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Kevin Iole: UFC is pricing out the more grass roots, average MMA fans
By Zach Arnold | June 10, 2010
The Yahoo Sports team addresses an issue that is a flaw in the casino-based model of site fees and having most of the big fights happening in Las Vegas, which is that you tend to get more of a boxing crowd than an MMA crowd. I give them credit for discussing this topic.
In truth, it’s the casinos that are pricing out the fans at these UFC shows in Las Vegas since UFC takes a site fee. But there’s certainly a difference in audiences between the LV crowds and crowds at MMA shows in other cities.
STEVE COFIELD: “You know, another impression out of [UFC 114] was the crowd reaction in Vegas and we’ve talked about the boxing crowds vs. the UFC crowds but I do think in Vegas the UFC crowds are starting to creep a little closer to the boxing crowds where they’re impatient, they want rock ’em sock ’em, they’re not really the hardcore even avid fans and they kind of don’t get it but that’s what comes with the territory as tickets get in higher demand and you raise the prices.”
KEVIN IOLE: “Well, the tickets are higher-priced in Vegas always, so I think that’s number one that you know you’re not getting the grass roots fan that’s coming into buy those tickets. At Yankee Stadiums they had tickets for $50 for the Cotto/Foreman fight. Certainly the rest of the [UFC 114] card was a good card, a good solid card and not the greatest card that I ever saw by any stretch of the imagination but it was a fun card and a lot of good fights. And I think if you forget the main event, you know you walk away with a good impression. If you would had those cheap tickets, I think you would have had the more grass roots, average MMA fan in there as opposed to somebody who is out because they’re a casino customer.”
STEVE COFIELD: “There’s really nothing you can do to control the type of crowd that’s in there. I know Dana White was very vocal about how impatient they were and they’re basically booing everything, but again it comes with the territory if you’re going to do gates of $3.5M, $4M, $4.5M, you’re going to have a different type of fan in there.”
KEVIN IOLE: “Absolutely. And that, you know when you’re paying that kind of ticket price you know generally you’re not just a walk-up, run-of-the-mill guy. There’s not a lot of walk-up people paying $350 down per ticket. You know you imagine if you want to take your kid to the event and you go to Mandalay Bay and the tickets are $350 to see Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin fight, you know there’s not going to be too many you know dealers and just average working people you know people who drive a truck for a living, you know walking in factory workers, they’re not going to be paying those kind of prices. They’re going to be buying the fight on PPV so the people that are going to be in the Mandalay Bay or the MGM at the PPV fights here are going to be a more well-heeled crowd but maybe a crowd that’s not as in tune with MMA.”
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 4 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
“but I do think in Vegas the UFC crowds are starting to creep a little closer to the boxing crowds where they’re impatient, they want rock ‘em sock ‘em, they’re not really the hardcore even avid fans and they kind of don’t get it but that’s what comes with the territory as tickets get in higher demand and you raise the prices.”
Uhh haven’t the crowds always been like that, even in Vegas…?
I’ve never understood who all these people are who keep paying these ticket prices. I was at a UFC several years ago (maybe 2001 or 2002) that was at the Thomas & Mack Center, and I couldn’t believe that people were shelling out $60 to sit in the cheapest seats. I’m a cheapskate, but I wouldn’t pay $60 to sit anywhere for any fight. For fuck’s sake, it’s just two idiots fighting.
I live about 3 hours from Vegas, and I have watched one UFC event live. It was Ortiz-Belfort and I paid $35 a ticket for cheap seats. Now even those tickets are double that price, and they’re nosebleeds. It’s just not worth it, I’d rather watch the PPV.
With UFC in Oakland I was hoping to catch a live show. No way I can pay $150 a seat for nosebleed sections. tack onto that overpriced beer and food.
Wish there was more smaller events in the area