UFC Paris: the secrets of the world leader in MMA

Knee, elbow, strangulation… Welcome to the “cage machine”! With its mesh ring in the shape of an octagon, mma (mixed martial arts), a recent discipline of combat sports where all blows, or almost, are allowed, is beginning to jostle with the other star sports on the planet. And this weekend, he will even take a decisive step with the first gala organized in France by the main world organization, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). For the occasion, its American promoters did not hesitate to cross the Atlantic with their gigantic caravan (TV production, managers, referees, ring girls… ). “We have put the small dishes in the big ones. The show is going to be incredible. Even the legendary announcer Bruce Buffer (65 years old) that the organization draws only for the big events, will be there”, warns a kingpin of the organization.

For its debut in France, the UFC has reserved the Accor Arena in Paris Bercy and its 15,000 seats. But they could have filled the Stade de France twice, as the demand from fans was huge (150,000 connections). “In terms of ticketing, it’s a record. We had never sold so many tickets in such a short time (a few minutes, editor’s note). And these are the most expensive seats (sold from 83 to 1600 euros, editor’s note ) who left first”, remarks Nicolas Dupeux, general manager of the room.

“We are first and foremost a media company”

“Such enthusiasm is explained because the UFC is the world leader in MMA. And for them, Paris was the last territory to conquer after the legalization of sport in 2020 in France”, recalls sociologist Yann Ramirez, author of In the MMA cage – Sociology of a 21st century sport (ed Atlande, 2021). Moreover, determined to mark the occasion, Lawrence Epstein, vice-president of the organization, indulges in a little confidence: “They say that what happens in Las Vegas, stays in Las Vegas. But what happens in Paris, the whole world sees it, so we hope to come back to Paris every September.” Now that the door is open, the UFC does not intend to miss its chance.

For years, successive French governments have indeed held back with four irons against this sport deemed too violent, almost barbaric. “The UFC flirted with France because it is the second European country in number of fans. They sent armies of lobbyists. But opponents of MMA were also present in declining sports federations such as boxing or judo” , summarizes Yann Ramirez. Paradoxically, the liberation takes place during the passage of a boxer to Matignon, a certain Edward Philip. “Emmanuel Macron himself had all his bodyguards from the 2017 presidential campaign who practiced MMA. He was quickly made aware,” says a majority parliamentarian.

Before arriving in France, the UFC, created in 1993 by Art Davie, a promoter from kickboxing who wanted to confront different combat sports to determine which would be the best, continued to grow. In the United States, the organization has bought out competing leagues and continues galas in packed halls where it promises each time twenty million dollars in economic benefits. Masterfully led by its president, the colossus Dana White, the UFC reaps the contracts. So much so that it was bought in 2016 for 4 billion dollars by the powerful Hollywood artist management company, Endeavour. If it keeps its finances secret, the UFC has made more than a billion dollars in revenue in 2021 (+ 16% over one year), and would therefore knock on the door of the CAC 40 if it were a listed French company. “We organize 42 events in the year, but we are above all a media company. We produce everything that we broadcast around the world”, specifies Lawrence Epstein.

“From a sporting point of view, we have never been so popular”

In its business model, ticket sales weigh “only about 15%” of its revenue according to an internal source. It is therefore above all the TV rights, the “pay per view” (PPV, fee-for-service) and derivative products that fill the cash drawer. At Uncle Sam, ESPN owns the TV rights against an annual check for $ 300 million. And to make this investment, the flagship American sports channel applies exorbitant prices: 75 dollars per evening, or roughly the price of an entire season of Ligue 1 at Amazon.

“ESPN has been an incredible awareness booster. Even during the covid, we were able to continue to offer fights. We were one of the few sports to offer live,” says a UFC member. In France, RMC Sport owns the rights to live broadcasting, but the L’Equipe channel has also is building on the ranks, featuring past fights every Saturday night. And MMA finds its audience. “In terms of ratings, a UFC Classics night is as powerful as our show The Evening Team during the week, around 250,000 viewers”, indicates Jérôme Saporito, the director of the channel which, once is not custom for the UFC, will broadcast the Parisian gala in the clear.

This departure from the all-paying rule will be an opportunity for Frenchman Cyril Gane, headliner of the evening, to show himself to the general public. “From a sporting point of view, we have never been so popular. MMA crushes all other combat sports. But the road is long before entering the UFC”, confides Lucie Bertaud (37 years old). ), vice-champion of the amateur world of MMA. Because yes, particularity, this discipline gives pride of place to women. The UFC salary grid, which starts around $10,000 for 4 fights, is even the same as the men’s. But beware, only the big stars (Conor McGregor, Francis Ngannou, Cyril Gane) can live comfortably. “To make a living, you have to win the fights, that’s how you climb the grid. But physically, we don’t do more than 4 fights in the year. So, without sponsors, you can’t t ‘get out of it’, confides the one who is preparing her retraining in coaching and journalism, after a remarkable passage on the TF1 show Koh Lanta Last year.

If the UFC reigns supreme, there is still a long way to go for MMA

Among the sponsors, there is one that has an exponential trajectory. Fifteen years ago, Franck Dupuis founded a small textile company dedicated to combat sports: Venum. From a confidential brand, he turned it into a label that sells its products all over the world. And icing on the cake, it has even just taken the place of the giant Reebok as official equipment supplier of the UFC. “They came to see me in 2019. We talked for a while and we agreed on a deal win-win”, explains Franck Dupuis, sole shareholder of the company which employs 70 people for 100 million euros in annual turnover.

This arrival of the UFC in France should allow him to increase the notoriety of his brand. “The UFC is to MMA what the Tour de France is to cycling. They have great freedom and are above the federations”, notes Yann Ramirez. “The show side of the UFC does not bother me, that they make a lot of money either. But I want this financial windfall to come down to clubs and working-class neighborhoods”, warns Patrick Vignal, LREM deputy for the ‘Hérault, judo black belt and martial arts enthusiast. If the UFC reigns supreme over the business, there is still a long way to go for MMA. To date, in France, there are only 1,937 members (including 10% women) in a club, for just over 30,000 regular practitioners. If the show is already well established, the sport is only in its infancy. And Lawrence Epstein thinks big: “We will do everything to be at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028!”. No limit.