WWE and UFC: What can they learn from each other?

[scottyshowman82]

I've been a pro wrestling fan since Rick the Model Martel blinded Jake the Snake Roberts with his perfume "Arrogance". I've been a UFC fan since Ken Shamrock challenged Royce Gracie to a superfight and Gracie responded with "Some people never learn" (lol classic)

As many people in the wrestling business I'm frustrated with a lot that goes on in the WWE and be it a case of ego or resting on your laurels but pro wrestling has lost a fire, an age and excitement that it used to have. I just finished watching the outstanding UFC card from Japan headlined by Edgar and Henderson it was fantastic. UFC is so new and fresh. I think the way that Dana White is breaking into these new markets in Japan and Brazil and connecting fans of all nations with the love of the sport is amazing. I can understand why a lot of former pro wrestling fans have turned to UFC though I will always be a pro wrestling fan first and an MMA fan second.

Please answer one or both of the following questions:

What do you think the WWE can learn from UFC?
What do you think UFC can learn from the WWE?

 

[ShinobiMusashi]

I grew up watching Pro Wrestling, and MMA simultaneously. The first 10 UFC tournaments are my personal favorite MMA events of all time. I lost a bit of interest in the sport when all of the rules, and weight classes were brought in around 1997, but I always kept up with it(even though I was head over heels in love with the ECW). Around the turn of the millenium, I found out about the Japanese MMA promotion "Pride FC", and got pretty deep into that because it was much more entertaining to watch than what the UFC was doing at the time.

I think they both can learn from each other for sure. The UFC should have learned from when the WWF absorbed all of their competition, and the resulting decline in interest in Pro Wrestling afterwards. Competition is a good thing.

I think the WWE can learn from MMA too. I think they should know that there is a market for "Wrestling for adults". A late night wrestling program that is a bit more edgy, with more down to earth characters, and storylines.

I think there are a lot of people who got heavy into MMA around 2005-2006 that are just bored with it right now. They want something a little more unpredictable, interesting, and dramatic. MMA is going through it's first real turnover in fans since their metioric rise in popularity 6 years ago. A lot of people who got into it around 05-06 are losing interest because its just not the same. There aren't anymore Griffen vs Bonners, and all of the Pride guys are pretty much done. You pretty much got a new generation of fighters taking over that arent nearly as interesting to watch as some of the old Pride guys, Matt Hughes, Chuck Liddell etc.

The "E" should do something to capatilize on it, but it just isn't going to happen with their current product.

 

[scottyshowman82]

I grew up watching Pro Wrestling, and MMA simultaneously. The first 10 UFC tournaments are my personal favorite MMA events of all time. I lost a bit of interest in the sport when all of the rules, and weight classes were brought in around 1997, but I always kept up with it(even though I was head over heels in love with the ECW). Around the turn of the millenium, I found out about the Japanese MMA promotion "Pride FC", and got pretty deep into that because it was much more entertaining to watch than what the UFC was doing at the time.

I think they both can learn from each other for sure. The UFC should have learned from when the WWF absorbed all of their competition, and the resulting decline in interest in Pro Wrestling afterwards. Competition is a good thing.

I think the WWE can learn from MMA too. I think they should know that there is a market for "Wrestling for adults". A late night wrestling program that is a bit more edgy, with more down to earth characters, and storylines.

I think there are a lot of people who got heavy into MMA around 2005-2006 that are just bored with it right now. They want something a little more unpredictable, interesting, and dramatic. MMA is going through it's first real turnover in fans since their metioric rise in popularity 6 years ago. A lot of people who got into it around 05-06 are losing interest because its just not the same. There aren't anymore Griffen vs Bonners, and all of the Pride guys are pretty much done. You pretty much got a new generation of fighters taking over that arent nearly as interesting to watch as some of the old Pride guys, Matt Hughes, Chuck Liddell etc.

The "E" should do something to capatilize on it, but it just isn't going to happen with their current product.

Excellent post. I totally agree on what you said about what they could learn from each other on. Dana White should not dissolve and amalgamate Strikeforce with UFC. It may happen eventually but I commend him on not doing it right off the bat. There's a great women's match coming up this week Strikeforce Meisha Tate vs Ronda Rousey and if UFC gobbled up Strikeforce and made it all into we may not have been able to see fights like this.

And if WWE didn't go so PG maybe they would have been more open to embrace some MMA fighters and elements like they used to. After the hardcore phenomenon I often thought what was the new cutting edge era that the WWE would fall in. Sometimes I thought it would be WWE with a MMA edge and style. I do think they could both learn something from each other and to Dana White's credit he has given props to Vince Mcmahon for revolutionzing the pay per view business.