UFC remains king of PPV hill

[mnmc10]

UFC remains king of PPV hill - UFC - Yahoo! Sports

After setting pay-per-view industry records in 2009, the Ultimate Fighting Championship faces opposition from boxing and wrestling over the next several months as it attempts to maintain last year’s levels.
It’s estimated that UFC, which didn’t publicly release figures, did nearly 8 million buys in the United States and Canada on 13 pay-per-view events this past year. That includes six of the year’s top 10 buyrates and 11 of the top 15.

[mnmc10]

UFC remains king of PPV hill - UFC - Yahoo! Sports

After setting pay-per-view industry records in 2009, the Ultimate Fighting Championship faces opposition from boxing and wrestling over the next several months as it attempts to maintain last year’s levels.
It’s estimated that UFC, which didn’t publicly release figures, did nearly 8 million buys in the United States and Canada on 13 pay-per-view events this past year. That includes six of the year’s top 10 buyrates and 11 of the top 15.


Top 10 PPV buy rates, 2009
1. UFC 100: Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir, July 11, 1.6 million
2. Boxing: Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto, Nov. 14, 1.25 million
3. Boxing: Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Juan Manuel Marquez, Sept. 19, 1.05 millon
4. UFC 94: Georges St. Pierre vs. B.J. Penn, Jan. 31, 920,000 buys
5. UFC 101: Penn vs. Kenny Florian/Anderson Silva vs. Forrest Griffin, Aug. 8, 850,000
6. Boxing: Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton, May 2, 825,000
7t. UFC 107: Penn vs. Diego Sanchez, Dec. 12, 650,000
7t. UFC 97: Silva vs. Thales Leites/Chuck Liddell vs. Mauricio Rua, April 18, 650,000
9. UFC 99: Lyoto Machida vs. Rashad Evans/Matt Hughes vs. Matt Serra, May 23, 635,000
10. Wrestling: WWE WrestleMania 25, April 5, 582,000 buys

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

Boxing really needs to do a UFC.

I STILL can't understand how it would't make great business for one of the Alphabet straps to sign up with say HBO exclusively hence boxing to the mainstream becomes WBA boxing.

Like how WCW isn't really as popular as WWF... It all revolves around Network coverage.

What am I missing

[Hulk]

Boxing really needs to do a UFC.

I STILL can't understand how it would't make great business for one of the Alphabet straps to sign up with say HBO exclusively hence boxing to the mainstream becomes WBA boxing.

Like how WCW isn't really as popular as WWF... It all revolves around Network coverage.

What am I missing

WCW no longer exists. It went under and went bankrupt about 9 years ago.

And it was bought by WWF.

Which is now called the WWE.

[El Kabong]

Boxing needs to do a lot to fix itself, but A #1 is getting good quality fight CARDS and not just fights in general. I, average Joe Boxing fan, will not buy Pacquiao-Clottey because the undercard sucks and that's the reason I don't buy a lot of PPV fights. There are enough good fights out there to be made to where we shouldn't have to suffer through bad fights.

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

Boxing really needs to do a UFC.

I STILL can't understand how it would't make great business for one of the Alphabet straps to sign up with say HBO exclusively hence boxing to the mainstream becomes WBA boxing.

Like how WCW isn't really as popular as WWF... It all revolves around Network coverage.

What am I missing

WCW no longer exists. It went under and went bankrupt about 9 years ago.

And it was bought by WWF.

Which is now called the WWE.

Really?! Oh...

If so then... Case in point!
The XYZ's should look to do the same!!!

[Nameless]

Personally, I don't care if it is boxing or UFC that has the biggest PPV draw, I like them both for different reasons and I am certain that there is place for both. However, if boxing wants to help himself, they need to make meaningful undercards, meaningful fights and to avoid a bit more robberies like the Funeka-Guzman fight. Oh, and to treat the cheaters as they should.

[Jimmy G-Force]

Dana White is a self confessed boxing fan, and the way he runs the UFC is by learning by boxings mistakes. He ensures that there is no bullshit, and he always looks to pit the best fighters against the best fighters. There is no protected fighters in the UFC, and there isnt any bullshit politics to stop all the big fights. The best fight the best, thats it. Perfect. Limited weight divisions ensure that everybody knows who the No.1 fighter is within each division. With the exception of Fedor in the HW division, the UFC hold all the PFP fighters holding their titles in their respective divisions.

It's just a shame boxing will never be able to compete with regards White's philosophy. I'm a boxing fan of 25 years, but I'm also an MMA fanatic, and actually much prefer to watch any UFC undercard than any boxing undercard. And 10 years ago, I never thought I'd be saying that.

[Althugz]

and on the other end of the scale, I absolutely hate UFC/MMA.

There is a lot wrong with boxing including terrible undercards but I'd still rather sit through it than UFC. Just never interested me when I've watched it.

But yeah, for the average Joe UFC makes a lot more sense than boxing would with all the different organizations, belts, promotions and TV networks. If boxing fixed itself from the inside out I have no doubt that it would destroy UFC in PPV figures.

It competes with UFC even though it's in a complete mess!

[Mark TKO]

Are the prices roughly the same for UFC , Wrestling and boxing in USA ??

Think we pay £14.95 (maybe 17 can't remember) over here for boxing and know from when I was over there a few years ago it was about $45 for similar ?? Remember being surprised at the price anyway.

Have never seen a UFC fight but think we get it free here on one of teh sky channels...

[Mattyhitman]

Yea the UFC ( as far as im aware ) charge roughly the same as the boxing PPV's. UFC $44.99, which does compare to the boxing PPV's in the states.

Just glad us brits DONT have to pay for the UFC main events, get it free on ESPN, although ya do have to subscribe to the channel at about a tenner a month depending on ya package.

[Beanflicker]

Dana White is a self confessed boxing fan, and the way he runs the UFC is by learning by boxings mistakes. He ensures that there is no bullshit, and he always looks to pit the best fighters against the best fighters. There is no protected fighters in the UFC, and there isnt any bullshit politics to stop all the big fights. The best fight the best, thats it. Perfect. Limited weight divisions ensure that everybody knows who the No.1 fighter is within each division. With the exception of Fedor in the HW division, the UFC hold all the PFP fighters holding their titles in their respective divisions.

It's just a shame boxing will never be able to compete with regards White's philosophy. I'm a boxing fan of 25 years, but I'm also an MMA fanatic, and actually much prefer to watch any MMA undercard than any boxing undercard. And 10 years ago, I never thought I'd be saying that.

Exactly. I'm a big follower of both sports. Each have their pros and cons. Of course, like you say in UFC there are no protected guys, and no bullshit politics to stop the big fights from happening when they are under the UFC umbrella. However, unlike in boxing, fighters under two different umbrellas can't come together and negotiate a fight. MMA fans are robbed of seeing great fighters OUTSIDE of the UFC fight the champs of UFC. Guys like Fedor and Aoki.

I'm glad the UFC is giving boxing a run for its money. Compedition is a great thing for the consumer. The UFC's big PPV draws are going to force boxing promoters to step up the quality of their shows, and pressure them to make the BIG fights that the public wants to see. On the other side, it forces Dana White (who really has no serious compedition in terms of MMA in North America) to put on great cards to compete with the big money events in boxing. So for us fans (especially those who love both sports), its WIN/WIN imo.

[Jimmy G-Force]

Dana White is a self confessed boxing fan, and the way he runs the UFC is by learning by boxings mistakes. He ensures that there is no bullshit, and he always looks to pit the best fighters against the best fighters. There is no protected fighters in the UFC, and there isnt any bullshit politics to stop all the big fights. The best fight the best, thats it. Perfect. Limited weight divisions ensure that everybody knows who the No.1 fighter is within each division. With the exception of Fedor in the HW division, the UFC hold all the PFP fighters holding their titles in their respective divisions.

It's just a shame boxing will never be able to compete with regards White's philosophy. I'm a boxing fan of 25 years, but I'm also an MMA fanatic, and actually much prefer to watch any MMA undercard than any boxing undercard. And 10 years ago, I never thought I'd be saying that.

Exactly. I'm a big follower of both sports. Each have their pros and cons. Of course, like you say in UFC there are no protected guys, and no bullshit politics to stop the big fights from happening when they are under the UFC umbrella. However, unlike in boxing, fighters under two different umbrellas can't come together and negotiate a fight. MMA fans are robbed of seeing great fighters OUTSIDE of the UFC fight the champs of UFC. Guys like Fedor and Aoki.

I'm glad the UFC is giving boxing a run for its money. Compedition is a great thing for the consumer. The UFC's big PPV draws are going to force boxing promoters to step up the quality of their shows, and pressure them to make the BIG fights that the public wants to see. On the other side, it forces Dana White (who really has no serious compedition in terms of MMA in North America) to put on great cards to compete with the big money events in boxing. So for us fans (especially those who love both sports), its WIN/WIN imo.

Exactly, in fact, the UFC certainly had a huge impact on forcing some of the Superfights in boxing in recent times due to their incredible growth in popularity. Bob Arum and Oscar patched up their differences realising the competition from the UFC was preventing boxings superfights, and subsquently damaging the sport. Good call on Shinya as well, I meant to put him in my initial post as he is the only threat to BJ's premier lightweight accolade.

[HattonTheHammer]

UFC/WWE have the sense and knowledge to know the hardcore fan is much more likely to pay 50bucks to see his favourite fighter/fighters over an entire night and they both dont segregate themselves to showing 1 fight cards.

If you dont particularly enjoy a UFC/WWF main event no biggy, the rest of the night is full of world class matchups, scantily clad women, theatrical entrances etc who cares if the sport in general is either gay or fake.

If you dont happen to be a particular fan of floyd mayweather you dont buy the card end of story.

The day a mayweather-pacquiao card is backed up with jones-hopkins, hatton-marquez etc is the very day boxing takes both showhorse sports to the cleaners.

[GAME]

Boxing really needs to do a UFC.

I STILL can't understand how it would't make great business for one of the Alphabet straps to sign up with say HBO exclusively hence boxing to the mainstream becomes WBA boxing.

Like how WCW isn't really as popular as WWF... It all revolves around Network coverage.

What am I missing

WCW no longer exists. It went under and went bankrupt about 9 years ago.

And it was bought by WWF.

Which is now called the WWE.

Really?! Oh...

If so then... Case in point!
The XYZ's should look to do the same!!!

WCW was taken over by WWE ( then WWF ) but Eric Bischoff the money man behind it has branched off and joined forced with Hogan who now have Tna wrestling. They have no hope competing with boxing but are having a ratinsg war with Vince. Their leading star was Bobby Lashley but he asked for release from his contract so he join strikeforce ( the rival to UFC ) to take up real fighting. They want to build him up in a rival organisation like they did with Lesnar and when those two meet it will be huge.

Boxing didnt have any massive fights featuring Americans so its not too surprising that a small Peurto Rican vs a small Filipino didnt outsell a fight between two Amercian heavyweight cage fighters. Mosley vs Floyd will do well because they are both Yanks.