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This weekend’s UFC event is a must watch for fans who have followed the sport for the last decade or more. As the Zuffa organization has worked hard to make mixed martial arts acceptable by mainstream standards, this show is the biggest step towards achieving that goal. The success of this event, which will be broadcast to millions of viewers on free television, is very important. But what is the exact definition of that success?
Obviously Zuffa wants people to tune into the matchup between UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos. The executives behind the organization need to finish the evening with high ratings in their main demographic, which is the 18 to 34 year-old male viewing group. However, the UFC also needs to do respectable numbers outside of that demo. One of the most beneficial aspects of the new deal with Fox is that the organization will now have a better platform to reach out to viewers beyond their traditional core audience, which could mean more regular viewers of UFC content. More regular viewers means more money, either through advertising revenue or potential Pay Per View buys.
As for the fight itself, what will it take for it to be viewed as a success? The audience for MMA has grown larger in recent years, and we have seen the definition of what constitutes a “good fight” shift as more casual fans began to tune in. Their affinity for fights where two fighters stand in front of each other winging strikes has become the norm. Fighters who use their grappling abilities to control and position their way towards a victory have faced intense fan backlash for doing so. Look at the attacks that Clay Guida, or champions Georges St. Pierre and Frankie Edgar, have had to deal with over the last year. These newer, less sophisticated fans want to see back and forth action until the final bell, or until one combatant goes out on his shield.
With that being said, this heavyweight title fight features two of the premier strikers in the sport. Velasquez and dos Santos both have highlight reel knockouts on their resume. Prominent names such as Fabricio Werdum and Brock Lesnar have fallen in their wake. However, that doesn’t mean that this fight will be fought in the same manner, or yield similar results. What happens if Velasquez goes into the cage with the intention of taking this fight to the ground, in order to grind his way to a victory like he did against Cheick Kongo a few years ago? Will the new fans who may be tuning in for the first time become frustrated and turn from the “boring” fight?
On the other hand, what happens if this fight is a blazing one-round affair in which one fighter gets brutalized and knocked out? Does that validate the intricacies that are involved within the world of MMA? Will new fans get hooked on the sport? These tough questions will hopefully be answered in positive ways come this weekend.
Imagine the fan response if a fight like Edgar versus Maynard II was featured on primetime free television. A back and forth, story-creating fight is exactly what not only the UFC but MMA as a whole needs right now. No matter what, the organization needs to come out of this event with a heavyweight champion that sports fans, not just fight fans, can latch on to and want to know more about. If that happens, and it draws more people into this sport, then the debut of UFC on Fox 1 will be a success.
