UFC needs a mega event like the Super Bowl
It’s time for mixed marital arts to have its very own mega event. The NFL has the Super Bowl; Major League Baseball has the World Series; Pro wrestling has WrestleMania. It's time for MMA to have a grand annual event.
It would include a week leading up to the event with activities for the fans, with celebrities and a host city with an arena that would seat around 20,000. You could even try to stage it in an indoor stadium like the ones in Indianapolis, Detroit or Dallas and triple the attendance.
The draw for MMA fans to such an event would be the unique matchups. This would be the event you would allow guys like boxer James Toney to compete. Bouts that fans would love to see; Herschel Walker vs. Batista, Shaquille O’Neal vs. Hong Man Choi, Kimbo Slice vs. Mike Tyson and celebrity Kevin James could compete under amateur rules. Old-school battle, Dan “The Beast” Severn vs. Ken Shamrock in the cage, or MMA analyst/comedian Joe Rogan vs. Carlos Mencia.
And this is where mega-fights or cross-organizational fights would take place with no belts on the line. Fights between Strikeforce and UFC fighters; Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, George St. Pierre vs. Nick Diaz, Antonio “BigFoot” Silva vs. Brock Lesnar, Frankie Edgar vs. Gilbert "El Nino" Melendez and Jason “Mayhem” Miller vs. Jake Shields.
Only Zuffa/Ultimate Fighting Championship could but on such an event, along with several large sponsors. The sponsors would be needed to hand out large purses to the fighters.
Every fighter would make over $100,000 each with the “Fight of the Night”, “KO of the Night” & “Submission of the Night” fights, getting $500,000 each.
For the stake of this article we can call the event UFC Best Man 1.
Recently, there was a rumor on the Internet that UFC Champion George St. Pierre and Strikeforce Champion Nick Diaz were going to do battle at UFC 140. UFC President Dana White quickly put an end to that rumor.
But this type of event would be prefect for such matches. It would also be the place that fighters could call out other fighters to do battle.
Or when fighter Chael Sonnen said some derogatory words about former champion Brock Lesnar. “If Brock Lesnar were here right now, I’d take my boot off and throw it at him. And he better polish it up before he brings it back to me.
"That guy comes around here talkin’ about he’s the baddest guy in the UFC? Are you kidding me? I’d slap you in the face and you wouldn’t do anything about it, Brock. ‘But I’m Brock Lesnar! I’ve got this $5 haircut and a knife tattooed on my chest!”
If the UFC had an event like UFC Best Man, Brock could have responded by saying, meet me at “Best Man,” punk! After you’re off steroids and your suspension is over and your court cases are settled.
So, what are your thoughts on such an event?
Kevin Richardson has been a fan of mixed martial arts competition ever since UFC 3, when 600-pound sumo wrestler Emmanuel Yarborough was beaten by Keith Hackney. Kevin will cover the world of MMA — in Baltimore, nationally and internationally. He plans to take readers into the locker rooms and MMA schools, where they'll hear from local fighters and trainers. If you have a news tip or suggestions for the blog, please 
Comments
Great idea. 20,000 seat place to start, do you think they could fill a 70,000 seat domed stadium (or more due to floor seats)?
Eric,
Remember the UFC sold 55,000 tickets for $11 Million gate for UFC 129 in Toronto (GSP vs Shields)
Cowboys stadium would be a great place with there big screen. They just need more hotels around the facility.
Kevin
Posted by: Eric | May 30, 2011 11:18 AM
Love the idea Kevin!
Posted by: JB | May 30, 2011 11:18 AM
one word: genius!
Posted by: jroman | May 30, 2011 3:08 PM
I like the idea about a huge event. But the UFC doesn't do "freak show" matches. That part of the article was the dumbest thing I've ever heard They arn't the WWE. I think if they did this and had every title on the line that would be great.
Posted by: Dave | May 30, 2011 6:33 PM
I was with you right up until your fight suggestions.... some of them are beyond laughable.. and I dont know anyone who would shell out money to watch.
Also, you got Shields vs Mayhem as a cross promotion fight... they both work for UFC now.
Its just a matter of time before we do see as super card with UFC and Strikeforce... to unify the belts just before Zuffa folds Strikeforce once the lucrative TV deals they have expires and they can renegotiate them with the UFC taking Strikeforce's place.
Dana has been talking for years about expanding UFC's global reach, but knows the only way to do that is by expanding the UFC roster to cover more international shows... he will have that once they absorb the Strikeforce roster into the UFC.
Posted by: Sean | May 30, 2011 8:07 PM
So, what you're asking for is for the UFC to have a smaller show than UFC 129, a week-long fan expo like they have a few times a year, and that they call it a super event and equate it to the world series. Why not continue putting on shows much larger than 20k, continue doing fan expos in the cities that they visit, and just call it UFC MEGA AWESOME EVENT SPECTACULAR. It's very easy to accomodate, they just change the name and continue "business as usual", as DW would say.
Posted by: John | May 30, 2011 8:31 PM
It sounds great, but for a fight organization that is still growing to gamble on what most serious fight fans would consider a side-show is dangerous. I like the dream or grudge match-ups but the "side-show" mentality of the viewers who scrutinize these organizations is what probably forced PRIDE into bankruptcy...not to mention the original UFC.
Posted by: "The" Walker | May 31, 2011 1:37 AM
Although I do believe the UFC needs to move to larger venues and a "super event" would be nice, I strongly disagree on your ideas of who should fight. I think that anyone who isn't a legit, full-time MMA fighter should never step in the cage to represent the UFC in any way. Furthermore, I have been a WCW/WWE fan for most of my life, but you mentioning Wrestlemania in any UFC conversation is somewhat absurd. I feel that the "publicity matches" you mentioned set the sport back in the eyes of hard-core fans and misrepresent it in th eyes of novices.
Posted by: Tristan | May 31, 2011 6:10 AM
I think UFC is doing just fine how they are, this summer would have been filled with fights if it werent for injuries to Jones, Gray, Frankie, Brock, Aldo, etc. That's some of their biggest if not best money makers. I do wish they had atleast one superfight a year. I know it may be bad for the division and it would cause a log jam if someone owned more than one title... but I'd love to see Aldo vs 155 champ, GSP vs Silva, Silva vs Jones, Jones vs Cain.
Posted by: Phi | May 31, 2011 12:07 PM
My guess is the event coming in Brazil is going to be the closest thing we see to something in that line of thinking. I think Dana would rather do "occasionals" like Rio or UFC 100 and things of that nature rather than scheduled annual events. That would seem risky. If that was planned for right now, you'd have quite a few champs and major fighters out on injury. Nothing wrong with trying to be creative though.
Posted by: Nicholas Sadaka | May 31, 2011 2:15 PM
dude this isnt wwe your ideas are stupid
Posted by: kevin | October 18, 2011 3:41 PM
With the UFC basically having a monopoly on 99% of the top talent in MMA now, having a cross-organization super event wouldn't be feasible; maybe 7 years ago it could work. I think the UFC is putting on these super events when they can such as UFC 100, UFC Rio, UFC on FOX 1, etc. but something like a once-a-year Super Bowl of MMA isn't practical for the sport.
Chris - 180 MMA
Posted by: MMA training | November 21, 2011 4:55 PM