When it comes to sport, it is often about high octane and maximum excitement. From the buzz of the crowd to the anticipation of the sporting contest ahead, few things can match a sporting event in the world of live entertainment. If you want proof of that, just look at the number of people who attend live sporting events worldwide. It is phenomenal - it really is. It has been estimated that each week, around the world, about 50 million people attend sports events in person: that’s a huge figure.
Within this sporting arena, there are many sports and one of the big ticket areas is the world of fighting. Be that heavyweight or welterweight boxing, the ever-growing UFC, combat sports of varying types, or even martial arts, these are what we often refer to as marquee events. Beyond the attendance of the audiences, they attract some significant other revenue streams too - including some serious money from the gambling world. Many punters choose to make matches more interesting by wagering on the outcomes, with the hope of taking home some big wins. Take a look at any betting site, and you will see a whole range of UFC Odds, boxing fight odds, and even odds on Olympic judo, plus many others. It is big business.
So when we look at the great sporting pantheon, the wonderful world of everything from soccer to cricket, NFL to NBA, the Olympics to the Masters and so much more, how important are combat sports, boxing, the UFC, and others? Naturally, the metrics and measurements one uses to answer this make a difference, as does who you ask - but let’s take a broad view to see if we can get some kind of answer, at least.
When Big Boxing Bouts Became Big Business Builders
In the overall (if unofficial) league table of combat or fighting sports, boxing is at the top of the tree. When I say that, I mean that it is the most watched, the most highly attended, and in many ways, the most commonly seen in terms of network sports and overall coverage. That is not to say that things like the UFC, martial arts, and others do not garner vast audiences - not at all. It’s just that boxing remains, by most reasonable metrics, the most popular. So why is this, and how did it become so dominant?
First of all, it is an ancient sport that now has a modern style. Boxing has been around for centuries, at least in some form or another: we see it in the bare-knuckle fighting of the Greeks, the Egyptian bare fist fighting of the same style, and even sports from ancient Indian cultures thought to be similar. Of course, fighting has evolved into things such as MMA and the phenomenon that is the world of UFC, but boxing is what transformed fighting sports into big business in the first place. It is perhaps the ultimate forerunner, a trailblazer for the televised combat sport. It has opened up pathways for things like UFC events in Austria and around the world.
Let’s take the heavyweight boxing world as an example of how boxing has become big business. With multi-million dollar purses, pay-per-view streams that raise millions, countries all over the world competing to host the next big bout, and fans willing to pay thousands for what could be a fight of less than ten minutes in duration, this is perhaps the pinnacle of the punch-up. Purely on attendance numbers and global viewing figures, it is clear that the business of big fights is alive and well and becoming ever bigger in terms of the financial rewards.
From UFC to MMA, Combat Sports Continue To Attract Global Growth
In terms of mixed martial arts (MMA), the leader of the pack in this sporting portfolio is, almost without question, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the UFC. Since its inception in the glittering neon-light-filled surroundings of Las Vegas back in the early nineties, this previously unknown sport has become a global business behemoth. This has been highlighted in the recently released figures that show 2022 as having been the most profitable year for UFC in its now almost 30-year existence, and we are talking about big growth and even bigger money.
So let’s put that into some perspective. Overall, the UFC is alleged to have what they call an enterprise value of over 12 billion US dollars. That is not just a significant amount: it represents a huge success for what is now a global phenomenon with genuine sporting superstars in the ranks. Not only does the money showcase the growth of UFC: the global awareness does too. From pay-per-view on hundreds of networks around the world to (as with boxing) many countries clamoring to host this most American of events, MMA has come a long way, in both business and sporting terms, thanks to the efforts of all those involved with the UFC.
So, whether it is boxing or UFC, Olympic combat sports or martial arts across the board, one thing is certain: these are sports that now pack a punch on the world stage, and things are looking up.
