UFC Will Surpass Baseball or Completely Flame Out
Most young sports fans, myself included, were not around when boxing was king in America. But it was. Ali, Foreman, and Frazier were must see TV in the 60’s and 70’s. As the heavyweight division became weaker, baseball reclaimed its place at the top. It’s called ‘America’s Pastime’ for a reason. Now, football has the country’s attention by a landslide with baseball falling to second or third.
Point is, sports are cyclical. The UFC is at the height of its popularity and Major League Baseball is struggling in the post-steroid era. Mixed martial arts is a unique sport, in the sense that it’s only been around for about 20 years. In the early years, it was regarded as a freak show due its no holds barred nature. Now, it’s getting more attention and becoming a fixture on Sportscenter and Fox Sports. Can it take the next step in terms of popularity?
Argument in favor of UFC
Today’s youth will gravitate towards mixed martial arts
This applies to both men and women. Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey showed that you can make serious money and become a national star as a mixed martial artist. I feel that young women in particular view female professional fighters as strong and even heroic. For the boys, there’s now something to strive for after high school wrestling. High school wrestling is a big deal and amateur wrestling is considered to be the best skillset to have for MMA. This is how sport popularity transitions take place. A great young athlete will most likely thrive in any sport they choose. The question is, what sport will that be?
Aside from the NFL, all professional leagues are vulnerable
Baseball is dying. It lacks the stars, personalities, and home runs that draw in the casual fan. Who is the face of Major League Baseball? Bryce Harper? Mike Trout? Ask the average person if they know who those guys are. Then ask them if they know who Tom Brady or Lebron James are. Speaking of the NBA, it too is in an unusual position. Super teams like the Warriors and the Lebron/Wade Heat teams make for drama in the playoffs, but destroy the intrigue of the regular season. Last year the Warriors broke a regular season wins record that seemed untouchable, yet it was considered one of the most boring regular seasons in recent memory. When stars are stockpiled on three or four teams, there is a lack of competitive matchups.
Argument against the UFC
The UFC is TOO unpredictable
There have been six title changes so far in 2016, and it’s only August. The volatility of every fight makes it interesting, but it can be difficult to develop stars if the title is passed around like a hot potato. Last year Holly Holm was on top of the world, now she’s lost two straight fights and is reportedly taking some time off. Certain fighters can survive a losing streak and remain a draw, but they are few and far between. The unpredictability of mixed martial arts and punching with 8 ounce gloves can be both a blessing and a curse. As strong as the UFC brand is, you still need individual stars.
The C word
We can thank the NFL’s mishandling of the concussion issue for bringing it into the public eye. Hell they even made a movie about it. I mentioned earlier that every league aside from the NFL is vulnerable, and I’m sticking with it. Concussions and the resulting brain trauma are for real, but I think that the system for dealing with them is evolving and improving. Any contact with the head is basically illegal and there are new precedents in place for penalizing teams that do not diagnose concussions properly. The NFL is not a noble organization by any means, but the new safety precautions are better for player health.
Fighters know the inherent risks of the sport, but is the juice worth the squeeze? There is a huge gap in pay from a main eventer to a guy on the prelims. Brock Lesnar made $2.5 million at UFC 200, Enrique Marin made $13,000. An NFL practice squad player still makes six figures. Can the UFC grow fast enough to satisfy the needs of an average fighter?
Final Thoughts
The good news for the UFC is that it does not yet have the Muhammad Ali or Junior Seau-like figure that illustrates the dangers of its sport. As mentioned earlier, the sport itself is so new that it really hasn’t had the opportunity to show the long term dangers. It’s safe to say that it has surpassed boxing, but catching a sport like baseball is a much larger task. The UFC was recently sold to WME-IMG for four billion dollars. They have to keep the momentum going and develop new young stars while Conor carries the torch. Jon Jones’ suspension was a killer for them, as he is considered the best fighter in the world and a polarizing figure. UFC 200 was a letdown, they need to capitalize on the New York card in November.
