UFC welterweight Matt Brown praised the UFC’s social media strategy and its ability to promote fighters’ personalities, contrasting it with boxing’s traditional promotional model which he feels is stuck in the past.
Max Holloway‘s UFC 300 fight against Justin Gaethje was a spectacle. It ended with a jaw-dropping finish that had UFC CEO Dana White in a bind.
In the final seconds, Holloway gestured Gaethje to throw down. This viral moment was destined to be shared by thousands on social media, despite UFC’s preference for $80 pay-per-view sales.
The UFC had to make a quick decision. They chose to post the clip on all their channels, including White’s. They even included multiple angles, fighter reactions, and a slow-motion clip to keep the hype alive.
Matt Brown, a UFC welterweight, sees this as an example of the company’s evolution. He’s been with UFC for 16 years and thinks they’re more forward-thinking than boxing, which he feels is stuck in the past.
Brown’s first thought about the Holloway clip was UFC’s social media strategy. He mentioned a girl named Nina Drama, who he’s not a fan of, but understands why UFC uses her. She gets clicks, and that’s what matters.
He believes boxing is still stuck in the 90s. They’re not embracing social media or trying to get more views or clicks. They’re even trying to use influencer boxing, but Brown doesn’t think that’s real boxing. It’s a separate genre and doesn’t bring new fans to the sport.
Boxing’s problem, according to Brown, is its sporadic blockbuster events. Big fights like Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk draw huge crowds, but the undercard fights don’t get much attention.
Brown thinks boxing isn’t trying to fix what they don’t see as broken. He praises UFC for embracing change, even though he’s more of a traditionalist and slow to accept new things.
Brown acknowledges some boxers transcend the traditional model. However, he doesn’t see this philosophy adopted enough, especially not at UFC’s level.
He’s felt this during his career. Despite having the most knockouts in UFC welterweight history, fans still mention a prank from his time on The Ultimate Fighter.
He cites Ryan Garcia as a boxer who embraced social media before becoming famous. But he thinks UFC does a better job promoting fighters’ personalities.
This, according to Brown, is why fans get so engaged with UFC. They become attached to fighters because UFC magnifies who they are as people.
He wishes boxing would adopt UFC’s model to build stars and gain fan interest. But he’s not sure it will happen.
Brown believes people invest in emotions. He mentions Sean Strickland as an example. Strickland is polarizing, and that’s what works.
He praises UFC’s marketing strategy and acknowledges the successful business Dana White has built. He believes UFC knows how to build a star.
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