Roster Size and Card Space the Roadblock to Single Zuffa Promotion
by Zak Woods on Apr 30, 2010 2:59 PM EDT
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Print"Why can't Zuffa simply fold the WEC into the UFC?"
That question has been answered numerous times (and the numerous rumors of an impending merger have been shot down as well).
Jonathan Snowden reminds everyone (again) why Zuffa won't simply absorb the smaller promotion on this week's episode of Cage Cast and expands on his statements at Bloodyelbow:
Split between the five weight classes they promote (Heavyweight, Light Heavyweight, Middleweight, Welterweight, and Lightweight) that is approximately 40 fighters in each division. That gives matchmaker Joe Silva 20 fights in any given period he can make and the ability to ensure that the most promising fighters in the class fight under the UFC banner.
If the UFC added the bantamweight and featherweight classes, giving them more potential title fights and some additional exciting matchups, each division they promote would be forced to take a hit. Instead of 40 fighters in each weight class, the UFC would be stuck with just 28. The number of potential matchups would be limited, the chance potential stars would slip through the cracks would be greater, and the opportunity for a handful of injuries to demolish fight cards would increase astronomically. Something would have to give.
Basically, the UFC doesn't have enough card space on pay-per view or cable for seven divisions. WKR strongly encourages everyone to go read the whole piece to better understand those inherent constraints.
Yet, the benefits of having two more top-tier champions in the UFC is a mouth-watering prospect. Where does the UFC find the added room to expand the divisions?
The obvious answer is network television. Too bad the UFC President said they aren't interested in a network deal right now.
But another outlet would add the necessary card space in order to make an annexation possible. The infusion of new champions could bolster either the pay-per view cards or the network cards, which will need star power to draw (sorry, but a card headlined by Maynard vs. Diaz isn't going to beat Henderson vs. Shields on network).
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The last three years the UFC has run an average of 20 shows per year with an average of 6 shows aired on Spike.
20 shows each year
10 fights each card
200 fights total each year
400 fighters filling each individual fight
Each division in the UFC has roughly 32 legitimately “relevant” guys in each division. It seemed HW had a little less than that and I would assume the WEC’s light weight classes would have the same scenario. So it drags the average down to roughly 24 guys for each division, a total of 168 across 7 divisions.
If Zuffa did 2 additional cards for a total of 22 each year and 12 fights for each card that would leave 528 individual slots for fighters to be put in to. If you divide 528 by the 168 total fighters, each fighter would get an average of 3 fight per year.
This is obviously a very crude estimate, but I was hoping to show that it could be done if they chose to.
That of course would ignore injuries and the money it would cost them to add all of that payroll and fighters.
by Nightwhistler on May 1, 2010 1:16 AM EDT up reply actions
My only comment is that it seems that Snowden’s math presumes the UFC is already at capacity in terms of the number of events they can reasonably pull off, which I don’t think is true. They still sometimes go several weeks between events.
by agentsmith on May 1, 2010 8:27 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
I don’t think doing 7 “untelevised” undercard matches along with the typical 5 main card fights is entirely unreasonable. WEC 47 had 11 total fights and the live show felt like a marathon. But there was far too much down time, along with bad rap/rock mashups, between fights. Better pacing would have solved that issue.
Plus, what ever happend to the “swing” bout the UFC used to regularly utilize? Personally, I would scheudule the 5 main card fights, 5 undercard fights, and 2 swing bouts. Zuffa could use TV time outside of the “of the night” bonus money as incentive for guys to push the pace. If the 5 undercard fights end early, then 1 or 2 of the swing bouts would be aired prior to the live PPV.
Finally, this would allow the UFC to offer more stacked cards like UFC 92 with triple headling fights or god forbid a PPV with 5 amazing fights and not 1 or 2 good fights and bullshit filler.
Trust me, there are people at Zuffa that are intelligent enough to make this happen without comprimising any relationships with broadcasters or contracted fighters.
I fail to see why this is a logistical problem for Zuffa.
Correct me if I am wrong. But, Zuffa ownes WEC and UFC. Zuffa allows WEC to hold a seperate promotion. Zuffa operate UFC. So, why couldn’t Zuffa, invite Reed Harris and his staff to Zuffa? Then allow Reed Harris to make the matchups for 135-155 lbs? Allow Reed, Joe Silva and Dana to design the fight cards accordingly. Zuffa already have these fighters under contract, they already have events with these fighters booked, they already have the additional staff in place to facilitate this transition. It seems like a no-brainer in some respects. Just do away with the WEC brand and call it all UFC. They wouldnt have to add any additional fighters, they would just rename the product UFC. I really believe VS would go bat shit over having more UFC fights. I don’t understand the problem.
If Russia attacked Turkey from the rear, Do you think Greece would help?
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