Last November marked three decades since the first fight of the UFC that holds and sponsors MMA fights. The MMA, or mixed martial arts, genre is experiencing its best phase right now. Fights in the UFC have exceeded one million viewers five times in the last year alone. Due to the quality of the shows and the world-class athletes, the UFC may equal not only current combat sports views leader- boxing, but also NBA and soccer events. However, there is one sport that MMA would not be able to dethrone in terms of its popularity. Despite what Dana White claimed in his FOX News interview about MMA being the biggest sport in the future, the NFL would still beat it. At least that’s what Joe Rogan believes.

When the UFC started in 1993 with the idea of pitting fighters, boxers, and martial arts athletes against each other in an event, it was perceived more as a spectacle than a sport. Many looked down upon the idea, citing it as ‘glorified human c–k fighting.’ Nevertheless, a lot has changed since then, and the UFC today is one of the most important leagues that brings together athletes who are as famous as soccer players or movie stars.

In the latest edition of the Joe Rogan Experience Podcast, with UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad as his guest, Rogan talked about how MMA is rising in the ranks of popularity. While Muhammad claimed that it would be bigger than all sports, “Yeah, it’s… it’s gonna be up there bigger than I think all the other sports,” Rogan believes otherwise. The UFC commentator dropped a truth bomb that truly would break Dana White’s heart. Rogan said, “It’ll be bigger than everything but football in America. You’re never going to beat football; you can’t beat football.” 

However, the reason behind this was mentioned in an earlier part of the conversation where he revealed how it was tough for people to accept MMA as a sport back then. Dana White was constantly mocked for buying the company. “He would tell people that he bought the UFC, and they be like…. Like God! That’s terrible. Meanwhile, everybody watches it now, yeah.” So it is possible that the UFC commentator believes that some people will never be able to accept MMA as a sport.

And it’s not like Rogan too did not go through a similar experience. He revealed that he too was often mocked for being a UFC commentator in the company’s early days. He said, “You know when I first started doing commentary for the UFC was in ’97, when I first started doing backstage interviews and people were acting like I was doing p-rn. They were like, ‘What are you doing? Like, why are you doing that? Are you crazy?” Well, now his $200 million net worth would surely disagree with all the criticisms he once faced. But what made the UFC so successful?

The UFC’s success mantra

Beyond being a fighting sport, the Ultimate Fighting Championship offers a unique experience in itself. This American League is essential in entertainment for sports lovers in general. Brothers Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta acquired the UFC for $2 million in 2000. After 16 years, they sold it for 4,000 million dollars. This is due to the popularity and growing success of television audiences and fans who follow the league that brings together more than 400 athletes from more than 30 countries.

The Reebok-UFC partnership indicates that international companies are already eager to invest millions in the sport. Similarly, betting and broadcasting rights exalt mixed martial arts. More and more streaming companies and bookmakers want to be able to bring their subscribers the fights and provide the best MMA odds within the betting world. The interest in including a UFC section in newspapers and podcasts also exalts the UFC. Another undeniable reason behind the success unquestionably is the very talented professional fighters offering all the high-adrenaline thrills in one event.

What do you think? Are there more reasons behind the success of the UFC? And do you agree with Joe Rogan’s views? Let us know in the comments.