The UFC is one of the premier combat sports promotions in the world today, following its mammoth $4.2 billion takeover in 2016. With MMA being the fastest growing sport in the world, it is of very little surprise that the UFC is experiencing something of a golden age.
But, on this journey to become a global superpower in the world of combat sports, the UFC has definitely been taking some pointers from other successful business operations – especially in boxing and pro-wrestling.
Leaving aside the boxing part of it, for now, today we look at how the UFC has been inspired by the success of the world’s most successful pro-wrestling promotion – the WWE. Despite Dana White and co having eclipsed Vince McMahon’s legacy in terms of monetary value, the UFC has taken its fair share of ideas from World Wrestling Entertainment.
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at 5 ways the UFC has blatantly copied the WWE.
#1) Title fights being given and not earned
This is more of a recent development for the UFC but something that has been happening forever in the WWE as people are handed title shots rather than having to earn them. This is something that kind of makes sense in the WWE as the results of their events and feuds are scripted.
But, while it’s no surprise, it’s sad to see the UFC reduced to this. A direct result of having to book more money fights after the mammoth takeover, the premier MMA promotion is looking at ways to get the most out of every card financially and this means a lot of deserving fighters are being robbed of their title opportunities.
Conor McGregor jumping the line to get a title shot against Eddie Alvarez to become the first fighter in UFC history to become a simultaneous two-weight World Champion. Ronda Rousey being given a free title fight on her return after over a year away from the sport.
The latest example is Georges St. Pierre given a direct title bout against Michael Bisping upon announcing his return to the promotion he left three years ago. A tactic to use the biggest names to draw the most crowds and make the most money is something taken directly out of the WWE’s playbook.
#2) Pushing their Golden Boys and Golden Girls
The WWE has a habit of pushing talent that it believes deserves to be the face of the company. These Golden Boys and Golden Girls include the likes of Hulk Hogan, Lex Luger, The Rock, John Cena, Roman Reigns, and Charlotte Flair just to name a few.
Some of them have been deserving but others have been chosen for no other reason than their looks and how they fit the image of what the promotion believes a pro-wrestler should represent. Case in point, Roman Reigns and Lex Luger.
The UFC has pretty much adopted the same model as certain fighters have been handpicked as the promotions favourites and they are always given the big fights and numerous opportunities to show off their skills.
The likes of Paige van Zant, Sage Northcutt, and Ronda Rousey all fall into this category and regardless of the other people in their weight classes being more deserving or more skilled, these fighters are always pushed down audience throats.
#3 The Pay Per View model
The WWE built its success through the 1980s until the late noughties on the power of the Pay Per View model. With the likes of Wrestlemania, The Royal Rumble, Summerslam, and Survivor Series being the spine in order to make this a success.
Also read: 5 Production techniques that UFC can learn from WWE
Despite their recent pivoting to make the WWE Network their focus, the WWE will always be known as the promotion to make regular PPVs as the best way to rake in lots of cash for marquee events. Wrestlemania I – the event that could have bankrupted the company – was the catalyst for this idea and its grand success is what kickstarted the PPV era for WWE.
The UFC has ripped off the same model to even greater success as Dana White and his business partners built numerous fight cards explicitly with the view to sell more PPVs and they have achieved such success by copying the WWE that a large portion of a great fighter’s income is tied into a percentage of the total PPV income.
#4) The focus on entertainment over fighting
For a period of over almost a decade between 2005 and 2012, the focus of the WWE was not on the wrestling aspect of sports entertainment but rather on the entertainment aspect of it. This is something that has thankfully changed in recent times with the rise of NXT and the influx of great wrestling talent.
The UFC seems to be going the other way, though, as they concentrate more the entertainment aspect of the fight game rather than the actual fighting. It is no longer about who the better fight inside the octagon is, but rather who can make a name and create a buzz outside.
The Conor McGregor model, for lack of a better term, has become the major focus in the world of MMA as more and more fighters start looking for ways to get fights which will make them the most money rather than concentrating on the best fighter they can be.
#5) Signing Todd Grisham as a commentator
Todd Grisham is a man who made moderate success during his time with the WWE as a backstage interviewer, host of highlights shows and all that jazz. He was quite terrible as a commentator.
Despite stints in the sporting world after his release from the WWE, he isn’t really someone who has the knowledge or experience to be a top guy in the world of combat sports. So, why exactly did the UFC hire him?
The only thing I can surmise from this hiring is that they are just copying what the WWE did a decade ago.
