How popular is UFC and MMA in general in your country?

[MMC]

I'm starting to really get into UFC and it's obviously very popular here, but it's hard for me to gauge its popularity in countries outside of the USA, UK, Russia, Brazil, which seem to me to be the 4 countries UFC is most popular in. How popular is the sport in your country?

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[DingDongCharlie]

It’s pretty big in Canada too.

 

[pistolpete11]

Unless there is some sort of article written about it out there, probably the easiest thing to do would be to look at how many events the UFC holds in a country, especially PPVs.

USA, Brazil, Canada, UK, and Australia/New Zealand are probably the biggest, most consistent places they hold events. Russia and China are probably the fastest growing thanks to Khabib and Zhang becoming champs. The UFC has also built a Performance Institute in China. They had one planned for Mexico City, too, but I'm not sure where that one stands.

Also, it would be impossible to tell the story of the UFC or MMA without Japan and PRIDE. They haven't held an event there in many years, though. Having some experience with Japanese culture, I could definitely see Japanese being turned off by all the shit talking that is so prevalent in the UFC. Also, Japanese people like sports, but they are mostly interested in Japanese people playing sports. There aren't so many Japanese fighters in the UFC any more for whatever reason. So they might still be into MMA, but not the UFC in particular.

 

[Byron Bitz]

It’s pretty big all over Southeast Asia, Vietnam, Indonesia, phillipenes ect but they have their own mma organization called One FC.

 

[Moncherry]

It’s pretty big all over Southeast Asia, Vietnam, Indonesia, phillipenes ect but they have their own mma organization called One FC.

Definitely not.

1. The stature of ONE FC is greatly exaggerated.
2. ONE's Muay Thai and Kickboxing promotion garners far more interest in that region than MMA does. They're attracting a lot of elite MT fighters and Kickboxers and those cards do much better.

MMA is largely a niche sport even in the places where it's 'popular', it is far from "pretty big" in that region. Traditionally the only Asian country where MMA is a big thing was in Japan, and its popularity there has been in the doldrums for a while now.

 

[Byron Bitz]

The sport has really grown in Mexico in recent years

 

[m9]

Unless there is some sort of article written about it out there, probably the easiest thing to do would be to look at how many events the UFC holds in a country, especially PPVs.

USA, Brazil, Canada, UK, and Australia/New Zealand are probably the biggest, most consistent places they hold events. Russia and China are probably the fastest growing thanks to Khabib and Zhang becoming champs. The UFC has also built a Performance Institute in China. They had one planned for Mexico City, too, but I'm not sure where that one stands.

Also, it would be impossible to tell the story of the UFC or MMA without Japan and PRIDE. They haven't held an event there in many years, though. Having some experience with Japanese culture, I could definitely see Japanese being turned off by all the shit talking that is so prevalent in the UFC. Also, Japanese people like sports, but they are mostly interested in Japanese people playing sports. There aren't so many Japanese fighters in the UFC any more for whatever reason. So they might still be into MMA, but not the UFC in particular.

They had events in Japan pretty much every year from 2012-2017 so it hasn't been that long. They seemed to draw just as well as anywhere else (20k for the PPV, 8-10k for the lower cards).

 

[pistolpete11]

They had events in Japan pretty much every year from 2012-2017 so it hasn't been that long. They seemed to draw just as well as anywhere else (20k for the PPV, 8-10k for the lower cards).

The fact that they used to go routinely and now haven't been in 3 years shows how much it has fallen as a market for the UFC. They also didn't have anything planned for 2020 even before COVID, so it would probably be at least 4 years.

Since they were in Japan, they have been to the USA, Brazil, and Canada numerous times each obviously, Australia/New Zealand (x6), China (x3), Russia (x3) Poland, Chile, Singapore (x2), Germany, Argentina, Czech Republic, Sweden, Uruguay, UAE (even before COVID), Denmark, Mexico, and South Korea.

I'm sure they'd be willing to go back to Japan, especially if they can find a Japanese star, but it's just not what it once was for the UFC and has clearly been jumped by at least China, Russia, and Australia/New Zealand.

 

[crazychimp]

I live in Vancouver, I know friends and family members that are into it. Some are casual fans, others know what’s going on in the world of MMA, either way they know about it.

I love talking to my cousin who’s deep into the sport like I am we talk boxing, Bellator, ONE, even Rizin. We’ve been watching since Liddell fought Randleman and have followed the sport pretty closely after that. I remember getting into Pride with him too, Fedor and Rampage being our favourites to watch especially after his (Fedor’s) fights with Fujita and Randleman, he was at one point in time the best heavyweight in MMA as Arlovski and Sylvia were the head honchos in the UFC two guys Fedor would eventually beat, the bout to make to solidify him as the goat heavyweight in that era was a bout with Randy Couture but sadly that fight never took place, watching Rampage fight Sakuraba was eye opening as to what this guy could become in the sport as Sakuraba was very highly regarded at the time. Watching him grow to become the killer we all saw he could be was awesome and to see him win that UFC gold was too. I still to this day don’t know how Rampage was considered the underdog in that fight, he was very dominant in the first match up versus Liddell.

 

[m9]

I live in Vancouver, I know friends and family members that are into it. Some are casual fans, others know what’s going on in the world of MMA, either way they know about it.

I love talking to my cousin who’s deep into the sport like I am we talk boxing, Bellator, ONE, even Rizin. We’ve been watching since Liddell fought Randleman and have followed the sport pretty closely after that. I remember getting into Pride with him too, Fedor and Rampage being our favourites to watch especially after his (Fedor’s) fights with Fujita and Randleman, he was at one point in time the best heavyweight in MMA as Arlovski and Sylvia were the head honchos in the UFC two guys Fedor would eventually beat, the bout to make to solidify him as the goat heavyweight in that era was a bout with Randy Couture but sadly that fight never took place, watching Rampage fight Sakuraba was eye opening as to what this guy could become in the sport as Sakuraba was very highly regarded at the time. Watching him grow to become the killer we all saw he could be was awesome and to see him win that UFC gold was too. I still to this day don’t know how Rampage was considered the underdog in that fight, he was very dominant in the first match up versus Liddell.

The Rampage/Liddell 2 fight was the first UFC I attended live. Still one of the best live sporting memories I've had, great atmosphere in the crowd and got to see Liddell at his peak of popularity.

 

[m9]

I do think the UFC has taken a popularity hit in Canada without GSP. He brought in many fans not only for his fights but just for the sport in general as he was a great spokesperson for the sport.

More than anything I've noticed that the majority of my circle of friends (mid 30s+) have aged out of following the sport. It seems like it was more of an activity to do along with other activities. No more going out to the bar to watch the fights or really get together other than for a couple of big fights a year.

 

[Sheppy]

It's popular in Canada for sure.

 

[CDJ]

How could it not be with Canadian gangster Olivier Aubin-mercier in the fight game

 

[crazychimp]

I do think the UFC has taken a popularity hit in Canada without GSP. He brought in many fans not only for his fights but just for the sport in general as he was a great spokesperson for the sport.

More than anything I've noticed that the majority of my circle of friends (mid 30s+) have aged out of following the sport. It seems like it was more of an activity to do along with other activities. No more going out to the bar to watch the fights or really get together other than for a couple of big fights a year.

This is true, Canada was for sure behind him in his reign. My lady friends who aren’t fans at all of the sport would tune in only when he fought. When he fought his fights in Montreal at the Bell Centre my god what an atmosphere, sent chills down my spine.

 

[MapleLeafs94]

Obviously popular in Canada when we have legends like Harold Howard to look up to.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

Popular in Canada but kind of upset it hasn't returned to Montreal in years despite that being a big entry city for them with GSP. Give us a fight night for all I care...

 

[CDJ]

Popular in Canada but kind of upset it hasn't returned to Montreal in years despite that being a big entry city for them with GSP. Give us a fight night for all I care...

I wonder if they’d be looking for a French or Canadian headliner or co-main for that and that’s why it hasn’t happened. I honestly haven’t checked but did they use Cote/GSP/Rory the last few times there?


Even without the Canadian headliner they should still go there- I mean if they’re having cards in New Mexico they can certainly go to Montreal