The mixed martial arts world had much to celebrate this past week. UFC on Fox 12 featured one of the most anticipated fight cards of the summer. But it was another piece of big news which came across the blotter in the past seven days that really energized fight fans, as the Stockton, California native by the name of Nick Diaz decided to make his return to the Octagon. The Ultimate Fighting Championship now has one of its biggest stars back in its midst. However, now that the initial enthusiasm has died down, the question must be asked: How valuable has Diaz been to the promotion in his time with the company? MMA Ratings takes a deeper look.
The UFC’s business model is driven by two numbers: PPV buys and television ratings. Fighters that draw attention will always get the premium treatment and card placement, while those who don’t are destined to either be co-main events or the headliner on free televised bouts. For example, Jon Jones is a UFC champion that will never have to worry about where he is placed on the card, as long as he carries that title. At the other end of the spectrum is Demetrious Johnson, who may never see the main event spotlight again after the last PPV that he headlined, UFC 174, drew the lowest buyrate in nearly a decade. Somewhere between them is Nick Diaz, who may not be carrying a UFC belt, but based on his drawing power, can expect premium card placement, as well as the dollars to match such booking.
Diaz is 1-2 since rejoining the organization back in 2011, and all three of those fights have headlined UFC pay-per-views. And according to MMAPayout.com, the buys for those Diaz-led PPV events have steadily climbed, from 280K for UFC 137, to 400K for UFC 143, to 950K for UFC 158. And although the last number should be attributed more to Georges St. Pierre, who has always been a PPV powerhouse, it is worth noting that GSP vs. Diaz drew the highest buyrate of any event headlined by St. Pierre. Diaz’s PPV average of approximately 540K buys is higher than the buyrate of any event the UFC has produced in 2014, and even if you consider UFC 158 an aberration, UFC 143, which featured a Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit interim welterweight title main event, also attracted more viewers than any event so far this year.
Assuming that Diaz possesses the kind of drawing power that the UFC needs at this point in time, the next relevant question is how the UFC should book Diaz upon his return. Currently, Diaz is rumored to be facing the returning Anderson Silva at some point next year UFC 183. And while the UFC has shied away from booking fights that are not for belts as main events of PPV events, if any matchup would deserve such placement, it would be Nick Diaz vs. Anderson Silva. Their pairing could easily have the highest buyrate numbers of any card in early 2015.
However, given that Silva has not yet been cleared if that fight were to fall through, it’s reasonable to ask whether the organization should immediately would then book Diaz in a bout that could help him become a contender within the welterweight division. At one point in time, the division was ruled by wrestlers, who are the Kryptonite to any fighter named Diaz. However, since GSP’s departure, that the group has become more diverse, and there is room to wonder whether would perform better against the elite fighters in the weight class, as only Jake Ellenberger, Tyron Woodley, and welterweight champion Johny Hendricks could be classified as wrestlers, and all are currently more known for their exploits on the feet. The rest of the fighters in the division would all make for interesting matchups, in which Diaz could win and immediately put himself back in the title discussion. And that just leads to bigger and more meaningful fights with the biggest names at 170 pounds.
The contract extension that Nick Diaz signed was a big move by the UFC at just the right time. The organization could use his ability to promote a card. And whether he returns as soon as possible or waits until 2015, the company can rest assured that one of its most prominent athletes will draw the attention needed, and continue to prove his value to both the UFC, and mixed martial arts as a whole.
• Anderson Silva vs. Nick Diaz
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UFC 183: Silva vs. Diaz is due to take place on January 31, 2015 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Click the stars to rate how good you think UFC 183 will be.
