Promoters
Is MMA the sport of the future? or does Football still reign supreme in the U.S?
The past two years have been dominated by the UFC. Does the UFC really put on the best fights? If you look at the viewing audiences, then you have to say UFC has it nailed down. Look at the paid tickets in the Arena of a UFC event. Strikeforce attendence on site has been pretty weak. UFC is another story. I have watched MMA since 2004 and watched Pride dominate until their fall in 2006. Is the UFC going to like Pride? Dominate and then fall? Looking at the future is hard, but you have to say that at some point there is a promoter, like a Vince McMahan with money waiting to start a business or take over one.
Let’s say Vince does and buys out Strikeforce. Will the UFC be in trouble if he can lure the best fighters from the UFC. One has to believe a guy like Vince and Shane can do this because they have star power and know how to promote their product like they have the WWE. Even knowing that the WWE is fake, they still have that star power on Monday Raw.
Do any of these promotions have the ability in the future to jump above football? Or will it have to take time? I know football is a two heaed monster in the U.S. MMA is like a baby in diapers in this country.
I witnessed a high school football game tonight with over 10,000 people in a small town in KY. To have this type of “star power” in high school football is unreal. In Texas and in big cities you might see 20,000 people at a high school football game, especially if the high school has a rich tradition.
Right now promoters need to start getting the fans quality fights. Even if it causes them to co-promote. Dana has said this will “kill MMA” if they co-promote. I don’t buy that. To beat out football, much less high school, college, or the NFL the promoters have to put the best vs. best attitude up front. Even if it makes them co-promote fights.
The reason why college football has changed it’s National Championship formula to get the best teams playing each other in January. Regardless of what people say, if MMA wants to be big in the U.S they have to co-promote to get the best vs. the best.
