Outside the Octagon: The Future of the UFC in 2014

The UFC in 2014 has had some troubles.  The PPV numbers are on pace to be one of the lowest in years.  The drug testing system is still riddled with flaws to the point where fighters are retiring because of it.  Finally, the loss of stars Anderson Silva and George St. Pierre has hurt the UFC more than they could have imagined.  I have come up with a few ideas to help the UFC have a better second half of 2014.

My first idea would be to put together some top level fight cards in order to boost PPV numbers for the year.  This can include multiple title fights on one card or even just solid cards from top to bottom.  I would personally like to see Ronda Rousey and Jon Jones fight on the same card.  These two fighters are probably two of the biggest names the sport has at the moment.  They both pull in big PPV numbers by themselves so combining them on one card could lead to huge numbers.  

Another thing the UFC needs to do is get St. Pierre back in the octagon.  St. Pierre is an incredible fighter who still has a few good years left in him as well as always accounting for highly purchased PPV.  If the UFC can fix the drug testing system, St. Pierre would most likely come back without an issue.  They could have him rematch with Johny Hendricks for him to win back his title that he vacated.  

My final suggestion, which I know won’t happen in 2014, is to have a big welcome back card for Silva’s return.  I don’t think anyone thought we would ever see Silva back in the octagon again after his leg injury, but he is already back to training and is eyeing a return in 2015.  The UFC should have him fight the number one competitor in his division.  That way if he wins he will get an immediate title shot and another chance to redeem himself against Chris Weidman.  

Realistically, I do not see any of my suggestions happening before the end of the year.  I think the UFC will have some tricks up their sleeve in order to end the year better than they started.  Dana White is very good at what he does and I do not expect him to sit back and watch the UFC continue to decline. 

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 Greg Monforte is a Drexel University Sport Management pre-junior from South Jersey.  Currently he works at Not Just Pizza in Sicklerville, NJ and Daddis Fight Camps in Philadelphia where he has social media and marketing responsibilities.  Greg is also the SMTSU Director of Marketing & Outreach.  Follow Greg on Twitter @Greg_Monforte.

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