Last UFC card outsold Canelo PPV numbers.

UFC hypes fighters like WWE. I was at the press conference for McGregor-Diaz 1 in March. Every fight had a quick video segment that promoted each fighter as the "best" at doing a particular thing. They called every fighter "the best grappler" or "one of the best strikers" in the world. They hyped EVERYBODY. . And it works because of all the different styles. You have Jujitsu, boxing, judo, karate, wrestling, Muay Thai, etc. Usually the top guys excel in one or two of those styles, so it's interesting to see different types of styles mesh. For example, in UFC 205, Wonderboy Thompson is highly decorated Kickboxer with a karate style, going up against Tyron Woodley, who is more of a wrestler/power puncher.

The point clearly went over your head. I'm referring to the surge in MMA and Pride being part of that - irrespective of existing today, they were a part of creating a viable alternative to boxing. Pride is one organization in a sport, not the sport itself. What we do see today - is MMA having a massive chunk of the pie. To the tune of 5 events in the last 12 months alone with PPV numbers of over 1 million. I've never said boxing is dead - I've doubted their ability to bounce back. What is incredibly short sighted, is not looking at the trends - and coming to the conclusion that boxing isn't in serious trouble. Your "trends" are a perfect example of correlation not equaling causation. MMA is more popular at the moment but it's largely a matter of circumstance - Mayweather and Pacquiao's careers happened to come to an end just as McGregor and Rousey bursted onto the scene, but you can't just create megastars out of thin air. Give it some more time. If in three to five years, boxing is in the same state or worse while MMA/UFC has done nothing but grow stronger, then I'd agree.

lol Pride? That went under while boxing has remained alive. The idea that people mainly only liked boxing because it was "all they had" is incredibly short-sighted. Boxing is in a slump right now but it's nowhere near dead. The next big megastar just hasn't come along yet. The point clearly went over your head. I'm referring to the surge in MMA and Pride being part of that - irrespective of existing today, they were a part of creating a viable alternative to boxing. Pride is one organization in a sport, not the sport itself. What we do see today - is MMA having a massive chunk of the pie. To the tune of 5 events in the last 12 months alone with PPV numbers of over 1 million. I've never said boxing is dead - I've doubted their ability to bounce back. What is incredibly short sighted, is not looking at the trends - and coming to the conclusion that boxing isn't in serious trouble.

It never mattered before because there was no real alternative to boxing. It wasn't until Pride etc established itself, and the UFC went "mainstream", that there was real competition. Unless MMA suddenly disappears, then I don't see how boxing can bounce back - the landscape is completely different than when it was a monopoly. Unfortunately, boxing hasn't really helped itself, with the watering down of titles, PPV's etc, and greed rotting the sport from the inside out. lol Pride? That went under while boxing has remained alive. The idea that people mainly only liked boxing because it was "all they had" is incredibly short-sighted. Boxing is in a slump right now but it's nowhere near dead. The next big megastar just hasn't come along yet.

UFC hypes fighters like WWE. I was at the press conference for McGregor-Diaz 1 in March. Every fight had a quick video segment that promoted each fighter as the "best" at doing a particular thing. They called every fighter "the best grappler" or "one of the best strikers" in the world. They hyped EVERYBODY. Boxing only hypes a few guys at the top. Everybody else scrapes for beans.

"It's the biggest fight of the year for boxing... and ZERO promotion at all. I haven't seen not one mention of it on ESPN, FS1, cable ads or anything. This is crazy. I really don't even know what the point of a promoter is these days. They don't do anything " Seriously, watch this fight get cancelled for some bat **** reason.

"ROFL boxing is dead, thats why may pac did over 600 million." And people felt like they were literally scammed of their money. For whatever reasons this fight drew out 10 years to long and even casual fans could see that. That was a horrible display of very anticipated boxing event and the entire public saw it. The fight was a dagger for the sport of boxing. Boxing may not be dead, but at this rate it will be a way less popular sport than MMA in due time.

I'll be surprised if Kovalev vs. Ward does 200K buys. It's the biggest fight of the year for boxing... and ZERO promotion at all. I haven't seen not one mention of it on ESPN, FS1, cable ads or anything. This is crazy. I really don't even know what the point of a promoter is these days. They don't do anything

Canelo smith was supposed to flop, and ufc is a much bigger brand than they were 4 years ago .

The only things Conner has that Canelo doesn't have is 3 losses, a pair of mutilated ears and a much smaller net worth. Conor has TWO non-title fights. Fights that had NOTHING on the line that sold over 1.6 million PPVS this year.

^^^lol, look at this fool. The UFC took Michael Bisping home to ****ing Manchester, to make his first defense of his middleweight title (the first Brit to be UFc champion), in a return fight of a match that he loss. If you want to call that a little fight, you're a ****ing idiot. gtfoh with that bull****. ^^^this idiot thinks there are zero messicans in Texas lmao

I am sorry for misspelling Conor's name. I respect Conor as a great fighter and I am a big fan of his. I am also a fan of Canelo and will always stick up for him.

Conor was right. He is the face of combat sports. Canelo is several levels below a 19-3 mma fighter. Embarrassing.The only things Conner has that Canelo doesn't have is 3 losses, a pair of mutilated ears and a much smaller net worth.

Maybe so but Canelo was paid much more money for his fight than every MMA fighter on that card combined was paid so who is the star? I like watching the best MMA fighters fight. They can fight their ass off. They take a lot of punishment in those fights. They just don't get paid much for all the hard training they do and the punishment they take.The most I ever heard of the biggest MMA stars making for one fight was about a million bucks. That isn't much compared to what guys like Mayweather, Cotto, Pacquiao and Canelo make every time they fight. Dana White is the man making most of the money from that big selling card.

That never mattered before, no reason to think it does now. Boxing is just in a slump at the moment. It never mattered before because there was no real alternative to boxing. It wasn't until Pride etc established itself, and the UFC went "mainstream", that there was real competition. Unless MMA suddenly disappears, then I don't see how boxing can bounce back - the landscape is completely different than when it was a monopoly. Unfortunately, boxing hasn't really helped itself, with the watering down of titles, PPV's etc, and greed rotting the sport from the inside out.

Conor was right. He is the face of combat sports. Canelo is several levels below a 19-3 mma fighter. Embarrassing.

UFC fans buy the PPV because of the brand mostly a bit like people buying Kell Brook garbage PPVs because it's a Eddie Hearn promotion.

The UFC has parity, therefore unpredictability. Boxing, does not. Fans get bored and move away. Boxing is dying. There's plenty of parity when good fighters fight each other and not bum after bum...

The UFC has parity, therefore unpredictability. Boxing, does not. Fans get bored and move away. Boxing is dying. That never mattered before, no reason to think it does now. Boxing is just in a slump at the moment.

That was a tune up Canelo fight. I watched it for free a week later. LOL@ comparing a televised Canelo sparring match against two guys in the biggest fight of their lives... LOL@300,000 people who paid to watch Canelo Smith on PPV. Fools, all around. The comparer and the purchasers. Bunch of fools.