UFC and WEC to Merge?

[calgaryballer]

http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2009/8/7/981312/is-a-merger-between-the-ufc-and

According to multiple "tweets" that I've come across in which MMAWeekly is talking to Dana White and MMAFanhouse, White stated that the promotion is currently "talking about that right now" in regards to a potential merger between the UFC and the WEC:

MMAWeekly.com WOW >> Dana on possibly merging UFC & WEC: "We're talking about that right now"

This once again brings up the interesting discussion revolving around a potential merger between the WEC and UFC. Many fans have talked about it in the past as being a great possibility because of the unbelievable fights that have occurred in the WEC, but without the huge exposure that the UFC offers via their television deal with Spike and their PPV popularity. Versus isn't exactly a channel that gives the WEC a lot of exposure, and most post-fight interviews a week or so after a WEC event feature quotes from fighters complaining about their pay in relation to the poor exposure.

Enter the idea of a merger. What are the major advantages here? Current WEC champions and fighters will get the exposure they deserve. WEC fighters will see an increase to a UFC pay structure along with the potential to grab the bonuses that UFC fighters now have an opportunity to obtain. More than likely, an increase in sponsorship dollars. The full force of the UFC marketing machine coupled with, as pointed out in my first point, the exposure from SpikeTV and PPVs along with free events.

There are some downsides to the merger though. Most notably, the UFC would suddenly be increasing their roster size to include Featherweight and Bantamweight divisions. The WEC Lightweight division would likely be merged into the UFC lightweight division, and we're more than likely to see half that roster dropped. The big problem here is trying to put these fighters on television or pay-per-views with some sort of exposure to warrant the merger.

Not sure if I like this. The UFC could use the increase in depth with the number of UFN and PPV's they are running, but I don't want to see the ubertalented lighter guys shunted to the side

 

[EmpireWF]

If this happens, does this mean UFC will have a 145 and 135 division? I always thought they would just cherry pick some awesome fights and put them on UFC PPVs.

A merger would be awesome for guys like Mike Brown, Urijah Faber and Miguel Torres who would certainly get a bump in pay. But may suck for the fringe young guys who get their start in WEC.

 

[Hogle]

Can't say i wouldn't like to see faber and torres in the ufc

 

[Liquidrob]

I dont like it, 145 and 135 will suffer under the UFC umbrella IMO, the UFC doesnt even pay much attenion to the lightweights and they dont pay anyone but BJ anyway

I dont see the UFC giving Faber, Brown and Torres more money in this deal, best they can hope for is better sponsership money from the UFC exposure, plus joe blow UFC doesnt even like the lighter weight fights

Unless they really feature them on Fights Nights, etc...

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

I dont like it, 145 and 135 will suffer under the UFC umbrella IMO, the UFC doesnt even pay much attenion to the lightweights and they dont pay anyone but BJ anyway

I dont see the UFC giving Faber, Brown and Torres more money in this deal, best they can hope for is better sponsership money from the UFC exposure, plus joe blow UFC doesnt even like the lighter weight fights

Unless they really feature them on Fights Nights, etc...

rob I think you are way off base on this one.

This has been in the works for almost a year, and Dana wouldn't even be considering it if he didnt think those two divisions could headline and draw.

Faber in particular would be a huge draw for UFC, among the top echelon, and would headline successful PPV's. They nearly put Faber/Pulver & Faber/Brown on PPV under the WEC banner, because they felt it could turn a profit, even with the limited VS exposure.

It makes sense on every level. The WEC stars get Spike exposure and become draws, and the UFC gets deeper and isnt scrambling to fill 18-20 cards per year with garbage filler like you see on UFC 101. They don't even have enough real main events for as many show as they run, two more titles goes a long way to solving that.

Plus, the Faber's and Torres's finally get paid what they deserve.

It needs to happen.

 

[Liquidrob]

rob I think you are way off base on this one.

This has been in the works for almost a year, and Dana wouldn't even be considering it if he didnt think those two divisions could headline and draw.

Faber in particular would be a huge draw for UFC, among the top echelon, and would headline successful PPV's. They nearly put Faber/Pulver & Faber/Brown on PPV under the WEC banner, because they felt it could turn a profit, even with the limited VS exposure.

It makes sense on every level. The WEC stars get Spike exposure and become draws, and the UFC gets deeper and isnt scrambling to fill 18-20 cards per year with garbage filler like you see on UFC 101. They don't even have enough real main events for as many show as they run, two more titles goes a long way to solving that.

Plus, the Faber's and Torres's finally get paid what they deserve.

It needs to happen.

you may be right and those are all good points, but besides Penn the UFC doesnt pay LWs, plus I dont have confidence in them handling the 145 and 135 guys like the WEC guys did, they will just be filler and not spotlighted like they were in the WEC

I cant recall any LW headlining a PPV besides Penn since they brought back the division, did Sherk ever? If he did he still made crap money

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

you may be right and those are all good points, but besides Penn the UFC doesnt pay LWs, plus I dont have confidence in them handling the 145 and 135 guys like the WEC guys did, they will just be filler and not spotlighted like they were in the WEC

I cant recall any LW headlining a PPV besides Penn since they brought back the division, did Sherk ever? If he did he still made crap money

But in the current climate, it's all about how many buys you draw, because the headliners get that percentage.

The reported purse in the $500k range for someone like Lesnar or Couture really ends up being well into seven figures when the PPV percentages are split up.

If you draw, you make sick bank, end of story. Faber draws at the gate (especially in Sacratomato), and holds the (modest) ratings record in the history of VS network. He's a superstar in the making, and he's being wasted on a minor league show.

Faber/Brown III (the rare 2-0 feud where people would still want a #3), coming off a TUF season, would sell out Sacramento and draw better PPV numbers than the low level draws like Anderson Silva or Rich Franklin. 300k (minimum) easy, don't you think?

And if i'm Torres, i'd rather work second from the top on a UFC ppv, or headline a Spike show, than be the top star on VS. If you read some of the interviews, these guys are getting increasingly aggrivated with the low WEC payoffs.

 

[Liquidrob]

But in the current climate, it's all about how many buys you draw, because the headliners get that percentage.

The reported purse in the $500k range for someone like Lesnar or Couture really ends up being well into seven figures when the PPV percentages are split up.

If you draw, you make sick bank, end of story. Faber draws at the gate (especially in Sacratomato), and holds the (modest) ratings record in the history of VS network. He's a superstar in the making, and he's being wasted on a minor league show.

Faber/Brown III (the rare 2-0 feud where people would still want a #3), coming off a TUF season, would sell out Sacramento and draw better PPV numbers than the low level draws like Anderson Silva or Rich Franklin. 300k (minimum) easy, don't you think?

And if i'm Torres, i'd rather work second from the top on a UFC ppv, or headline a Spike show, than be the top star on VS. If you read some of the interviews, these guys are getting increasingly aggrivated with the low WEC payoffs.

yeah, but to get that cut of the PPV you have to be the main event, I dont see the UFC putting 'little guys' over any of the bigger guys or even bumping up there pay, they dont even do that for the 155ers right now

they probably should because the UFC runs to many shows and half the card is crap now, the 145 and 135ers will spice it up, plus they can get a crack at sub, KO and FOTN bonuses

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Reasonable minds can disagree.

I think Faber can (and will) main event UFC one day, and I think he can out draw low level main event draws like Silva, Franklin, and Hendo. Torres & Brown aren't as marketable, but can easily ME on Spike, or work second from the top or in a co-main spot.

I guess we will find out.

 

[Hogle]

They just make the main event whatever the title shot, even if it's a shit show like gsp vs swick or kampmann will be

 

[Liquidrob]

Reasonable minds can disagree.

I think Faber can (and will) main event UFC one day, and I think he can out draw low level main event draws like Silva, Franklin, and Hendo. Torres & Brown aren't as marketable, but can easily ME on Spike, or work second from the top or in a co-main spot.

I guess we will find out.

yeah, Faber can, but it would have to be a week PPV card for that, UFC loves the 'big guys'

lol @ faber getting a rematch to his rematch, poor Mike Brown, we cant win, he will be fighting Uriah until Faber wins

 

[RKO BLACK RKO]

If they Market Uriah correctly him and Mike will be all the UFC needs to keep that division hot

 

[calgaryballer]

They just make the main event whatever the title shot, even if it's a shit show like gsp vs swick or kampmann will be

If it's an event like last night, but instead you have Torres/Bowles instead of Penn/Florian. there is no way that headlines. Forrest/Anderson would have been the main event

 

[Hogle]

I don't know about that. The bantam weights may not have the power, but they never stop, there's always action, and I think UFC fans will want to see that

 

[calgaryballer]

I don't know about that. The bantam weights may not have the power, but they never stop, there's always action, and I think UFC fans will want to see that

The hardcores want to see it. The fans want Tito v Ken

 

[Hogle]

The hardcores want to see it. The fans want Tito v Ken

No one wants that. Even casual fans know that tito's shit. They just want to see him get filled in so he'll shut his mouth

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

No one wants that. Even casual fans know that tito's shit. They just want to see him get filled in so he'll shut his mouth

I remember when the sherdog geeks said "nobody wanted to see" Tito/Ken, and then all they did was break all sorts of records on PPV, and then Spike.

Make no mistake, Tito is still a big draw.

 

[calgaryballer]

No one wants that. Even casual fans know that tito's shit. They just want to see him get filled in so he'll shut his mouth

It was a metaphor. The hardcore's knew that fight would be shit, and yet it still set records. Tito's next fight will be one of the highest drawing of the year

 

[Hogle]

but the casual mma fans watch ufc, they probably dont know about these guys but they buy most ufc's anyways, and when they see these great fights, they'll begin to know the names, but now, they have no idea who they are because theyre not in the ufc

 

[Liquidrob]

WEC payouts, I doubt they will get much more

1. Dominick Cruz - $14,000 ($7,000 + $7,000 win) def. Joseph Benavidez - $12,500
2. Danny Castillo - $14,000 ($7,000 + $7,000 win) def. Ricardo Lamas - $4,000
3. Takeya Mizugaki - $12,000 ($6,000 + $6,000 win) def. Jeff Curran - $8,000
4. Leonard Garcia - $24,000 ($12,000 + $12,000 win) def. Jameel Massouh - $3,000
5. Cole Province - $6,000 ($3,000 + $3,000 win) def. Fredson Paixao - $2,000
6. Shane Roller $20,000 ($10,000 + $10,000 win) def. Marcus Hicks - $8,000
7. Ed Ratciff - $14,000 ($7,000 + $7,000 win) def. Phil Cardella - $3,000
8. Rani Yahya - $16,000 ($8,000 + $8,000 win) def. John Hosman - $3,000
9. Diego Nunes - $8,000 ($4,000 + $4,000 win) def. Rafael Dias - $4,000
10. LC Davis - $10,000 ($5,000 + $5,000 win) def. Javier Vasquez - $6,000

Brian Bowles eared $18,000 ($9000.00 + $9000.00 win) and Miguel Torres earned $26,000 in defeat.