AMADI: With UFC's pay-per-view business stagnating, free television must be better utilized

By: Jason Amadi, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

It is a well known fact that the UFC has followed the WWE blueprint to great success for much of the last decade. The UFC breaks into new markets like the WWE, they've laid waste to their competitors like the WWE, but they've still yet to master perhaps the most crucial aspect of the pro wrestling model: effectively using free television in order to sell pay-per-views.

There is no getting around the fact that pay-per-view business has been down for the UFC in 2011. Injuries have certainly done their damage to a number of UFC cards this year, and the UFC has had a number of new faces headline pay-per-views for the first time, but how long can the UFC rely exclusively on Brock Lesnar and Georges St. Pierre alone to stimulate the pay-per-view market?

The novelty of simply watching a UFC fight isn't what it used to be. That isn't to say that it's depreciated in any way, but rather the days where the UFC could get away with marketing brand over the fighters may be over. There is such a volume of mixed martial arts content out there that the UFC simply putting on a free television card or a pay-per-view event without a compelling narrative isn't going to do the kind of numbers that it would have a few years ago.

Fighters who sell well in the UFC are the ones who can separate themselves from the pack inside the cage and out.

Brock Lesnar isn't just a UFC fighter; he's a former international pro wrestling superstar. Georges St-Pierre isn't just a UFC fighter; he's one of the most popular athletes out of Canada, and is of one of the greatest UFC Champions ever. Anderson Silva isn't just a UFC fighter; he's the most accomplished UFC fighter of all time.

The vast majority of fighters on the UFC roster don't stand out this way. Most of them are nameless and faceless to the general public, and it's because the UFC has opted to push the brand over the fighters when it truly matters. Unfortunately, this is a trend that looks to continue moving forward.

Advertisements for the UFC's November 12 debut on Fox for the most part appear to be just that, advertisements the UFC's debut on Fox. Clips of Junior dos Santos blasting Gilbert Yvel and Cain Velasquez going buck wild on Cheick Kongo might be present, but all the general public sees are two UFC fighters competing on Fox. While this will likely serve to push the UFC brand to new heights, it doesn't do justice to what may be the most important heavyweight title fight that we've seen to this point.

For free television cards to be considered successful, the fighters in the main event need to get over with the casual fan. The general public needs to invest in the narrative of the fighters and truly embrace them. After November 12, casual fans should want to see the next Cain Velasquez fight, as opposed to just the next UFC fight. They should feel invested in where Junior dos Santos goes from there, as opposed to feeling as though they need to pledge undying loyalty to the UFC brand just to keep up.

The UFC doing more free events and fewer pay-per-views next year is a step in the right direction. But unless the UFC makes stars out of its lesser known champions and their upcoming challengers on free television, it's likely that none of them will ever break free of the "UFC fighter" tag and join Brock Lesnar and Georges St-Pierre in the "bonafide superstar" category.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter @JasonAmadi. Although from here on out forget my name, I want to be addressed as nameless, faceless MMATorch writer #7.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/amadis_take/article_10955.shtml

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