What's Wrong with the UFC?

Fighting—like eating, sleeping, and doing the nasty—is one of the most basic and primal components to our human existence. To win a fight is more of a statement than, say, winning a basketball game, a tennis match, or a golf tournament.

To win a fight says to your opponent, "I would have killed you, had this been real."

MMA is thus a grand sport; a sport which shows us the true extent of human cunning, physical talent, and emotional fortitude. Two warriors meeting in a neutral setting, each with the mutual goal of destroying the other.

Pretty powerful stuff.

So, how is it that the UFC; with all of it's marketing expertise, and all of it's polished graphics and glitter; fails to consistently capture that grandiose feeling?

The NFL does it. The NCAA does it. So do Wimbledon, the BCS, and the Tour de France.

Fighting is beautiful, and that's why people are naturally drawn to it. So, when watching such an innate and primal art form, why do I sometimes feel like I'm watching a made for t.v. action flick with my drinking buddies, Goldie and Joe?

What's wrong with the UFC?

The answer is simple: presentation.

The presentation of the UFC has been amateur, unimaginative, and has shown painfully little improvement in the years since the UFC has taken over as the dominant brand in worldwide MMA. 

From the uninspiring and cliche'd theme music (nu-metal? really?), to the colorless commentary of Mike Goldberg, to the unprofessional and adolescent antics of Dana White, the UFC and parent company Zuffa have allowed peripheral qualities of the company to cloud the brilliance of it's product: the fights, and the athletes who give them to us.

Somehow, sportscasters like Bob Costas and Pat Summerall can make a ping-pong match seem like the single most important moment in sports history.

Mike Goldberg, on the other hand, makes me simultaneously giggle and cringe when he says things like "30 seconds remains," or "Raphael dos Anjos". Even in his best impersonations of a sportscaster, I have a hard time taking "Goldie" seriously.

Joe Rogan, over time, has grown into quite a good MMA commentator. He won't win any Emmys anytime soon, but he's certainly the better half of that commentating duo, and one of the better voices in the business.

Still, I wonder if Joe Rogan, with his limited sportscasting experience (did he have any before the UFC?) , and zero relevant fighting experience, is the absolute best color commentator that the UFC can get.

The biggest, and most obvious target for most critics, however, is the unapologetically immodest (to say the least) UFC President, Dana White.

It's true, the recent tirades of White have once again brought questions of the UFC's respectability, and mainstream credibility to the forefront for MMA fans and critics alike.

But while White's temper tantrums and potty mouth are indeed problematic, and while UFC critics love to point the blame and take pot shots at White whenever possible, the real mistakes of the UFC are rooted deeper than in their crass and flamboyant president.

I don't have a marketing degree. I don't claim to be a business guru, or an investment professional.

But as a fan, I can tell you that the biggest, bright red glaring issue with the UFC is not their lack of fighter talent (which improves exponentially with each event), not their lack of exposure to the public (with PPVs practically every other week, and constant coverage on cable tv), not their lack of resources, and not any single factor such as White's boyish hissy fits or "Goldie's" overly eager trivia tidbits.

Rather, the biggest obstacle for the UFC is the overall perception of incivility and ineptitude, and thus diminished credibility, in the eyes of the public.

The UFC needs a PR overhaul. Big time.

Negative opinions of the UFC are completely separate and distinct from the public's negative opinions of MMA in general, although they are all too often (and incorrectly) lumped together. This distinction, though currently small, is what the UFC needs to expand on.

Zuffa may not be able to immediately impact casual viewers' opinions of "cagefighting," but they can directly and immediately cast a positive light on their own brand, and everything that falls under the UFC banner.

Firstly, most fighters are intelligent, respectable individuals. Show this side, and don't waiver. Fighters are role models, like it or not, and you can present the UFC with articulate and highly regarded athletes like Randy Couture, or you can let the world think that the UFC is full of Junie Brownings.

It's up to you.

Secondly, I would bet money that many of the UFC's top fighters have interests and involvements in things other than fighting. Are any of them involved in community activism or charities? As corny as it may seem, the UFC would almost certainly benefit by showing some of these traits. 

The NFL works with United Way, and while it may not seem that important, it goes a long way in molding the image of the NFL.

Get out there and make some good PR for yourselves.

Send Chuck Liddell to aid flood victims. Show footage of Anderson Silva teaching little kids about fitness. Hell, have Wanderlei Silva save a bunch of stray puppies from a volcano. Anything.

And last but certainly not least; Dana White is a horrible face for the company, and the sport of MMA. Why does anyone think that he is remotely qualified for that position? Perhaps he has a great business mind, and knows the ins and outs of MMA. I don't doubt that he does.

But what does Zuffa or the UFC have to gain by allowing him to go off on profanity laced rants in public forums, or posing with the championship belt, surrounded by gorgeous women?

White has the right to his opinions about Loretta Hunt, Sherdog, or whoever. But Zuffa should keep it in the board room, in the interest of MMA, and in the interest of their company. For Zuffa to continually allow White to be the face of the UFC is either pure neglect, or an over-abundance of trust.

If you give a monkey a gun, and it shoots someone...anyway, they would be wise to keep Dana on a much shorter leash from now on. Here's an idea...HIRE A SPOKESMAN.

Keep the sexist and bigoted comments behind closed doors, and as long as Dana and friends are making money for the company, things go smoothly and no one gets hurt. Zuffa: Control your own image and don't let Dana White, or anyone, define your company's reputation or tarnish the brand you have worked so hard to build.

MMA is growing, and the UFC is positioned to be the No. 1 organization for years to come.

But if Zuffa doesn't reevaluate their public image, and if Zuffa doesn't evolve into the professional modern sports outfit that it has the potential to become, that glass ceiling will always be there, and eventually, some newer, shinier, more polished organization will come along, and out Junie Browning, and out Dana White the UFC.