I have not always been a die-hard MMA fan. While I have always enjoyed the sport, I had previously enjoyed it as more of a casual observer. When I got my first smart phone, I curiously installed a few MMA news apps and, over the next few months, things started to change. I began to incorporate reading MMA news into my daily routine, going from checking once or twice a day, to hitting the refresh button to see if a new article had been posted. The more I learned about the fighters, the more interested I was in their fights. As I followed the lead up stories, the fights, and the aftermaths I began to see the bigger stories taking place in the sport. I was hooked.
MMA was once known as a barbaric and unruly sport. Zuffa identified this as a marketing issue and took aim at educating its potential consumers in the changes that had been made to the sport since its bare knuckled inception. Whether going over the rules at the beginning of every event or hearing Joe Rogan explain how a fighter was applying improper arm bar technique, it was clear what they were doing. They knew that they needed to change the perception of the sport and the catalyst for this change was the education of the fan. As time went on, the sport evolved, stigmas changed, and eventually crowds began to applaud a fighter passing another’s guard.
It is not just the knowledge of the how the sport works that creates fans. Fans need to care about the outcome of the fight. In order for this to happen, they need to care about at least one of the fighters involved. This is one of the reasons why The Ultimate Fighter was such a success at catapulting the UFC into success. The more you know about the overall story of a fight, the more you will care about the outcome. I got excited for the upcoming Denis Siver fight because he was a force at lightweight, has since then had two impressive showings at featherweight and maybe, if he puts on an impressive fight, he will be given a title shot. Following these stories and seeing how they ended up has made me a compelled and invested viewer; a die-hard MMA fan.
Zuffa and MMA news outlets did their part in creating a more educated fan base and changing the public's perception of the sport. However, the time for change came again. With the UFC signing a blockbuster deal with Fox, they were scheduled to put on more shows than ever before. Further expansion of its fan base was necessary and they needed to attract more of the casual observers of the sport. Unfortunately, the emphasis has not been on educating these fans, it has been on “putting on the fights the fans want to see.” However, just because I want to see Leonard Garcia throw haymakers at Jose Aldo does not mean that this fight should happen. After all, I've been paying attention to these rankings and they should count for something right?
From Brock Lesnar's title shot with a record of 2-1, to Chael Sonnen being given the shot at a dominant champ in a division in which he hasn't competed in years, it is clear that marketability plays an ever-increasing role in the UFC's match making. Even fighters are taking notice as Frankie Edgar recently stated he is a win or two away from another title shot in the contender heavy featherweight division. It is becoming common practice that the true contender is forced to wait while the champ takes on a more marketable matchup. Can I really blame them? Admittedly, if I was a casual observer of the sport, I would be drawn to these match ups that make the diehard fan scratch their head. However, as an invested and captive fan, I can’t help but feel like my interests are being passed over in favour of the greater masses.
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Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/Staff_Editorials_19/article_16704.shtml
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