Mixed Martial Arts made an explosive entrance on the New York stage on Saturday with Irish superstar Conor McGregor’s historic UFC 205 triumph at Madison Square Garden shattering revenue records.
McGregor’s dismantling of Eddie Alvarez for the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight title made the UFC flyweight champion the first to hold two UFC titles simultaneously.
The historic result came in front of a packed house at one of America’s most famous sporting venues, after eight years of legislative wrangling finally saw the state of New York lift its long-running ban of professional MMA in April.
Even before the doors of the lucrative New York market opened, UFC was a remarkable economic success, with an estimated turnover of $600 million (Dh2.2 billion) in 2015.
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This private MMA championship was bought in early July by the Beverly Hills-based sports marketing agency WME-IMG, for an estimated $4bn. The success of Saturday’s blockbuster card only enhances its value.
Some 20,427 spectators, $17.7m in ticket sales and unprecedented pay-per-view sales pulverised all records, UFC president Dana White said at a press conference.
“The place was sold out, it was packed to the rafters,” White said. “We broke the Madison Square Garden record, which I don’t think will ever be broken again.”
McGregor, beloved by fans not only for his prowess in the octagon but also for his swagger outside it, said he wants a bigger piece of the financial action.
“They need to come talk to me now,” McGregor said. “No one’s talked to me as a businessman since the sale’s happened. That’s not good.
“I mean, who owns the company now? People, celebrities, have shares in the company.
“Where’s my share, where’s my equity? You want me to stick around, I want my share, I want my equity.”
As predicted, the UFC at Madison Square Garden evoked the glamour of boxing’s golden days. Gold chains and fur coats were in evidence along with a host of star spectators that would be the envy of any New York sporting event.
Pop star Madonna, actor Hugh Jackman, singer Nick Jonas, new Spider-Man actor Tom Holland and singer Demi Lovato were among the vibrant crowd.
MMA is still banned in many countries, including France. Ireland’s sports minister promised a crackdown on promoters in April after Portuguese fighter Joao Carvalho died from injuries received in a Total Extreme Fighting (TEF) MMA event in Dublin.
“It’s not family entertainment,” said Peter Downes, 47, from Ireland living in New York. “I have 10 year olds and I would not take them to a UFC fight. When they’re teenagers, maybe.”
There was a time when boxing turned heads in New York, with fans transported by Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier or Roberto Duran, however the sport’s numerous governing bodies allows fighters to avoid each other, often depriving fans of the chance to see the best against the best.
White, who has had his clashes with his outspoken star, also knows McGregor’s value.
“Conor’s special,” he said. “I’ve never dealt with anybody like this kid on so many different levels.”
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