Entertainment appears to be the name of the game as UFC focuses on finishes and charismatic characters as new mega TV deal starts to shape the Octagon action
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Chuck Norris were all stars that guaranteed hi-octane thrills and spills in their 80s heyday… now the UFC appears to be trying to bring back the era of the action hero.
While Paramount are more synonymous with movies, with Top Gun and Beverly Hills Cop among their extensive back catalogue, the American media firm paid UFC president Dana White and Co $7.7bn for seven years of guaranteed Octagon entertainment to boost their streaming service stateside.
So far the UFC have put on three shows in the Paramount era – two numbered events and a Fight Night – with mixed results.
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UFC 324, which was headlined by Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje’s engaging battle for the interim lightweight title, kickstarted things in style, gaining an average of 5m viewers, and was backed up by solid if unspectacular cards in Sydney and the new revamped Apex in Las Vegas.
With the extra funds from the Paramount deal, not that the UFC and parent company TKO are short of a few quid, bonuses have been increased to encourage fighters to push for a finish.
Fight of the night bonuses have doubled to $100,000, while $25,000 is given to every fighter who ends their bout before the three judges are called upon.
With everything UFC under one subscription in the US, having moved away from ESPN shows and the old pay-per-view model, Ipswich featherweight Arnold Allen believes the ongoing focus for the company match-makers will be on characters rather than just pure athleticism inside the cage.
‘The Almighty’, who lost an absorbing clash to Jean Silva at UFC 324, said: “I think the Paramount deal will affect the match-making. I’m not saying it will be like WWE-style so much, but the outside (the cage attention) will probably be more important because that [Paramount] is a huge platform. The UFC will want to impress. They will want to bring the numbers in.
“So they are going to be trying to match fights where you get a bit more of your Conor McGregors, the guys who talk a little bit of crap. They want a bit more confrontation. They want exciting fights.
“It is just a shame that the Paramount deal doesn’t really affect the UK scene [with all cards still on TNT Sports here]. Because it would be nice to get away from the pay-per-view model when we have it, and I could put it in my Paramount TV package!”
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Aside from extra adverts and cosmetic changes for shows across the pond, it is too early to draw any firm conclusion over the new TV deal, but the UFC are doing everything remotely possible to stop fans from changing the channel.
UP NEXT: UFC Fight Night Houston, Sunday, 1am. Anthony Hernandez looks to continue his rise against former middleweight champion Sean Strickland.
MONEY MATCH: ‘The Monkey King’ Jordan Leavitt (29/10) could swing things his way against Cuban featherweight Yadier del Valle. Odds and full UFC betting available at boylesports.com
FINAL SAY: “Hi Jake, this is JCVD, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Bloodsport. Let’s do a fight, a real fight, of course.” YouTuber/boxer Jake Paul is called out by actor/mixed martial artist Van Damme.