Scalpers Struggle to move UFC 115 Tickets

by Zak Woods on Jun 10, 2010 12:37 PM EDT in Rumors

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Michael David Smith passes along a report that scalpers are having a rough time moving tickets for UFC 115 and are cutting prices below face value. If you remember microeconomics 101 that means there is more supply than demand, which means we need to drill for more oil!!! Or something like that...

This comes on the heels of Cagepotato's report that putting on a UFC event in Vancouver is akin to pulling teeth with a toe nail clipper, while blindfolded and needing to save the Big 12 from collapse.

With the scalpers struggles (perhaps a leading indicator of a poor gate?) plus the cost of insuring the event (believed to be $12 million) and it looks like there is even more truth to the rumor that UFC 115 might lose money for Zuffa.

Scary, considering that Canada is suppose to be the "Mecca" of MMA.

SBN coverage of UFC 115: Liddell vs. Franklin

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Hey Zak, this is Candice Mackinnon and I wrote the Vancouver Sun piece that Cagepotato quoted. I just want to say a couple things. Firstly, UFC lawyers were at the city council meeting to vote on sanctioning MMA back in December at a time when holding an event in Vancouver was just an idea. They knew then that the insurance would be insanely high. Everyone knew. So let’s step slowly away from they idea that they are a victim of the city of Vancouver.

That being said, the city shouldn’t be asking for so much insurance. It’s ridiculous. But the reason they are dong so is because, unlike Montreal, we don’t have provincial sanctioning. So if there is a lawsuit, the city itself is liable, not the province.

Next, a lot of the Vancouverites who would have gladly paid full price for tickets simply will not buy from scalpers. The problem here is with the scalpers not the MMA fans of British Columbia. And anyway, Zuffa made their money on the scalpers. The scalpers struggling to unload doesn’t equal lost money for Zuffa.

BC is indeed a mecca for MMA. We haven’t had pro MMA here in almost 4 years yet gyms keep opening, people keep paying good money to watch amateurs fight, and of course there is our crazy high UFC ppv buy rate.

by Emma May on Jun 10, 2010 1:11 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

I have travelled to LV for a number of fights as have friends of mine. I joined the fight club membership to get my code and purchased 5 tkts for myself and friends…not with any ease I might add. The handling of the tkt sales to be honest a bit of a joke and allowed a great portion of tkts to get into the wrong hands (scalpers).
…Zuffa makes the full tkt no matter what. The fans are not sure what to do…as you risk the tkts being fake or cancelled. Vancouver has an amazing mma fan base and it will be a shame if the event is not full to the brim with true fans.

by Brummer on Jun 10, 2010 3:14 PM EDT reply actions

or...

maybe it has to do with the fact that the card is extremely weak. the main event should not be one, and the rest of the card has interesting fighters in meaningless fights. i know a lot of people in van that are extremely into MMA and NO ONE is talking about this card. this card is full of washed up fighters that used to be bigger draws then they are now.

by katch-22 on Jun 10, 2010 4:42 PM EDT reply actions