Why Does the UFC Withhold Its Fighter Interviews?

[ReasonableMan]

The UFC holds "fighter meetings" with many fighters who are scheduled for the upcoming weekend. For example, Jon Anik recently revealed that the UFC interviewed 15 of the 28 athletes who fought at UFC Houston.

During these fighter meetings, fighters discuss topics such as their training camps and sometimes even their strategies for the fight. Daniel Cormier has admitted to knowing of TJ Dillashaw's shoulder injury prior to Dillashaw's loss to Sterling. It seems likely that Dillashaw disclosed his injury to Cormier during the pre-fight meeting.

To my knowledge, the UFC has never released footage of these meetings.

Why doesn't the UFC do this during fight week? This content would certainly be of interest to a significant portion of the fan base. It is often impossible to find a single fight-week interview with UFC athletes.

 

[NicholasJBasile]

The UFC holds "fighter meetings" with many fighters who are scheduled for the upcoming weekend. For example, Jon Anik recently revealed that the UFC interviewed 15 of the 28 athletes who fought at UFC Houston.

During these fighter meetings, fighters discuss topics such as their training camps and sometimes even their strategies for the fight. Daniel Cormier has admitted to knowing of TJ Dillashaw's shoulder injury prior to Dillashaw's loss to Sterling. It seems likely that Dillashaw disclosed his injury to Cormier during the pre-fight meeting.

To my knowledge, the UFC has never released footage of these meetings.

Why doesn't the UFC do this during fight week? This content would certainly be of interest to a significant portion of the fan base. It is often impossible to find a single fight-week interview with UFC athletes.

Interesting and a good question. I wonder why also. It would be fun to see what goes on in those meetings. I reckon a lot of the broadcasting prep happens i these fighter meetings.

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

That must be where they determine the winners and work out the fight choreography

 

[Sensee]

They did with Joshua Fabia and Diego if I recall correctly (?l but yes I agree after the fight that would be worth watching.

 

[ninja boot]

To my knowledge, the UFC has never released footage of these meetings.

Why doesn't the UFC do this during fight week? This content would certainly be of interest to a significant portion of the fan base. It is often impossible to find a single fight-week interview with UFC athletes.

A fraction of the fighter meeting with Diego Sanchez, Josh Fabia and Stephan Bonnar is the only one I can think of that was posted and only because Stephan insisted on documenting their claim that Diego had microfractures they blamed the UFC for.
I suspect they don't share the interviews due to strategy, injury and financial related discussion

 

[europe1]

Imo.

The UFC sees its own product as slop. As content. Eyeball-drawers. It has no higher value beyond that, beyond making money, beyond filling time. Talks of glory and legacy are merely buzzwords.

So highlighting, perserving, and offering extreneous content such as this is pointless to them. Because its valueless. Because it won't make them money.

 

[bmxkeeler]

Imo.

The UFC sees its own product as slop. As content. Eyeball-drawers. It has no higher value beyond that, beyond making money, beyond filling time. Talks of glory and legacy are merely buzzwords.

So highlighting, perserving, and offering extreneous content such as this is pointless to them. Because its valueless. Because it won't make them money.

They accompany their youtube videos with ads and youtube pays them for views. Interviews like this DO make them money. Not releasing them actually costs them money because they have to make it.

 

[europe1]

They accompany their youtube videos with ads and youtube pays them for views. Interviews like this DO make them money. Not releasing them actually costs them money because they have to make it.

Tbf, youtube money has to be a drop in the ocean compared to the money they're pulling from everywhere else.

But I still think the core of it is that the UFC sees it as slop so why bother? Its only really useful if they're building a "star" (which they're really terrible at).

 

[DougieJones]

Those are production interviews for the broadcast staff... not actual interviews meant for people to see

 

[Blastbeat]

That must be where they determine the winners and work out the fight choreography

Whenever Derek Lewis says shit like "oh yeah they want me to get a first round KO" or other supposed fight predictions, I always thought he was half trolling and half serious. Can never tell with Lewis anyway. But I wouldn't be surprised if he was right.

 

[STAY GOLD]

Good question. Only thing I can think is they’re holding it back for editing or maybe because fighters said things they didn’t agree with and they don’t want the public to hear (but I doubt it as they’ve let Strickland fly with a lot of nonsense).

 

[Fedorgasm]

"I need some time off to deal with my issues. I'm not in the right frame of mind to fight. We need to cancel."

"We can't cancel the main event. Tell you what. We'll tell Cyril to poke you in the eye. You say you can't continue. The fan base will be divided with half calling Cyril a cheater, and the other half calling you a pussy. It will spark lots of discussion and arguments which will be great free publicity for when you guys rematch."

 

[xhaydenx]

I always thought they're mainly so the production team knows what relevant info to feed to the commentators during the actual fights. There's no other way Anik and the team are keeping up with all these fighters.

 

[CroCopsLHK]

Because fighters are a little too candid. They want to convey where they are in life to the PBP coloring their fight, not to the world

Thats why some fighters well tell Anik about their custody disputes and such

 

[Sticko]

When fighters are on camera a lot of them will play a character or perform for the camera.

The purpose of the fighter meetings is not that, it's to give candid answers to the production team so that the commentators have things to talk about during the event. Being off camera it probably creates a little more relaxed environment where it's easier for the fighters to be candid.

 

[Hymen Crusher]

So dana can get whatever dirt on these guys to use against them at some point

 

[Kung Fu Kowboy]

Didn't they have a show like this ? Where they followed Mick and Dana around talking to fighters...