Will MMA Overtake Boxing as the Biggest Las Vegas Draw?
Las Vegas has always been linked with three things; casinos, The Mob, and boxing. The Mob has long since left town, and the gambling has declined over the last year due to the pandemic with online betting sites such as nettikasinot seeing a surge in use. Boxing, however, still makes people think of Vegas.
Some boxers such as Floyd Mayweather are worth so much to the Vegas economy that they can have jail sentences postponed so that they can fight. Not many other sports individuals carry so much weight that they can sway a Judge’s verdict.
However, over the last few decades, MMA has started to make serious in-roads into becoming one of the most televised and watched combat sports. Younger generations are watching and participating in MMA now, so could the rising popularity of this sport eclipse boxing?
Las Vegas’ love affair with boxing
There has been a two-way love affair between boxing and the bright lights of Sin City for as long as anyone alive can remember. The first major fight that took place was in 1955 between Archie Moore and Nino Valdes which drew a disappointing crowd.
However, the start of the ’60s saw the future of boxing in Vegas. Championship fights became a regular occurrence and fighters such as Sonny Liston, George Foreman, Floyd Patterson, Muhammad Ali, and Larry Holmes would all feature over the coming years.
Many Hollywood movies have managed to combine Las Vegas, the love of casino games, and boxing too. One of the best examples is probably the casino heist movie Ocean’s 11 which featured a cameo from Lennox Lewis. This scene was the only time Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko would be in the ring together. Some say the filming cost Lewis his title to Hasim Rahman.
Is boxing’s time in Las Vegas coming to an end?
The big names in boxing have always managed to draw crowds from across the world. American fight fans will travel across the country to Vegas but the British boxing fans have been known to take small armies to the States for their favorites.
Brits in their thousands would descend on casinos and play poker, and blackjack while they waited for the fight to come round.
Hatton, Bruno, Calzaghe, and Lewis could all command a loyal following willing to spend $000s to witness their men fight, and quite often lose, to American opponents.
It is exactly this big-name following that might be the reason that boxing goes into decline. While the MMA has been making new household names, the equivalent in boxing are either retiring or already retired and TV coverage is partly at fault.
Why is MMA appearing to become more popular with younger generations?
In the past, boxing had major network coverage. This made household names out of many boxers. In the UK, it seemed as if there was a major middleweight fight on network TV and many people were introduced to the likes of Calzaghe and Nigel Benn this way.
Nowadays, unless you pay for individual fights and have the necessary subscriptions you won’t see many events. MMA is perhaps more accessible than boxing and it appears to be appealing to a wider market.
Boxing is a very disciplined and skilled martial art but MMA offers many more variations and there are more ways to enter the sport. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu appeals to all ages and there are plenty of good reasons why youngsters should take up BJJ.
Youngsters who are already involved in kickboxing, judo, BJJ, and even Thai boxing can use their skills in MMA making the sport very accessible.
How do the finances stack up?
When fight revenues are adjusted for inflation, Muhhamad Ali’s fights created some of the biggest fight nights ever. Against Foreman, and the third fight with Joe Frazier, approximately $1 billion was made.
These numbers have been repeated in more recent times, notably in fights that have either involved Mayweather or Tyson. One of the only other times it appears any fight matched the revenue and sales of those Ali fights was when a certain MMA fighter was involved.
Whatever you thought of the match-up, Mayweather v McGregor generated half a billion dollars through Showtime and Sky Sports. Was this due to Mayweather’s appeal or the growing army of MMA fans? Most likely a mixture of both.
Currently, UFC revenues don’t match the biggest boxing matches but as big deals with ESPN and other companies occur this may change. One area that isn’t close though is fighters’ purses. Although McGregor can demand dizzying sums to fight, most other MMA fighters can only dream of the purses that top-level boxers make.
Where does sports betting come into MMA?
Of course, Las Vegas was built on casinos and gambling. Boxing fans love to bet, and on fight night casino fans will place some wagers on any big fight that is in town.
Many celebrities love to take part in BJJ, including the likes of Margot Robbie. These same celebrities are the same ones you might see ringside at a big boxing match or in the casinos. It is fair to say then, that any big UFC event that might take place in Vegas would attract some big names.
Where there is glamor and celebrity there is money, and where there is money in Vegas there is sure to be some gambling. Many online casinos, offer sportsbooks and these can be used for UFC betting. They often come with free bets and while you wait for the fight to start you can play games such as poker, or blackjack.
There would seem to be no problem with gamblers who like boxing switching to MMA as its popularity grows.
Summary
MMA is growing at a rapid pace and some of this has to do with social media, marketing, and TV. It is also because people of any age can actively get involved with martial arts such as BJJ for either sport or just for fitness.Vegas is the home of casinos and millions love to play roulette, slot machines, and gamble on sports such as boxing. There are no reasons why MMA shouldn’t feel at home here and as the sport starts to produce more household names it is easy to see them taking their place as the biggest fight draw in Vegas.
