MMA Fighting reports that Lorenzo Fertitta has announced that the UFC will hold over 40 events in 2014. The number of live events is up from 33 this year as the UFC plans to venture into new markets abroad.
In the video (5:48 mark), Ariel Helwani interviews Fertitta and he talks about the plans which include the global expansion based on the Fight Night brand. Fertitta talks about “tiers” of the UFC brand. First, Fertitta talks about the “bottom” which is the TUF Franchise which it plans to expand around the world. China is the latest for TUF. He also mentioned the “premium” events which are the UFC PPVs. Then there is the “middle of the pyramid” tier which he identified as the Fight Night product. The expanse involves the “Fight Night” brand as the UFC plans to expand the number of Fight Nights as it takes it globally.
Payout Perspective:
Fertitta originally said that there would be 54 events but backtracked on that number during the interview. Lawrence Epstein stated 46 events but there is actually no definite number at this point. The expansion makes sense for its global footprint as the Fight Nights will be in Europe and Asia. Thus, there will be more fights and more content for FS1/2 (although Fertitta did not specifically address where the events might air so this may change). The likely addition of 10 more live events may not move the dial for North American viewers but the goal here is to introduce the product to newer audiences. So, while ratings may suffer and featured fights on these cards may not be PPV worthy, it is a way for the UFC to get in front of new areas for its product.
UFC is following a time zone strategy.
They appear to be building a “UFC Europe” and “UFC Asia” that would each run a half-dozen regional Fight Nights that air in local prime time without much concern about the North American audience.
These UFC Europe and UFC Asia Fight Nights would feature local European and Asian fighters to try and build up the European and Asian fanbases.
UFC has decided that what’s limiting them in Europe and Asia is:
1) Lack of European and Asian stars
2) Lack of live events in local prime time
The strategy appears to be to use these local prime time events and regional TUFs to make big deals with local TV partners.
The model is what they’ve done with Globo in Brazil.
They have TUF Brazil and a half dozen Fight Nights in Brazil per year.
This expansion model is also why I think UFC will keep adding weight classes.
UFC believes what sells is a local champion.
What made UFC big in Canada was GSP.
What made UFC big in Brazil was champions like Silva, Belfort, Dos Santos, Aldo, etc
UFC wants Mexican champions and Chinese champions and Japanese, Irish, English, German, Australian, etc, etc, etc.
That is what really pops in the local media, local boy done good, becomes UFC world champion, goes on all the sports and chat shows in his home country parading the belt around.
I agree. That’s why I said long ago I would hope they create some kind of regional titles rather than create more divisions and water down the belts that are already successful. Sadly creating more weight classes or even more belts for that matter moves closer to what has hurt boxing. But I believe going the belt route and establishing the regional belt as a second rate belt would be better. Rather than having many belts fighting for who is more credible.
There would be nothing wrong with having a UK champ who gets brought up to the main UFC for big fights 1 fight per year. But win or lose still defends his UK belt to other UK locals. Now doing this with each region would have the same effect with giving each their stars.
When weight classes get so close together people stop giving a damn. Then you have fighters who duck and cherry pick while hiding behind 3 lbs here and there. Makes it almost impossible for fans to know what class is what and what weight it is. The same can be achieved with regional champs without so much of the mess imo.
Hiding behind three pounds? Newsflash: There are at least 10 pounds between weightclasses in MMA. Unless you want more of this catch-weight Franklin and Vitor rubbish. Smasher is daft.
They also advocate muscling out smaller shows to further enhance their monopoly. The only reason regulatory bodies don’t go anything is because the UFC is relatively small-time so nobody cares.
The 3 lbs reference is to boxing, not MMA. I think boxing has 17 weight classes.
Flyweight 112
Super Flyweight 115
Bantamweight 118
Super Bantamweight 122
That’ll be the sign that UFC is really going the boxing route — if they started adding a “super” weight class halfway in between all the existing weight classes.
UFC is adding women’s strawweight and said last year they intend to add men’s strawweight. That’s 115 lbs.
UFC was really hoping a Japanese fighter would have won a title in the lower weight classes by now. Their goal in adding the lighter weights was to get more Latin America (esp. Mexican) and Asian champions.
UFC is really desperate for a Mexican champ. They are trying to push Cain Velasquez, but that’s not fooling anybody. For one, all the Mexicans know he was born in California, not Mexico. So he’s an American, not a Mexican.
And it doesn’t help that Cain speaks crap Spanish. Which is understandable since he’s an American and grew up speaking English mostly.
Now Erik Perez, if he becomes champ, the Mexicans will rally around him. Cause he’s an actual native-born Mexican. And he won’t have to go around with a stupidly racist “Brown Pride” on his chest.
Dana White loves the idea of a guy like Perez being champ and going on all the Mexican morning shows and talk shows and sports shows. And making the rounds of all the Spanish language media here in the US, too. That’s gold.
Cain’s Spanish is so bad he’s crap at Spanish media. He’s got a thick American accent and he talks like … well, like somebody with a limited Spanish vocabulary who can’t carry on fast, complicated conversations and definitely can’t be funny and charming and sell the UFC in Spanish. He can give basic, factual answers. Which is ok.
But nothing beats a native-born champ in his native language working the media and chat shows in his native country, doing that local boy done good and conquered the world gimmick. Every TV audience in every country on the planet will eat that up.
Sherm, I see you are having trouble with reading comprehension. Maybe this site is going to be a little much for you. There will be big words and lots of numbers.
The “hahhaaa UFC is dying” talk is gonna be brutal all year after the ratings releases, but just a 300k avg would be a major success. UFC’s the strongest programming for FS1 and 2, and that’s all free money to FOX.
If they keep adding more weight classes (which they will) things will become even more convoluted. The sub-170 weight classes can’t even sell a PPV, so I don’t know what they are expecting by adding more. Oh wait, a local champ.
It seems that America, Canada, and Brazil output the best MMA fighters right now. The infastructure in these 3 countries (and demand) allows them to be ahead of the rest of the world. I would assume any new weight classes would just have champs coming from theses 3 feeder countires. It seems unlikely that Mexico or Japan would produce better talent for the UFC.
Look at Connon McGregor. This guy is always in the news and frankly I’m sick of it. Unjust hype so far – he has a lot to prove. Why is he in the news? Because he would be a big Euro star if he won the belt. He’s still far away in my books but if the Featheweight belt is EURO, wouldn’t that produce even smaller ratings for the weight class in America? Same with Brazil and Canada. There’s barely enough interest in it as it is. Double-edged sword.
They keep watering their product down, they are desperate and its obvious. Other than the UK no one in Europe gives a rats ass about MMA. Asia should have been nurtured all along and they didn’t. The bully mentality of The UFC will get them nowhere. Instead of expanding they should concentrate on the markets they have and start to restructure it, make it better, make some stars. While they are playing international dip shit Bellator will take more of the USA market from them.
I agree @ Salda. With all this talk of expanding geographically and adding even more weight classes, it feels like they are neglecting the OG audience here in North-America. The shows for the root audience become smaller in stature when there isn’t enough name-brand fighters to make them appealing.
If GSP retires, the last blockbuster PPV draw is Anderson Silva and he’s 38. If GSP goes that’s 1.5 M less PPV sales / year. The UFC needs some new domestic stars and fast.
Junior welter 140
Welterweight 147
Super welterweight 154…. Now I’m not good with numbers, so I will let smasher do this problem. 154-147=? and 147-140=? It aint three ; that is for sure. Some people just are not that bright
Josie is definitely on the UFC bandwagon. Bs: just admit that adding regional belts would water down the original product. The events with those fighters will be low than UFN events. They will be one step removed from fights next to a trash fire in an ally.
By comparison to now it would feel watered down. But when you consider that growth is inevitable. That would be the best approach imo. If it was done right I don’t feel it would water anything down really. We are basically already at that point. Now that the UFC is big in Brazil. The UFC has loaded the roster with Brazilians. They load those Brazil events with Brazilians. And most often set all the Brazilians up to win with favorable match making. I don’t think it would do much of anything to crown a Brazilian champion on those Brazil Fight Night events. The Brazilians fans would care and get behind it. Everyone else outside of Brazil wouldn’t know much about it.
It would also work to the UFC’s benefit. When those guys are brought up to a UFC PPV. They can have the credibility of being called the Brazilian champion. Rather than having no real way to get across their credibility and having to reach by mentioning their Judo/Wrestling/ or Sambo creds. It would work much like the way the UFC is doing with TUF. There is the TUF bums that I don’t care about and lump all together. Then there is the TUF. That means he is atleast better than those guys. It makes him somewhat credible. To sme very credible. Its a title it just doenst have a belt. Now do the same thing but create a belt for it and not make it for just reality show contestants and you have and instant star makers when it is very hard for the UFC to make stars. The best fights in UFC history has always been when they dissolved a promotion and brought over their champs. This would be a way to recreate that process and nt hae to wait 5-10 years for a promotion to die.
It would give these 30-40 events and growing some purpose. Butcause most of these events are going to be lower level guys and have no title fights and often no title implications. Just a bunch of random fights. Regional UFC belts would give it a purpose.
Sham
I didn’t say which weight classes I was talking about and I didn’t say all weight classes. So cherry piking which ones are 7 lbs only makes you look like the ignorant twit you are. Fact is there is 10 weight classes separated by 5 lbs or less. Only 6 classes separated by 7 lbs or more.
7 and 5 pounds are different numbers than the 3 you mentioned. Got your hand caught in the cookie jar and are trying to backtrack: I do not blame brain one bit. I would be ashamed of myself too if I were him.
Here is my exact quote…
“Then you have fighters who duck and cherry pick while hiding behind 3 lbs here and there.”
There is 5 divisions that are 3 lbs apart. So eat it bitch boy!
“There is 5 divisions”
Brain clearly grew up in the inner-city. Harlem maybe?
Yeah, you picked out the lowest, and by extension least important divisions in boxing, divisions to use for an argument. Now it is crumbling like a stale cookie, and you can eat THAT.
I don’t think “regional” belts would help the sport overall. Yes, it might help local developing markets but at the same time kill further interest here in North-America, which is the OG fanbase. For instance, in the future:
UFC Asian Welterweight champ
UFC North-American Welterweight champ
UFC European Welterweight champ
UFC South-American Welterweight champ
(or insert X name)
Then multiply that by oh let’s say 9 men’s weight classes and 2 women’s and you have 40 different champions. That’s just ridiculous.
If people can barely keep up with the 9 or so champs they have now, and viewership is declining, how do you expect people to keep up with 40? You need to be SOCCER big to do something like that.
That’s the point they wouldn’t have to keep up with those champs. Those Titles are only for local fans. They would just have to know their region champs and overall UFC champs. But they by knowing their region champs would then know and respect what it meant to be champ in another region. It’s no different than the Olympics. Being there means you are the best of your country. That’s what a regional belt would mean also. The issue boxing has it is has all it’s belts fighting to be equally credible. There is no understanding that one is better than the other. So fans are confused by WBO, IBF, WBC, etc. Then it adds more cred to these by guys trying to unify them to be undisputed. That wouldn’t be the case with regional belts as there would be a understanding it was regional and much lower and would be promoted as such.
Think of College Football. Everyone is competing for the National Championship while at the same time trying to win their Conference. Everyone knows the difference between being National Champ and the SEC champ. But going in, being champ of Conference USA, SEC, Big 12, etc adds credibility. You might not have watched then at all that year. But knowing they are the best of their conference tells you automatically they are legit. Just like a Regional Belt would. Just my opinion.
Doubt UFC is ever going to have regional belts.
Right now they are expanding their “Fight Night” concept to to Europe and Asia. A half dozen Fight Night cards in each region, geared towards local prime time.
These regional Fight Night cards likely won’t have any title fights. Those are saved for the PPV cards and the UFC on Fox cards.
Usually, these Fight Night cards will be headlines by two top contenders or somebody famous. Ideally somebody from that region, but not necessarily.
The rest of the cards, however, will be dominated by regional fighters. The idea is to build the fanbase so Asian fans can see the rise of Asian fighters. Same with Europeans.
There will be informal bragging rights that will help hype the card. To see who the baddest dude in China is, or best fighter in France, stuff like that.
UFC only has 9 weight classes now (8 men, 1 women). Champions fight, on average, only 2x a year. So that’s only 18 title fights. 13 PPVs + 4 UFC on Fox fights.
UFC will have exactly 18 title fights in 2013. They put 3 on UFC on Fox cards, and 15 on the 13 PPVs. UFC 165 and UFC 168 each got two title fights.
Every weight class UFC adds is two more title fights per year. Assuming they adds a women’s (and likely men’s) Strawweight division soon that’s another 2 (4 with men) title fights per year.
Given UFC’s history, when they launch these UFC Europe and UFC Asia Fight Nights, they might add a title fight to the first Fight Night or two, just to jump start the regional series, but that won’t be the norm.
Did Brainsmasher really mention Conference USA? Might as well throw the Mountain West in there. Drumming up a bunch of paper title holding also-rans is pointless, and will further water down mma more than it already has been by the UFC. There isn’t enough money in it to justify having these “conference champs” that Brainsmasher speaks of. Whereas in college football there is. College football is probably 100X bigger than the whole of MMA combined. UFC will also never gain prominance in the South due to the large amount of wrestlers in MMA. The south doesn’t want to see a guy laying on another guy because of the perceived homosexual implications.
I agree with DocOC on the weight class issue. UFC already has too many weight classes. It rushed to add the flyweight and BW class to stop other orgs from procuring the Tachi Palace fight talent. I don’t blame them, but they really jumped the gun on that one. They would have been just fine to add only the 145lb class. I mean I would still be interested in seeing a Frankie Edgar vs Urijah Faber fight, that would be crazy. I am also dying to see a Faber vs Tyson Griffin rematch. Their first encounter at 155 is probably the best fight I have ever seen.
Jose: As an european, I must say that concept of European Fight Nights is not really that interesting or alluring for European fans. Thing is: I don’t need UFC to tell me which fighter is best in my country. I already know that 🙂 European scene is small and local fans in each country know who is best (which is not case of USA, Brazil and other big countries). And I don’t need UFC to showcase local european talents to me, because I already saw them fight live (guys like Cedenblad, Carmont before they went to UFC, guys like Vegh, Billstein before they went to Bellator, Vemola after they let him out of UFC etc.) in local promotions, so why go see them in UFC – when I can see them elsewhere, but much cheaper? We want big names or old legends of the sport – simply guys, we cannot get here without the UFC.
But UFC won’t give them to us (which makes sense for them, but not for us).
Caidel. Sure, but you are likely more of a hardcore fan. It seems the UFC is focused on trying to appeal to more casual fans in Europe and grow the fanbase. You probably know much more about the local fighters than a casual fan would.
Again, I’m not saying what UFC *should* do, I’m saying what I think they will do. They seem very happy with how their Fight Nights in Brazil have fared and seem determined to try and replicate that model in Europe and Asia.
They do the same thing with regions in the US. They feature more west coast fighters when they do shows out west, more northeast in the northeast, more midwest in the midwest.
Jose: Well, thing about regional scene in Europe (and I mean smaller countries, not exactly Britain, Germany or Sweden) is that there are basically zero casual fans. It stems from TV deals: There is none in my country (no UFC, no Bellator no nothing) and even biggest national promotion can sometime have maximum of 1 hour of edited event – month or two after event happened :).
So if you are fan – you must be hardcore, because casual fan doesn’t even know about existence of MMA 🙂
AFAIK Britain has UFC deal, that is well known fact and a lot of event rips come straight from Britain (ESPN or lately BT Sport), Russia has definitely Bellator deal. And after that? I’m not exactly sure. Maybe Italy, Spain or Sweden have some UFC TV deals, but rest of the Europe? Never heard about anything else…
Its still a sign of growth.