When it comes to fan access, the UFC reigns supreme over all other sports organizations.
The most recent example of the UFC’s openness to the voice of the fan is the upcoming UFC on FX 3 event that will be held in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Why Ft. Lauderdale? Because fans voted for the event to be held there.
The first fight to be aired on the main card will be an entertaining bantamweight collision between Scott Jorgensen and Eddie Wineland. Why? Because the fans got to vote on that too. While the match-ups were already predetermined, it was the fan vote that determined which one got the coveted last spot on the FX show.
So what’s the next step in fan involvement?
An entire card picked by the fans would be an excellent next step. UFC matchmaker Joe Silva is a pivotal cog in the success of the organization—and the best at what he does, but giving him a day off and allowing the fans to pick a card would take the UFC’s commitment to fan involvement to a whole other level.
The idea of fans affecting matchmaking isn’t new—Dana White cited a harsh response from Twitter as one of the reasons he thought better of making a Brock Lesnar–Frank Mir trilogy after Lesnar was defeated by Cain Velasquez. Fans didn’t want the match, so it didn’t happen.
For a sport still trying to break through into the mainstream, an all-fan picked fight card could be a great marketing tool. Allowing the dedicated fans to have that much voice is something that really sets the UFC apart from other major sports organizations.
What are the odds that the NFL would ever allow fans to vote on prime-time match-ups? Slim to none.
The risk involved in allowing the fans to select a card would be minimal. With the increased television exposure that the UFC gets with Fuel TV, FX and Fox, the amount of events continues to grow. Should the card be a flop, the UFC won’t be doing much worse than the ratings that they already pull on the average Fuel card.
If the UFC wants to continue to be the leader in fan access across all sports, the time is now to consider an all fan-picked fight card.
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