Its that time of year again where MMA Payout counts down the top business stories in MMA. We start off with the recent signing of Invicta fighters to the UFC.
Dana White announced earlier this month that the UFC signed 11 fighters from Invicta FC and created a straw weight division of 115 pound women fighters. In addition, the fighters would be on a season of The Ultimate Fighter with the winner being the champion of the division.
In addition, each of the fighters will get paid at least $32K before entering the Octagon. The eventual champ will get $40K. The pay is significantly higher than any Facebook fighter that starts out at $8K and $8K which may create a stir among the male fighters.
There had been some stir that the UFC would introduce a Straw Weight Division for men but that seems to be on the back burner for now. With the mass signing, it shows that women’s MMA is not going anywhere. Moreover, its popular among fans and with the amount of cards the UFC plans on doing, we will see more women’s fights throughout.
The signings also reveal the UFC-Invicta business relationship which we already know is going on. But, the signings may hurt Invicta’s product short term at least. Also, the fact that it has struck out in monetizing its product via PPV may lead one to wonder if the organization might lean on the UFC more for support.
As for the TUF show which should debut sometime mid-2014, we will see how it is received by the FS1 audience. Certainly ratings for Tate-Rousey season did not move the dial although Fox execs are taking a different approach in looking at the numbers.
Kedzie’s job as matchmaker for Invicta was made easier.
Something is very fishy about Invicta.
They make no attempt to make money and don’t seem to care about losing large sums of money.
Where does their cash come from? Cause it doesn’t come from people buying tickets or iPPVs.
The UFC gave all these girls 32k yet they still pay the TUF WINNERS in peanuts and a six pack of beer? Something is seriously wrong with the brain of DFW. That’s an injustice if I’ve ever seen one. Prediction: this all-womens TUF even gets lower ratings than this all-time ratings low of last season.
*sigh* of course fighters who are actually RANKED will make more money………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
why would the UFC debutantes on a 8k contract complain???
theyre not top-RANKED fighters……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
the internet doesnt have a brain……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Is there any support that womens MMA in the UFC is “popular”? Ronda Rousey is popular, the rest is just novelty. There is some backlash towards weak womens fights recently in the MMA media and twitterverse. TUF may do decent numbers with women, who knows, no one clamors for specifc fights outside of Ronda.
My #13 for the Year:
13: WSOF not only survives but is stronger than ever
WSOF survived the full year, and even with sparse crowds and low-eratic TV ratings on NBCSports is still able to acquire 2 minor organizations, plan international shows, get on Big NBC for a card in 2014, expand the number of shows, and secure international distribution rights. Now the #3 MMA organization, the future looks relatively stable to bright as they cobble a roster of UFC castoffs (Rumble, Burkman, Fitch) who still have name recognition and skill and younger “interesting” fighters like Moreas, Spong, Gaethe and Newell. They have learned not to antagonize the UFC but rather just to exist in their niche without shoulder programming or PPV dreams.