Ali Akbar Rosady
The mixed martial arts (MMA) landscape is experiencing a significant shift, marked by the recent viewership success of MVP MMA’s debut on Netflix and the highly anticipated return of veteran promoter Scott Coker. UFC commentator and popular podcaster Joe Rogan has weighed in on these developments, expressing enthusiasm for the sport’s growth while also highlighting the inherent challenges of launching and sustaining a major MMA organization.
MVP MMA, co-founded by boxer and internet personality Jake Paul, garnered an impressive 17 million viewers for its inaugural event on Netflix earlier this month. This substantial viewership figure underscores the growing appeal of combat sports on global streaming platforms and signifies a potentially lucrative new avenue for MMA content delivery. Rogan, speaking on his podcast, described the numbers as "huge" and beneficial for the sport as a whole, emphasizing the positive impact on athletes and the broader MMA ecosystem. "It’s all good for everybody. It’s good for the sport. It’s great for the sport. It’s like, that’s what we need. We need more competition, more eyeballs on it," Rogan stated.
The discussion, which featured veteran MMA referee "Big" John McCarthy and retired fighter Josh Thomson as guests, also turned to the imminent return of Scott Coker. Coker, a highly respected figure in MMA, previously helmed both Strikeforce and Bellator MMA, cultivating a reputation for developing talent and delivering compelling events. His recent announcement confirmed his return to the promotional sphere with a new venture backed by a reported $60 million in financial investment.
While Rogan expressed personal admiration for Coker, he tempered his well-wishes with a dose of realism regarding the financial and logistical hurdles involved in establishing a new MMA promotion. "I like Scott a lot, but good luck," Rogan remarked, elaborating on the substantial costs. "When I saw it was only $60 million I was like, that sounds like a lot of money until you think about putting on an MMA promotion and then getting television production, and then you know paying fighters, and then securing venues, and then having staff full time." He acknowledged the potential strength of Coker’s team, noting the involvement of skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, adding, "Maybe, you know? You got Tony Hawk with you. Maybe."
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Rogan reiterated his support for increased competition within MMA, believing it ultimately benefits fighters through better pay and more opportunities, and fans through a wider variety of content. "I’m rooting for him. I think he did great when he was running Glory as well as when he was running Bellator back in the day. He’s a really nice guy. I think it’s great for everybody if there’s more competition. I think this whole MVP thing and the Netflix thing is great. It stirred a bunch of cash into the organization, a bunch of people got more money than they would ever gotten anywhere else. Awesome. More options the better. I just, you know, I hope he could do it. It’s f*cking hard."
The conversation also delved into the varying levels of fan engagement across different sports and promotions. Rogan used the analogy of alternative football leagues to illustrate his point. "Name a good XFL game that you watched," he challenged, implying that while such leagues might feature talented athletes, they often struggle to capture widespread public interest on par with established entities. This highlighted the importance of brand recognition and consistent fan investment, a factor that McCarthy later expanded upon concerning the UFC.
McCarthy emphasized the UFC’s distinct advantage, built over decades, in cultivating a globally recognized brand. He noted that many casual viewers will tune into a UFC event simply because of the brand name, even if they are unfamiliar with the specific fighters on the card. "People now, a lot of them don’t even know the fighters that are on the card but they’ll turn it on when it says UFC because they believe in the product," McCarthy explained. "And that’s what you’re supposed to do as the company and for marketing."
However, McCarthy also identified a current challenge for the UFC: the difficulty in consistently creating and marketing new superstar fighters on the same scale as in earlier eras. With the UFC’s current model of frequent events, often featuring less-established names on "Fight Night" cards, the opportunity to build individual fighter brands can be diluted. "The one problem I do think that they have right now is they’re unable to market people like they did when you know you and I were early in it and stuff. They now are in a position every week so it’s tough to market the guys who are not well known," McCarthy observed.
The UFC’s business model has evolved, notably with its seven-year streaming deal with Paramount+, which has shifted some content delivery away from the traditional pay-per-view (PPV) system. This move aims to make content more accessible to fans. However, Rogan pointed out that even with increased accessibility, casual fans may not be aware of or consistently consume every event. "A lot of times the casuals have no idea there’s even a Fight Night," Rogan stated, contrasting this with hardcore fans who view the frequent events as "constant food."
McCarthy further elaborated on the crucial role of casual fans in driving major viewership numbers, distinguishing them from the loyal hardcore base. "When you look at it, it’s the hardcore fan that the UFC has but the casual ones the one that puts it over," he said. He cited Ronda Rousey as a prime example of a fighter who successfully transcended the hardcore audience to capture the attention of casual viewers, generating significant mainstream interest through her compelling persona and dominant performances. "And it’s hard to get people to understand you need to get the casuals, the ones that don’t watch fights all the time, and that’s the one thing I’ll give Ronda Rousey. I thought she did an amazing job of talking and putting things out there the way she did. She got people’s attention. She did what was her job."
Looking ahead, the UFC’s upcoming schedule includes events at the Meta APEX facility, a significant show at the White House, another return to the APEX, and an event in Azerbaijan, before culminating in a highly anticipated return to the T-Mobile Arena featuring Conor McGregor versus Max Holloway. This bout marks McGregor’s first MMA fight in five years and his first non-PPV appearance since his UFC Boston victory over Dennis Siver in 2015.
The potential viewership for the McGregor vs. Holloway fight is a key point of interest, especially in the context of MVP MMA’s Netflix success. While Netflix boasts a global subscriber base four times larger than Paramount+, McGregor’s enduring star power and unique ability to attract casual viewers could significantly push UFC 329’s numbers closer to the 17 million recorded by MVP MMA 1 on Netflix.
Rogan concluded by reiterating the immense value of McGregor’s return to the sport, particularly for attracting the broader audience essential for massive viewership. "17 million people are watching [MVP MMA]. That’s huge. That’s huge," Rogan emphasized. "It’s all good for everybody. It’s good for the sport. It’s great for the sport. It’s like, that’s what we need. We need more competition, more eyeballs on it. And unfortunately for the people that are casuals, it has to be a name. This Conor McGregor fight in July is gonna be f*cking bananas. It’s gonna be bananas. People are gonna go crazy for the return of Conor McGregor because he’s a giant personality." The confluence of new promotional ventures, evolving media landscapes, and the enduring power of superstar athletes is poised to shape the future trajectory of mixed martial arts.
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