What does the UFC do once all of their super fights have been fought?
Will the contenders that are waiting in the wings be as ready for their title shots as they are right now? Will the casual fans that tune in because of the hype of a GSP-Penn II, or the potential GSP-Silva or Lesnar-Liddell stick around once fights become about titles defenses and number one contenders again?
I don't know.
While super fights may just keep the UFC profitable during this most recent economic downturn the advent of the "super fight" may very well ruin potential new MMA fans.
- B/R Ticket Guide
One of the most important aspects of watching MMA is learning the nuances of the sport. The other is understanding why fighter X is fighting fighter Y (although lately this is getting less clear).
Super fights overshadow these nuances and are really more of a spectacle than anything else. Couture-Lesnar was the first super fight of the season. Hyped as the "biggest fight in MMA history," in the end it didn't live up to the hype.
Presently instead of heavily promoting UFC 92 which features two title defenses, the UFC is hyping GSP-Penn II. While its their right to promote which ever event they choose, the reality is that these super fights are not the main product of the UFC. They're a once in awhile, when the stars are aligned properly event.
The current proposed and rumored super fights are based in some competitive reality but will the UFC get caught up in their own hype machine and start reaching for fights that could never make sense? GSP-Liddell or Silva-Lesnar anyone?
For the sake of the sport of MMA, I sincerely hope not.
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about 1 month ago
I see a real problem looming over the next year or so, and that's because the big names just aren't there. Liddell and Ortiz are the biggest draws the UFC have ever had. As we know, Ortiz is gone (for now, at least, it won't surprise me in the slightest if/when he re-signs), and Liddell likely won't last another 12 months. With the exception of Lesnar, who has been a draw so far, but that could just be short-term curiosity, there is no-one that pulls PPV buys apart from GSP and Penn. 1 man can only do so much. GSP vs Alves? From the casual fan's viewpoint, who cares? GSP vs Penn? Everyone cares.
All this crap about Penn jumping in the ring being classless, Penn throwing a tantrum until he gets his way, blah blah blah. Dana White and Joe Silva orchestrated that, not Penn. The same as GSP jumping in the ring to tell Matt Hughes he wasn't impressed, yet that's conveniently forgotten. And that's the point. BJ Penn and GSP cause people to become very emotive and come down on one side or the other. It gets people like us discussing for hours on end, it gets the trash talk going, it brings out emotions, plain and simple, and those emotions translate to PPV buys.
Once the Penn GSP fight is over, what then? Penn vs Florian? Silva vs Bisping? Sanchez vs Koscheck? The average fan won't be interested. The depth of attraction for the casual fan just isn't there. At a rate of a PPV a month, who do they put on to make sure they get over half a million buys? Lesnar can realistically fight 3 of them. Penn GSP is one more. That leaves 8. Anderson Silva draws nothing, he never has. That's why we WILL see Silva GSP if Georges wins. That's why we WILL also see Penn Silva if Penn wins, no matter what Dana says.
And with each superfight, the average card just seems that little bit more average than normal. The stars that draw money just aren't there, and that's a long term problem.
about 1 month ago
First off I appreciate the well thought out response.
I agree with your assessment of emotion playing into the buys a PPV does but are you really in favor of the "spectacle" of super fights being more important than the sport? If so then why not just follow the WWE route and provide "entertainment fighting"?
While Florian-Penn won't do GSP-Penn PPV numbers it is important to the sport of MMA and the UFC. Rather than reheating Lesnar, Liddell, Penn, & GSP over and over again the UFC would be better served by creating the stars of tomorrow, the fighters who will replace the Chuck Liddells & Randy Coutures of the world when they finally retire.
Like it or not the UFC is the major league of MMA. I'm all for GSP-Penn and I would be interested in GSP-Silva if GSP wins, but only after GSP defends his title against Alves. Unless we want these guys to be paper champions or fighting spectacle fights ala Fedor on New Years title defenses against divisional contenders need to be promoted as equally as the super fights.
from about 1 month ago
Nate, you might have misinterpreted what I was saying. I didn't claim to like or dislike the superfights, to liking or hating the UFC, or expressed a preference either way. For the record, I love the superfights, they're a great spectacle, and sometimes, in the case of Penn GSP, it really is the best vs the best, and that can only be good for the sport, as opposed to Butterbean or Giant Silva.
The problem is people confuse mixed martial arts with the UFC. It is there to make money, and lots of it, for the 3 shareholders, it's that simple. The way they make money just happens to be promoting people that fight. They may be the big guns, but that doesn't detract from the fact that the UFC is a brand, not a sports league, and their priority will always be to make money, and to do that they need to sell PPVs, sell merchandising and sell a TV product (which they've just done in Germany, which makes the talk of Liddell Couture in Germany amazingly fortunate, they couldn't have planned it any better).
The UFC is a business, not a sport, and people need to stop thinking as such.
about 1 month ago
People confused MMA with the UFC because Dana White knows how to market. By saturating American audiences with the UFC and calling it the UFC inherently confuses the passing fan. They see letters and a sport and just make an assumption. It is a wrong assumption, but one that inherently benefits the UFC.
Don't worry, there will always be Super Fights. It started with Shamrock and Gracie, it won't end any time soon.
from about 1 month ago
This is exactly why there needs to be another major MMA entity besides the UFC. As the leader in the sport, and the biggest pusher of MMA as the next "major league" theres an inherent onus on the UFC to do things right. Super fights, mega PPV events, etc aside the UFC is the only MMA company that can truely make or break MMA. They can offer fighters the best platform to showcase their skills, the biggest contracts, the best marketing opportunities.
Do we really want to see a young super talented fighter like GSP being relegated to some WWE persona rather than being known as one of the best combat sport fighters in the world? Its a question of choosing reality or the emperors new clothes.
Maybe the UFC doesn't see it this way but judging by the articles written around here lately many MMA fans do.
from about 1 month ago
I think that the UFC will become what the fans want it to become. Keep in mind that many members of this site don't fall in the typical fan category.
Many UFC fans want a bloody stand up fight. They want TUF drama and fights that could have been choreographed.
There are two UFCs: the one that we have and the one that will be. Let's just hope those two roads converge before it goes too far off the beaten path. Since, it doesn't look like anyone can compete in this market.
about 1 month ago
Loved the article more than the ominous message Nate. Five stars and POTD!
from about 1 month ago
Much thanks Dorothy.
about 1 month ago
the UFC superfight will never go away the Lightheavy weight divison is still stacked, with several undefeateds, Rampage is still in his prime, Forrest is crazy popular and still improving and Shogun is looming coming back from his knee. TUF is still cranking out fighters, though last season was a little weak.
from about 1 month ago
Agreed. Besides largely ignoring Machida and Silva's title shot eligibility the LHW division is the most "well run" division in the UFC. We'll have to see if adding Anderson Silva to it makes a mess of things or not though.
about 1 month ago
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from about 1 month ago
Damn you Stoker!
Happy post-Thanksgiving you crazy hijacker.
about 1 month ago
Good article Nate. I found this one a little late. I have been hearing talk that the Liddell-Couture fight may not go through afterall at UFC 99. They may both be on the card, just not agaisnt each other.
I will be intrigued to see what happens after the GSP-Penn fight. If GSP wins in good fashion he will be expected by most to fight Thiago Alves- would the UFC have the nerve to overlook Alves and schedule a fight with Silva? That would be the most egregious offense to divisional integrity so far if it happens.
Also, if Penn wins, are they going to let him keep both belts?! If he does, who does he fight first: Alves or Florian? Either way someone is getting screwed.
from about 1 month ago
Thank you.
I agree with you that regardless of the outcome of GSP-Penn there are going to be some problems with what comes next. I doubt their fight will end in the first round and I also doubt either fighter will come out unscathed so theres the potential for an extended heal up period to factor in too. Not that its a big issue since obviously fighters get hurt when they fight.
If Penn wins I think he should go down to fight Florian because its the thing he wants to do least and I think Florian has earned a title shot a slight bit more than Alves. Alves could always fight Fitch if a theres an extended wait because Penn holds both belts too.
The only way this works out nicely is if GSP beats Penn, they both go on to defend their titles against Alves & Florian and then maybe the UFC puts together another super fight in GSP-Silva. Although I can already see Dana White chomping at the bit to put together GSP-Silva.
from about 1 month ago
Yeah, I agree about Florian. If Penn wins could the UFC force Penn to relinquish one of his belts? I would think he would give up the LW belt but I am not sure if their is a precedent for this. I think Dana really compromised divisional integrity by letting Penn go after two belts. In the UFC there are only 5 divisions so a belt should be something special. Its not like in boxing where there are so many divisional belts that its watered down and not a big deal if a fighter holds two or three.
Also, I cant see Alves having to fight Fitch, being a clear cut No. 1 contender- but I can see why you suggest it. Alves seems game to take another fight. If he were to beat Fitch, Alves would be the most accomplished No 1 contender of all time! It should be interesting to see how it plays out. Good stuff Nate.
from about 1 month ago
I only threw the Alves-Fitch fight out there as an alternative to Alves waiting while Penn defends his LW belt. I don't have an initial problem with any fighter defending two belts but I want that fighter to have an Anderson Silva mentality & work ethic, meaning that he wants to fight, fight, fight, fight all the time. The extended breaks Penn has gotten use to are out the window if he needs to defend both belts until he loses one, that should be a major sticking point for his shot at the WW title.
As much as I don't want to see Penn win, I am intrigued by a bunch of fights with him in the WW division.
about 1 month ago
Agreed about super fights having a negative impact. But, Lesnar-Couture was within a division. It had a big draw, but it wasn`t the same super fight as St. Pierre - Penn, Couture Lidell, Silva - St. Pierre or Penn - Silva which would all be inter-division bouts.
The Couture-Lesnar fight was all that was available. Nog and Mir were tied up with TUF. Aside from those two the only other option besides Lesnar was Werdum, which there was a strong argument for. My point is there wasn`t a ton of heavy weights around to put up against Couture who wanted/needed a fight soon.
In the other divisions, there is some strong competition. Penn needs to face Florian, St. Pierre will have to face Alves soon. Light heavy weight is probably one of the stronger divisions in UFC with Rampage, Rashad, Wanderlei, Lidell, Machida etc. etc. Anderson Silva doesn`t have much left to face him in the Middle Weight and I think it is required that he faces some out of division competition considering he wants to retire by 35.
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