Postal Connections: No Exact Change
Public discourse this week was dominated the
Ultimate Fighting Championship sale story and the company’s
insistent claims that nothing has been consummated. Either way, it
sure seems like the world’s premier MMA promotion is in for some
big changes, and Sherdog.com readers want to know what to expect.
The only problem: No one has a clear idea of what the alleged new
owners’ plans look like. I’ll take a stab at some of those
questions and more in the latest installment of the Postal
Connections mailbag. Without further ado, away we go:
***
I’m sitting here reading all these reports that the UFC has sold for over $4 billion, and I’m wondering who in their right mind would pay that much for a company that runs a fringe sport. I’m happy for the UFC, but I don’t think the new owners are going to be happy about this buy in a few years. What do you think? -- Dan
There are still a lot of unknowns about this potential deal. While
it sounds like we should get some of the blanks filled in around
the week of UFC 200, it’s hard not to speculate on what this deal
could mean for the organization, its fighters, employees and fans.
We’ve heard a lot of conjecture, but until we get a more
crystalized idea of how things are going to work, we’re all just
guessing.
Not that it will stop me for proffering my own theory about how this will all play out. Let’s assume the UFC has been sold for upwards of $4 billion -- something I’m pretty sure will be announced soon. I expect it to be business as usual for the foreseeable future for most sections of the organization. It sounds like Dana White will stay on as UFC president, and we know the fighters aren’t going anywhere. That leaves the behind-the-scenes players as the most likely to get caught up in any kind of corporate restructuring. I know it isn’t a sexy story, but think about it. If you’re buying something for $4 billion there has to be a lot you like about it.
That cyclical nature and heavy dependence on UFC superstars creates a boom-bust potential that might be undesirable for some investors. Obviously, the groups reportedly involved in this potential sale see more boom than bust. Only time will tell if this is a good investment, but if they can expand into China, seemingly a big reason for the acquisition, the possible revenue increases might make this look like a bargain down the road.
***
Would the UFC be better off without Dana White? If the sale is really happening, do you think the company should get rid of him and replace him with someone else? Who do you think would be a good replacement for him? -- Paul
This is a question that has been asked for a long time, from all the way back when the company was struggling to get a foothold to present day. I know White is a popular target -- and rightly so, in some cases -- but he has played a unique roll in this young sport. He’s part carnival barker, part advocate and part shameless hype man for a company that put MMA on the mainstream map.
White has worked tirelessly for years to help build this sport into the promotional powerhouse it is today, and it seems he will be handsomely rewarded for it. With that said, I still wonder what the UFC would look like with someone at the helm who doesn’t think it’s all right to drop the odd “C U Next Tuesday” on a female reporter or blast his own fighters and media for not bending to his every whim. I’m not sure it would have worked as the sport was ascending, but I’m pretty sure it would be at least as successful in present-day UFC land.
Alas, the reports indicate we’ll be seeing more of the man who has run things with an iron fist for 15-plus years. How much longer he stays around is a mystery.
I do have to wonder how he will handle not having good friend and cohort Lorenzo Fertitta there to back him up whenever he goes off the reservation. As I’ve said a million times before, there is no way White is still employed if he worked for any other major sports league. For better or for worse, the Fertittas have had his back, and if you believe the recent reports, they had over four billion reasons for doing so.
***
Do earlier weigh-in times encourage more drastic weight cutting? -- @HowardMorton
This is a really interesting question to me because I’ve heard all the positive reviews of the new California weigh-in procedures from both fighters and promoters, but until recently, I’d not heard anyone take a negative stance. Frankie Edgar’s manager, Ali Abdel Aziz, stated this week that the earlier weigh-in times are allowing fighters to cut even more weight and that it has been a disadvantage to smaller competitors.
I get where he’s coming from, but I’m not really sure that it’s encouraging anyone to carry more weight. They still have to cut to the weight-division limit; the difference with the new regulations just allows them more time to recover. The fighters at UFC 199 were very happy with the process and I’d like to think the performances we saw at that event were, in part, due to the extra time they had to rehydrate.
We’re going to need a lot more than one event to piece together an accurate appraisal of how the new regulations are affecting the athletes and their ability to perform. Right now, the reviews for those who have gone through the new setup have been overwhelmingly positive.
***
I read your story on Georges St. Pierre coming back to the UFC and wondered why you don’t want him to return. If you think he’s the greatest fighter, don’t you want to see him compete again before it’s too late? -- Dave
As I said in the column, it’s not that I don’t want to see St. Pierre compete; I just don’t want to see him compete at a level at which we’re not accustomed to seeing him fight. Almost three years off is a long time, especially when you're in your mid-30s. In my eyes, he’s the Greatest of All-Time, and even if he s---- the bed in his return, it would not diminish his previous accomplishments in my eyes.
Still, I have to ask: Why risk it? I get that not being able to scratch that competitive itch can be extremely difficult for some athletes, but for a guy who was so concerned with not putting himself in danger for long-term health issues, I don’t get the desire to return after all this time. It isn’t like he needs the money or has some loss to avenge before riding off into the sunset. GSP won 25 of 27 fights, including his last 12, and avenged both losses. He’s viewed by just about every knowledgeable observer as one of the two best participants this young sport has ever seen.
For those reasons, I think it would be best to keep the gloves hung up, but far be it from me to tell a guy what he should or shouldn’t do. I don’t like it when most fighters get the you-should-retire treatment, so if GSP thinks it’s time to get after it again, I wish him the best and will certainly watch one of my favorite fighters of all-time.
Sherdog.com Executive Editor Greg Savage can be reached by email or Twitter @TheSavageTruth. If you would like to have your question or comment answered in the weekly Postal Connections mailbag, please submit them by Wednesday evening each week.
I’m sitting here reading all these reports that the UFC has sold for over $4 billion, and I’m wondering who in their right mind would pay that much for a company that runs a fringe sport. I’m happy for the UFC, but I don’t think the new owners are going to be happy about this buy in a few years. What do you think? -- Dan
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Not that it will stop me for proffering my own theory about how this will all play out. Let’s assume the UFC has been sold for upwards of $4 billion -- something I’m pretty sure will be announced soon. I expect it to be business as usual for the foreseeable future for most sections of the organization. It sounds like Dana White will stay on as UFC president, and we know the fighters aren’t going anywhere. That leaves the behind-the-scenes players as the most likely to get caught up in any kind of corporate restructuring. I know it isn’t a sexy story, but think about it. If you’re buying something for $4 billion there has to be a lot you like about it.
The scary part for a new owner, at least in my opinion, has to be
the volatility of the pay-per-view model that has made the UFC so
much money. It’s not like the company has ever really been hurting
since it turned the corner in 2005, but there have been some lean
years where the numbers were staggeringly lower than their good
ones.
That cyclical nature and heavy dependence on UFC superstars creates a boom-bust potential that might be undesirable for some investors. Obviously, the groups reportedly involved in this potential sale see more boom than bust. Only time will tell if this is a good investment, but if they can expand into China, seemingly a big reason for the acquisition, the possible revenue increases might make this look like a bargain down the road.
Would the UFC be better off without Dana White? If the sale is really happening, do you think the company should get rid of him and replace him with someone else? Who do you think would be a good replacement for him? -- Paul
This is a question that has been asked for a long time, from all the way back when the company was struggling to get a foothold to present day. I know White is a popular target -- and rightly so, in some cases -- but he has played a unique roll in this young sport. He’s part carnival barker, part advocate and part shameless hype man for a company that put MMA on the mainstream map.
White has worked tirelessly for years to help build this sport into the promotional powerhouse it is today, and it seems he will be handsomely rewarded for it. With that said, I still wonder what the UFC would look like with someone at the helm who doesn’t think it’s all right to drop the odd “C U Next Tuesday” on a female reporter or blast his own fighters and media for not bending to his every whim. I’m not sure it would have worked as the sport was ascending, but I’m pretty sure it would be at least as successful in present-day UFC land.
Alas, the reports indicate we’ll be seeing more of the man who has run things with an iron fist for 15-plus years. How much longer he stays around is a mystery.
I do have to wonder how he will handle not having good friend and cohort Lorenzo Fertitta there to back him up whenever he goes off the reservation. As I’ve said a million times before, there is no way White is still employed if he worked for any other major sports league. For better or for worse, the Fertittas have had his back, and if you believe the recent reports, they had over four billion reasons for doing so.
Do earlier weigh-in times encourage more drastic weight cutting? -- @HowardMorton
This is a really interesting question to me because I’ve heard all the positive reviews of the new California weigh-in procedures from both fighters and promoters, but until recently, I’d not heard anyone take a negative stance. Frankie Edgar’s manager, Ali Abdel Aziz, stated this week that the earlier weigh-in times are allowing fighters to cut even more weight and that it has been a disadvantage to smaller competitors.
I get where he’s coming from, but I’m not really sure that it’s encouraging anyone to carry more weight. They still have to cut to the weight-division limit; the difference with the new regulations just allows them more time to recover. The fighters at UFC 199 were very happy with the process and I’d like to think the performances we saw at that event were, in part, due to the extra time they had to rehydrate.
We’re going to need a lot more than one event to piece together an accurate appraisal of how the new regulations are affecting the athletes and their ability to perform. Right now, the reviews for those who have gone through the new setup have been overwhelmingly positive.
I read your story on Georges St. Pierre coming back to the UFC and wondered why you don’t want him to return. If you think he’s the greatest fighter, don’t you want to see him compete again before it’s too late? -- Dave
As I said in the column, it’s not that I don’t want to see St. Pierre compete; I just don’t want to see him compete at a level at which we’re not accustomed to seeing him fight. Almost three years off is a long time, especially when you're in your mid-30s. In my eyes, he’s the Greatest of All-Time, and even if he s---- the bed in his return, it would not diminish his previous accomplishments in my eyes.
Still, I have to ask: Why risk it? I get that not being able to scratch that competitive itch can be extremely difficult for some athletes, but for a guy who was so concerned with not putting himself in danger for long-term health issues, I don’t get the desire to return after all this time. It isn’t like he needs the money or has some loss to avenge before riding off into the sunset. GSP won 25 of 27 fights, including his last 12, and avenged both losses. He’s viewed by just about every knowledgeable observer as one of the two best participants this young sport has ever seen.
For those reasons, I think it would be best to keep the gloves hung up, but far be it from me to tell a guy what he should or shouldn’t do. I don’t like it when most fighters get the you-should-retire treatment, so if GSP thinks it’s time to get after it again, I wish him the best and will certainly watch one of my favorite fighters of all-time.
Sherdog.com Executive Editor Greg Savage can be reached by email or Twitter @TheSavageTruth. If you would like to have your question or comment answered in the weekly Postal Connections mailbag, please submit them by Wednesday evening each week.
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