Introduction
High-octane combat sports often thrive in intense atmospheres and adrenaline; they can give people the adrenaline kick and excitement that captivates an audience. In many ways, the UFC and gambling share this connection. Both are seen as risky and can generate intense excitement and adoration. However, they can also cause complete despair and operate on two ends of the emotional scale and this connection; there’s also the colossal impact that betting has on fan engagement, social media trends, and TV ratings.
Dana White – The CEO Of UFC
Dana has almost single-handedly dragged mixed martial arts from the fringe of combat sports to the zenith of the entire sector. In many ways, UFC is beginning to steal a march on boxing because there’s not a multi-layered ego clash between promoters, managers, trainers, and fighters. However, Dana, as the monolithic head of the organization, is more than aware that his presence at the very top of the UFC pyramid is paramount in the structure and direction of the gigantic multi-billion dollar company. This isn’t something that happens by chance, Dana is not only an astute, driven businessman who works tirelessly to deliver a premium product, but he is also a risk taker, both in business and outside, and this has stood him in good stead in developing the UFC into a global enterprise, and has sometimes paid off for him while playing casino games too, which he is a big fan of.
While he has tried his hand at several casino games, despite being a big blackjack fan, he is also adept at other card-based casino games like poker. White, with a net worth of half a billion dollars, would be considered a high-roller, and he’s had a turbulent relationship with some Vegas casinos, stating that he has been banned from establishments after winning too much money.
Poker in Vegas casinos isn’t the only way to enjoy the world-famous pastime; there’s now a massive wave of new online casinos looking to offer tables to people who prefer a different variant of the game where psychology doesn’t play as big of a role and the onus is on how good your hand is. Online poker for real money provides all the same enjoyment you would find at a land-based casino, where many UFC events occur. Still, there’s the bonus of playing poker from the solitude of your home without spending money or effort traveling to a physical destination before you have even placed a bet.
UFC TV Ratings & Betting Markets
Although boxing still has several of the most significant PPV records, one of the biggest-ever events was the crossover event between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor. Still, if you remove Mayweather from the top 10 PPV events of all time, the list would be almost exclusively UFC events that have taken place within the last five years – which shows just how much the ratings are growing for the sport.
While a lot of this audience intrigue stems from high-quality matchups, and a genuine desire for solid, deep cards of great fights, which is something we see less and less of in boxing, the betting market in the UFC is one of the fastest growing and competitive due to the quality of the fights. Many combat sports fans believe that the UFC is taking over from boxing, and the gambling markets help to fuel this interest amongst ardent and casual fans.
In addition, the UFC also has several gambling sponsors they work closely with, as do many of the fighters within the organization. While sponsorships and endorsements are excellent brand visibility for gambling companies, it helps to fuel the adrenaline and hysteria of a big fight night.
Having a bet on an already exhilarating sport can give it that extra 5-10% excitement that people are looking for with their entertainment, and with an ample amount of markets available, there is a lot of excitement amongst sports betting companies that new waves of favorable legislation will open up the UFC betting markets to more fans across the United States and the world.
Final Thoughts
The UFC and sports gambling primarily overlap because of the emotions they make people feel. The excitement and drama of a UFC fight are mirrored by few things in our day-to-day lives, and placing a sports bet can be an exciting hobby so long as you bet within your means and set appropriate time and deposit limits.
Ultimately, this is where the bulk of the connection comes from; both activities channel into a hard-wired function within millions of us, and one will often complement the other. Therefore, those fans looking to place a bet on UFC will usually tune in and bolster the ratings. Conversely, those looking to watch the fights may place a bet if they’re watching with friends, so the two intertwine strongly.
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