Why are combat sports relatively unpopular?

[intruder]

I don't know any combat sports fans in real life? I know tons of basketball, football, and even baseball fans.

How can someone not like combat sports?

Not for everyone, breh. Aint many people wanna see a mofo bleeding and a black eye on their screen like

 

[KOohbt]

That's like asking why a PG 13 movie makes more than rated R movie. It's obvious AF!

 

[semtex]

Ufc has had a really bad year

Big names are gone or suspended

Cancelled fights

It’s been a huge mess

I liked it for years and I’m off it now

 

[Professor Emeritus]

Aren't all individual sports relatively unpopular?

It's just a lot more interesting to watch two teams do things than to watch guys going 1-on-1. A lot more is going on to hold your interest.

 

[JoseLuisGotcha]

It’s all about being able to casually engage on your own leisure

You can call up your boys and be like let’s hit the courts or organize a football game

Can’t really hit up your boy and on some, meet me at Washington park and let’s scrap

 

[FaTaL]

It’s all about being able to casually engage on your own leisure

You can call up your boys and be like let’s hit the courts or organize a football game

Can’t really hit up your boy and on some, meet me at Washington park and let’s scrap

Mma gyms are popping up everywhere

 

[Smashius Clay]

Can’t really hit up your boy and on some, meet me at Washington park and let’s scrap

You and your homies ain't never put the gloves on? Used to do that shyt every day after school and even did it when I was in the army.

That said. Boxing is watching 12 year old punch each other for an hour and do no damage (no heavyweight fights worth watching). UFC is way all over the place in terms of good matchups. I either see dudes rolling around the whole fight or one person clearly outmatching the other. Neither of which are fun for me.

 

[JoseLuisGotcha]

Mma gyms are popping up everywhere

Not like that especially in the hood ...plus dudes out here making executive decisions on bills and eating who paying $100 or so a month to spar in a gym? When the courts and fields are free to use

You and your homies ain't never put the gloves on? Used to do that shyt every day after school and even did it when I was in the army.

That said. Boxing is watching 12 year old punch each other for an hour and do no damage (no heavyweight fights worth watching). UFC is way all over the place in terms of good matchups. I either see dudes rolling around the whole fight or one person clearly outmatching the other. Neither of which are fun for me.

as kids and stuff its coo but two things..

If you're a grown as man and just want to do something recreational with your boys...shooting around etc is a lot more appealing...plus boxing and MMA is not appealing for the average 30+ year old walking into work with black eyes or broken bones.....a lot of people dont even have health insurance ....just things older folks thing about

 

[DallasTxRep]

Team sports>>individual sports

 

[threattonature]

I think it's a combo of factor. It's hard to attract new fans due to the best fighters all being behind the PPV or Cable Channel wall. So to even become a fan you have to essentially pay to check out the best.

Another is that it isn't pushed that heavy on the sports channels. If UFC and Boxing was given as much coverage on ESPN I think it would have more fans checking it out. But until that new deal ESPN wasn't going to push UFC out and help it's competitor in Fox Sports. Only time they really covered it was when Rousey became huge.

Same with boxing, until recently no big fighters were anywhere near ESPN until PBC came on board with a few fights but still not the top fighters so they had no reason to market the sport. Even now when they do have Crawford and Manny fighting on there they are putting them again behind a pay wall of ESPN+. There's just too much money to be made on PPV and/or the HBO's and Showtimes which benefits the individual fighters and promoters but hurts the sport as a whole. Boxing is also hurt a lot by having so many damn belts that even for fans it's hard to keep track of who has what belt which then makes it harder for newcomers to really keep up. Plus it's rare for the big fights in boxing to actually come into fruition due to competing promoters, networks, and politics.

 

[Nobodyknows]

MMA is rising in popularity..I think team sports are more popular because there’s more to talk about. You have teams of players, transfer rumours and stuff like that.
They’ve also more stars in the sport and is a lot more casual for people too. People know McGregor and Mayweather but can barely name other fighters in the sport. Where as in football and basketball you get more house hold names.

There’s also supporting your city and country etc and just in general more active events regardless of country

 

[filial_piety]

Boxing has held some popularity--but it seems like it has fallen off big time since the 90s.

I think the big problem with it is that there's too much time inbetween your favorite fighters. There is no "season" to look forward to.


Back in the 80s, it seemed like Tyson fought like 5x a year. And all of his fights were on HBO--so almost anyone could watch them.

Now these guys fight like once every 2 years or so and charge a ridiculous amount with PPW to see them.

 

[Big Boss]

Can't build a superstar in UFC because people are prone to losing. Many people in boxing get built up but they most are not marketable.

Boxing is technical and outside of a few of UFC fighters, I never see anybody really use a decided discipline to win a fight. Just brawling and ground and pound.

This