It's easy to knock the UFC nowadays.
They're the big bully on the playground, taking lunch money and kicking sand in the face of every other promotion. Say something good about the UFC and you're certain to be rebuffed by this or that purist/old-schooler.
And, with good reason.
The UFC has become the WWF (E) of MMA.
I don't use that metaphor lightly, I realize all the backlash I'm likely to get for even putting up such an offensive acronym. But, if you are familiar with the McMahon family and their Standard Oil-type model of gobbling up or ruining rival organizations, then you may be able to appreciate my point.
Current owner Vince McMahon's own father once warned him that his ambition may land him at the bottom of a river somewhere. "Things in this business just aren't DONE that way," he said.
He and his company had survived for years by allowing other companies to have their own regional pieces of the pie. Little Vince, however, didn't care if he already had the biggest and sweetest piece, he wanted everyone's piece, no matter how small.
Dana White and his partners in crime operate much the same way. Reach for some of their pie and you're likely to draw back a nub.
The question is, can we really fault them for it?
Full disclosure: I do not have a belt in any martial art. I have never had any formal training in a martial art. I've gotten into a few fist fights with various drummers, but that's neither here nor there.
I have a degree in business. What I'm saying is filtered through that prism first and foremost.
I can't help it. I'm just explaining where I'm coming from.
And let me tell you, from that perspective, the UFC is doing a bang-up job.
They were able to do something very difficult in business/marketing: create a need.
There was an existing need, but that isn't what I'm talking about. That need stemmed from those folks who have belts in various martial arts. That need was rooted in people already going to karate tournaments, those intimate with the fight game already. Those people were already interested. But there simply weren't enough of them.
Enter Dana White in 2001.
He and his backers bought a brand that had been tarnished by accusations of brutality, human cockfighting, excessive violence, etc. He stated in an interview with Entrepreneur.com that he bought the UFC (rather than starting his own promotion) just because, good or bad, people had heard of it.
The image of the UFC was tarnished because it had been marketed that way. It was advertised as the "Faces of Death" of the sports world. That was fine for making a quick buck, but eventually the sensationalism wears off and the spectacle ceases to intrigue those viewers who aren't really familiar with martial arts.
Dana White and the new UFC decided to try something different.
They made MMA into a sport instead of a bloodbath. And let's face it, some of those early UFC
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about 1 month ago
I think the brutal knockout you are speaking of was in one of the very first UFC events, 3rd or 4rth. Gary Goodrich if Im no mistaken, in a black gi, took that poor kid to school. THe kid happened to be the smallest man to ever compete in the UFC at the time, 185 I think. It was also Don Fryes debut if memory serves me. The most brutal knockout that Ive ever seen. My facts may be wrong, but I remember the fight, it was stunning to say the least.
I really liked this read, UFC has some less than admirable practices but they do have a nice thing going that allows the sport to function on a high level compared to its humble roots. That is a success, even if the means by which they attained it are not desirable to the purists.
Good article sir.
about 1 month ago
Good read Brad. Glad to see you back with another article. You make some salient points. I am a business major as well so I tend to look at things through the same lens. It is easy to bash the UFC, and sure they get alot wrong, but in the end they get alot right. And MMA wouldn't be where its at without them. Perhaps some in the MMA world would be happier off with the UFC gone.
Also, I am glad you clarified the issue with Pride. Some are angry though that things were supposed to be run differently and the UFC ended up firing all the Pride people. Am I wrong on that? Anyways, thats how Dream got started.
I for one, am like you. I will count myself lucky that MMA, as a sport, has come so far and I get to enjoy the ppv's and free fights on Spike. I will also be anticipating the next wave of changes in the sport. In 10 years the face of MMA will look completely different, for better or worse, its such a growth sport.
about 1 month ago
Todd, that may very well be the knockout I was thinking of. 3 or 4 sounds about right. It was one I rented from the video store as soon as it hit the shelves. It definitely made me cringe.
Brian, as I understand it, things were supposed to be run differently. PRIDE and UFC were in negotiations to do some fighter trading, then PRIDE lost the TV deal, then the buyout happened and then (whatever the stated intentions of the UFC) PRIDE was gutted and only the portions the UFC wanted survived. Wanderlei Silva, Big Nog, the video library, etc. That's what I hear, anyway. Someone else correct me if I'm wrong.
UFC and it's naysayers make me think of rock bands. At first, they're the coolest thing around. The radio picks them up, they sell a million c.d.s and all of a sudden, they just aren't cool, anymore. Their success alienates them from their original fans while 100 times more people jump on the bandwagon. I just hope the UFC turns out to be more like the NFL than Finger Eleven. Even if you can't horse-collar tackle and F11 is now playing dance music.
about 1 month ago
By 2000, before the Ferttita's and Dana bought the UFC, Congress had already forced the UFC to police themselves. All Dana did was market is new product. UFC fans should not think for a minute that Dana was the brainchild of making the UFC safer. Hardly.
Personally, I don't care if the UFC becomes the only game in the U.S.. I say this because I know that the UFC will never be the only televised big-time MMA production in the world; nor will they ever be the best...unless it is sold to smarter (and subtler and classier) businessmen.
More to come soon...
from about 1 month ago
It might not have been White's idea, but (in his own words), "The thing that was great for us coming in and buying a company that had tons of bad press was we could come in and be the knight in shining armor. You could be the guy that comes in and says, "This is what they used to do, but this is what we're going to do now." Basically tell everyone how you're going to change it."
That's from an interview. He may be taking credit for something he didn't do, I dunno, I'm just the messenger.
about 1 month ago
I didn't get that. I'm not the sharpest blade in the drawer.
about 1 month ago
Maybe Pride was the WWE of MMA, but in a friendly way. And maybe the UFC is quickly heading in that direction in a much darker way.
from about 1 month ago
I do miss the tournament-style events that PRIDE (and the UFC) used to have. That was such an awesome format. Now, the fighter has one opponent to prepare for and, in a way, we can really see who is the best athlete (mentally and physically), but not necessarily who would win if they just happened to cross paths on the astral plain somewhere.
about 1 month ago
i agree. if the ufc were not the best then 65% of fans would not know about mma and this webste wouldnt exist
and the ufc wouldnt be in most house holds and in most minds.
a mma fan should say thank you.
in 10 years when it is a monopoly, we can argue, for now we will
say thanks. for pride or dream for strike fore and rotr thanks.
from about 1 month ago
I agree, ten years from now we will either be ready to complain or the UFC will be the NFL of MMA and we won't even mention the other leagues except in the past tense.
from about 1 month ago
So we should applaud the UFC for making America more aware of MMA, that hardly qualifies it for being the BEST product. Coca Cola made soda pop a household commodity, but that does not mean that Coca Cola is the soda. We should thank Coca Cola for bringing a tasty beverage into people's homes.
about 1 month ago
I think the UFC was the best thing to happen since sliced bread. I was a fan of it back when it was only on VHS and, Ken Shamrock wasn't thought of as that guy from WWF. I still love it,although it has changed,it was for the better. Now guys like Anderson Silva,Georges St. Pierre,BJ Penn,Randy Couture,Tito Ortiz,Rich Franklin,and Chuck Liddell are house hold names. Say what you will about Dana White,but without him we wouldn't have MMA on T.V.,or maybe at all. UFC is and will always be my favorite organization. I think its good to have multiple "developement leagues" AKA "other MMA organizations" but UFC is the premiere organization. UFC is just gonna keep getting bigger.and people should just get over their hate for it,and learn to deal with it. UFC FOREVER
about 1 month ago
Oh yeah BTW GREAT ARTICLE POTD
from about 1 month ago
Thanks for the pick and the comment. Good points. I really thought WEC would become a sort of minor league, but now that the heavier weight classes have been removed, I'm not sure what direction they are heading.
about 1 month ago
Really love this article. You express all the points that make the UFC both great and shitty. Great writing, I agreed with every single sentence. Good ending. I agree the UFC have decidied that it will stand as the only MMA orginization, and as a business that has proved to be an effective strategy,
about 1 month ago
The point of having multiple orgs is competition. You know, we live in a capitalist society and monopolies break products. Competition will cause the UFC to improve their product. This leads to better shows, more exciting fights, etc. Competition is good for business, this is why Google encourages competition. Google has the foresight to understand that if other search engines are out there, Google will have to continue to strive to produce a better search engine. Innovation happens and the quality of EVERYONE'S products is enhanced.
The UFC is still what I pay for, but if we as fans wish to see their product improved, competition must exist.
from about 1 month ago
Hey Matt, I agree and disagree.
For me as a fan, the more MMA, the better. There are still lots of superstars I can't see in the UFC (Fedor, Barnett, and Kid Yamamoto come to mind) and as long as top notch talent exists in the outlying organizations, I'll keep watching. (Whether or not I buy the PPV depends on whether or not my usual group cares enough about the card to go in -- EliteXC did manage to overcome this obstacle, free fights are an easy sell in the channel changing debate).
On the other hand, look at sports leagues as opposed to other businesses and the models they use effectively. The XFL, although good intentioned, couldn't make it work as long as the NFL was around. Sure, football junkies will watch to see some big hits, some great plays and some alterations of the rules (no halo on punt returns, running back can be in forward motion when the ball is snapped, etc.), but for the most part, they didn't become invested in it. The exception is college football, which is popular in and of itself. If another league could find a college football sort of niche, it could become a mainstay without being devoured. What that niche would be, I have no idea.
from about 1 month ago
Yes, the NFL puts on football games, and yes the players are technically employed by the NFL. Key difference between the NFL and the UFC is Franchising. The UFC is set up like a corporation and the NFL's key is in franchising. That's what people fail to understand. If the UFC were like the NFL, than Dream, WVR, and Afflicition would pay money to the UFC to pay money for fights. Each respective promotion could then cross-promote, do their own advertising, etc. This is why the NFL is so successful. Each team promotes itself, hires its own staff, etc. This in turn allows the NFL to have a HIGHLY competitive environment between teams and fosters a better product year in and year out.
The UFC is not a franchise but a corporation and that's the main difference. The UFC is instead NOT following the business model of the NFL, but following the business model of the WWE. The UFC looks to stomp out ALL competition, when it could still be the top dog and foster competition between promotions.
But that is the difference. Every major sport in America is a Franchise but the UFC is a corporation.
about 1 month ago
In my opinion, Pride FC was a better MMA production than is the UFC.
Can somebody tell me if I'm wrong and why? I'd like to know because there may be something better about the UFC than Pride that I'm missing.
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