Selling: Fight Sports
Kick starting the market for MMA
Roberta Casalino details the market for UFC merchandise and how the brand is working to grow the reputation of MMA.
B
orn in 1993, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) brand is a professional mixed martial arts (MMA) organisation offering a series of MMA sports events and follows a rich history and tradition of competitive MMA dating back to the Olympic Games in Athens. The phenomenon began over 80 years ago with a Brazilian form of MMA known as Vale Tudo, an anything-goes, no-holds-barred fighting spectacle that sparked local interest. Sensing this raw fighting spectacle could be moulded into a genuine sport, the UFC organisation brought MMA to the US.
The original goal was to find the ‘ultimate fighting champion', a concept consisting of a tournament involving the best athletes skilled in the various disciplines of all martial arts, including karate, jiu-jitsu, boxing, kickboxing, grappling, wrestling, sumo and other combat sports. The winner of the tournament would be crowned the champion.
In January 2001, under the new ownership of Zuffa, the UFC brand completely restructured MMA into a highly organised and controlled combat sport. As a result, the UFC organisation now offers 12 to 14 live pay-per-view events annually through cable and satellite television providers. UFC fight programmes are distributed internationally throughout the world, including broadcasts on Viewer’s Choice in Canada, Main Event in Australia, Globosat in Brazil and ESPN and Five in the UK.
Response to the UFC brand of MMA has been tremendous, resulting in a growing fan base that has increased exponentially throughout the years. In addition to record-breaking live gates and television audiences, UFC has also blazed a trail with its approach to merchandise, placing an
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emphasis on spreading the MMA word through penetration of the market.
UFC fans view the organisation's merchandise as a badge of honour and this brand association can arrive in any form, but is commonly seen via event t-shirts, fighter walk-out t-shirts, hooded tops, sweatshirts and action figures. Sold through merchandise licensee Fight For Fashion, UFC products are available to buy through a range of high-street retailers, such as JD Sports, Argos, Shop Direct, Littlewoods, Play and Grattin, as well as independents Deep Blue, Taskers, Box Fit, By Tonic, Muscle Finesse, Fight Shop, MMA Fightwear and Body Active.
UFC is present in all sectors of sports retail, from sport fashion and independents to specialist and online. As UFC merchandise becomes more prevalent and popular, so too does the sport of MMA, now considered by many to be the fastest-growing sport in the world.
UFC constantly strives to increase the profile and reputation of the sport via its merchandise strategy and a commitment to the development of the sport at a grassroots level. Pivotal to the sport's development since its inception in 1993, UFC utilises brand power to educate, promote and sell mixed martial arts to the masses.
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