Could the UFC take over boxing (not how you think)?

[Gaz_73]

One of the biggest issues I can see with following a UFC model, is that UFC is built on a PPV model and arguably, the transition to paid TV is one of the biggest reasons for boxing's decline. People like Eubank went from fighting on Terrestrial TV in front of 15 million, to fighting on Sky in front of a tenth of the audience (albeit for more money, probably). UFC is big and popular, but MMA isn't, in the grand scheme of things, hence the average person in the street doesn't know what MMA is, but is aware of "cage fighting".

All TV is paid TV. It's just some of it is voluntary and you get what you pay for, and some of it is mandatory and you get what you're given, like it or not. If the TV licence was scrapped and TV production companies had to live and die by the quality of their product, rather than being funded by a tax, you'd get quality boxing at the right price. Don't blame Sky, blame the government and the BBC.

No one is to blame, it's just the way it is. However, I knew people that used to watch every Eubank fight hoping he got beat, never saw him lose to Collins. That's how removed from the mainstream that boxing became. UFC is the same other than it has never been mainstream. As a result it's highly unlikely that it would "take over" from boxing. I just don't see how it could become much bigger than it is now and any attempt to market boxing in the same way would probably fail to get enough mainstream penetration to make it worthwhile for boxing's biggest stars to fight for them.

[dominik]

also, I think we go overboard with this whole "the best don't fight each other" thing cos domestically we are in a pickle

the klits have fought every1

floyds just fought canelo

we had the super 6

the little guys face each other like donaire

domestically our top two heavys are facing off

theres a lot to celebrate but boxing fans love to moan

also don't forget that in MMA not everyone is fighting either. the UFC guys did never fight the supposedly best HW fighter fedor emilianenko a few years ago (now he is shot but then he was considered the best ever).

[Bricks]

Boxing's biggest starts Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, Vitali Klitschko, Wladimir Klitschko are all coming to the end of their long and distinguished careers. So forget about them for a moment and think two-three years down the line.

I'm starting to think that I'd like to see the UFC open a boxing arm and set themselves up as the top dogs of global boxing, the place where most, if not all, boxers set their sights on getting a contract. If not the UFC a company that looks, acts, and works like the UFC.

What are your thoughts on this (please don't go off on one about wrestling being gay etc... we've heard it all before), in terms of the way they operate, the way they promote, the way they will cut fighters who aren't exciting, the way their weight divisions are structured, etc..?

You really a fornicating tool. "A company that looks acts and works like the ufc" u mean a billionaire italian owners with past proven mob ties, a loud mouthed aggressive threatening promoter figurehead and fighters who get paid absolute peanuts except the absolute top 2 in a division and u only have a handful of divisions" is that what u mean sherlock?

We had that in the 50s with the ibc.and for dana white read Don king except king generated more money and publicity for the sport.

[Bricks]

The klitchkos are hardly a landmark in he boxing so don't worry about them.Pac man and mayweather have all been mega superstars but they followed srl,hearns,Whitaker,Duran,he'll even odlh who arguably at their peak were far better fighters.New fighters are emerging all the time and the present crop at 140 -147 is very very good

[JimStone]

Boxing's biggest starts Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, Vitali Klitschko, Wladimir Klitschko are all coming to the end of their long and distinguished careers. So forget about them for a moment and think two-three years down the line.

I'm starting to think that I'd like to see the UFC open a boxing arm and set themselves up as the top dogs of global boxing, the place where most, if not all, boxers set their sights on getting a contract. If not the UFC a company that looks, acts, and works like the UFC.

What are your thoughts on this (please don't go off on one about wrestling being gay etc... we've heard it all before), in terms of the way they operate, the way they promote, the way they will cut fighters who aren't exciting, the way their weight divisions are structured, etc..?

You really a effing tool. "A company that looks acts and works like the ufc" u mean a billionaire italian owners with past proven mob ties, a loud mouthed aggressive threatening promoter figurehead and fighters who get paid absolute peanuts except the absolute top 2 in a division and u only have a handful of divisions" is that what u mean sherlock?

We had that in the 50s with the ibc.and for dana white read Don king except king generated more money and publicity for the sport.

Pretty much - albeit without the fight fixing and with addition of a further sixty years of technological advancement in terms of broadcasting, etc. The 50's was the golden era of boxing.

Don't worry about what the UFC pay their fighters. Let the hundreds of lads queuing at the doors to get a piece of what the UFC are paying worry about that.

Don King is arguably the greatest boxing promoter ever (I'd not argue the toss if people put forward Tex Rickard as an alternative), so that's a big compliment to White.

[JimStone]

The klitchkos are hardly a landmark in he boxing so don't worry about them.Pac man and mayweather have all been mega superstars but they followed srl,hearns,Whitaker,Duran,he'll even odlh who arguably at their peak were far better fighters.New fighters are emerging all the time and the present crop at 140 -147 is very very good

I'm not worrying. I think boxing is great. I just think it could perhaps be even greater.

[johnnykayo]

i was never a big mma / ufc fan but a good friend of mine who was a former british cruiserweight title contender and then crossed over to mma got me into the sport. i think its marketed well and the fighters meet the best of the divisions,never thought id say that but i think its a exciting sport and the new boxing of the 21st century. remember its only been goin since 1996,and its global now as it was banned in many states in the usa for years. i love boxing since the late 60,s as a child but the ufc is on the up in my opinion and we will just have to wait and see if it overtakes "the noble art"

[Bricks]

You.re right Aden I just paid a background as need compliment to white.he isn't fit to lick Don kings backside

[WelshJack]

i was never a big mma / ufc fan but a good friend of mine who was a former british cruiserweight title contender and then crossed over to mma got me into the sport. i think its marketed well and the fighters meet the best of the divisions,never thought id say that but i think its a exciting sport and the new boxing of the 21st century. remember its only been goin since 1996,and its global now as it was banned in many states in the usa for years. i love boxing since the late 60,s as a child but the ufc is on the up in my opinion and we will just have to wait and see if it overtakes "the noble art"

I am a big MMA fan, but there is no chance it overtakes boxing they are already doing rematches and trilogies of title fights and with the greatest of all time soon to retire and GSP, also Jon Jones wanting to have a chance at boxing in 3 years it isn't going to get dramatically bigger than it already is.

[Clint Magnum]

On the 'fighter's union' thing...

In my view fighters should get the following option "You can fight for this much money, when we tell you, where we tell you, against who we tell you, for how many scheduled rounds we tell you, at what weight we tell you, or you can go elsewhere; and if when you do fight you don't fight in such a way that our fans are satisfied, we'll have to let you go."

The above is pretty much what the UFC offer. If you play by their rules they'll look after you and you'll do alright, if you don't, they'll show you the door. The result? Regular, high quality, well-matched, exciting cards and fighters who do as they're told.

You've just described a dictatorship as well as describing how boxing was at the turn of the 20th Century. You think boxing is bad? It was way more corrupt and riddled with palm greasing with one governing body calling all the shots.

[JimStone]

You've just described a dictatorship...

I know.

[Jack B]

You've just described a dictatorship as well as describing how boxing was at the turn of the 20th Century. You think boxing is bad? It was way more corrupt and riddled with palm greasing with one governing body calling all the shots.

One governing body calling the shots seems to work OK in virtually every other sport.......

[hurlock]

Be good if the fighters could sighn up to one championship like the WBC & to qualify you need to be national champion nabf etc. & fight for the spot or to get to the spot??
Basically be nice just to see some fresh fighters face each other.watching fights like gatti v ward is what we all love just two winners battling it out to show who's the better

[Deserter]

it isn't going to get dramatically bigger than it already is.

I'd beg to differ on this point - we're only just starting to enter the era where the growth of MMA will be fully realised.... after all, it's only in the past 10 years that youngsters have been training in it consistently and the growth in the participation base has been huge, so it's only logical that it's going to throw up a greater depth and breadth of talent. To use a micro example, my home town has only ever supported one amateur boxing club, but in the past three/five years, three MMA clubs have opened and all are thriving (glad to say the boxing club is still doing well as well).

[mickey1975]

I have said it before on different threads but I genuinely believe its going backwards in this country. The novelty seems to have worn off, nobody is talking about it. The terrible ticket sales for next weeks ONLY show of the year back this up.

[Anzi]

Boxing's biggest starts Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, Vitali Klitschko, Wladimir Klitschko are all coming to the end of their long and distinguished careers. So forget about them for a moment and think two-three years down the line.

I'm starting to think that I'd like to see the UFC open a boxing arm and set themselves up as the top dogs of global boxing, the place where most, if not all, boxers set their sights on getting a contract. If not the UFC a company that looks, acts, and works like the UFC.

What are your thoughts on this (please don't go off on one about wrestling being gay etc... we've heard it all before), in terms of the way they operate, the way they promote, the way they will cut fighters who aren't exciting, the way their weight divisions are structured, etc..?

The UFC don't pay their fighters enough, compared to boxing, can't see top level fighters working with them.

[JimStone]

The UFC don't pay their fighters enough, compared to boxing, can't see top level fighters working with them.

Read my other replies on this. The UFC do pay their MMA fighters enough. Fewer people watch big event MMA pay-per-views than do big event boxing pay-per-views.

Cliff notes: Pay rates are proportional i.e. if more people watch big event UFC promoted boxing pay-per-view than do UFC promoted MMA pay-per-view, the boxers would get proportionally greater purses.

[hurlock]

People keep banging on about the pay but there's fighters queuing up to get involved!! & they look in far better shape then boxers.
I think also in mma they great sponsorships athletes leave other sports to get in the ufc or start mma lessons can defenetly be learnt!

Boxing is hard to sell tv & fans want every fighter to have an 0 & be the finished product fighting for the world title & nothing less or they are being ripped off.

[Anzi]

The UFC don't pay their fighters enough, compared to boxing, can't see top level fighters working with them.

Read my other replies on this. The UFC do pay their MMA fighters enough. Fewer people watch big event MMA pay-per-views than do big event boxing pay-per-views.

Cliff notes: Pay rates are proportional i.e. if more people watch big event UFC promoted boxing pay-per-view than do UFC promoted MMA pay-per-view, the boxers would get proportionally greater purses.

Not correct at all, example : When Chuck Leddell fought Tito Ortiz in the UFC, it was the biggest grossing UFC event at the time, they grossed around 150 million dollars, the fighters got a 100,000 dollars each, ridiculous, in boxing the fighters would be looking at millions. Many UFC fighters complain about the money and at grass roots level they are still worse off in relation to boxers, fact, plus UFC makes millions from the brand. UFC charge more money for tickets and have less shows, for marketing purposes and awareness.

[Anzi]

UFC shows are shown live all over the world, the revenue must be magnificent, how many boxing shows from Britain or America are shown all over the world ? Dana White is laughing all the way to the bank, the same can't be said of the UFC fighters.