UFC Dominates their compeition
Date: 2008-11-08 08:00:00
Source: http://www.fightticker.com/story_1107080812_ufc_cr...
Submitted By: MMA Fight Dump
When Johnny Drama is called into the eight-sided cage by Chuck Liddell during an episode of HBO’s hit series “Entourage,” the mixed martial arts fighter demands that the terrified Drama – who had mouthed off at Liddell in a parking lot – get down on his knees and beg for forgiveness. In a nutshell, that is how Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) – of which Liddell is a top star – has treated all competitors. Last month, mixed martial arts organization EliteXC failed. In the last few years, UFC has purchased a huge rival, Japan’s Pride Fighting Championships, along with World Extreme Cagefighting and World Fighting. Today, UFC is the undisputed champ of the mixed martial arts world. According to Forbes, UFC is likely to generate $250 million this year, about 90 percent of all mixed martial arts revenue. The matches often sell out venues, such as the 13,300-capacity MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, at an average ticket price topping $250. Three of its cable shows – The Ultimate Fighter, UFC Fight Night and UFC Unleashed – are staples on Spike TV. ”They offer the highest level of product in the marketplace,” said Shawn McBride, vice president of Ketchum Sports Network. “UFC is laser-focused on mixed martial arts. It’s a great case study.” The article goes on to talk about some of the UFC's sponsorships and the financial situation the UFC was in when the Fertittas bought it. In spite of the fact that many MMA fans won't be exposed to too many revelations from this article, I wanted to point it out because of the exposure on MSNBC, and because it's posted under the "Sports Biz" section. In addition to that, we don't have a major news outlet talking about how brutal they think the UFC is, or how it's only rednecks that watch it, and so on and so forth. Instead, we have an intelligent commentary on the UFC, and its dominance in the world of MMA promoters. While this isn't the first article of the sort, I can only hope it won't be the last -- hopefully, the recognition of the financial success of the UFC will lead others to recognize the athletes' successes in the combat sports world as well.