So, MMA/UFC wasn't a fad

ESPN also hired Ariel Helwani, easily the most popular/recognized MMA media member, to fill out their MMA coverage.

 

For $300 million per year, couldn’t ESPN have started and owned their own competing circuit?

I thought UFC was notorious for paying peanuts to anyone but their biggest stars.

How much would it have cost to steal away a lot of the top talent, and most of the lesser talent?

 

Not a diehard MMA fan, but UFC is pretty dominant. They probably could steal some talent, but it would take a lot
to start a new league. UFC is already well established. If they can just buy the broadcast rights and make a profit that
seems a lot easier than trying to run a league.

 

See also: XFL, The.

 

You need so many more people, plus stadiums to compete with the NFL.

Plus, people root for laundry in the NFL.

UFC is like a traveling circus, and people root for individuals.

ESPN is into the UFC for $300,000, plus production costs. That sounds like a ton.

I think of the guy -- Mr. Wonderful -- on SharkTank who tells people with good ideas, but no brand, and who have nothing proprietary -- parents, technology -- about their business, that he could start his won competing company, for less than they want for a portion of their company.

 

I don't follow the sport closely at all, but I wouldn't call it a traveling circus. Not when it just fetched a $4.2B price tag.

There's a few regional circuits, but they're like indie leagues in baseball. Everyone wants to be in the show.

 

I just mean that they don’t need to locate teams in 30 markets, and compete with established teams, or fight for stadiums.

An ESPN owned league could rent out an arena the same as the UFC.

 

Forget MMA, bare-knuckle boxing is the new hotness.

Bare Knuckle Fighting Is back

 

It LOOKS much more barbaric, but hitting without gloves almost certainly causes less long-term damage than hitting with them.

I think the main issue here is that we’re not dealing with world-class athletes (save for guys like Gunn who was a boxer of some renown), which greatly increases the injury risk.

 

Conor McGregor reaches plea deal on assault charges, gets community service

 

New league starting up.
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I am curious why there seems to be several new leagues in various sports starting up and what investors are seeing as the upside. Between the new XFL, the AAFL, the Big 3 hoops league and this - is the idea to undercut the top dogs?

 

I wouldnt lump combats sports in with the football and hoop startups, there have always been various promotions for mma and boxing. There's money to be made if they want to be "in addition to" ufc and not direct competition.

The season structure is interesting. Different spin on the old Japanese tournaments Bellators trying to replicate, maybe.