| As the UFC and HBO Boxing battle for the niche | | | | MMA fighter can be famous for submissions (Antonio |
| market of mainstream combat sports, fans are quick | | | | Rodrigo Noguiera), wrestling (Georges St. Pierre), Muay |
| to predict the downfall of either side. The rivalry will die | | | | Thai (Anderson Silva), or simply being a terrifying |
| down over time, but with such a similar style of | | | | loudmouth like Brock Lesnar.This allows for more easily |
| promotion, how long until corruption devastates the | | | | distinguished stars, bringing out fans for fighters who |
| reputation of Mixed Martial Arts as it has boxing? | | | | are not even in title contention—see Forest Griffin, |
| MMA is still fairly young, so predicting its future requires | | | | Tito Ortiz and Rich Franklin. That fattens up the overall |
| a look at what has made organized fighting notoriously | | | | cards and reduces pressure to swing a fight or break |
| corrupt. | | | | sanctioning rules to make a fight happen. |
| Boxing is both the most popular combat sport in the | | | | There are also important differences in promotion. |
| world and the crooked standard for athletic | | | | Rather than $15-30 million purses, UFC fighters live off |
| competition. The biggest problem is the boom-and-bust | | | | of sponsorship deals with companies like Affliction, |
| style of events. Unlike most sports where fans follow | | | | Tapout, Silverstar and Lugz. Fighters get relatively small |
| a team through a season and playoffs, boxing events | | | | pay for an actual fight, but a lot of wins can earn juicy |
| are based around a few individual stars who rarely | | | | deals—such as Georges St. Pierre being the new |
| fight more than twice per year. Also, while having 18 | | | | face of Under Armour. As a result, a fighter's |
| weight classes may be easier on the fighters, it makes | | | | reputation is very important. While that may not directly |
| individual title-fights irrelevant to casual fans. Rather, | | | | prevent corruption, it helps keep the image a little |
| only inter-league "undisputed" title shots, and | | | | cleaner—a conviction for say, rape, would make it |
| undefeated champions against (extremely rare) | | | | difficult to get sponsorship and remove most of the |
| dangerous contenders bring in the big money. Such | | | | financial rewards for competing. Most importantly, |
| factors whittle the cards down to an average of one | | | | fighters sign multi-fight contracts with a promotional |
| huge boxing fight per year. As a result, profits are | | | | company, Zuffa, who handles all of the competitors, |
| heavily consolidated and huge pressure is put on the | | | | rather with an individual promoter who negotiates their |
| judges, referees and promoters to produce a certain | | | | matchups. |
| outcome. | | | | There are potential downsides to all these differences |
| Complicating things further is the relatively few people | | | | and certain problems remain unsolved. Most |
| involved. HBO Boxing usually features 2 events per | | | | importantly, a fighter’s career is still largely out of his |
| month ranging from about 1-4 fights on a card. That's | | | | hands—instead of a promoter, they are held at the |
| anywhere from 24-96 individual fights per year, | | | | whim of an organization that may cut them at any |
| involving a maximum of 192 boxers. By contrast, the | | | | moment. Nevertheless, as a whole, the structure that |
| NFL has 256 regular season games with up to 1696 | | | | the UFC is setting up for MMA is not wired for dirty |
| players and an army of coaches. The small number of | | | | dealings like boxing. |
| venues and boxers—combined with the absence of | | | | The best evidence for consistency in these sports is |
| teams—leaves less opportunity to develop a | | | | the Pay-Per-View numbers. The annual top ten |
| fanbase for fighters, let alone rivalries. | | | | Pay-Per-View sales typically break down as 7 UFC, 2 |
| Bet on UFC or mixed martial arts at Much of the | | | | HBO Boxing and 1 WWE. The UFC’s average buy |
| problem is therefore caused by the nature of the | | | | rate is about 350-500 000 with a record high of 1.7 |
| sport—individual-based with a shallower talent pool, | | | | million for UFC 100. HBO Boxing holds the all-time |
| hurt by the public's preference for lighter, ball-chasing | | | | record of 2.7 million for De La Hoya vs. Floyd |
| sports over competitive violence. But the killing blow | | | | Mayweather Jr., but has also had big events dip as |
| comes from blatant sliminess on behalf of promoters | | | | low as 50 000. While MMA events do not come |
| and sanctioning bodies. Corruption is embedded in the | | | | close boxing's highs, they also stay clear of the bombs. |
| structure of boxing; it is actually customary for | | | | Overall, UFC cards are far more consistent. That is |
| promoters such as Don King to pay for hotels and | | | | important for maintaining a clean sport by making |
| meals for judges and referees. The close ties of | | | | money on a regular basis rather than betting the house |
| promoters to sanctioning bodies also results in official | | | | on one night of the year. |
| rules being broken on a whim, such as Roy Jones Jr. | | | | MMA and the UFC owe a lot to boxing; it carved a |
| having his WBC title reinstated after | | | | place for combat sports in modern society through ups |
| retiring. Furthermore, there's no instant replay or | | | | and downs. But the most valuable thing boxing has |
| overturned decisions except for a failed drug test. | | | | done is made decades of mistakes for new |
| MMA, by way of the UFC, shares much of this flawed | | | | promotions and commissions to learn from. Probably |
| promotional structure, however, it is still in far better | | | | the only scandal that won't eventually hit MMA is |
| shape. An importance difference is having only 4 | | | | steroids, ala Baseball. However, MMA, by way of the |
| weight classes. That gives champs greater recognition | | | | UFC, has both important differences in promotion and |
| as well as cramming each weight division full of | | | | style and the advantage of starting second, which |
| contenders—thereby title fights are both more | | | | provide a solid base to remain a legitimate, respectable |
| important and (potentially) more exciting. Another | | | | sport in the future. |
| advantage is the greater variety of styles. An | | | | |