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When you think of sports that contain fighting, pugilism, and contact of this kind, you will likely turn to boxing first and foremost.
These days, however, boxing has been joined by other similar sports that have swept the globe.
Grouped together, these are called MMA, standing for Mixed Martial Arts. Of course, martial arts have been popular for many, many years, with ancient roots and long-standing traditions in many nations.
MMA, however, is something of a different sporting beast, and it has become a behemoth in terms of commercialism, fans, and overall popularity worldwide. It is watched, betted on, attended, and enjoyed in many ways by millions, and that number is growing.
To get an idea of how popular it is, just one quick search will show you a plethora of UFC fight odds, and all the statistics that can help with placing such a wager too. As for attendance and viewing figures, they are also impressive, and online platforms dedicated to MMA are all over the internet.
So, for the uninitiated (and just to ensure we’re all on the same page about this), MMA is a hybrid combat sport. It is one that includes and incorporates a range of traditional and common techniques from other disciplines. These include sports such as boxing, wrestling, judo, jujitsu, karate, and Muay Thai.
As MMA continues to grow, it is becoming watched around the world, and, to put it rather mildly, global fighting fans love it. So what has taken this previously somewhat niche, less covered and watched combat sport to such worldwide popularity, especially with so much other sport vying for fans’ attention? Let’s dig a little deeper and see what we can unearth.
Superstars, Super Fights, And Stellar Coverage: UFC Fans More Engaged Than Ever
The UFC is now such a worldwide sporting phenomenon that it has entire networks, streaming channels, apps, websites, and all kinds of social media content dedicated to it.
From showing live bouts on streaming services to engaging fans with superstars through their own social media accounts, the UFC is not just more mainstream; it is more connected to supporters than ever before. Add to this the massive, big-money, high-octane, and globally-televised bouts and you will begin to see how the UFC community has emerged and grown exponentially.
Whether it is mighty Max Holloway or the legend that is Conor McGregor, the ever-popular Israel Adesanya, or the always colourful Charles Oliveira, UFC superstars now use their own social media to promote not just the sport, but their connection with their devoted fans.
Some have millions of followers and in terms of UFC engagement, that’s great news. These and the other official channels used by promoters and owners are delivering content that fans lap up, and indeed contribute to themselves.
Of course, people still love boxing and, in terms of long-term history, and since the Queensbury rules first made it what it has become today, it is hard to beat. That said, MMA and the UFC have come a long way from their genesis and are certainly giving boxing a run for its money. Talking of money, part of creating this global community of MMA and UFC fans has been about making the sport more commercially successful. And oh, how they have done that!
Again, attracting global sports fans, some of whom will have been MMA fans from before the days of the UFC, has been one of the true successes and has, in and of itself, ensured that this sport has entered into the mainstream. Whole channels now spend days and weeks before the big bouts analysing and dissecting everything about the UFC, with previews from experts and content that brings fans closer to the action.
Add to that the worldwide coverage on television and online, and you will see all the ingredients that got MMA and the UFC where they are today.
MMA Is Sport That Excites, Exhilarates, and Entertains In Equal Measure
Put simply, sport is entertainment. Billions of sports fans around the world watch, talk about, read online content dedicated to, and often live and breathe their chosen sports. It is not just about the sporting contest; it is also about the hype, the build-up, the razzmatazz and yes, the off-field entertainment that now forms an integral part of so many sporting occasions. Few sporting contests harness this as well as the pure entertainment that is MMA and the UFC.
Thanks to this commercial success as a form of premium sporting entertainment, the UFC has managed to become a business way beyond the confines of the bouts themselves.
Even so, the UFC Live part of the commercial operation is setting new MMA revenue records for fight after fight, and that’s before all the merchandise sales and PPV money that is attached to all this.
When it comes down to it, the reasons for this success are many, but the way MMA and the UFC have become a pure, exhilarating, adrenalin-fuelled, prime-time entertainment format and sport is certainly quite a journey!
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