In the modern era of social media, you can get in quite a lot of trouble for speaking your mind. To be more specific, disrespecting a sport or event that a large number of people gravitate towards is a big mistake.
That's one of the many reasons there's this odd underlying tension between WWE and UFC fans and in reality, it doesn't actually make much sense.
The two companies share several similarities and whilst they may not always have the same kind of philosophies, at the end of the day, they have one goal and one objective - satisfy the fans. Oh, and make loads of money, but let's just forget about that one for a second.
In terms of producing the best show possible on a regular basis they both have their pros and their cons, but in terms of specifics, the WWE tends to blow the UFC out of the water more often than not.
A big reason for that is the fact they are a sports entertainment company as opposed to a company solely based on a sport. With that being said, some of the alterations that we're about to suggest aren't really all that outlandish and should be seriously considered by the UFC.
Who knows, it may improve the product to the point where people love it more so than they did before. So without further ado, here are five production techniques that UFC can learn from WWE.
#1 Vignettes
Before a fight, the UFC put on these nice two to three-minute promos to hype things up. Unfortunately, they pale in comparison to the work and effort that WWE put into their own, as they make things feel a little bit more important. Maybe it's the camera work or the music, but one way or another UFC needs to change things up.
It all feels very lather rinse repeat with the UFC promos, and a big part of that is because you can't really alter the format of two guys or girls in a ring waging war. However, what you can do is take snippets from past fights that link to the one you're trying to promote, change up the interview styles and show the fighters in different settings than we're used to seeing them in.
If you need an example - Jeff Hardy vs Edge at Judgement Day. Watch it.
Now to an old age tradition in the UFC.
#2 Walkout
Look, the walkouts are pretty cool. Seeing the intimidating look on the face of a fighter makes things feel important and it's different to see them walk through the crowd. However, more emphasis needs to be put on the performer beforehand.
That includes the entrance music in addition to the actual entrance of them making their first appearance. Case and point - Sinead O'Connor's live performance at UFC 189.
Make the competitor seem like a gladiator, much like they do in terms of entrances in the WWE. It doesn't need to be too much larger than life, but it makes things feel more special than just having the UFC ask a band for the copyright on a song.
Hell, maybe even have Bruce Buffer announce their names as they come to the Octagon as opposed to when they get in there. Onto something that's a little bit more touch-and-go.
#3 Mic the crowd
In order to succeed when it comes to fully grasping the reaction of a crowd, sometimes you need to take a page from WWE's playbook - and mic them up. If you increase the noise for the viewers watching at home, it instantly makes things feel that much more important, which is especially vital for the UFC because at times it can seem as if the crowd is silent.
Obviously, the main point of the event is to focus on the two fighters in the ring, but it wouldn't hurt in the slightest to add to the atmosphere a little bit. After all, some of the WWE's greatest moments have been made that much better due to the reaction of the crowd and the same will surely be said of the UFC if they pull the trigger on this.
This one is a personal preference of ours, but it still needs to happen.
#4 Pyro
Whether it's at the start of the show or during a Superstar's entrance, pyro is so important when it comes to ramping up the excitement of the crowd. No matter when it pops up, it always garners a reaction, and the UFC could use that extra bolt of electricity heading into an event.
If you need an example of it working, look towards the WrestleManias in the last few years that HAVEN'T had pyro at the start as opposed to the ones that have.
It might not be considered a necessity but if the UFC tried it just once, they'd never stop. Adding a little bit more showmanship to the company is important when it comes to the branding, and the UFC is probably closer to the WWE in terms of relatability than anything else - including boxing.
It may come across as silly, but we guarantee that it'll get a pop out of the audience. We conclude with something that's a little bit more towards WWE fans' taste.
#5 Themed stages
Every single UFC event looks and feels the same way, no matter what arena it is situated in.
The only real exception to this was at UFC 200 when they made the canvas a weird yellow-gold colour, but that isn't enough. To really make things feel special, themed stages and themed shows, in general, is the way to go and it shouldn't be too difficult to make it happen.
After all, the company was sold for over $4 billion last year so they must have some money going spare. At the big numbered events they could have a certain set of colours used for every feature of the event, in addition to a large item that represents it.
It doesn't need to be anything too over the top and can instead be something like "UFC 216: Unforgiven" with a bloody and vengeful theme. Just go with it.
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