Rough Roads for UFC International Expansion

The UFC is conquering the globe much like a 12 year old playing Risk right? Not exactly. There are several challenges in the way of Zuffa domination and no, the Ukraine is not weak.

First up is the question of Germany. The UFC is prepared to head back to the Eurozone's largest economy for the second time, except this time with no television deal:

After drawing a meager crowd of just 12,854 for their German debut at UFC 99 in Cologne (in an arena that seats from 18,500-20,000 depending on the setup) the event was subsequently lambasted in the German media. A crusading politician named Norbert Schneider sought to get the sport banned on German television. With allies in the boxing and professional wrestling communities, he succeeded.  Despite an 11 PM timeslot, the sport was deemed unfit for public consumption. DSF was forced to pull all UFC programming after the Bavarian state office for new media used a "human dignity" law to justify overruling the ratings board who decided MMA was in good company with porn ads and other late night fare.

Porn ads? Hey, in Columbus we get strip club ads on WEC Versus cards so that sounds about right (WOOO! human cockfighting and boobs -- BOOBS!). UFC 121 is currently rumored to be on deck for November in Germany.

It's not just the Germans, even in Canada, the country that Dana White called the "Mecca of MMA", there are issues.

Mike Russell of Cagepotato describes what the UFC has gone through to put an event on in Vancouver:

According to Vancouver Athletic Commission chair Mirko Mladenovic, the event has been close to being cancelled several times due to the city's stringent insurance demands of the UFC. Mladenovic told the Vancouver Sun's Candace Mackinnon that the "astronomical" and "substantial" amount of insurance the city requires will likely deter not only the UFC from coming back to Vancouver during the two-year trial sanctioning  period, but he also doubts any other promotions will want to deal with the "ongoing nightmare" Zuffa and the VAC has had to go through in organizing the event.

"They've tried so many times to kill this event in so many ways," Mladenovic said.

Several sources peg the the amount of insurance the city required the UFC to obtain at close to $12 Million CDN, although the city would not substantiate the figure.

Russell goes on to describe a "heated" meeting between local council members and Zuffa representatives that almost derailed the event and that UFC 115 might not make any money.  Whatever the financial ripples are one thing is for sure, unless the UFC has provincial or federal sanctioning they aren't going back to Vancouver.

If the UFC is having issues heading into a country with a rabid fanbase then what does that say about their other international ambitions, say China? Jonathan Snowden's describes the hurdles that communist China presents but WKR is afraid of their army of drummers so we will leave that reading up to you.  

All of this is not to be critical or say that the "UFC is doing too much" and "Oh, won't someone please think of the children". That's dumb opinion rhetoric rather than pointing out the immense challenges of creating a new sports/entertainment market in different countries, with vastly different cultures and political/economic structures.

It's hard work. Luckily they have a Sheik helping them...