UFC bans Helwani

[David]

I don't think MMA has the scope to get much bigger. 

 

It is getting bigger. Guys like Conor are being paid the kind of money that was simply unthinkable a few years ago. Jon Jones and Ronda Rousey are on big money as well.

 

Even Dan Henderson cleared just shy of a million quid for his fight with Lombard at the weekend, so there's growth there, and importantly there's the potential for growth.

 

Not everything comes down to PPV buys. There are multiple revenue streams available, and the UFC aren't taking advantage of them all. Imagine if a company bought over the UFC who saw out the shitty Reebok deal and then moved to put something in where a major sports brand were producing the uniforms for the in-cage performance, but fighters were actually allowed to work with certain credible advertisers on the outside, including walk-in shirts and so forth.

 

In the right hands the UFC can grow more over the next few years. The coverage that the likes of McGregor is bringing to the company in the mainstream press is testament to that.

 

They just need people who know how to operate at the next level in charge.

[David]

i just find it weird to knock the business sense of a guy who's achieved so much.

 

I'm not knocking him, I'm simply saying that he's taken it as far as he can in my opinion.

 

It's like saying that Pellegrini is a great manager and why did City sack him? They did so because they want to move to the next level, and they've brought someone in who can do that. That doesn't mean Pellegrini is shite, it's just that the club has outgrown him now.

[jimufctna24]

 

I don't think MMA has the scope to get much bigger. 

 

It is getting bigger. Guys like Conor are being paid the kind of money that was simply unthinkable a few years ago. Jon Jones and Ronda Rousey are on big money as well.

 

Even Dan Henderson cleared just shy of a million quid for his fight with Lombard at the weekend, so there's growth there, and importantly there's the potential for growth.

 

Not everything comes down to PPV buys. There are multiple revenue streams available, and the UFC aren't taking advantage of them all. Imagine if a company bought over the UFC who saw out the shitty Reebok deal and then moved to put something in where a major sports brand were producing the uniforms for the in-cage performance, but fighters were actually allowed to work with certain credible advertisers on the outside, including walk-in shirts and so forth.

 

In the right hands the UFC can grow more over the next few years. The coverage that the likes of McGregor is bringing to the company in the mainstream press is testament to that.

 

They just need people who know how to operate at the next level in charge.

 

Perhaps in terms of revenue.

 

I just feel that MMA has a ceiling in terms of appeal. Obviously, the more markets they invade, the more fans they will get. But I don't think it's going to be for everyone, regardless of how they market it. 

[ColinBollocks]

Time will tell in that regard, David. White knows how to get it done though. He turned a multi-million dollar losing company into a billion++ dollar monster. That can't be disputed.

[lambyUK]

 

Perhaps in terms of revenue.

 

 

I just feel that MMA has a ceiling in terms of appeal. Obviously, the more markets they invade, the more fans they will get. But I don't think it's going to be for everyone, regardless of how they market it. 

 

 

I used to think that too gym until Mcgregor and Rousey came around. 

 

Now I've got people who I thought never in a million years would be discussing MMA with are either expressing interest because of the above mentioned fighters, or are now even watching the sport.

 

My wife is a classic case. Previously I never once had a discussion with her regarding MMA, literally none. She frankly never knew it existed beyond me saying "I'm watching the fight tonight". For all she knew it was boxing.

 

However, the buzz from the fighters above made her start asking questions and now I'm in regular coversation regarding MMA and she's started to occasionally watch the sport. 

[jimufctna24]

I'll concede about Rousey and McGregor.

 

Pre-2015, I honestly thought that the UFC wouldn't reach the commercial heights of 2010 again. Today, McGregor and Rousey are arguably the 2 biggest names in UFC history. 

[David]

 

 

I don't think MMA has the scope to get much bigger. 

 

It is getting bigger. Guys like Conor are being paid the kind of money that was simply unthinkable a few years ago. Jon Jones and Ronda Rousey are on big money as well.

 

Even Dan Henderson cleared just shy of a million quid for his fight with Lombard at the weekend, so there's growth there, and importantly there's the potential for growth.

 

Not everything comes down to PPV buys. There are multiple revenue streams available, and the UFC aren't taking advantage of them all. Imagine if a company bought over the UFC who saw out the shitty Reebok deal and then moved to put something in where a major sports brand were producing the uniforms for the in-cage performance, but fighters were actually allowed to work with certain credible advertisers on the outside, including walk-in shirts and so forth.

 

In the right hands the UFC can grow more over the next few years. The coverage that the likes of McGregor is bringing to the company in the mainstream press is testament to that.

 

They just need people who know how to operate at the next level in charge.

 

Perhaps in terms of revenue.

 

I just feel that MMA has a ceiling in terms of appeal. Obviously, the more markets they invade, the more fans they will get. But I don't think it's going to be for everyone, regardless of how they market it. 

 

Most things have a ceiling as far as appeal goes, though. The NHL is a prime example, they were quite stagnant for a few years, but in recent times they've managed to push on by changing a few things and taking advantage of online streaming and so forth.

 

My main point though is that in recent times Dana has shown that he's simply not adept at dealing with certain situations, and those situations are becoming more & more prevalent as the company grows and the fighters grow.

 

Remember how he treated Jon Jones after the UFC 151 debacle? He told media that it was "the event that Jon Jones murdered", and he said in an interview that Jones was "disgusting" and that he was to blame for other fighters who's kids were going back to school with less money being spent on them and shit.

 

Seriously? What the fuck is that? The President of a billion dollar company acting like that and talking about one his biggest stars that way?

 

Could you imagine Jeanie Buss talking about Kobe Bryant like that to the media? Or Jim Rutherford or Mario Lemieux talking about Sydney Crosby like that?

 

 

It's ridiculous. Then he and his partners pull Conor McGregor from possibly the biggest money event of all time because he wouldn't do a press conference and some photos? Yeah, I got a laugh at that and said I understood why they did it, but i'm not a UFC shareholder or owner! If I were I'd be thinking different!

 

Put simply, he's coming to the end of his rope and when he finally does take off it won't be a minute too soon in my opinion.

[jimufctna24]

David - You're preaching to the choir. 

 

Dana says and does some boneheaded things. I despise the way he conducts himself at times. However, despite his faults, I'm not convinced that there is a better man to lead the UFC presently. I would love that to be the case, but I'm not convinced. We'll find out one day. 

[lambyUK]

It's a fair point, David. Who knows in 10/20 years we'll look back at the Zuffa years as we do the Art Davie years. With fondness and with amazement at how the sport has grown up and changed for the better.

 

Helwani made the point on his first Rich Eisen interview that the sport, while hugely successful, is still in it's infancy; comparing it to 1920s football with the leather helmets. 50 years from now it will be interesting to see what the UFC looks like.

 

I was thinking about this the other day, and whilst the sport may still be in it's infancy in comparison to other sports, I just think think that there's still no excuses to how things have been ran.

 

Helwani was basically saying that because the sport was still a young sport, the practices they still abide by can almost be seen as prehistoric because they haven't had the time to develop yet.

 

I just don't buy this though. Whilst obviously 50 years from now things could be different, there's no excuse why business practices and ethics don't match what other organisations adhere to today.

 

Yes, from an athlete physical perspective the sport will change, but to compare to sports where it's equipment dependent is bizarre. He really should have compared it to other combat sports and has boxing really changed that much in 50 years? I would say not that much.

 

There can't be any excuses for the behaviour of the company. Basically the company are ran by a bunch of scum bags.

[David]

Bang on, Lamby. Going by the reckoning of the sport being the equivalent of 1920's football I guess that we shouldn't be surprised if we saw rampant racism and homophobia in the company as well?

 

Just because the sport is young doesn't mean it's exempt from common modern decency and practices.

[Egg Shen]

A sport like MMA will always be about peaks and valleys, it depends on the active fighters. I think the appeal will always be limited, in terms of just reaching people i dont see how much more the UFC can do. If anyone in the aimed market doesn't know what the UFC is now they must live under a rock.

 

The slightly un-PC nature of UFC's head man has always added to the UFC's appeal to its audience. How many company presidents have shows like Looking for a Fight on youtube? Fans wanting a straight down the line, corporate, safe figurehead who says all the right thing would be all be a little bit boring.

[lambyUK]

A sport like MMA will always be about peaks and valleys, it depends on the active fighters. I think the appeal will always be limited, in terms of just reaching people i dont see how much more the UFC can do. If anyone in the aimed market doesn't know what the UFC is now they must live under a rock.

 

The slightly un-PC nature of UFC's head man has always added to the UFC's appeal to its audience. How many company presidents have shows like Looking for a Fight on youtube? Fans wanting a straight down the line, corporate, safe figurehead who says all the right thing would be all be a little bit boring.

 

Is that really needed though in combat sports though? Look at boxing, you've got god knows how many promoters now (as that's basically what Dana White is), but the big fights are sold by the fighters. The entertainment should always come from the fighters and their ability to hype. 

 

There's no need at all for a figurehead like White in today's sports market. 

 

I'm not saying he's not entertaining as he's pretty good to watch, but take him away and if you're honest Egg, nothing would change from your enjoyment of the sport. In fact, fighters may get a word or two more in as they would receive more attention. 

[Egg Shen]

Lamby, you're talking bollocks.

 

A Boxing promoters is to promote fights, they are always a key point of promotion. They are notoriously controversial figures too, how many boxing promoters do you know that didn't burn bridges? its a dirty, selfish business the fight game.

[lambyUK]

Lamby, you're talking bollocks.

 

A Boxing promoters is to promote fights, they are always a key point of promotion. They are notoriously controversial figures too, how many boxing promoters do you know that didn't burn bridges? its a dirty, selfish business the fight game.

 

I didn't say they weren't needed, I said they weren't needed in the context you wrote above. Do you see the likes of Eddie Hearn, Frank Warren, or going back to Don King partaking in shit like Looking for a fight whilst riding bulls and going skinny dipping?

 

Whilst it's entertaining, I don't particular find it really related to the sport, which is why I said is a figurehead like Dana really needed. I never said promoters. 

 

A boxing promoter isn't there to be centre of attention and talk bollocks on stage, something that Dana White seems to do an awful lot of. 

 

Look at the promotion for the biggest fight of all time, Mayweather vs Pacquiao. Was Bob Arum constantly on stage in between the fighters whilst often taking questions that weren't even related to the fight? He wasn't.

[Carbomb]

Have to agree with Chops there. A promoter's job is to promote, yes - but when I hear that term, I'm thinking "this is the guy who arranges promotional materials, like posters, TV and radio adverts, press conferences, fight contracts, etc." Verbal promotion from the actual guy is not exactly high up on what I expect him to do; I usually expect that from the fighters.