UFC Expansion to Brazil? It's Carnival!

Usually the rumors of imminent UFC expansion surround the Philippines or other European countries. Yet there has never been a rumor that the UFC is preparing to expand south of the equator. It is not like the UFC doesn't have an impressive cadre of Brazilian talent that could be displayed. Let's examine the Brazilian roster: Wanderlei Silva, Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida, Mauricio Rua, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Thales Leites, Demian Maia, Thiago Silva, and the list goes on and on. Compare that to the average fights in the U.K. featuring nationals such as Terry Etim, Michael Bisping, Paul Taylor and Dan Hardy.

Brazil appears ripe for UFC expansion. The country contains a strong martial arts tradition making it easy to surmise that there would be a strong following for MMA. Rio de Janeiro is a large metropolis with a population over ten million, and home to one of the seven wonders of the world. There is also the added benefit of being in the same time zone as the east coast. An event in Brazil would not have to be shown via tape-delay on Spike. A Brazilian mega-fight would still be able to generate North American PPV revenue. Could you imagine Demian Maia vs. Anderson Silva in Brazil, or how about Yushin Okami vs. Silva in the prototypical hometown kid getting revenge over the out-of-towner.

The real issue preventing the UFC from expanding to Brazil is most likely currency. The British Pound and European Euro are worth more than the U.S. dollar. This has allowed the UFC to put on a relatively cheap shows for the Euro market and generate significant revenue in U.S. currency. The Brazilian Real is worth approximately half of the U.S. dollar preventing the U.K. business model from being replicated. But there may be hope on the horizon. Brazil's economy was one of the hottest before the current global recession, and news out of the country is currently optimistic about Brazil's future status post recession. The country could emerge as a South American economic powerhouse. A prudent place to begin early expansion efforts.

Despite currency issues, Brazil could be the next expansion for the UFC and the new television deal is an early indicator. The UFC would have to alter their PR campaign though. I don't think that blood-spatter animations, and skeleton impact shots might not be the best way to sell a fight in the home of Carnival.