UFC Champ: ‘Cash Me Ousside’ Girl Would Probably Do More PPV Numbers Than Ronda Rousey
It’s no secret that stirring up the most trash talk and over-the-top drama is the formula for success in the UFC these days.
Dominant UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson is here to let you know that with a unique perspective.
During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on this week’s The MMA Hour, “Mighty Mouse” said he thought that internet personality Danielle Negreli, known for her “Cash me ousside” catchphrase and appearances on Dr. Phil, could drive more pay-per-view numbers than former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey simply due to the drama that she brings:
“I guarantee you if you get her some gloves and put her in the Octagon, she would be the highest selling pay-per-view fighter in the world,” Johnson said. “She’d probably do way more numbers than Ronda. Just because she brings drama and negativity to wherever she goes.”
That may be a bit of an overstatement considering Rousey’s last PPV draw in a loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207, a bout where “Rowdy” made million in 48 seconds. And Conor McGregor is clearly the current master of creating drama and intrigue for upcoming bouts in the UFC, something that Johnson is clearly focused on not getting involved in – and also a potential factor why he’s viewed as one of the lowest-watched champions in MMA.
But it also can’t be denied that drama is a real motivating factor in how the UFC books fights in the new (and uncertain) early days of the WME-IMG era.
“Mighty Mouse’s” view of the pay-per-view selling model is a bit overzealous, and it was intended as such to illustrate a point. It’s hard to deny that the UFC should perhaps promote more of their fighters based on their jaw-dropping skills in martial arts rather than the drama they create online, yet self-promotion is and always will be an integral part of the fight game. There’s no easy answer to find a balance as of right now.
Are you satisfied with the current direction the promotion’s going?
