Why Does the UFC Keep Such a Big Roster?

[Wardum]

It's always puzzled me why the UFC keeps such a big roster. (~600?)

Why doesn't the UFC just cut it down to say ~300 and only keep the elite / high potential fighters.

Then the UFC can just make more stacked cards and that profit can get redistributed.

Fans get more exciting cards and fighters can get paid more as there are less mouths to feed.

 

[Ares Black]

The ESPN deal stipulates a certain number of events a year.

 

[Bork Neslar]

Big > small.

 

[AmonTobin]

If you have the money, better to collect all the juiciest oysters and hope for as many pearls as possible.

 

[gentel]

Need more fighters in order to have fight cards on most weekends, and also it provides a greater frame of reference for legitimacy when there's a whole pool of unranked fighters outside the top 15 fighting to get a ranking

 

[Davidjacksonjones]

If they cut all the bums, the worst of the elite bunch become the new bums as standards go higher and the cycle repeats itself

 

[ipowerslapmywife]

UFC wants the cheapest fighters in the world not the best fighters

 

[EndlessCritic]

Why doesn't the UFC just cut it down to say ~300 and only keep the elite / high potential fighters.

Because the UFC is not omniscient.

I know this is hard for people to understand, but the UFC doesn't actually know in advance who the best fighters are. The only way to find out is to have them fight each other.

How is the UFC supposed to know who the top 30 fighters are that they are supposed to sign?

Should every fighter who loses their first two UFC fights be automatically cut? If that's the case, guys like Rountree, Merab and RDA would have been gone.

 

[Neck&Neck]

You know what they say about a guy with a big roster…

 

[HHJ]

The ESPN deal stipulates a certain number of events a year.

/thread

 

[Ares Black]

Big > small.

 

[Megatronlee]

Always a dummy in here with a stupid brain

It's always puzzled me why the UFC keeps such a big roster. (~600?)

Why doesn't the UFC just cut it down to say ~300 and only keep the elite / high potential fighters.

Then the UFC can just make more stacked cards and that profit can get redistributed.

Fans get more exciting cards and fighters can get paid more as there are less mouths to feed

 

[El Fernas]

Number of cards per year, also they have to agree to fight, its not like its mandatory, specially at the mid-elite level.

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

They get a flat rate from ESPN per event regardless of who's on it. So why not have 75%+ of your events be cheap garbage to pocket the excess?

 

[Luthien]

Anybody else that misses the Zuffa era?

 

[Skarsgard]

Anybody else that misses the Zuffa era?

I miss the Fertittas keeping Dana in check and more merit-based rewards, but I'll always take a weekend with fights over a weekend without them.

 

[JonnyBonesPharmacist]

big rooster > Big roster

 

[DC23]

Less cards. More hassle matchmaking. Less business. Less money. Less audience. Etc etc.

 

[Darkavius]

I miss the Fertittas keeping Dana in check and more merit-based rewards, but I'll always take a weekend with fights over a weekend without them.

This only applies in the spring and summer to me. In the fall and winter between football, basketball and wrasslin there's no need for a card every weekend.

But to answer the question how else can the UFC keep their monopoly competitive advantage without having so many fighters on the roster?

 

[Skarsgard]

This only applies in the spring and summer to me. In the fall and winter between football, basketball and wrasslin there's no need for a card every weekend.

But to answer the question how else can the UFC keep their monopoly competitive advantage without having so many fighters on the roster?

I watch MMA and Soccer, so I have a lot of time for fights.