UFC n mma offically overtakes boxing

[KingGilgamesh]

We don’t watch mma fights due to someone e having endorsements or IG followers. We watch it because the best fight the best. What problem do you have with that? Or would you rather watch Spence and Crawford fight mandatories twice a year for the next 2 years?

Yeah, that explains why CM Punk and Broxk Lesnar headlined on their first fights.

Jesus, the rubbish some of you come out with...

[TMLT87]

Yeah, that explains why CM Punk and Broxk Lesnar headlined on their first fights.

CM Punk never headlined a fight. Brock didnt headline his first two UFC fights either.

[KingGilgamesh]

I live in the UK but thought it was common knowledge MMA (or UFC at least) leads boxing in America, and has done for a good 15 years. The decline and eventual exit of HBO from boxing was, in my opinion, a huge blow to whatever passed for organisation in the sport. Back when HBO was the platform to get paid on, it at least ensured a certain amount cohesion, they wanted the fights, the fighter/promoter knew they needed HBO to get paid, so the fights tended to happen. Now with too many channels, guys signed to exclusives to this one or that one, there' way to much A side vs B side being strung out, and the guys are getting paid so there's no incentive to make the real fights.

Over here, I honestly don't see massive interest in MMA, UFC is the brand and has its following but outside of that and the occasional peak for a big UFC fight, it's not becoming a major sport here. Not that boxing's in any kind of golden age, thanks to Eddie Hearn monopolising Sky there's never been worse coverage in this country that I can remember, There's big interest in the big names, AJ, Fury, they can sell a football stadium out but interest in the level below that isn't high anymore. Going back a few years there were fights on Sky every Friday or Saturday, now there's hardly any, the coverage is fractured between too many platforms, only people who are already big fans who seek out the fights get to watch them, and are getting milked more and more for every penny, new people aren't getting into the sport.

Boxings only got itself to blame for it's current standing, when something big happens the interest is still there but the industry seems intent on keeping anything interesting from happening so they can milk out second rate fights for ever!

Great points.

I honestly see MMA taking over in the UK as well. When AJ and Fury fight, I dont really see where the sport goes from there. I'm not really seeing follow up names rise. Joshua benefited from the London olympics and, tbh, Fury has never really been PPV gold.

[buddyr]

Yeah, that explains why CM Punk and Broxk Lesnar headlined on their first fights.

Jesus, the rubbish some of you come out with...

CM punk never headlined a fight and Bock didn't headline his first fight either. He did become champ though. Not one of 6 champs in his division, but THE MAIN GUY in his division.

[TMLT87]

LOL no the **** its not. UFC is run horribly and has actually seen a lot of interest decline over the years.

Compared to when?

2016 iirc was their all time biggest year for overall PPV buys because Conor fought multiple times plus there was a Ronda fight and also UFC 200 with Brock coming back. But they're still doing very good business. They've generated over 3 million total PPV buys this year and we arent even in April yet, thats probably the strongest opening to a year they've ever had. Then they've got Usman/Masvidal 2 next month (the first fight did 1.3m buys) and theres a high likelihood of Conor/Poirier 3 in July which is a guaranteed 1m+.


That doesnt seem like the UFC is run horribly. Not compared to paying something like $40m in combined fight purses for Canelo/Kovalev to fight on an obscure app, only for them to have to wait backstage for an extra hour while a UFC fight between two dudes making roughly a combined $1m gets played on the screens in the arena.

[Lomadeaux]

UFC and MMA orgs actually give their fans the fights they want immediately. Can’t say the same for boxing.

MMA will always be beneath boxing. Just use your eyes.

[TMLT87]

MMA will always be beneath boxing. Just use your eyes.

And see what?

The denial with boxing fans is funny sometimes.

[Dr Rumack]

People always waiting for the day that they can announce 'boxing is dead'. But you're never going to see that day. You won't see boxing die. Instead it will just get slowly, and gradually get worse and worse. Until someday you wake up and realise Barry McGuigan vs a YouTube make-up artist is the biggest selling PPV of the year.

[KingGilgamesh]

Compared to when?

2016 iirc was their all time biggest year for overall PPV buys because Conor fought multiple times plus there was a Ronda fight and also UFC 200 with Brock coming back. But they're still doing very good business. They've generated over 3 million total PPV buys this year and we arent even in April yet, thats probably the strongest opening to a year they've ever had. Then they've got Usman/Masvidal 2 next month (the first fight did 1.3m buys) and theres a high likelihood of Conor/Poirier 3 in July which is a guaranteed 1m+.


That doesnt seem like the UFC is run horribly. Not compared to paying something like $40m in combined fight purses for Canelo/Kovalev to fight on an obscure app, only for them to have to wait backstage for an extra hour while a UFC fight between two dudes making roughly a combined $1m gets played on the screens in the arena.

Look here...

https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/ufc-espn-endeavor-mma-1202913714/

UFC actually made a massive comeback thanks to the pandemic but the question is will it continue to surge or will the reemergence of other sports see it decline again. I'll admit when I speak of being run horribly, I mean being equitable to the athletes. I actually think MMA should have long since completely usurped boxing as a the premier prizefighting go to but I actually think it kinda shoots itself in the foot with how it markets itself and the poor way they treat their athletes.

You're also talking about DAZN. I, quite frankly, don't really know what DAZN is even about. Its probably run even worse than the UFC.

[OnlytheTruth]

With bellator the 2nd most popular mma organization expanding in the uk the ufc def running the combat scene after mayweather in the usa. Now that the ufc has Ngannou as the heavyweight champ a freak of nature ko artist with great story n late bloomer whos highly marketable n got jon jones n derick lewis fun big $ fights add in the masdival mcgregor porier israels of the game n depth, is it fair to say boxing is now offically 2nd tier combat sport outside canelo boxing has no1 to do numbers n does a very shhhh job marketing added with the politics . Aj n fury r big uk euro guys but dont do a million in usa or hell close wilder spense outsold by amanda nunes crawford does well everyone outsells him thats a benchmark honestly for truthfully ryan garcia could do crawford numbers but its a loss of $.

Wow, yeah...its official.

SMH.