Please tell me what you would actually change in the UFC and how it would improve your interest in the sport.
I know for a fact there is a huge bunch of ppl bitching here about the current UFC product so I'd like to see how many answers I get with any substance and sense in the real world of sport and business.
Less events. 3 or 4 stacked cards per year.
tryonmytoupee - Less events. 3 or 4 stacked cards per year.
No fight nights? Literally 3-4 events total?
I'd drop 145lb and under along with Women's divisions. Have them fight on a secondary show, call it UFC light.
I don't bitch about the product or the way they are taking it now. I just find it hard homding interest now that a lot of my favorite fighter are getting old and leaving. I don't know many of the fighters nowadays and a stacked card to me is a bunch of guys past their primes.
Plus having 2 kids and being more busy with other things, i cant keep up with all of it haha. Nothing i'd change except reebok i guess.
TheOneWhoKnocks -I don't bitch about the product or the way they are taking it now. I just find it hard homding interest now that a lot of my favorite fighter are getting old and leaving. I don't know many of the fighters nowadays and a stacked card to me is a bunch of guys past their primes.
Plus having 2 kids and being more busy with other things, i cant keep up with all of it haha. Nothing i'd change except reebok i guess.
You're not the problem man. Our circumstances change and that's life. I can't train jits anymore cause I'm made of glass.
What im trying to address is the relentless criticism with no valid suggestions for improvement.
I liked the gladiator/metal intro. The fancy Fox style intro just feels wrong to me. I used to get pumped watching the intro and interviews. Just don't like the new format.
I live on the Gold Coast in Australia and I think interest is definitely down from the long time/hardcore fans but in my opinion interest is up in terms of new and casual fans. I know most of the guys I've followed it with for well over a decade aren't as into it anymore. The days of a whole bunch of us being pumped for the next PPV gathering and BBQ are over but more and more people who've never even mentioned it and probably hadn't even heard of MMA until recently are showing interest and talking about the recent fights and current stars.
Workmates talking about the weekends fights and how good so and so is when a few years ago no one outside the hardcore fans really knew anything about it and definitely didn't care enough to show interest. IMO it's to do with the current model. Hardcores want to see the best fight the best and get disillusioned when top contenders are repeatedly overlooked by some shit talking showboat ranked well below them yet the newer breed of fans eat up all the "drama", "grudges" and "so and so is the best ever" talk that the promoters feed them.
The problem to me is that none of the casuals/new fans I come across are serious enough fans to warrant buying PPVs at $59 when they can go to a bar and watch them for free. and the long term fans have lost interest to the point that theyd rather just find a decent bar for a big event or check the results after and catch a replay of any fights that sounded good. So while pubs and clubs are doing well off the UFC events I doubt their fees make up for the decline in home viewers.
Cut mens division at 135, do 145, 155, 165, 175, 185, 195, 205, and HW. Should solve some weight issues. Then go for less interim belts. IF a champ is unavilable. Strip of belt. Make a tournament with the top ranked 8. quaterfinals 1 night . 15 weeks later semifinal and final in same night. With semifinal 2+ 1 round extension. Final 3 rounds for the undisputed belt.
always use the smaller cage or a Pride ring . The big octagon is to large and to hard to cut off.
Less events in total but atleast 2/ month as minimum .
newtotheinterweb -I live on the Gold Coast in Australia and I think interest is definitely down from the long time/hardcore fans but in my opinion interest is up in terms of new and casual fans. I know most of the guys I've followed it with for well over a decade aren't as into it anymore. The days of a whole bunch of us being pumped for the next PPV gathering and BBQ are over but more and more people who've never even mentioned it and probably hadn't even heard of MMA until recently are showing interest and talking about the recent fights and current stars.
Workmates talking about the weekends fights and how good so and so is when a few years ago no one outside the hardcore fans really knew anything about it and definitely didn't care enough to show interest. IMO it's to do with the current model. Hardcores want to see the best fight the best and get disillusioned when top contenders are repeatedly overlooked by some shit talking showboat ranked well below them yet the newer breed of fans eat up all the "drama", "grudges" and "so and so is the best ever" talk that the promoters feed them.
The problem to me is that none of the casuals/new fans I come across are serious enough fans to warrant buying PPVs at $59 when they can go to a bar and watch them for free. and the long term fans have lost interest to the point that theyd rather just find a decent bar for a big event or check the results after and catch a replay of any fights that sounded good. So while pubs and clubs are doing well off the UFC events I doubt their fees make up for the decline in home viewers.
Not sure how to solve this one. Maybe progress in the form of abandoning the PPV model and widespread monetised streaming.
Also for the hype factor, I believe there are some sick match ups in the pipeline right now that appeal massively to the hardcores but then ppl are complaining there is no Conor level superstar hype. Finding a happy medium or maybe better marketing all fighters for this.
1 event per month. Cut 145lbs and under, go back to a WEC lighter weight promotion for these guys. Limit the WMMA fights, use Invicta as a progression league (no more women like Lina Lansberg ((who??)) main eventing).
Sack Reebok off to allow fighters to get some money back they'll lose due to less events.
Make champions fight number 1 contenders. Use a sensible, credible ranking system to determine this.
Sabaki -Cut mens division at 135, do 145, 155, 165, 175, 185, 195, 205, and HW. Should solve some weight issues. Then go for less interim belts. IF a champ is unavilable. Strip of belt. Make a tournament with the top ranked 8. quaterfinals 1 night . 15 weeks later semifinal and final in same night. With semifinal 2+ 1 round extension. Final 3 rounds for the undisputed belt.
always use the smaller cage or a Pride ring . The big octagon is to large and to hard to cut off.
Less events in total but atleast 2/ month as minimum .
All cool ideas I could get behind
Bigtrain2681 -1 event per month. Cut 145lbs and under, go back to a WEC lighter weight promotion for these guys. Limit the WMMA fights, use Invicta as a progression league (no more women like Lina Lansberg ((who??)) main eventing).
Sack Reebok off to allow fighters to get some money back they'll lose due to less events.
Make champions fight number 1 contenders. Use a sensible, credible ranking system to determine this.
Only issue I see here is the number of events. 12 per year means roughly 240 fighters fight per year if they only fight once each. Leaving around 260 fighters out to dry (less if you cut divisions and WMMA).
I get why less events would peak our interest more but I can also see from a business standpoint why drastically reducing it is not feasible. WME's proposed minor reduction is a start
I would like a 2nd tier or minor league. Save the ppvs for ranked fighters. Something like that
Only 10 ppvs a year. Drop the small guys and women's division.
Weight cuts. Thats been my only let down cause of people pulling out. I couldnt give two fucks about conor being gone and there not being a "big money" fight. Theres a ton of good fights that im excited for this year. I also had good times at bars and with friends watching fights last year. Go buy bellator's ppv if you dont like the current state of the ufc.
Abide by the contracts and make people less fearful that a throwing it all out there which could result in a loss and you're contract being cancelled prematurely
Less event filler fighters. Less crap oversaturated events, once upon a time the UK for example had brilliant events... now they are pretty shit. Generally the same old fighters we've seen come up through their careers in the domestic/euro circuit.
I am over the moon they are finally on the big stage and I think it's awesome they are able to achieve their dreams. But I'd rather not fork out hundreds to see an event with 80% local fighters on it that I was paying £35 - £50 to see before... Spread the local event fighters around a bit, they deserve it.
The UFC has always been successful when they followed WWE's lead. Do that again.
WWE NXT(the indie show) and 205 Live (the small guy show) have the best in-ring action and focus on smallers wrestlers. The UFC should have a sub-170 show with up and coming fighters making a name for themselves, fighting more often and eventually making their way to the main roster when the fans demand it
6 PPV a year. Stack the hell out of them. Have alternates ready in case somebody pulls out with an injury. Make PPVs special, must-see events. Have one PPV (NYE, July 4 weekend) that's the wrestlemania of the UFC. Nothing but title fights and #1 contender matchups on the main card.
Switch to the WEC cage to increase the action in the octagon
Make better hype shows. The production quality is always lacking when it comes to the UFC hype shows. Hopefully, Hollywood people can fix that.
UFC Grand Prix. Fans love tournaments. Top 4 contenders (and 2 alternates) compete for a title shot ASAP.
Make the belts mean something. Don't waste a year in a champion's like coaching TUF that nobody watches. Let's see champs vs. top 5 opponents or tourney winners 3 times a year.
Superfights. Make the 'what if's' happen. Anderson vs. Roy Jones 8 years ago would have been massive. Zuffa screwed that up. Don't screw that kind of thing up.
Shine the spotlight on the fighters, not the league president.
Fighters used to fight to win. Now they fight not to lose. That's what ruined MMA. Get rid of shitty coaches like Greg Jackson and many others and you might have a shot at rebuilding the sport, but in my opinion the genie's out of the bottle now and there's no putting it back. The only thing that could help is bringing back weapons ala ancient Rome.