On the Yahoo home page, at least two times per week (sometimes even more often than that) one of the headlines will involve something to do with UFC. Today’s is a video of a UCF fighter jumping out of a pool. :rolleyes:
I’m a little confused as to why Yahoo is so interested in promoting/providing coverage for a (IMHO) obscure sport. Unless they have a financial stake in the company.
Anyone know the scoop?
It’s no longer an obscure sport and is huge among the young male demographic. Established sportswriters for large media outlets have largely written off MMA. I think Yahoo has realized this and is filling a very large niche.
I don’t believe that Yahoo owns any stake in the UFC. There are only only three owners as far as I know. The Fertita brothers own the largest stake and I believe Dana White owns a smaller portion.
Why did UFC suddenly become so big? I have been wondering about that myself. They are getting coverage in mainstream press, but maybe not as much as FB, BB, etc.
As somebody who’s in their target demographic, but doesn’t really care:
[ul]
[li]It’s all about kicking 6 kinds of ass[/li][li]Boxing is a shadow of its former self[/li][li]Not a whole lot goes to the judges - decided by who can’t fight anymore[/li][li]Come from the idea of “who’s a better fighter - lets throw em all in and see who wins”[/li][li]It’s a cage match![/li][li]Still different styles to root for (I vaguely prefer the ex-wrestlers)[/li][/ul]
I won’t pay to watch it, but if I flip on Spike and a fight is on, I’ll probably watch the bout. But basically, it’s the heir to boxing in some ways - but with more ways to win it. (Also, cage match)
My understanding is that the showing of The Ultimate Fighter reality show is what saved the organization. They were on the brink of failure before that. It provided a lot of exposure on cable television and gave people fighters to root for. It was what got me hooked on the sport. It also helped show what kind of athletes these guys were.
It also introduced people to the true skill involved in the fighting business. I assumed before I watched it that it would be lower tier athletes who weren’t good enough to make it in boxing. In reality MMA has Olympic caliber wrestlers, some former professional boxers, and BJJ guys who are some of the best in the world.