Rumor: UFC 136 - 175k buys

[EmpireWF]

As far as current promotions goes UFC fighters receive more pub and marketing than anyone else.

Yes and no. UFC spends more than anyone on marketing, but it's mostly on getting the brand over.

Simple way to explain. Go up to any person on the street and ask them if they know what UFC is, majority will likely know (unless you run into a string of granny's). Ask them who Dominick Cruz, Frankie Edgar, Cain Velasquez are and I'd be surprised if 3 or 4 people can point out any of those guys.

[Steel Mamba]

Yes and no. UFC spends more than anyone on marketing, but it's mostly on getting the brand over.

Simple way to explain. Go up to any person on the street and ask them if they know what UFC is, majority will likely know (unless you run into a string of granny's). Ask them who Dominick Cruz, Frankie Edgar, Cain Velasquez are and I'd be surprised if 3 or 4 people can point out any of those guys.

Examples?

[Steel Mamba]

The UFC incorporates its brand image into their marketing, but that doesn't mean they don't shine a spotlight on the fighters. Saying it has to be 100% fighters and 0% brand is silly, and obviously bad for business. Should they not let fans know that it's a UFC PPV in their ads? How well would that work when it's a bunch of guys that most people don't recognize? How will those fighters ever become anything if the UFC brand doesn't first lure them in.. They need some sort of brand recognition, or else they'll be in the same position that boxing is in, struggling to get any viewership for lesser known fighters.

Of course Cruze isn't a household name, but neither is Andre Berto, or Brett Keisel, or Andrew Bynum. So does that mean those sports don't promote their athletes either? If you look at all the succesful leagues, it's clear you need both, athlete and brand promotion. The two go hand in hand and help each other out.

[EmpireWF]

Examples?

What I look for as far as the UFC trying to push a guy and not the brand....before the Brock/Cain fight with Velasquez. They did their best to get Cain over as the first Hispanic heavyweight champion, especially in his local market. Has it worked? We won't know for a while.

More often than not (not talking about guys like Chuck, Randy, Hughes, Tito, BJ...usually), they throw together a card and that's that.

Make no mistake, 99% of UFC cards are thrown together with one or (occasionally) two fights as THE draw. The rest of those cards are made with the intent to get fighter A some momentum (perhaps see if fighter A has improved or can cut it at a higher level) or simply to have a great fight.

[Steel Mamba]

Ok, I mean that example states my case though. Let's take Rampage vs Jones for example, what didn't they do in terms of promoting the fighters?

I don't see how having 2 draws on the card means that they don't promote the fighters. You can't stack every card and that's another issue entirely.

[EmpireWF]

Cain is an example of a guy they have marketed. There aren't many like him.

[SHOGUN]

It's a promotion, whereas the UFC is an organization.

Doesn't make sense. UFC is a promotion as well.

New guys that I can think of to get serious pushes - Bader, Faber, Jones, and Velasquez.

I expect Rory MacDonald to get a solid push if he can best TWAS.

[Liquidrob]

rumors are penn vs diaz did under 300k, prbably the 250k range