UFC
Is UFC looking for a star?
After Sean O’Malley’s defeat at UFC 306, the organization has, at least for the time being, lost its most high-profile media darling.
Just over a week ago, Sean O’Malley’s resounding defeat at the hands of Merab Dvalishvili sparked a stir within the company. The noticeable drop in American popularity is undoubtedly a setback for a company that lacks a medium- and long-term figure.
While ‘Suga’ is not the only media star project that the UFC currently has, he was the fighter with the most significant connection to the Anglo-Saxon market and, without a doubt, the most powerful in audiences and sales. The fact of losing in such a resounding way makes it very difficult for the now former bantamweight champion to keep his word of becoming even more media-friendly than Conor McGregor.
Thus, the UFC is in a situation of relative uncertainty as to who may become the company’s media flagship in the coming years. Many big stars’ days are numbered, and the upcoming stars do not meet all the requirements.
Conor McGregor
He is undoubtedly the biggest figure ever in an MMA octagon. In some markets, he is even more important than the sport. However, his long inactivity of more than four and a half years without fighting, added to his constant outbursts and his investments in other businesses that also require his attention, resulted in the company not taking advantage of his impact, which at 35 years old makes him a less-than-fruitful star.
Jon Jones
The best fighter of all time is counting his days by his own will. ‘Bones’ has repeatedly announced that he doesn’t have many fights left, at most a couple of them. This decision, added to the low activity of a guy who barely fights once a year, puts an expiration date on the fighter’s impact from Rochester and leaves him out of the equation.
Islam Makhachev
He is the number one pound-for-pound fighter and the promotion’s most popular division champion. This status allows him to compete in a multitude of highly publicized matchups that can further increase his importance in the eyes of the public. However, several cultural barriers, such as language and religion, complicate his growth in the Western market, which pushes the UFC to continue promoting him on the other side of the world.
Ilia Topuria
He is, without a doubt, the best future project that the UFC can have.
He is European, he is increasingly better at speaking English, and above all, he is a prodigy never before seen inside an MMA cage.
Within the Spanish-speaking world, he is already an absolute star, and his growth is abysmal.
However, Ilia has announced his desire to retire young, so his legacy might not become big enough to acquire the star dimension that the company needs.