THE UFC continues to grow on this side of the pond, and it’s only going to get bigger.
That’s the view of Garry Cook, the former CEO of Manchester City, who is one of the driving forces behind the UFC’s international expansion as the company’s chief global brand officer.
Cook chatted exclusively with SunSport at Frida’s UFC 204 weigh-in event at Manchester Central and explained how the sport continues to push the boundaries internationally.
“There’s been an upsurge in MMA fighting and particularly the UFC – whether it’s broadcasting, whether it’s commercial interest, ticket sales,” he said.
“This event here in Manchester sold out very very quickly – probably the quickest we’ve ever sold an event – and the team do a great job.”
The secret, Cook said, was being able to build and promote stars who are local to the key territories around the world.
And with Britain claiming its first UFC world champion in June when Michael Bisping knocked out Luke Rockhold, the opportunity to stage his first title defence this weekend in Manchester was simply too good to miss.
“Any time you can find a local guy, who’s a local hero, defending his world title in his home town there’s a lot of passion for that.”
But it’s not just about putting local stars in front of local fans. The UFC has huge established markets in the US, Brazil and Canada, but Cook believes Europe and Asia may one day eclipse them to become the dominant markets for MMA’s biggest organisation.
“We’re in 144 countries. We broadcast in 28 languages. Our television content is available in over one billion households. We have Twitter followers in excess of 15 million,” he said.
“You can say that’s a lot – there’s still a lot more to come.
“The US is our primary market. Brazil’s a big market for us. Canada’s a big market for us. But Europe has continued to grow.
“We’re not even opened up in Russia – never had an event in Russia. Khabib’s one of the big fighters coming out of Russia. There’s a lot of talent there.
“You start to look at China, you start to look at the Asian markets. Like any other global business, there’s nothing wrong with continuing your international growth.
“I have said on numerous occasions that eventually the overseas business will be bigger than the US business, which is the epicentre of where it all started.
“But then I was the guy that said Manchester City would be one of the greatest football clubs in the world.
“That’s yet to be determined, but it’s all part of having that vision, having that passion, commitment and knowing that you can get there and figuring out how to get there.
“I think the UFC’s on a pretty good track.”
The story of the UFC’s growth is a remarkable one. Arguably the most remarkable in modern sports history – as two casino-owning brothers purchased the UFC for $2million at a time when the sport of mixed martial arts was banned across most of America.
And over the span of around 15 years Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta transformed the UFC from a stigmatised, disgraced event into a respected, regulated, bona-fide sport.
And this summer the pair announced they had sold the UFC, cashing in their chips following their initial $2million outlay, selling for a colossal $4.2BILLION.
The selling price instantly made the UFC sale the single biggest deal in the history of professional sport, ranking the UFC higher than every major sports franchise on the planet, including Manchester United, the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Yankees.
Now owned by a consortium led by entertainment and media giants WME and IMG, the UFC is set to enter a new era with the sport firmly entrenched in the US mainstream.
Over the last week it was announced a host of sports stars and celebrities had become minority stakeholders in the UFC, with the likes of Venus and Serena Williams, Tom Brady, Cam Newton, Calvin Harris and Sylvester Stallone all getting on board with the UFC.
Cook explained that the UFC’s unique place in the sporting world has made it one of the most revered brands in all of sport, with stars from other sports inspired by, or aspiring to, the achievements of the UFC’s biggest stars.
“The insight is the greatest athletes in the world aspire to be either as fit physically, as fit mentally or just as committed or a passionate about their sport as these guys are about the combat sport of MMA,” he explained.
“When I was at Manchester City, footballers wanted to be MMA fighters. NFL players want to be MMA fighters, but they just know there’s a very different level.
“And I’ve always said that MMA fighting is sort of above all else in the athlete world. So the insight was very simple.
“You have to follow where you think the opportunities are in the world and this sport has changed the landscape of sport forever.”
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