Is the UFC losing their HW champion to PFL who arguably just beat the best HW boxer of the last decade possibly the worst move the UFC have ever made? Quite possibly the worst any sporting promotion has even done?
Let's let that situation play out before we make any final judgments on the decision. Francis is looking pretty smart rn because he did so well but supposedly it didn't make much money for anybody, so let's see how they harness the buzz to create some cash first.
Zuffa selling to WME.
The ESPN+ deal is pretty stupid too.
Oh for sure, the Fertitta’s made bank selling, no doubt about that. I’m talking about it being bad for the sport of MMA on the whole.From Zuffa's point of view that was a pretty good decision. Cashed out with $4bil and left any anti-trust stuff to be dealt with by the new ownership.
Oh for sure, the Fertitta’s made bank selling, no doubt about that. I’m talking about it being bad for the sport of MMA on the whole.
I think boxing seeing the Paul Brothers become the face of their sport to casuals while guys like Inoue, Usyk, Crawford and countless others continue to prove how great they are is pretty funny. If only promoters would work together and consolidate to cut down on how to watch the sport, it would help.
Honestly, the Francis/Fury fight got so little attention from casual fans that it was just a blip on the radar for the UFC machine. They just closed a nine figure sponsorship deal with AB In-Bev. They're fine.
Losing Ngannou was not a big deal, he was not a star and easily replaceble and let's be real no one was expecting him to beat Fury. Jones is still bigger and better name for HW.
Again, I think it depends on what we mean by “business decision.” I think the WME ownership is what ushered in the era where meritocracy is dying, where rankings mean very little and social media followers mean more, where interim belts are passed around more often than a slutty cheerleader in high school… the sale to WME was one that is harming the quality and integrity of the business as a whole. It’s bad for the business— but financially lucrative for the sellers, that’s true.Oh, I get the sentiment, but it's not really bad as a business decision.
67k PPV buysIs the UFC losing their HW champion to PFL who arguably just beat the best HW boxer of the last decade possibly the worst move the UFC have ever made? Quite possibly the worst any sporting promotion has even done?
Dollars and cents there was nothing bad about the ESPN deal. I think it was reported the UFC was getting 300 mil a year from ESPN. If you want to argue it tainted meritocracy and made it more entertainment than sport I’d hear that out for sureZuffa selling to WME.
The ESPN+ deal is pretty stupid too.