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| Thirty-two years after it was founded, the UFC grew into one of the most-watched sports events in the world. Getty Images (file photo) |
MANILA--The UFC has changed so much in the last two decades, emerging as one of the fastest growing and most popular sports spectacles all around the world.
None of the two “creators” Art Davie and Rorion Gracie back in 1993 had ever in mind the appeal that UFC would have in the following years or the boost that it would give to the well-established and deep-rooted-in-tradition mixed martial arts.
When the first bouts were held, little did their knowledge suggest that UFC fight nights would be the “highlight” or absolute peak of sports events for millions of spectators across the globe.
Interestingly, the first years of the UFC promotion were not a bed of roses.
Nowhere near today’s massive appeal of both the spectacle and the fight between infamous, world-class athletes that drive thousands of people into the Octagon, millions of viewers in front of the TV and even more punters around the world at sports betting sites just like those in https://allbets.tv/ph/bookmakers/, to bet on their favorite fighter.
In the beginning, it was all about transforming fighting into an easy-to-see, intriguing, and, at the same time, non-appalling sport that the average American would be able to follow.
But it wasn’t easy.
At some point, as Davie explains, they were banned from cable TV, and they were confronted with issues that would definitely--at least in their own minds at that time--lead to seizure.
UFC was difficult to manage from some perspectives - including, not the least, the financial issue.
Besides the financial constraints and the fact that the project was not making enough money to justify its continuation, there were many other issues concerning the rules and regulations and the overall perception of the “frameless’’ and ‘boundaryless’ sport.
But over time, rules were adopted, a regulatory framework was developed, and many new things were added so that the sport would become more interesting, attractive, and, of course, more “consumable” to the greater masses.
As Davie has pointed out in an interview, soccer and fighting have been traditionally the most interesting sports all over the world, and so there should be an approach that would make UFC far more appealing than just hitting, striking, punching and no biting, no eye-gouging and no groin-shots!
The new era of UFC came with a more clear-cut set of rules and boundaries that could put any bout into a more conceivable sports dimension.
There were judges’ decisions, weight classes, and the addition of gloves, safety regulations, as well as more than 30 fouls, and everything was somehow put into the right place - at the rise of the new millennium.
The changes that took place in 2000, with the Unified Rules of MMA, are still in effect today, and they have been largely considered to be the kick that made mixed martial arts the star sport that it is nowadays!
The changes did a good thing to UFC’s reputation and spurred fanships, but they added no value to the financials of the promotion.
In fact, the financial troubles remained, and the management at that time could not see a promising and solid future.
So, UFC had to be sold! And just like that, the Dana White era began!
From the second half of 2001, things got impressively better. People started to show far greater interest as fighters delivered exceptional performances in bouts, but still, financials weren’t looking any good. The following years were just a struggle for bringing UFC to the mainstream.
The commercial success of UFC came with TUF in 2005.
Signing for a reality show that would bring UFC fighters closer to viewers by allowing them to sneak into their everyday lives and routines and their preparation for bouts was a move that made all the difference in the world.
From a marketing perspective, this reality show pushed UFC and generally MMA beyond the realms of sports viewership - The Ultimate Fighter became sort of a habit for millions of young men and women, who could now identify more with the fighters and became more involved with the fights.
From a financial perspective, the reality show pushed UFC towards turning into a profitable business!
The UFC got bigger and bigger, and it managed to gain contracts on television, which meant that bouts got to be more popular and more accessible to the mass viewers.
This rejuvenated fans and interest towards the sport and made UFC fight nights one of a kind. The strategy proved highly effective, rewarding White’s risky plan to follow a non-conventional path to making MMA more mainstream.
In 2007, the UFC promotion was to leave the US boundaries and become more of a global ‘thing.’
Landing first in the UK and then expanding to other overseas markets, UFC came to be a unique brand, followed by people all across the world, viewed by millions or maybe billions of spectators and wagered on by a continuously growing number of bettors at bookies included at Allbets project betting sites.
This year, UFC turns 32, celebrating its success and paving the way for more great things to come!
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