Dana White's Prediction that MMA, UFC Will Be Bigger Than NFL Football is a Fantasy

Dana White told the Las Vegas Sun this week that by 2020 the UFC will be the biggest sport in the world. That’s just White’s fantasy.  I will stay away from the fact that the UFC is not a sport, but rather a promotion involved in the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). Instead, I will focus on MMA and why there is no way that the UFC or any other promoter will ever have the mass appeal that football does as promoted by the NFL or that soccer does around the world.

Mixed martial arts is sport that has taken off the last few years. The pay per view numbers of the UFC back up that fact. Many believe that this fact is evidence of the impending takeover that MMA will have on the world of sports. This is where I disagree. Let me start by saying that as the host and founder of MMA Gospel Radio and a writer for Fighters.com, it is obvious that I love this sport. I have been watching it since it began and can’t seem to get enough of it even when it seems we are having shows once a week. This does not mean that I have to believe that it will one day become the biggest sport in the world. I believe that anyone that truly thinks this is quite naive.

First and foremost is that we are talking about a combat sport. Combat sports by nature are violent and, contrary to popular belief, violence does not have a mass appeal. I am one that will stop if I see a fight on the street corner as I am coming home from work, but many will just keep on driving by the fight.

In today’s world, we see pacifists becoming more and more prevalent. This is not a bad thing as it will go a long way in helping to curtail violence we see being shed on a worldwide level. However it does effect mixed martial arts. One who has a disdain for violence will be less likely to watch a mixed martial arts fight over an NFL game. Football has an element of violence embedded in it, and this I will not debate.  But, the sport itself does not revolve around violence like combat sports. I can see the argument being made that submissions are not violent or that there is a very technical aspect to our sport. I agree with those opinions, but feel that, on a world wide basis and given the religious views of many throughout the world, plenty of people would be turned off by seeing something like we saw when Fighters.com and UFC lightweight champion “Prodigy” BJ Penn (12-4-1) made a bloody mess of “Daddy” Joe Stevenson (29-8) at UFC 80.

While many countries have some sort of combat sport that is popular, few mix the different disciplines like mixed martial arts does. I am hard pressed to think of another combat sport that you see the cuts and the amount of blood we see in MMA. While to some this is what draws them to the sport, this is also a negative for many and thus they will never watch.

Another reason I believe mma can never become bigger than NFL football or soccer is the attachment to local teams. The NFL has 32 football teams spread out across the country. These teams start gathering fans from their birth. I can attest to this as I am a Cincinnati Bengals fan and have been since I can remember. The teams polarize a region such as when we see the Bengals and Browns play in the “Battle of Ohio” or when the New York Jets play the New York Giants. Most pick a team early in life based on their geographical location and that is their team for life, even if they have had 20 years of awful football like my Bengals.  The same holds true for soccer on an international level.

Mixed martial arts does not have anything specific to regions other than individual fighters. While many do cheer for fighters that are local to them, it is not something that can be done all the time. The fighters have highs and lows and some never quite make it to the top tier of the sport fighting in the UFC or other promotions.

It has been said that the NFL does not have mass appeal when you look at places such as Japan, China, Russia, etc. That is a very true statement and one that is not easily dismissed.

Soccer is the largest sport in the world as it is loved everywhere. It has put entire countries against one another and that is what makes it so appealing. If I was a fan of Brazilian soccer I would automatically have something in common with the rest of that country. Instant camaraderie like that is a key component to being the top sport in the world and mma will never have that.

We have fight camps located all over the world and one could argue that you could always root for a camp local to you but that is difficult to do as you may not like a certain fighter in that camp. Mixed martial arts is a one on one sport and thus personalities play a big role on who we cheer for when they step inside the cage.

I would love to see MMA become the top sport in the world, but due to religious views on violence, the potential for massive blood flow, and the lack of any real country-by-country international appeal leads me to believe that MMA will become the top niche sport in the world, but will never be able to come close to soccer or NFL football.

Do you feel I am missing something? You can always join me on MMA Gospel Radio on Wednesdays from 8-10 PM EST by heading to www.blogtalkradio.com/mmagospel and joining the live chat. You can also call into the show by dialing 347-857-1337. If that is to much for you then feel free to email me at turk@fighters.com