In the last few years we have witnessed the UFC evolve into a vision of an often applied term, ‘a mainstream sport’. Television deals, commercial sponsorships, worldwide events, new drug policies and most recently the Reebok apparel deal have all seen the UFC move away from its humble and often controversial beginnings, into a worldwide media covered sport. There is no doubting the fact that the evolution of the sport within the UFC, in such a short period of time has been both impressive and in most aspects positive and for that the Feritas, Dana White and all the UFC staff need commending. However, with the evolution, has there been a price to pay? Has the individuality and the identity that made the UFC and MMA so different from watching a typical sporting event been the cost? Most importantly has the UFC lost its edge as an alternative sport and has become too ‘mainstream’?

Blending In – The UFC Identity and Mainstream Sports Culture

Television is the Future

The UFC was created with a Pay-Per-View (PPV) model in mind, following the much tried and tested formula used by sports such as boxing in offering live events, broadcast into your home at a fixed cost. This is still the case today on a typically monthly basis in the U.S., with other countries often having subscription based channels offering the shows, not at an individual price, but included as part of a contracted commitment. This model serves its purpose both in promoting the major events but also in generating revenue and helping to drive the price for live attendance. However, this alone cannot advance a sport that requires more media attention and therefore the UFC in its modern guise has been pushing for television deals that would get the product into as many homes as possible. This has never been more apparent than with The Ultimate Fighter Season One that aired on Spike TV in the USA and drew millions of views into MMA (with the help of the Forrest Griffin vs Stephan Bonnar fight of course).

The most recent US television deal between the UFC and FOX has pushed the UFC further into the ‘mainstream’, reaching even more potential views on a broadcaster known for showing a multiple of big sports. This has been supplemented with ‘magazine’ style shows, advertising, mentions on popular established programming on FOX and general ‘fitting’ into the broadcasters formula (music and all). In the UK, BT Sport is the current UFC programme provider and is the relatively new channel ‘on the block’, aggressively trying to muscle its way into the sport television market. These deals come at a price for the UFC, however, as the product has to reach the satisfaction of the broadcaster, in the native US at least. Therefore there are undoubted suitability provisions that have to be made, not in the rules of the fights themselves, but in the broadcasting package. The UFC needs the look and feel of a typical sport to make it marketable for the broadcasters that are vying for subscribers, it cannot be too edgy or controversial as they need to sell space to advertisers and sponsors of their own and need the outlay of the deal to be offset by incoming revenue.

Despite these changes the new ‘clean’ look of the UFC has to be commended. It is a slick, HD output with high production values that takes away from a number of peoples conceptions of ‘cage fighting’ and places it right alongside traditional sports as a well regulated piece of broadcasting. Negative comments and views of a select few based upon naive knowledge, expecting to turn on the television to see a uneducated audience watching barbaric cage fighting under grimy spotlights in a small hall will be pleasantly surprised, if not their opinion changed, when they tune into a UFC programme. The UFC needs this ability to slide into the television schedule alongside other sports and not seem out of place, despite the violent content, however, a concept that is becoming more apparent with the introduction of ‘uniforms’.

Reebok Deal

There has been so much said in recent weeks regarding the apparel deal with Reebok that there is no need to go over all the facts and figures again. Simply, it was a move that brings more conformity with in the UFC as fighters have a ‘uniform’ that they wear that brings an end to the fighters being responsible for their own fight gear, including walk-out tees. This, in the eyes of the UFC, makes MMA more of a ‘mainstream’ sport as it removes the mismatch look of the fighters and the need for the fighters and teams to cover everything they are wearing with sponsors (the deal includes a remuneration scale, but that is for another column).

This has been heavily criticized by some for removing the personality of the fighters and I have to agree on some levels as at this stage based on what I have witnessed in what can only be described as an awkward launch presentation. For every time a fighter made their way to the octagon with a hideous looking t-shirt and even worse fight shorts, there was one with an original and great design, even humourous at times. Brand names such as Tapout, Hayabusa, Affliction to name a few would compete to create new styles that were at times as much about the fighter’s personality as seemingly selling merchandise. That being said, I do like some of the early designs of both the fight wear and fan wear and having the fighters look more professional, certainly does hold a certain level of appeal.

We are yet to see the full effect of this change over time (and if the fighters will attempt new ingenious ways to get their sponsors out there) but there is little doubt that a degree of edginess has been removed by this. A factor as simple as creating a standard uniform has removed an aspect that set the UFC apart, that allowed fans to feel closer to the fighters in some way and made them not look identical as is sometimes prevalent in other sports. The UFC and MMA is about the individual when the cage door closes, not a team at that point, and that is now seemingly not reflected in the way the fighters present themselves at least.

Sponsor Everything

The UFC is a business and that can never be ignored, but as the move to the mainstream has gathered pace, so has the seeming line of bigger sponsors that are willing to throw their name into the octagon, literally and metaphorically speaking. It seems now that every facet of the UFC is sponsored, a move that undoubtedly brings in copious degrees of revenue but ultimately makes the feel of the whole event just seem more like you are watching what has become the normality in sport broadcasts these days. This is not in reference to the slogans plastered around and on the canvas of the octagon, as much as I am referring to the constant mention from the commentators of the various sponsors and the incessant flashing of logos and images that takes place on a typical broadcast.

Maybe this is just the modern corporate world that we live in, but it just seems that things might have become a bit too commercialised at times. When a ‘corner cam’ is becoming sponsored and at the start of every round there seems to be a ten second introduction of a sponsor, including an often cheesy ‘tag line’ it all just seems a little too much. Now this area is not an edge that the UFC wants to particularly gain back, albeit it was refreshing and different not to have your typical large sporting sponsors involved. It makes sense monetary wise to have the biggest names, cross over promotion etc. It also has the ability to make fighters household names, or to put them on par with other athletes. However, there is a risk involved as it also makes the UFC seem like all the other sports around, sponsoring what they can from water breaks, to half times, to certain camera angles, the list goes on. There is little doubt that for the UFC to grow in size and therefore offer more to the fans, that new and bigger partnerships need to be explored and for that the UFC cannot be condemned, however, maybe just a slight toning down would be welcomed at times.

The World is Observing

Now there is no doubt that the UFC has grew within its native U.S. but its global expansion needs to be commended for its sheer scope over the last few years. Events in the UK, Sweden, Germany, Brazil, Canada, Australia, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, New Zealand and the Philippines to name a few locations have brought the UFC live to regions that would not have seen anything other than local MMA promotions. Alongside TV deals and an online presence with UFC Fight Pass it has become so easy to follow the premier MMA organisation and this has to be commended. Has this lost the UFC its edginess, its underground feel, whereby outside of the US sometimes the only way to watch events was on a tape-delay or via a VHS/DVD from some obscure entertainment store that happened to stock it? If it has, I do not want to return to those days and while the sheer number of events that the UFC throws together can be confusing to know what day, time zone or country you are watching the event from, its certainly better than waiting days if not months to see a fight and not being able to watch it live at the venue without extensive travel plans. Expansion has taken the UFC and MMA in general with promotions such as Bellator, Invicta, WSOF etc. from the relative underground with unsanctioned fights with limited rules into multiple countries and markets, brilliant for the fan and budding fighter alike.

Has the Edge Gone?

So has the UFC lost its edge with the inevitable move to a more mainstream product? The simple answer for me is no. With the live events being taken all around the world, the television deals are getting the programmes into prime-time slots attracting larger advertisers and the Reebok deal is making the fighters appear more professional all attribute to a more standardise production. But it does not take away from the main product itself, the fights. They are now more regulated with more rules, stricter drug testing polices and harsher bans. The smooth nature of a UFC televised broadcast, utilising the best commentators in the business, with great camera work, brings the armchair fan closer to the fight than ever before. If you are lucky enough to be in attendance at the event, then the show is equally impressive with rousing introductions and state of the art arenas that the UFC can now book with its increased popularity.

There will always be the detractors to the gradual change. Those that want to see MMA remain a niche sport, for the purists only, who have to almost earn their right to watch and not just casually tune into their favourite spots channel of an evening and see the UFC right there. However, this attitude would still see the UFC where it was 15 years ago, a product with potential but still a ‘dirty’ reputation rather than the one today that is winning new fans into the sport on an almost daily basis. Yes we are still to see the true impact of the Reebok deal and the effect on the fan and fighter relationship as well as the sponsorship changes and revenue streams for the fighters. However, for me the UFC is as edgy as it could possibly be in the modern environment. Just think to yourself which UFC you prefer, the one now or the one 15 years ago, maybe even watch a pay per view from start to finish and see the difference, one I think is for the better.

NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 30: Launch Of The Reebok UFC Fight Kit at Skylight Modern on June 30, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Brad Barket/Getty Images for Reebok)