By 
Going into last weekend’s UFC Fight Night 25 I wondered how well a UFC event would do when placed in direct competition with a major boxing card. I felt that this was going to a staunch test for the still-developing world of MMA, as a UFC card was set up to take on the Floyd Mayweather vs. Victor Ortiz fight presented by HBO Pay Per View. Based on the events of last Saturday night, my observation is that MMA still has some work to do before it knocks its “big brother” from the pedestal.
First, the lead up to the two events was an interesting contrast. HBO Boxing served up its usual treatment of “24/7” series, the special presentations that feature the two competitors in their best (or worst, in Mayweather’s case) light, to create a sense of personal emotional investment for the fans watching. While I didn’t partake in the network’s offering of combat sports reality TV, I spoke with many acquaintances who found the show provocative, and an interesting look into the fighter’s lives. On the other hand, this was probably the least-hyped UFC event in a long while. This may be because the show is removing itself from Spike television in the next coming months, and is working to remove the idea that MMA resides on the network. Or there may have been concerns that this card wouldn’t deliver for the mainstream fans. Regardless of the reason, however, this show was almost hidden away, and could have been easily overlooked by those fans who are just beginning to follow mixed martial arts.
Second, while it doesn’t really matter, it’s always impressive to see the number of celebrities that boxing attracts for its biggest fights. Not only are the crowds normally jam-packed, but they seem to be composed of some of the most well-known names in sports, music, and other forms of entertainment. Admittedly, it doesn’t carry very much weight at all, but I do get a kick out of the times when the UFC cuts to celebrities that are in attendance at their events, and sometimes you really have to ask: “Who was that?”
Third, the post-fight buzz. In all fairness, the Mayweather-Ortiz fight had some circumstances that could not have been drawn up better by Hollywood screenwriters. However, even without the bizarre finish and interview theatrics, this event would have still garnered more mainstream coverage once the night was over. It makes you wonder what exactly an MMA promotion has to do to get that same kind of coverage from not just everyday news outlets, but even the sports media. MMA coverage seems to always take its place “under the fold,” no matter how interesting the developing stories may be.
Mixed martial arts is still the fastest growing sport in the world. While it continues to break boundaries that once restricted it and held it back, growth is still needed in a number of areas. And it is because of these deficiencies that it is too soon for a major MMA event to go head-to-head against a major boxing event, and compete for the eyeballs and dollars of mainstream sports fans. Even though the two sports can co-exist, if the UFC was programmed directly across from a major boxing event, it would provide a stark reality check for fans as to MMA’s place in the sports landscape.
