campaign for a UFC return to Dublin Ireland 2011

mma_ireland · 13-01-2011 1:51pm #1

http://twitter.com/#!/mma_ireland

Please add this link to your twitter account and re tweet so we can get as many followers as possible and show how many of us want the UFC to return to Dublin Ireland.

Ufc 93 was a sucessfull event and a return would beat the Irish records already set on 17th January 2009. We had been promised a return in 2010 and it never happened so here is to showing our love for a sport and hopefully not getting passed over in 2011.

http://twitter.com/#!/mma_ireland

chordtype · 13-01-2011 1:53pm

Good luck with this.

mma_ireland · 13-01-2011 2:44pm

anything is worth a try, power of the internet !!! hopefully if enough of us get onboard we can show our interest at least. You see when ufc posted Mir Vs lesnar 3 the twitter population went nuts saying they didn't want the fight and it was scrapped so you never know but always a chance

SuperWoody101 · 13-01-2011 2:52pm

Facebook one here: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Get-the-UFC-back-to-Ireland/108662189180877

mma_ireland · 13-01-2011 3:03pm

nice one

13-01-2011 4:12pm

Why would they want to come back here? Ireland is a small demographic and we're in a depression.

Sid_Justice · 13-01-2011 5:27pm

one of the potentially great things about seeing the ufc return to ireland is it's an opportunity for an irish fighter to get on the card. with the lighter weights in the ufc now, we could be a lot more competitive.

d_jordan · 14-01-2011 12:33am

Sid_Justice wrote: »

one of the potentially great things about seeing the ufc return to ireland is it's an opportunity for an irish fighter to get on the card. with the lighter weights in the ufc now, we could be a lot more competitive.

that has to be the best reason

Mellor · 14-01-2011 4:22am

That's a positive for us if they comes to ireland, but it in no way is an incentive for the UFC to come to ireland

14-01-2011 10:55am

IMO they have far bigger fish to fry with regard to openng up to new markets. As far as they'll be concerned they've been to "Ireland" twice and will likely have their sights set on other markets in Europe.

MrStuffins · 14-01-2011 12:37pm

What is the campaign for exactly? Sure they're coming back on Paddys Day, didn't you know? Like they did last year and will again next year and the year after...... and the year after......

drayme · 14-01-2011 1:43pm

One look at level of unemployment among their prime demographic in this country totally kills this dead. Brazil, China, New York and Canada have a better upside as markets.

Tyler MacDurden · 14-01-2011 3:13pm

Interesting interview, Lorenzo talks about UFC pushing for a New York show this year, possible return to Japan & Brazil, and their intention to do an event in Scotland. Helwani tried to draw him out on Ireland, but alas he didn't comment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0m-1zLFPVE

Fozzy · 15-01-2011 4:01pm

If you ever look at the Google trends for terms like UFC and MMA, you'll always see Ireland listed as one of the top countries. I would think that their efforts would be better spent raising their profile in countries with more money to offer than a country with little money that will still have a strong interest regardless

Their last European show was in Germany, where they are banned from tv. It seems like they'd prefer to focus on somewhere like that

16-01-2011 3:55am

Tyler MacDurden wrote: »

Helwani tried to draw him out on Ireland, but alas he didn't comment.

I'd say it's more to do with the fact that he's sick of answering it, those of us with ears have heard the answer 50 times now. Yet at the expo in London for example you still had around six people who decided to ask at various points.

They're running a business, they're not going to be swayed by polls or persistent nagging.

They've stated it will happen at some point, that's all we're getting for now.

JOE.iemma · 16-01-2011 9:29pm

Yeah Ireland is in a sorry state but it doesnt stop George Michael, Lionel Ritchie and a host of other artists playing gigs here and charging top dollar for tickets. Ireland is still a viable venue for the UFC as the tickets will sell...... fast!!!

Dana White is always banging on about getting MMA on free to air TV more. Well, a European venue does that thru ESPN!!

The UFC returning to Ireland is a win-win for the business interests of the UFC and for the sport in Ireland.

Get behind the campaign whether you agree or disagree with it. Doing nothing wont get the UFC back.

MrStuffins · 16-01-2011 9:34pm

JOE.iemma wrote: »

Yeah Ireland is in a sorry state but it doesnt stop George Michael, Lionel Ritchie and a host of other artists playing gigs here and charging top dollar for tickets. Ireland is still a viable venue for the UFC as the tickets will sell...... fast!!!

Dana White is always banging on about getting MMA on free to air TV more. Well, a European venue does that thru ESPN!!

The UFC returning to Ireland is a win-win for the business interests of the UFC and for the sport in Ireland.

Get behind the campaign whether you agree or disagree with it. Doing nothing wont get the UFC back.

Firstly, George Michael and Lionel Richie are not implementing a worldwide growth strategy for their peoduct, Zuffa are. So your comparison makes no sense!

Also, since when is ESPN free to air? It's a satelite subscription channel.

Are you really from Joe.ie? I knew there was a reason I didnt go there!

JOE.iemma · 16-01-2011 9:48pm

Fair enough about ESPN

Putting on gigs is a form of advertising your product, similar to the global growth strategy that Zuffa are employing!! If bands/musicians think there is still money to be made out of Ireland does it not follow Zuffa would as well??

Point is Ireland is seen as a place that tickets sellout for shows at high prices. Surely Zuffa want a slice of that

scudzilla · 16-01-2011 9:52pm

JOE.iemma wrote: »

Fair enough about ESPN

Putting on gigs is a form of advertising your product, similar to the global growth strategy that Zuffa are employing!! If bands/musicians think there is still money to be made out of Ireland does it not follow Zuffa would as well??

Point is Ireland is seen as a place that tickets sellout for shows at high prices. Surely Zuffa want a slice of that

With the quality of the cards they're putting on in Europe recently they can no longer charge top prices.

MrStuffins · 16-01-2011 9:53pm

JOE.iemma wrote: »

Fair enough about ESPN

Putting on gigs is a form of advertising your product, similar to the global growth strategy that Zuffa are employing!! If bands/musicians think there is still money to be made out of Ireland does it not follow Zuffa would as well??

Point is Ireland is seen as a place that tickets sellout for shows at high prices. Surely Zuffa want a slice of that

No, your comparison still makes no sense.

Putting on gigs is a way to advertise your product, you new Single or Album or DVD or whatever. UFC's "gig" IS their product. They're not advertising anything else.

When George Michael is playing a gig, he wants as much cash as possible now. The gig isnt gonna grow his fan-base, his songs on the radio and Tv will! However, UFC's strategy is much different because it's a much different product.

MrStuffins · 16-01-2011 9:56pm

JOE.iemma wrote: »

Point is Ireland is seen as a place that tickets sellout for shows at high prices. Surely Zuffa want a slice of that

Also to comment on this, that might be true, but at the end of the day it's very short-sighted. Why put on a show in a reletively small venue like The O2 in dublin to make a quick buck, when they can go to Brazil where they can sell more tickets than Ireland while also building up their fanbase in a new continent?

JOE.iemma · 16-01-2011 10:15pm

I'm pretty sure the music at the gigs is the product!!

I'm also pretty sure a few other people in Europe would be able to watch an Irish event on TV, similar to your Brazilian example

Bottom line it would be great for the sport in Ireland if the UFC returned, why not support and effort to achieve this??

MrStuffins · 16-01-2011 10:20pm

JOE.iemma wrote: »

I'm pretty sure the music at the gigs is the product!!

I'm also pretty sure a few other people in Europe would be able to watch an Irish event on TV, similar to your Brazilian example

Bottom line it would be great for the sport in Ireland if the UFC returned, why not support and effort to achieve this??

Yes, the music is the product. And how do people sell their music?......... through CDs. I'm frankly baffled that you don't understand this.

Also, the fact other European people can see it on TV doesn't add any weight to ireland being a good candidate for a show. peopple all over Europe can already see the existing cards.

I agree it would be great, I loved UFC 93 and would give my right arm for a great card to come here. I'm just showing you why it's not happening yet ffrom a business stand point.

JOE.iemma · 16-01-2011 10:35pm

So apart from having a market that has a track record of selling out high priced ticketed events quickly, no language barrier for organisers and being in a timezone that allows other European countries see the event live, which fits in nicely with the global growth strategy of the UFC, Ireland doesnt make good business sense?

MrStuffins · 16-01-2011 11:15pm

JOE.iemma wrote: »

So apart from having a market that has a track record of selling out high priced ticketed events quickly, no language barrier for organisers and being in a timezone that allows other European countries see the event live, which fits in nicely with the global growth strategy of the UFC, Ireland doesnt make good business sense?

I never said it doesnt make business sense, i'm just pointing out why other places are of higher priority to Zuffa

Mellor · 17-01-2011 5:15am

Tyler MacDurden wrote: »

Interesting interview, Lorenzo talks about UFC pushing for a New York show this year,

NY, specificly the gardens, is UFC's goal

JOE.iemma wrote: »

Ireland is still a viable venue for the UFC as the tickets will sell...... fast!!!

JOE.iemma wrote: »

Point is Ireland is seen as a place that tickets sellout for shows at high prices. Surely Zuffa want a slice of that

JOE.iemma wrote: »

So apart from having a market that has a track record of selling out high priced ticketed events quickly,

Something you are not considering, the UFC doesn't make the bulk of its money from the gate. The vast majority of its profits are from PPV sales.
they'll pretty much sell out every show they put on regardless of location, so they also makes in an invalid point.

I would imagine, that for most events the gate sales, pretty much covers payouts, bonuses, booking the venue, promo stuff and various other bits and pieces.
PPV is profit

JOE.iemma · 17-01-2011 9:57am

MrStuffins wrote: »

I never said it doesnt make business sense, i'm just pointing out why other places are of higher priority to Zuffa

And I never said Ireland was the most important venue for the UFC but it is a very viable one.

PPV can follow once the UFC has established their brand through events across Europe backed up by local TV. MMA is still banned in France and UFC 122 was banned on German TV even though it was held in Germany. Ireland (with no language barrier) allows UFC a gateway to Europe with an event likely to sell out (covering costs).

Whether it works or not a campaign to try and raise awareness to get the UFC back to Ireland is worth supporting.

hisholinessnb · 17-01-2011 2:34pm

JOE.iemma wrote: »

Ireland (with no language barrier) allows UFC a gateway to Europe with an event likely to sell out (covering costs).

The language barrier comment is very odd. Whatever country hosts the UFC events, it will be broadcast in English, this is regardless of the language of the country, no its not really a valid point.

Look you could pretty much pick any country in europe where MMA is not banned to host an event. So why pick a small country you have already been to when you appear for the first time in much bigger countries.
I'm sure having a show in Italy, Greece, Spain etc would make much more sense than Ireland.
I'd love the UFC to come back here as much as anyone on here, but we need to be realistic and accept that from the UFC's point of view, it doesn't make sense.

Rob Carry · 17-01-2011 4:05pm

MrStuffins wrote: »

No, your comparison still makes no sense.

Putting on gigs is a way to advertise your product, you new Single or Album or DVD or whatever. UFC's "gig" IS their product. They're not advertising anything else.

When George Michael is playing a gig, he wants as much cash as possible now. The gig isnt gonna grow his fan-base, his songs on the radio and Tv will! However, UFC's strategy is much different because it's a much different product.

Surely the PPV is the product and the gigs are a means of promoting it? I have to say, the musician comparison seems reasonable enough to me.

Anyway, on the main point - the Eurozone is the single largest economic bloc on the planet and by comparison with developing nations, even with the economy the way it is, there is still far more disposable income floating around for tickets and PPV. I think it makes perfect sense for the UFC to come back to Ireland.

Throw in the fact that Ireland is the only English speaking country in the Eurozone, (which as we've seen in other industries makes doing business here that bit easier), the fact that the UFC knows it will sell out the O2 because it happened last time, the legal problems MMA has in other countries and there is a decent case to be put.

Also, (and don't quote me on this) didn't Dana say that he planned to bring the UFC back again?

I mean there are of course other priorities for the UFC in terms of where they go to next (NY) but that doesn't mean Ireland has been binned forever more.

Anyway, it would be great for MMA in Ireland if it came back. Supporting a campaign couldn't do any harm.

MrStuffins · 17-01-2011 4:22pm

Rob Carry wrote: »

Surely the PPV is the product and the gigs are a means of promoting it? I have to say, the musician comparison seems reasonable enough to me.

Well this was my point. the show IS the product. People are paying to see it.

But bands and artists but on shows to promote another entity, a CD. Thats why the tours are always named after them!

Anyway, on the main point - the Eurozone is the single largest economic bloc on the planet and by comparison with developing nations, even with the economy the way it is, there is still far more disposable income floating around for tickets and PPV. I think it makes perfect sense for the UFC to come back to Ireland.

The Eurozone is crumbling. But anyway, if you're using Europe as an example, there are other places UFC can put on shows where there is much much more potential for growth than Ireland.

Throw in the fact that Ireland is the only English speaking country in the Eurozone, (which as we've seen in other industries makes doing business here that bit easier),

I'll have to stop you there, language barriers mean nothing!

Also, (and don't quote me on this) didn't Dana say that he planned to bring the UFC back again?

Yes, hasnt happened yet.

I mean there are of course other priorities for the UFC in terms of where they go to next (NY) but that doesn't mean Ireland has been binned forever more.

Anyway, it would be great for MMA in Ireland if it came back. Supporting a campaign couldn't do any harm.

EXACTLY!!!!!!

this is my point! I never said ireland should be binned. But there are other priorities!

JOE.iemma · 17-01-2011 8:56pm

To clarify on the language barrier point, from the organisers perspective an English speaking country is obviously easier to put on a show in.

The UFC in Ireland is about Europe, a place there's still massive potential. Whether its the priority of the UFC, I've no idea but their putting on a lot more shows on there than anywhere else in the world outside of the States even though Brazil and Asia have an MMA tradition whereas Europe doesnt.

On the music comparison, musicians play more than just the latest songs at gigs as their product , the music, extends beyond the latest release.

Ireland offers the UFC a timezone for the Europe TV markets to see the event live, no legal barriers to hosting the show, ticket prices that would cover costs, a venue that would sell out quickly and its only 2 years since they were here so I'd imagine the contacts they made are still relevant.

My only point has been support the campaign. It certainly cant do any harm. I'll leave it at that.

campaign for a UFC return to Dublin Ireland 2011

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