With its second show in the books, the “World Series of Fighting” promotion is looking to stake its claim as a major player in today’s mixed martial arts landscape. After watching the company’s March 23rd show, here are some of my suggestions regarding where the promotion can go from here to continue blazing a trail in the intensely competitive market:
Establish Partnerships with other Promotions
One of the strengths of the UFC is its ability to say that it has the majority of the top stars in MMA today competing under its banner. However, that doesn’t mean that its shows have all of the fighters that fans might want to see. In order to compete with that deep roster, the WSOF should look to create partnerships with other promotions, in order to feature its stars against competitors from the other organization.
Strikeforce created some interesting fights when they brought over fighters like Shinya Aoki to face their champions and challengers, and this promotion could benefit from similar practices. Imagine the buzz that would come with a card featuring Jon Fitch against Ben Askren, or other stars being paired up in cross-promotional matchups. While the UFC shies away from the idea, co-promotion is a great idea for organizations looking to get established in a new market.
Find the right mix of new faces and cut fighters from the UFC
Bellator has made it its stance to avoid hiring fighters that have been released from the UFC and develop its own stars instead. While this approach has proven successful with Michael Chandler and Ben Askren, they have made a few exceptions, and individuals like “King” Mo were timely acquisitions that are expected to have a long term benefit. WSOF has already shown its intention to do the same thing, as the organization has brought in Fitch and Jacob Volkmann, but has stayed away from other names that have been recently released from the UFC as part of its “depth by 100 cuts” plan.
The first few names that spring to mind as fighters who could be built into “homegrown” stars are Justin Gaethje, Marlon Moraes, and Tyrone Spong. It may be too early to tell, but with the right mix of marketing and strong performances, these individuals could become the names carrying the WSOF banner and being featured in matchups alongside bigger names released from other organizations.
Embrace Marketing
Over the past few years we’ve seen how important it is for fighters to take the time to brand themselves as viable stars beyond their performances in the cage. Ronda Rousey, Jon Jones, Georges St. Pierre, and others have developed into a class of star that earlier generations of mixed martial artists were unable to do. At times it seems that the UFC would prefer that the brand stay bigger than any individual fighter, but the WSOF could parlay that kind of growth into a situation that benefits both the organization and the athlete.
As the World Series of Fighting promotion grows and gains more viewers, creating opportunities for its fighters to be seen on other platforms will only benefit the company as a whole. The reality show method has already been done in the past, so other options must be examined and explored for the stars of the organization’s future.
The World Series of Fighting has given fight fans two shows that were well worth watching. With its partnership with NBC Sports as a viable platform to display its product, this company has a strong opportunity to grow into a respected MMA promotion. From here, it’s just a matter of making a few smart and savvy moves to continue to gain momentum and continue moving in the right direction.
World Series of Fighting 2 took place on March 23, 2013 at Revel Resort & Casino in Atlantic City, NJ.
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