A big part of the UFC's marketing strategy is an appeal to professional wrestling fans, which this video -- distributed through the YouTube channel of the pro wrestling outfit TNA -- makes clear:
Brock Lesnar will fight in the UFC for the first time a week from today, which will probably draw in a lot of wrestling fans who had never bought a UFC pay per view. And in that video, Kurt Angle, who like Lesnar has credentials in both legitimate wrestling and pro wrestling, was talking up Lesnar's athletic abilities.
I just worry that the closer UFC allies itself with pro wrestling, the more people will view UFC as similar to pro wrestling. The presence of Lesnar may draw in wrestling fans in the short term but turn away potential new fans in the long term.
Brock Lesnar will fight in the UFC for the first time a week from today, which will probably draw in a lot of wrestling fans who had never bought a UFC pay per view. And in that video, Kurt Angle, who like Lesnar has credentials in both legitimate wrestling and pro wrestling, was talking up Lesnar's athletic abilities.
I just worry that the closer UFC allies itself with pro wrestling, the more people will view UFC as similar to pro wrestling. The presence of Lesnar may draw in wrestling fans in the short term but turn away potential new fans in the long term.