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.

Outside the Octagon: UFC's Growing Drug Problem

Earlier this week, Chael Sonnen failed a random drug test and has been pulled from his fight against Vitor Belfort.  His test came up positive for two banned substances, Anastrozole and Clomiphene.  This is the second time that Sonnen had an issue with drug testing.  In 2010, after his fight with Anderson Silva his urine sample came back with having 17 times the amount of testosterone for a normal person.  Sonnen is just another example of UFC’s ongoing problem with drugs.  

Outside the Octagon: UFC's Lack of PPV Power in 2014

This year so far has not been a good one for UFC and Pay per View events.  After four PPV events this year, the buy rate is only at about 1.2 million.  This rate is very low and if it continues the UFC could have their lowest PPV buy rate in seven years.  There are still 10 PPV’s left this year, but all signs point to the UFC having a bad year. 

Outside the Octagon: Crowdfunding in Professional Fighting

Professional athletes are always trying to find new ways to make money to help them personally and to allow them to commit to their sport full time.  Some of the past ways include sponsorships and endorsements, autograph signings, personal appearances etc. MMA athletes have added a new one to the list, crowdfunding.

Water Cooler Talk: UFC in 2014

If you think about the UFC and the best fighters in the sport usually three names come to mind: Anderson Silva, George St. Pierre, and Jon Jones.  These three fighters are usually the three names of who fans and commentators toss out for best pound for pound fighters.  Silva has recently lost two fights in a row and broken his leg in half.  Who knows when he will be able to fight again and if he will ever be able to compete at the level he used to.  St. Pierre decided to vacate his belt and give up fighting for a while.  Jones has not fought since September and has postponed his fight three times against Glover Teixeira.  With these three stars futures in doubt, I have come up with a few suggestions for what the UFC should do to continue its strong brand.   

UFC 148: The Cementing of a Legacy

UFC 148: Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen II was the most hyped and anticipated fight in the history of the promotion. The pay-per-view buys in the United States have not been released yet, but UFC president Dana White predicts that the numbers will break the UFC 100 record from 2009 which was a reported 1.6 million buys. However in Brazil thus far its been released that 19 million people viewed the fight on television. The "live gate" numbers for the event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas approached $7 million and were by far the highest in MMA history. UFC 148 Preliminaries on FX have also set a new record for UFC prelims on that network with 1.8 million viewers. The Spike TV all-time record for UFC preliminary fights was set last year at UFC 126 with 2 million average viewers.