Is UFC in danger of what PGA is going through?

[OrigFan255]

For those that haven’t followed it. PGA is basically identical to UFC. Contractors that must adhere to certain set rules…Some players brought their gripes about how too little profit was going to the talent (Phil Mickelson mainly). He was brushed off in prior years.
Fast forward, Saudi Arabia is supposedly trying to improve world image through sports washing. So government funding was used to lure in the talent and it worked UNTIL, PGA acknowledged the repercussions of doing nothing.
The PGA offered tournaments with incentives that almost match the competition.
The talent purge stopped and the players are happier for the future.
So one has to wonder, could Saudi Arabia do the same to MMA?
I assume Saudi Arabia is involved in MMA. Abu Dhabi Championship is next door.

 

[koquerelle]

Nope. Orgs have been trying to get at the UFC for a very long time.

 

[Cowboy Kurt Angle]

UFC is dying bro

 

[Darkgsp]

Well i see the point you're trying a highlight but the saudi dudes would legit need to steal all the top talent like they did in golf for anyhope of having better organisation than the UFC.

 

[BigSexy444]

They could buy Bellator and just start outbidding UFC for the top guys as they come available. Don't think Bellator has the TV reach that Saudis want though.

 

[TankAbbott4Eva]

For those that haven’t followed it. PGA is basically identical to UFC. Contractors that must adhere to certain set rules…Some players brought their gripes about how too little profit was going to the talent (Phil Mickelson mainly). He was brushed off in prior years.
Fast forward, Saudi Arabia is supposedly trying to improve world image through sports washing. So government funding was used to lure in the talent and it worked UNTIL, PGA acknowledged the repercussions of doing nothing.
The PGA offered tournaments with incentives that almost match the competition.
The talent purge stopped and the players are happier for the future.
So one has to wonder, could Saudi Arabia do the same to MMA?
I assume Saudi Arabia is involved in MMA. Abu Dhabi Championship is next door.

I've been thinking about this and I think it's possible, particularly given they have a shitload of money and an interest in MMA like you say. I'd say they need to acquire the UFC though, I think those onerous contracts UFC fighters have would be a problem to this happening.

This happened in cricket in the 70s, a rich Aussie started his own league basically with the great players around the world, they unified 2 years later which will most likely happen with golf I'd think eventually.

 

[brackis1]

It's much harder to achieve in a sport that is so subjective and focusing on selling marketing hype to retards.
In golf everyone plays the same course.

 

[Lee_]

No such thing will happen with the UFC. They have no ethical concerns about Saudia Arabia or anything else, they are just in it for $$$. No amount of pressure around ethical issues will change the UFC's pay.

Saudia Arabia also likely wouldn't pay that kind of money on any kind of consistent basis; golf is more popular than the UFC.

 

[capnlarge]

Well, for one, MMA is a very unforgiving sport on its veterans, so it's difficult for a "Phil Mickelson" to exist

 

[LoneLynx]

Very much so, the UFCs competitor are mostly low budget bush leagues, one new league backed by Saudi money would easily poach half of the roster and a good chunk of the viewers

 

[Like a fiddle]

Well i see the point you're trying a highlight but the saudi dudes would legit need to steal all the top talent like they did in golf for anyhope of having better organisation than the UFC.

In theory, it would be much easier for them to steal the UFC's talent, at least once their contracts run out. There's no prestige in the UFC compared to the PGA, and fighters go where the money is regardless. The Saudis would have an easy time outpaying the peanuts the UFC gives their fighters.

 

[dog y]

This zellhuber dude is huge for 155. Uber indeed

 

[Darkgsp]

In theory, it would be much easier for them to steal the UFC's talent, at least once their contracts run out. There's no prestige in the UFC compared to the PGA, and fighters go where the money is regardless. The Saudis would have an easy time outpaying the peanuts the UFC gives their fighters.

This is very true if the Saudi dudes did want to go throught with this hypothetical scenario.

 

[Lee_]

In theory, it would be much easier for them to steal the UFC's talent, at least once their contracts run out. There's no prestige in the UFC compared to the PGA, and fighters go where the money is regardless. The Saudis would have an easy time outpaying the peanuts the UFC gives their fighters.

Yeah, I don't think there is any doubt that they could, the question is if they would. Everyone in the world knows Mickelson and Tiger, not everyone knows UFC fighters. Even Conor isn't in the same league as those guys. I don't think the Saudis would waste their time and money on buying up UFC fighters; it would be a different ballgame entirely than paying the golf players.

 

[Maori]

Been wanting to make a thread about this for awhile.

Yes, the middle east is the UFCs biggest threat. One reason why the UFC has invested so heavily in Abu Dhabi.

 

[MMA]

3 problems:

-Longevity-
Golfers last decades. Fighters last like 7 years.

-Desire to excel after earning "set for life" style money-
You can pay Phil Mickelson 100 mil and even at his age make a case for it -- you pay fighters 100 mil? They are not gonna train or care. If I had a billion-jillion dollars, I would still love golf. Getting hit in the face?? Not so much!

finally,
-way way way more money in golf and the demographic is way more valuable for advertisers-

***Could*** Saudi do it in MMA? Yes. Is it worth it? NO in light of those 3 major factors

 

[Darkgsp]

Yeah, I don't think there is any doubt that they could, the question is if they would. Everyone in the world knows Mickelson and Tiger, not everyone knows UFC fighters. Even Conor isn't in the same league as those guys. I don't think the Saudis would waste their time and money on buying up UFC fighters; it would be a different ballgame entirely than paying the golf players.

Rumor they are trying to set up heavyweight boxing tournament with guys like Fury AJ Usyk

 

[You Will Vote For Dreyga]

For those that haven’t followed it. PGA is basically identical to UFC. Contractors that must adhere to certain set rules…Some players brought their gripes about how too little profit was going to the talent (Phil Mickelson mainly). He was brushed off in prior years.
Fast forward, Saudi Arabia is supposedly trying to improve world image through sports washing. So government funding was used to lure in the talent and it worked UNTIL, PGA acknowledged the repercussions of doing nothing.
The PGA offered tournaments with incentives that almost match the competition.
The talent purge stopped and the players are happier for the future.
So one has to wonder, could Saudi Arabia do the same to MMA?
I assume Saudi Arabia is involved in MMA. Abu Dhabi Championship is next door.

No because the UFC has already worked out a several major deals with the Saudi Arabian government

Hence the stacked Fight Island cards that have guaranteed two titles fights and all how they bring all their Muslim champions there to headline

Don’t be surprised if Dana announces that the UFC is building a Performance Institute down there soon

The Saudis have no reason to try to compete with the UFC while that deal remains

 

[brackis1]

Been wanting to make a thread about this for awhile.

Yes, the middle east is the UFCs biggest threat. One reason why the UFC has invested so heavily in Abu Dhabi.

No; they didn't invest heavily in the middle east.
Abu Dhabi is literally doing the opposite: investing in them.
Abu Dhabi paid an enormous sum of money, over 100 mil in cash and production expenses, to use the UFC as a marketing trojan horse for their shady country using oil money.

 

[lepsahekim]

This is ridiculous,Saudi’s are trying to improve their countries image, not worsen it. They want prestigious highly popular sports to distract from the opressive heavy handed government. How is owning an MMA org and paying for foghters going to help with that?