Quote:
Originally Posted by Diegonightmare  Source: Five Ounces of Pain | Don King thinks the UFC is in decline
Hehehe. I think King's upset that not only is his sport going the way of the dinosaur among the hearts of young fans, but it's the antics of himself and people like him that are as much to blame for its extinction as anything else. |
How do you figure? Boxing has had its its most profitable year in terms of PPV last year and that isn't all due to "old timers". I am Latino and i know for a fact that boxing isn't dead in the hearts of the younger generation. Most of my Latino friends would be able to tell you the winner of the last big boxing match and then ask you if Tito Ortiz is the champ.
THIS IS NOT A BOXING V. MMA, which one is better, post.
Boxing is an established sport as as such will ALWAYS have a fan base. Right now it consists of a mixture of ages and people. The age factor is what i believe is important, for this guarantees the passing of boxing as a tradition. MMA does not have that luxury, this agree anything else i say but i think we can all agree that MOST of the current and new MMA fans are a certain demographic 18-35 year old males. And as much as this group like violence we also know they are fickle and many new comers are here for a fad not a sport.
Also I am going to go on a limb here and touch on something people might disagree with. Not only is the current average fan young males but also white. Now i dont have hard evidence to back up my claims only what i have personally seen and experienced. I live in a predominantly Hispanic area, though when i go to the local bar to see the fights i would say close to 85 percent of people the are white. Now there is obviously no problem with anyone skin color but my point in that a big part of fight fans in the US consist of black and hispanic people, yet this market remains untapped. As companies know now a days you have to have every one on board to be truly successful. A large portion of potential buyers can stay just that, potential buyers. Now i know that Dana has spoken about getting the UFC into Mexico this year but as they are learning in the UK its not always a easy sell and i contend that it would be MUCH harder to sell in Mexico than almost anywhere else.
Mexico is mostly a two sport nation Soccer and Boxing. As we know first hand introducing a new sport into a country and trying to make it profitable is almost an exercise in futility. It would be like if they try to sell the average American a soccer league, a Major Soccer League if you will indulge me. Now i don't care what kinda marketing they would have most Americans would not only not watch it but actually resist the very notion. I see the same possibly happening in Mexico.
I feel that the ground game come natural to a lot of you, seeing many people went to high schools that had wrestling. Now i don't know the percentage but i don't know a single Hispanic person who went to a high school with wrestling much less was a wrestler. I think Mexico is the same way. I feel this would hamper the appreciation and learning of the ground game. Though it has a rich history of pro wrestling, i don't think a Mexican newcomer would return after one lay and pray match ( i actually experienced this after inviting a lot of new people to what turned out the be a P.O.S card, 5/5 never come over to see another again). You must also remember that this would be seen as a rival towards boxing and thus would meet resistance before a match is ever seen.
Also you have to remember the kind of fighters Mexican boxers are, tactical fighters that love to slug it out and push always forward. Most are very educated about striking. I contend that though there are great strikers in MMA most would not meet the Mexican expectation.
Also UFC will try to push Mexican fighters, But there is a problem with this, see Mexicans find it hard to cheer for Pochos (Mexican Americans), a lot of them hated DLH for a long time and it wasn't until the Mayorga fight that i saw the last resistance almost disappear. In short if they want this tactic to work well they have to find great Mexican born MMA fighters. There is one more thing but ill leave is out cause i know ill have long discussions over it.
The ufc needs giant fan base that will be there good times and bad, so it is guaranteed the time it needs to become a mainstay. I have no idea if they can penetrate the Black/Hispanic fight fans but i think its crucial to unsure this base. Boxing has the upper hand still and though i dont say this with a bit of pleasure being a MMA fan, i believe boxing will outlast MMA as a major sport, i believe most of the fans with in the next few years will not be life long fans. So no Boxing has a way to go before becoming extinct though its promoters seem intent to prove me wrong.
Oh almost forgot i think Don King is an idiot but I will have to pass on 80 and watch the Tito RJJ fight.
Don King sees the end of the UFC 
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