Why Boxing Is Bigger Than UFC

[GrandpaBernard]

why is the UFC smaller than boxing despite the former's greater "resources"?

Across America UFC gyms are opening up everywhere. Good luck finding a boxing gym in the suburbs.

And UFC has a greater appeal to white Americans than boxing does.

But boxing always kills UFC in PPV.

[juggernaut666]

UFC isn't a sport its an organization..ppv means little ,many go out to watch ufc in bars which charge by the head per person..etc...so its impossible to count the actual viewership in MMA/UFC. Add in the total sports bars that show live UFC events and that's millions of ppl watching.

[bballchump11]

I snatched this from a Sherdog thread

[Dr Rumack]

Boxing has 100 years of history, cultural icons like Muhammad Ali, and a strong backbone of national amateur systems across the globe.

But it's also a sport that relies heavily on its past, and a sport that is not growing. MMA under the stewardship of the UFC is growing at a phenomenal rate. Edging out a sport that is essentially 15 years old in its current form isn't something to boast about, it's a little embarrassing.

MMA is better organised, better ran, and better promoted. Its cultural significance is growing all the time and all they are lacking is major crossover stars. But they will come, in time. Because the system is in place that will produce them.

Boxing is not going anywhere. It will always be there. But it's a sport that's limping along. Relying on one huge event every half-decade or so to get the wider public's attention. It might still be bigger than MMA and the UFC in some respects, but there's no mistaking which sport is healthier.

[Eff Pandas]

But boxing always kills UFC in PPV.

Not really. People just like to look at the biggest selling cards, but when you go by actual sales the UFC is kicking boxing's ass in PPV buys (although revenue may or may not be another story cuz I think there have been some highly priced boxing events).

Couple stats on PPV buys:

PPV's Sold (2006-2015) UFC, 62M, Boxing 42M

UFC has sold more PPV's than Boxing in 8 of the last 10 years (2007 & 2014)

32M of the 42M PPV's (76%) Boxing has sold in the last decade have been Floyd &/or Manny PPV's

I think boxing people are wayyyyy insecure about this **** doe. Boxing fans seem threatened by MMA in that MMA has taken over Boxing former place as the combat sport of choice which it may have already done or is just in contention to do soon depending on who you talk about it to. But who gives a ****, just watching boxing or both if you are like me & enjoy both sports.

[Phenom]

Boxing is world wide where MMA is really just an American thing, think of boxing like soccer and MMA like baseball

[Eff Pandas]

Boxing is world wide where MMA is really just an American thing, think of boxing like soccer and MMA like baseball

Ultimately fighting is fighting doe & fighting will have fans everywhere cuz its such a basic & primitive sport so while MMA isn't as broad as boxing yet it gets broader by the day & will eventually have the same reach as boxing.

[ShoulderRoll]

Boxing is world wide where MMA is really just an American thing, think of boxing like soccer and MMA like baseball

Exactly.

On a global scale boxing is way more popular than UFC.

[////]

The UFC puts out 15 or so PPVs per year... Boxing has 2 or 3?

UFC still dominates the PPV market in total annual buys

And that's just the UFC vs boxing. If it's MMA (whole sport) vs boxing (including bellator and all the japanese mma events etc) MMA completely decimates boxing in every category.

In boxing the top 2 or 3 guys are the whole show because of the faction warfare. They make what they want and they have one or two ppvs per year. Everyone else is in the gutter.

And if those top guys are boring or unlikable then boxing as a whole is in the gutter while they're around.

In UFC the top 3 guys don't make as much money but they don't have pathetic homeless guys with 0-234 records fighting under their banner either. Lots of "solid" fighters making upper middle class money to fill up cards with.

[Phenom]

Ultimately fighting is fighting doe & fighting will have fans everywhere cuz its such a basic & primitive sport so while MMA isn't as broad as boxing yet it gets broader by the day & will eventually have the same reach as boxing.

MMA at it's heart is wrestling though 90% of the fights end up in the ground I could see that being popular in the states because Americans want instant gratification and like a fight that ends in few minutes but I don't see that taking off world wide IMO

MMA tried having cards in Europe and elsewhere but people weren't really impressed by a tap out like they are here in this country