.
On top of that there are no other major organization to push them to put an effort. They don't even put an effort to promote anymore, just pay some influencers and let ESPN/the algorithm do the rest of the work. Smart fighters try to promote themselves more them the company.

It can be a problem on a new media deal negotiation, but even so they'll keep profiting since most of the revenue stays with organization. I can't see it changing anytime soon as going to the road with shitty cards always is riskier as the expenses are bigger.
IT's a shame, Apex should be used only for Contender series.

The only way out of this I can see is if in new rights negotiations ESPN/netflix/amazon play hardball and wants smaller packages with only ppv cards, road cards, etc... but I don't see it happened anytime soon.

Other way would be if a serious organization showed up to put some pressure, but we all now it's not feasible in the short/medium future

The fighters don't do a great job promoting themselves imo. But neither does their promotion. That may be beside the point but...

TKO also owns WWE and WWE would never do this. I know WWE has a long history and more pagentary..

And as for the contract deal I wonder. There's no news of it yet. I wonder if ESPN would pay more for it. If I was UFC I'd be pulling the brakes to accelerate the change but their schedule and practices have seemed lukewarm

 

[Kowboy On Sherdog]

Smart move. These cards would have less people than All Elite Wrestling showing up.

 

[europe1]

Part of it is just that MMA is seen as a low-class, carny sport for degenerates.

These days, the UFC gets the majority of its money from ESPN/Site fees, so ticket/fan money isn't very important.

That's why we get these no-effort cards fought in a Las Vegas warehouse. Its comfortable for the UFC and they're still bathing in money.

Do that in a real sport and people would be outraged. Imagine the NBA in a warehouse. But MMA is just thought of as such slop that people go along with it.

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

"We're moving out of the Apex."

~ Dana White

 

[podsox]

"We're moving out of the Apex."

~ Dana White

They were so proud of fighting through the pandemic and they deserved credit. Now they run the organization like we are still in one

 

[blunttruth]

I love the Apex, you can often hear the corner advice, and on occasion hear some interesting jeering from the witnesses. Much more of a back alley/school yard fight atmosphere, than the glitz, glitter, and made for TV drama of the larger venues.

 

[Daniel Henry]

Instead of shelling thousands promoting these guys to only have them on a ppv card n stick up the show...UFC is putting them in a apex cage that's free for them and having them prove thier worth and at the same time hopefully build a ufc fanbase. It's kinda smart

 

[Koala]

It's easier to manage
You spend money on two good fights. You give maybe the fighters half a million and pay nothing for the location, while you get paid by the broadcasters and all your sponsors (even idiots who want to put their names in the cage). You even have lots of those dudes living in Vegas, and you don't need to pay for flying costs for those fighters and their corners (Xtreme Couture, Syndicate MMA, a 3rd one I forgot with mostly women)
If you start having those no-name cards in smaller cities, you will have to manage all the moving parts (cage, ad boards, people) + you need a few local guys to attract the audience without big names. If those local guys get injured, the local audience might not like the main event between a random Brazilian striker and a random Russian wrestler

 

[Poirierfan]

I don't know how so many people on here can contain their excitement for UFC events nowadays, especially Apex cards.

 

[Poirierfan]

Instead of shelling thousands promoting these guys to only have them on a ppv card n stick up the show...UFC is putting them in a apex cage that's free for them and having them prove thier worth and at the same time hopefully build a ufc fanbase. It's kinda smart

Dude, just stop. Lol

 

[Foghorn Leghorn]

It'd be nice to see them take these events to smaller venues and cities, places they almost never go to.

 

[Sms_productions713]

They need these kind of cards of Wednesday nights again. Nobody is giving up their Saturday for a bunch of no names.

Also, I do miss the pearl at the palms and hard rock shows.

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

It'd be nice to see them take these events to smaller venues and cities, places they almost never go to.

Ah, the AEW strategy. Can't wait to see UFC at the Gervis C. Tubman Community Center!

 

[Foghorn Leghorn]

Ah, the AEW strategy. Can't wait to see UFC at the Gervis C. Tubman Community Center!

Can't say I've ever watched, I was thinking about it more like WWE house shows.

A example of that here in Toronto, instead of coming to the Leafs/Raptors arena, go to a minor league arena like the Leafs farm team.

Or think back to the Hard Rock Hotel type fight nights back in the day.

I dare say that in the early days of the ufc's rising popularity, the events generated a lot of local buzz in places they hadn't been before. Perhaps such buzz no longer exists.

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

Can't say I've ever watched, I was thinking about it more like WWE house shows.

I haven't watched either, I just listen to Jim Cornette talk shit about them. They're basically doing WWE house show venues for their big shows. Like places in Kentucky that Jim's never even heard of.

 

[HHJ]

I love the Apex, you can often hear the corner advice, and on occasion hear some interesting jeering from the witnesses. Much more of a back alley/school yard fight atmosphere, than the glitz, glitter, and made for TV drama of the larger venues.

This is why we can't get out of the apex!

Cos you guys!

Nothing is better than a bloodthirsty crowd!

 

[IDGETKTFO]

They build it up because of the pandemic to keep the show going, good. But then they realized that is real cheap to make cards there and because of their deal with ESPN they dont need to sell tickets to profit. After that they started to bag on the cards as money is flowing in anyway.
On top of that there are no other major organization to push them to put an effort. They don't even put an effort to promote anymore, just pay some influencers and let ESPN/the algorithm do the rest of the work. Smart fighters try to promote themselves more them the company.

It can be a problem on a new media deal negotiation, but even so they'll keep profiting since most of the revenue stays with organization. I can't see it changing anytime soon as going to the road with shitty cards always is riskier as the expenses are bigger.
IT's a shame, Apex should be used only for Contender series.

The only way out of this I can see is if in new rights negotiations ESPN/netflix/amazon play hardball and wants smaller packages with only ppv cards, road cards, etc... but I don't see it happened anytime soon.

Other way would be if a serious organization showed up to put some pressure, but we all now it's not feasible in the short/medium future

We will see if ESPN decides not to renew their contract. Netflix doesn't seem interested in a package deal.