5 Fights that could take the UFC to new commercial heights
In 2016, the Ultimate Fighting Championship was sold to the WME-IMG group for 4.2 billion dollars and was the largest sports acquisition ever at the time. The UFC has since prospered but not at the level that was expected by Ari Emanuel (CEO at WME).
However, with a talent pool larger than ever and the fight game garnering more & more interest from new fans, the UFC could potentially be nearing its golden-era. With new stars including the likes of TJ Dillashaw, Khabib, Rose Namajunas, it is important that the Nevada based company makes the most of this surge of talent.
The very fact that the UFC has helped carve a unique niche for the sport of MMA in this fast-changing entertainment-driven world, just goes to show how much of a success the company has been thus far. Speaking of which there are several big money fights on the horizon for the UFC right now--something that the promotion needs to capitalize on sooner rather than later, so as to prevent the odd money fight from slipping away.
Now, Conor Mcgregor is in his own league and is constantly pulling away from the pack, so here we take a look at some lucrative bouts that do not feature the Irishman--
#1 Francis Ngannou vs Anthony Joshua (Discipline: MMA)
Now, it is well known that the Englishman is a champion boxer and not a mixed martial artist, but the unbeaten star has expressed his interest in MMA several times and responded positively when asked if he'd like to be involved with the UFC.
This is an interesting match-up as it squares up the Watford native against arguably the hardest hitter in the UFC's history. Ngannou possesses knockout power unlike any other and has a good stand up game.
However, the Cameroonian has a limited skill set on the ground and thus it makes for a competitive fight should one book him against Anthony Joshua in an MMA bout. Regardless of who wins, White could arrange for a boxing bout in the rematch and that could be a good start for Zuffa Boxing given the reception it would receive.