Very few would have ever thought that the Ultimate Fighting Championship, better known as UFC, would come to India to size up its market. And those very few have scratched their heads in disbelief when it was announced that it would indeed happen, soon you’d be seeing heavyweights brawling their way into the Indian houses. If everything goes well, we could be on the verge of a new phenomenon, the Ultimate phenomenon! People like Anderson Silva, GSP and the rest will grace not only our TV screens, but our very own cities.
It is going to be tough to predict the Indian market. Not so long ago, TNA ‘Impact!’ Wrestling entered the Indian market with their concept of ‘Ring Ka King’, which drew twice the ratings that TNA does in the United States, and was considered to be a huge success. Until now, the only sports entertainment organization which tested the waters in India was the WWE, and those were only promotional tours. So this leaves a whole new unexplored market, and the potential to tap into the million households and establish a winning formula. The WWE and UFC faced many legal difficulties in the United States when they were expanding their territories, although Vince did find the legal loophole – the ‘We’re not a Sporting Organization, we’re an Entertainment Organization’ clause – which not only allowed the WWE to skip the taxes, but also the legal restrictions for a violent sport. Dana White too did something similar, he went the Vince Mcmahon way when he faced a similar situation. But it won’t be so easy in a country in which for many, such sporting events are unheard of!
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So this leaves two options: Either UFC will KO this project, and make millions in profit, thus firming their ground in the country, or they’ll be forced to tap out, to submit if they fail. Either way, Dana White has never been one to quit, similar to his counterpart from the ‘Entertainment’ Industry.
There have been Organizations such as SFL who tried to stamp their mark, with a product close to what UFC delivers, but it is nowhere near the juggernaut that UFC is . With a star studded line up, which includes the best fighters from around the globe, UFC has been highly successful, more than any other similar organization. Their pay-per views (PPVs) have done amazingly well, sometimes equal or more to the WWE PPV sales! What would help the UFC, is something ‘Ring Ka King’ was successful in doing: promoting the home grown talent.
In the end, this promises to be one eventful encounter. For years, many of the UFC/WWE fans have wondered who would try to take advantage of the Indian market. WWE took the initial steps with people like Bret Hart visiting the country, then the promotional tours with Rob Van Dam and Kane, but they never tried to take advantage of the fan base they have in India. TNA took a jab with their Indian project ‘Ring Ka King’, and were highly successful. Now, UFC have finally realized the potential, and have taken a step to firm their grip on the highly untapped market. Let us now wait and see how they do, and for us MMA fans, this is really mouthwatering, with potentially the biggest names in MMA ending up before our eyes. A GSP fight in my hometown? Yes please!
