Triple H Calls UFC Out Of Touch - Pot-Kettle-Black?

[Jaysav]

Besides CM Punk who has a martial arts background, how many of the WWE "entertainers" could actually hack being in a UFC bout?

No disrespect, but it's so ridiculous when people imply pro-wrestlers with "martial arts" backgrounds could be UFC fighters if they wanted to. Do you know how many people in the world "train" MMA and have been doing martial arts their whole lives? Most of them can't "hack" being in the UFC so what makes you think CM Punk and others could?

I've heard from wrestling fans that Taker, CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, etc. could all fight in the UFC if they wanted to. It literally makes me "LOL".

Now on topic, this is so old, comparing the two. They are two entirely different things and MMA doesn't need all the theatrics to do well as a business. They are doing great as it is and by far is the fastest growing sport in the world. I enjoy both pro-wrestling and MMA. Don't know why people feel like they need to pick one or the other.

 

[jmh1971nyr]

I'm not sure CM Punk's martial arts background is actually legitimized or just a thing commentators say to sell his kicks. Daniel Bryan, however, could be a legit fighter. He trains at Randy Couture's school in Las Vegas.

No he is legit as a matter of fact there was lots of talk about how Vince and HHH used to rip him behind the scenes for his moves and being trained in Muay Thai and how it would never get over. Also he's a master from what I've read.

Daniel Bryan just started training there. So that's two people on the roster? lol BTW I like Punk and Daniel Bryan.

Why HHH is even running his mouth is beyond me??? Last I check VMK was the one who made WWE what it is today, not him. Only thing Paul did was marry VMK daughter to better his position in the future.

 

[Slyfox696]

I think you're just being a Triple H apologist.

I think you're just being an idiot.

UFC has evolved alot more than WWE in the last 10 years, that's why this is so funny.

What does that have to do with anything? Not only is your comment absurd, it is also completely irrelevant. Do you think a company evolves once, and then doesn't need to again for an arbitrary number of years?

I agree the UFC has evolved a lot over the last ten years (though not as much as the WWE...but it's not really a competition over who has evolved more), but that doesn't change the fact they still have room to grow the product.

How is it funny?

UFC continues to develop new stars, ever hear of Bones Jones?

The UFC didn't develop him, they've done nothing with him except put him into fights with a bunch of scrubs, until they gave him a fight with Bader and the subsequent Shogun fight. But his star was already shining bright because he was such an entertaining and exciting fighter, and because he was bulldozing the competition.

But other than putting him in fights, the UFC has done nothing to let me, the fan, get to know him better and care about him. Hell, chasing down the mugger before the title fight is probably the best story we have about him.

Triple H is right on this subject. That doesn't mean the UFC is doing bad, or that the WWE is better, or that the WWE has done more evolving over the years or less. This isn't UFC vs. the WWE, and those of you trying to make it so are completely missing the picture.

 

[dx32v]

Explain to me how the WWE Network is flawed? And explain how the HHH/CM Punk Feud "came out of nowhere"? Since you seem to have been watching as you claim.

I don't see how HHH said anything wrong. He is just answering truthfully is what I got from it but of course the almighty IWC takes it for something else. Im sorry but I just don't get the appeal of UFC/MMA as to me its boring and just a glorified bar fight most of the time. They should take some notes from WWE/Wrestling and make it more Entertaining as well.

So I saw nothing wrong with what HHH said and was just giving his honest opinion.

Spoken like someone who understands nothing about martial arts and fighting. MMA isn't targeting people like you who prefer pretend fighting. Pro-Wrestling is considered a joke by most people, and relies on stars from the past to draw ratings. The UFC keeps developing young stars and is growing so fast that it has a deal with FOX, yet according to Triple H, it needs to evolve...and you wonder why pro-wrestling is in the state it is now.

MMA is REAL sport, so why would they take notes from a glorified male soap-opera? Look at the NFL, they have such strict policies that you get fined for excessive end zone celebrations, it's really hurting their ratings isn't it? Triple H is getting killed for his opinion because it is stupid and illogical. You can't control how long a fight lasts, its a real fight between two highly skilled martial artists who have studied and trained for each other. They go in there with what they believe is the best strategy to defeat their opponent, be it a long fight that comes to a decision or a fast KO/TKO. It is no different than the mentality in boxing or any other combat sport.

 

[VRisho]

No he is legit as a matter of fact there was lots of talk about how Vince and HHH used to rip him behind the scenes for his moves and being trained in Muay Thai and how it would never get over. Also he's a master from what I've read.

Daniel Bryan just started training there. So that's two people on the roster? lol BTW I like Punk and Daniel Bryan.

Why HHH is even running his mouth is beyond me??? Last I check VMK was the one who made WWE what it is today, not him. Only thing Paul did was marry VMK daughter to better his position in the future.

Ah, you learn something every day.

Anyway, I think the UFC makes WWE look so dopey if the two are compared. I almost feel as if WWE ever wants to be looked at seriously in the eyes of people who aren't wrestling fans (and to bring in new fans), they're going to have to take themselves more seriously. No lame backstage skits that would make a five year old cringe, no more poop or fat jokes. I think the majority of the internet fanbase has come to terms that the WWE will NEVER focus on athleticism and in-ring talent. They do, however, need to be more serious about their product. It's almost as if they don't even care because the same number of people are watching every week, but what about the future? What is pro wrestling going to look like in ten years? What are the kids watching now going to see when they turn on the TV when they're teenagers? Will they give up because they grew out of it, or will WWE grow up with them? That's why I think the Attitude Era was so great for it's time. It fit the late 90's. The late 90's was all about controversy, reality shows, edginess. In today's media, I think WWE needs to treat itself as a pseudo-sport and not just a bunch of entertainers prancing around like how they bill their wrestlers. Make it like how it is in Japan. You don't necessarily need the caliber of talent like NJPW or NOAH, in my opinion. You just need to stop goofing around with kiddy poop jokes and look at what is in right now. The UFC is in. Take your product as seriously as they do.

 

[Toroc102]

Slyfox696

"But if you put John Cena's name on the marquee, you're selling tickets. Wrestlemania did 1 million PPV buys on the back of one wrestler's name and what he accomplished years ago. MCW is on television because it has the name Hulk Hogan attached to it."

"Pro wrestling develops characters, UFC depends on them. Outside of GSP and Lesnar, the UFC doesn't really have any names they can put on a card and be guaranteed good buys. Lesnar has only fought twice since July 2009, and hasn't looked good either time. How much more is he going to give you? "

I think you have it backward, WWE depends on personalities much more than UFC does, just think abut it. WWE is so scared of dropping buyrates that they have to have their top two stars(Cena and Orton) appear on all 12 of their PPVs.

I would say word of mouth is much more imprtant to UFC than personalities, for example Anderson Silva isn't really an interesting personality but the fact that he is widely considered the best fighter in the world and that is enough to sell fights. He had two fights last year I believe against Chael Sonnen and Demian Maia. Now Chael Sonnen is a personality, so that PPV did 600,000, more than any WWE except Mania. Now look at Silva VS Damien Maia, that PPV did 500,000 still more than any WWEPPV except for Mania.

As another example lets look at GSP another fighter whose cred is basically all based on the fact that he is one of the best(and he's a relatively boring fighter). He did PPVs against Josh Koscheck and Dan Hardy, two personalities for sure, but hardly two guys I would consider the cream of the crop. He did 800,000 with both of them.

How about two guys who have no real personality and don't really have much history in the UFC Lyoto Machida and Shogun Rua II. Rua maybe has enough UFC history but I'd argue his main draw is as a Pride guy. Lyotos main draw is most likely his highlight KO of Rashad Evans and that hes a Karate Master. I'd wager that those two have a reputation mostly based on strong word of mouth based on their performances and fighting style and not how much trash they talk. They did 500,000 again more than and WWWPPV except Mania.

"Main-events draw. Main-events are what sells cards.

Those other fights may be exciting and things you look forward to, but most people will only pay for the main-event. You can put Leonard Garcia against Chan-Sung Jung again, but people aren't going to pay to watch that fight, unless you put a good main-event on there as well."

"You know what the difference is? Football is going to be played for 60 minutes, basketball for 48 and baseball for 9 innings. No doubt about it. Maybe the game is good, maybe it's not, but you know long of entertainment you're getting for your money.

Not true in MMA."

"At least you get nearly 3 hours worth of action, guaranteed, when you purchase a WWE PPV."

These are contradicting points and also wrong. For one thing whats worse watching a bad football game that goes too long or watching an MMA PPV where the main event sucked or went short but you did get to see two good undercard fights(As an MMA fan I'd say a good Main Event or a card with atleast 2-3 good fights is worth my money.) Anyway you don't always get 3 hours of action guaranteed on a WWE PPV. You get all the matches advertised, and they usually go atleast 5 minutes, but that doesn't mean that they are worth paying for.

Eboney

"It seems like the UFC business model makes it very dependent on big names. There's almost a million buys between the most brought and less brought shows last year. Another huge jump is number 12th spot (300,000) and the tied 10th spot (500,000). I think it is funny people are discrediting the WWE business model when the obvious comparisons between them and UFC are there. UFC does hype packages and rely heavily on one match to sell the show.

Before anyone brings up how 'bad' the WWE PPV numbers are, they aren't depended on them. They make up for it by merchandise, live attendance, and other means. If UFC loses its top names by injury (Brock) or just by being old, what do they have to fall back on?"

Again WWE is much more dependent on big names than WWE is. If they lost John Cena they would be much more screwed than UFC would be if they lost Brock. Remember Brock is probably only fighting on 2 ppv's per year 3 max. John Cena HAS to perform on every PPV and does. This should really be a moot point since UFC completely outperforms on PPV.

If you want to make an argument for television you could, but UFC just wrapped up a deal with Fox that I doubt is ever going to be an option for WWE after the last time they tried it(SNME). Now we can see how this Fox thing goes but I' willing to bet at the very least that the first event does gangbusters.

All this is not to say UFC doesn't need to evolve, just that its hypcritical for HHH to say the UFC needs to more than WWE, and also the type of evolution you guys are talking about seems absurd.

 

[notfairtoflair]

I can't believe HHH actually said that if anybody needs to evolve its UFC.

Thats laughable.

They just got a deal with FOX, a deal that WWE could only dream of having. None of the major broadcast networks would even fathom of having weekly wrestling or live specials in a prime time slot right now b/c they see wrestling as an embarrassment b/c so much damage has been done to the image of pro wrestling thanks to WWE and TNA. But UFC needs to evolve?

Mania from last year did disappointing numbers b/c of a UFC PPV from the night before. WWE had a show headlined by HBK's retirement vs. Taker's streak, Bret vs. Vince (13 years in the making mind you), and Cena vs. Batista and they couldn't win over those fans they lost to UFC. But UFC needs to evolve?

 

[bigbootydaddyV]

I just find it funny that Triple H is saying UFC needs to evolve and the things he lists with it are exactly what Dana White does not want to do. UFC fights are short or "slow" because they are real, yet the UFC has evolved by making main events 5 rounds instead of just title fights to help make those bigger fights. UFC has bought out its competition and brought them into the fold to help make their ppvs better value to the consumer. A urijah faber fight on the same card as tito ortiz and wanderlei silva.. are you kidding me!?! UFC has done a good job of collecting the best possible talents and putting together the matches people want to see. The only one still to come is silva gsp and that'll happen soon enough. And the "personalities" that Triple H thinks they need is another thing Dan does not want. He did not care for Brock's tirade because he wants the legitimacy of the sport to speak for itself. Even in his prime, Tyson was never talking down guys, he just got in the ring and took care of business. His talent as a fighter was all it took to get people to take notice. UFC will always get some characters, or some charismatic guys, they damn sure don't need to create them. UFC does not need to turn more into wrestling and vice versa. Wrestling, if anything, needs to distinguish themselves from UFC as much as popular. Rather than say UFC needs more characters, instead look inward and see how you can turn it up on your own batch of characters. There are a lot of boring characters in WWE who shouldn't be (marcus cor von for instance was charismatic as the alpha male, dull as shit in WWE). It really was a case of the pot calling the kettle black, though in all fairness I think it was more just a poor attempt to try and defend his own business than to talk down the other one.

 

[MisterRob]

Clearly people were either not paying attention, didn't bother to actually read what Triple H said, or are just completely ignoring what Triple H said for the sake of their own responses. Triple H clearly stated he doesn't believe UFC and WWE are similar, so they aren't comparable to one another. But he also said this:

"I think if anybody needs to evolve, it's them. Give more of an entertainment standpoint. Give more form; they just have fighters who walk in in T-shirts and shorts and just stand there and then they fight and then they win and then they go "thanks, I'd like to thank my sponsors" and then they leave. The whole world was up in arms when Brock was flipping people off and was cussing at the beer company because they didn't give him any money and everyone thought, "oh my god, he's disrespectful," -- the whole world was talking about it. They couldn't wait to see him get beat up. And then he did well, and he beat some guys and then people jump on his bandwagon going "Brock's the greatest." I'm good friends with Floyd Mayweather and Floyd would be the first to tell ya, "I make the most money in boxing and I have the biggest buyers because I have the biggest mouth." He'd be the first guy to tell you that. That's what it's about. Sports is entertainment."

And Triple H is right.

The UFC does need to evolve. No, they don't need to evolve the actual fighting in the ring, and that's a rather hard thing to control when you have two people fighting in a cage and its entirely unscripted and determined by those two individuals. But UFC DOES need to evolve in the entertainment aspect. Brock Lesnar is one of, if not the, biggest draws in UFC. Why? Its not just because he's this giant man who looks like a beast. Its not because he's the best fighter in the world, because he's not. It's because he's larger then life. It's because of the "character" he shows, the personality he has, and the way he carries himself. People are entertained by all of that and want to watch him, so they pay money to see this larger then life character.

There's no doubt part of that he's carried with him from WWE, being a showman and playing off the crowd. He's entertaining people and he knows it, and he's often pushing things even further to get the response he needs to be a DRAW. The UFC does need to evolve their entertainment aspect. So often they have fighters who are boring and completely bland. They have fighters who can barely or not at all speak English. Do you really think their press conferences are entertaining and exciting? Do you think they can't market their fighters better? And even evolving their ring entrances and building up their personalities more would benefit the UFC over all.

That's what Triple H was saying, and he's entirely right.

Some people might get on Triple H for saying the WWE always gives a good show. But seriously, even if the WWE isn't giving a great show on all counts, its very seldom that there's no SOMETHING on the show that someone is entertained by. The audience might find different aspects of the show to their liking, and entirely not like other aspects at all, but there's usually something for everyone. I really think you'd be pushing it by claiming WWE has put shows out that have been bad from top to bottom, every aspect not entertaining or good in some way. And really, what is Triple H going to really say? That WWE isn't good. Honestly.

 

[Slyfox696]

I think you have it backward, WWE depends on personalities much more than UFC does, just think abut it. WWE is so scared of dropping buyrates that they have to have their top two stars(Cena and Orton) appear on all 12 of their PPVs.

You misunderstood what I was saying.

I'm saying that the WWE proactively works to develop the personalities of its talent. The UFC doesn't, and if their fighters don't have personality, then the UFC never does anything to find other ways to make people care about them. The WWE works to make people care about their talent, whereas UFC just says if the fighter can make people care, good, if not, we don't care.

I would say word of mouth is much more imprtant to UFC than personalities, for example Anderson Silva isn't really an interesting personality but the fact that he is widely considered the best fighter in the world and that is enough to sell fights. He had two fights last year I believe against Chael Sonnen and Demian Maia. Now Chael Sonnen is a personality, so that PPV did 600,000, more than any WWE except Mania. Now look at Silva VS Damien Maia, that PPV did 500,000 still more than any WWEPPV except for Mania.

Yes, but compare that to PPVs headlined by Lesnar, which do over a million buys.

The UFC can do much better than 500,000 buys, and Lesnar is proof of it. The WWE, outside of 'Mania, isn't going to do 500,000 buys in this economy ever. The popularity just isn't there. But the UFC could. If they had fighters people cared enough about to watch...like Lesnar.

As another example lets look at GSP another fighter whose cred is basically all based on the fact that he is one of the best(and he's a relatively boring fighter). He did PPVs against Josh Koscheck and Dan Hardy, two personalities for sure, but hardly two guys I would consider the cream of the crop. He did 800,000 with both of them.

GSP draws very well, but I wonder how many PPV buys are from US, and how many come from other places. Furthermore, while GSP is a good draw, to have to rely on a guy who never loses to draw fans is really not a sound business strategy in a company where anyone can lose in the blink of an eye.

How about two guys who have no real personality and don't really have much history in the UFC Lyoto Machida and Shogun Rua II. Rua maybe has enough UFC history but I'd argue his main draw is as a Pride guy. Lyotos main draw is most likely his highlight KO of Rashad Evans and that hes a Karate Master. I'd wager that those two have a reputation mostly based on strong word of mouth based on their performances and fighting style and not how much trash they talk. They did 500,000 again more than and WWWPPV except Mania.

But this isn't about the WWE vs. UFC. Why do you people keep thinking it is?

The UFC is riding a tidal wave of popularity (one I would argue is starting to recede), and they appeal to a much different type of fan than those who watch wrestling. Is there a crossover? Yes, but not a large percentage.

What the UFC needs to worry about is maximizing their value to UFC fans. Wrestling has nothing to do with it. And Triple H is saying there is more the UFC could do to entertain MMA fans, which would make them more likely to buy the show.

These are contradicting points and also wrong. For one thing whats worse watching a bad football game that goes too long or watching an MMA PPV where the main event sucked or went short but you did get to see two good undercard fights(As an MMA fan I'd say a good Main Event or a card with atleast 2-3 good fights is worth my money.)

The UFC PPV, because I didn't pay $55 to watch the football game on TV.

Anyway you don't always get 3 hours of action guaranteed on a WWE PPV. You get all the matches advertised, and they usually go atleast 5 minutes, but that doesn't mean that they are worth paying for.

First of all, you didn't contradict or prove anything I said to be wrong. You probably should have rephrased your opening comment. Anyways, while the matches may not be good, at least you know you're not paying $20 a minute for action...which is what you get in the UFC at times.

When you paid your $45 to watch Money in the Bank, you got a 30 minute match out of the main-event. And from all accounts, it was an incredibly entertaining main-event. When you paid $55 to watch Belfort vs. Silva, you got a couple minutes of nothing, and then a few seconds of excitement, and then it was all over. You paid $55 for a three minute fight in which very little happened most of the fight. Which is the better value?


Again though, this isn't about the WWE vs. UFC, though if it is, Triple H would still be right. All Triple H is saying the UFC needs to not be content with guys walking to the ring ignoring the fans, get in the ring, fight for three minutes, thank their sponsors and then leave. The UFC got popular behind personalities like Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz, and then reached their apex with the first Ultimate Fighter with Forrest Griffith and also with Brock Lesnar. These guys ooze personality and they are guys UFC fans know are wild animals thrown in a cage. Today's fighters are professionals...they're so much better than they used to be, but they're also not wild animals, and I think the UFC will suffer in time if they can't get fighters with electrifying personalities. If they are content to let everyone be humble and come in the ring to thank their sponsors and trainers, then eventually UFC will suffer from the same type obscurity which is currently plaguing boxing.

 

[Chicago1989]

Are you telling me you pay $50-60 to watch pre-taped interviews and other segments which are aired for free?.

No, I never said that. I'm just bringing those examples up as options for fans that want more out of UFC. And besides, you either pay $60 or whatever you pay for a WrestleMania card with Justin Bieber and "Snooki" tainting the show or pay for a show that gives you legitimate, competitive action, where you don't know what's going to happen. But it all depends on your preference in the end.

 

[Okay Fabian]

UFC vs. WWE is an interesting opposition.

Yes, they are different products, but they are competing for the same audience. The target demographic for UFC and WWE is identical (Males 18-35). This is the same demographic that watches Monday Night Football. Fans of WWE can be fans of UFC and vice versa. There is an overlap in the fan base. That is the audience that WWE and UFC should be fighting for.

It's the weekend. There is a UFC PPV on Saturday and a WWE PPV on Sunday. You can't afford both. Which do you choose?

WWE needs to find ways to appeal to the UFC fans that like wrestling and UFC needs to find ways to appeal to the WWE fans that like MMA. There are fans of both UFC and WWE that will NEVER watch the other, so it is pointless to try to appeal to those groups.

WWE could stand to add a little more focus on the "sport" and UFC could stand to add a little more focus on the "entertainment". (WWE, the in-ring and UFC, the out-of-the-ring)

Neither of these companies are going to appeal en masse to new viewers not initiated to combat and contact sports. There is a large number of wrestling fans that stopped watching when WCW went out of business. WWE needs to get these atrophied viewers back and UFC needs to convert them. I'll be interested to see how this new "War" turns out.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

UFC fans are white trash who don't think they are white trash. UFC does need to evolve past this if they want to get bigger.

Who gives a fuck about UFC PPV buys? That's ONE avenue. What are their TV ratings? O yea, they get DESTROYED by the WWE because you can't put on new fights every week.

At the end of the day though, I don't even know why we compare. Comparing the UFC to the WWE is like comparing Phil Jackson to Samuel Jackson in coach Carter. Similar in appearances (as in, coaches), but very different in function.

UFC has definately figured out that they can't promote on sport. No one gives a shit about a pure athletic contest, there needs to be an emotion. Dana White protected Tito Ortiz even though he was barely "good" at his peak. He sold tickets, so he was protected until they could make a money fight with him vs Liddel. Shit the entire TUF series is based on creating an emotional connection with the fighters. UFC fans are douchebags most of the time and don't even see this and think "it is teh realz".

 

[Trill Co$by]

I think it's funny that most of the people who are criticizing Triple H probably didn't even read what he said, they just saw he said UFC should change, and they started criticizing.

Triple H didn't say UFC wasn't doing good business. He just said there is so much room for improvement for the fan's entertainment, and he's absolutely right. Everything he said was right on the money. Sometimes you do get long boring fights. Sometimes you pay a lot of money for a fight that doesn't even last 5 minutes (Belfort vs. Silva? Almost all Lesnar fights?). The UFC is doing well, but at some point, fans might think to themselves "I don't want to pay $50-60 for a fight that lasts three minutes. $20 a minute for entertainment just isn't that good of a deal".

What Triple H is saying is the UFC needs to evolve to find other ways to provide entertainment and interest the fans, so they'll KEEP spending their money on the UFC when watching the UFC is no longer the cool thing to do. And is examples of Lesnar and Mayweather are spot on.

I think more people need to read the article and understand what Trips is saying before they come to bash him.

Spot on, and I completely agree with Triple H. Mayweather and Lesnar are HUGE in their areas of Combat sports, and with great reason. They're two people who not only give you great fights, but they'll run their mouths and make you feel like your favorite fighter has no chance of winning. And that's why they get so much entertainment. Nobody cares about a fight unless there's a reason for said fight. Brock telling Bud Light to fuck off and to get him a Coors light was a hell of a lot more entertaining than anything I've seen prior to that and honestly, it's still the most entertaining in UFC.

Not to mention the fact that again you will cough up 60 bucks a month to watch a fight that they actually DO build up properly and you're expecting a well rounded bout only for the match to end in a 2 minute ratio... I don't know about you, but I'd rather pirate that shit than waste money on it. In WWE, when you cough up 60 bucks, they will give you a main event that's guaranteed to go on for way longer than 10 minutes with the exception of a short few.

People get so worked up over Triple H's opinion, and if I had to guess, it's because these "real fighting" fans don't want to hear a reasonable critiquing being spoken by a "fake fighter". Well I'm sorry if you've forgotten, but Triple H happened to make WWE a lot of money in the McMahon-Helmsley Era and he did again in the Ruthless Aggression Era. And do you know why? Because he was entertaining and could get the excitement of the fight going.

 

[Toroc102]

Slyfox696

"I'm saying that the WWE proactively works to develop the personalities of its talent. The UFC doesn't, and if their fighters don't have personality, then the UFC never does anything to find other ways to make people care about them. The WWE works to make people care about their talent, whereas UFC just says if the fighter can make people care, good, if not, we don't care."

The UFC does do things like their countdown specials and TUF and press conferences and what not but what more can you do? You can't tell a fighter to go out there and act crazy or you risk delegitimizing the sport. You can't have a weekly show like Raw because obviously you can't have guys fighting every week.

"Yes, but compare that to PPVs headlined by Lesnar, which do over a million buys.

The UFC can do much better than 500,000 buys, and Lesnar is proof of it. The WWE, outside of 'Mania, isn't going to do 500,000 buys in this economy ever. The popularity just isn't there. But the UFC could. If they had fighters people cared enough about to watch...like Lesnar."

I would argue that Brock Lesnars main draw wasn't his personality but his past as a WWE Champ. He had 3 PPV's before his second fight with Mir and none of these really showcased his personality. His 1st two are hard to pinpoint what the draw was since he wasn't the main-event but he got a title shot in his third PPV and drew over 1000000. That was before he became really famous for his crazy rant or his feud with Mir. i would say like Kimbo Slice he was more of a special attraction. For instance, lets say...I dunno, Peyton Manning for some reason decided to go into MMA and somehow got a shot in the UFC. I'm willing to bet that right off the bat he would draw more than Brock Lesnar ever did. Or a rumored Shaq fight, I think that also has its possibilities.

"GSP draws very well, but I wonder how many PPV buys are from US, and how many come from other places. Furthermore, while GSP is a good draw, to have to rely on a guy who never loses to draw fans is really not a sound business strategy in a company where anyone can lose in the blink of an eye."

Like I said though, thats not the only draw, BJ Penn is a pretty solid draw himself and imo he's the most overrated fighter in the UFC.

"But this isn't about the WWE vs. UFC. Why do you people keep thinking it is?"

The UFC is riding a tidal wave of popularity (one I would argue is starting to recede), and they appeal to a much different type of fan than those who watch wrestling. Is there a crossover? Yes, but not a large percentage.

What the UFC needs to worry about is maximizing their value to UFC fans. Wrestling has nothing to do with it. And Triple H is saying there is more the UFC could do to entertain MMA fans, which would make them more likely to buy the show."

Because if we're talking about success you talk about it in terms of its closest competition. UFC's closest competition is probably WWE then boxing(i say this because WWE seems to have more PPV events per years than boxing which seems to have one or two). Besides that were on a wrestling forum and this was a thread started about an interview where Triple H compared the two.

Anyway, you could say that MMA's popularity is starting to recede, but i'd say that only its television ratings are starting to recede(due to a no doubt stale television model), the stuff people don't pay for. but PPV's, the $50 events have been rising steadily for years. On top of that, the experts must think that this is only the tip of the iceberg, because I doubt Fox would be giving UFC this HUGE new deal if they didn't see some serious potential. Its not like this is a 1 or two year deal either, they signed on for 7 years. Their programming is moving to a network with much more coverage(and not to mention they already said they're going to shake things up, live TUF matches anyone?). On top of that, when was the last time you saw a Heavyweight Championship fight on completely free TV? Granted someone could get KO'd in minute 1 and that would suck(I personally wouldn't care as long as it was awesome but obviously that wouldn't be good for the UFC) but if its goes atleast 1 good round I'd say you're getting another big wave of popularity.

 

[utahraptor]

Didn't see a thread, but I feel this is worthy of discussing.

http://www.wrestlezone.com/news/242090-triple-h-says-ufc-needs-to-evolve-more-than-wwe

He claims UFC needs to evolve more than WWE amongst other things.

and then he goes on to claim WWE always gives you a good show.

I call BS on both!

UFC just signed a huge deal with a MAJOR network, FOX and will be broadcasting live fights on Network TV, something the WWE does not do. a Mediocre UFC PPV from a buys perspective is still around 500,000, most WWE PPV's do not compare, a good card will garner close to 800,000, and the big time shows are well over 1,000,000 buys.

WWE never gives us a bad show? Uh did Triple H watch RAW this week? LOL!

To me this just shows the bubble WWE top dogs live in, WWE is the one that is out of touch, when they constantly push guys who are completely uninteresting, or how they do the same thing over and over again.

Seriously this company needs to get real.

I think the folks who say WWE and UFC aren't competitors or at least comparable are wrong. WWE is "sports entertainment" ... yeah, combat sports. Fans who enjoyed the physicality, but not necessarily the goofy storylines and corny characters might prefer to watch UFC. Money they might've spent on a Triple H shirt might buy them an Affliction tee now.

 

[WWEIsLife2]

Spoken like someone who understands nothing about martial arts and fighting. MMA isn't targeting people like you who prefer pretend fighting. Pro-Wrestling is considered a joke by most people, and relies on stars from the past to draw ratings. The UFC keeps developing young stars and is growing so fast that it has a deal with FOX, yet according to Triple H, it needs to evolve...and you wonder why pro-wrestling is in the state it is now.

MMA is REAL sport, so why would they take notes from a glorified male soap-opera? Look at the NFL, they have such strict policies that you get fined for excessive end zone celebrations, it's really hurting their ratings isn't it? Triple H is getting killed for his opinion because it is stupid and illogical. You can't control how long a fight lasts, its a real fight between two highly skilled martial artists who have studied and trained for each other. They go in there with what they believe is the best strategy to defeat their opponent, be it a long fight that comes to a decision or a fast KO/TKO. It is no different than the mentality in boxing or any other combat sport.

Well congrats you just told me didn't you? Your right I don't know anything about UFC/MMA because I don't care too. MMA might be REAL but I don't find it entertaining at all as I think Wrestling is more entertaining. Yeah most of its fake but those guys get hurt all the time busting their ass to put on a good Show. Again HHH said nothing wrong IMO.

 

[RickD82]

I dont have any problem with what he said about the ufc because he is right, but what i have a problem is the way the top brass inside the WWE seems to beleive everything they do is golden and there is nothing wrong with the product and have the attitude that its the fans that have the problem...not the product.

 

[XXJJ]

Triple H is right . UFC is a fad. They will not have the longevity of what the WWE has done.