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For immediate release  Friday, February 21, 2014        6 pp.

Contacts:

      Krista Jenkins  908.328.8967 (cell) or 973.443.8390 (office); kjenkins@fdu.edu

      Jennifer Lehr 973.934.2257 (cell), jennifer@fdu.edu

Fighting for its Place:
MMA, Women’s Bouts Increase in Popularity

MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) fights have become more mainstream over the past nine years, and while fans are more interested than ever, they are also clamoring for a type of fight that has always played second fiddle in boxing and wrestling: a match between two women. The multidisciplinary combat sport known as Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is a relative newcomer on the American sporting scene. Boxing and wrestling, two of the individual sports that form the foundation of MMA, have rich histories in the U.S., but MMA has only been popular in the country for the last 20 years. Popularity has increased even more in the last nine years, in large part due to the success of cable reality programs like “The Ultimate Fighter” (known as TUF, for short) coupled with consistent pay-per-view sales. The average number of PPV “buys” per event between 2008 and 2012 was 526,470. That average jumps to 605,114 when the main event is a title bout.

But how much has the average person read or heard about the sport?

Results from the most recent national survey from Fairleigh Dickinson University’s PublicMind show that more than 80% of Americans have some knowledge of the sport with 30% knowing “a lot,” 26% claiming to know or have read “some” about the sport, and 25% knowing “just a little.”

According to Mike Constantino, Owner, Executive Director and Head Trainer at the AMA Fight Club in Whippany, NJ, “Around the time the Ultimate Fighter debuted, I saw a spike in phone calls and inquiries at my gym for classes that we were currently offering but now had mainstream appeal. The overall education process of the sport brought awareness from demographics that have not been exposed to MMA previously.”

MMA takes the basics of boxing (typically referred to as “striking” in MMA) and wrestling and adds “submissions” to the mix; the art of using leverage and various holds to render one’s opponent unable to continue. Fighters indicate their inability to continue by “tapping out,” a light striking of the mat or their opponent to signal their submission. Fighters can also verbally “tap out” by letting the referee know that they are unable to continue.

A more marked difference shows up when individuals are asked about the extent to which they would describe themselves as a fan of the sport. One quarter or 26% say “yes,” they are fans of MMA while nearly three-quarters of survey respondents (72%) are not self-described fans. Gender differences are also apparent as far fewer women report being fans (5%) than men (20%). Race appears to play a role in the mix as well with a larger percentage of non-whites (34%) reporting themselves to be fans than whites (23%).

“The sport of MMA is worldwide and appeals to all races, religions and genders,” says Constantino. “Competition is international just like the Olympics where individuals compete against each other without knowing the other’s language. This enables everyone to be able to relate to MMA. As the sport continues to grow, the fan base will become more diverse.”

Women in the Ring

With MMA’s growing appeal has come more interest in women’s bouts.

According to Jennifer Lehr, Associate Professor of Communication Studies at Fairleigh Dickinson University, “Female fans may have started out watching MMA with their boyfriends or husbands but now they can see themselves in the ring, and I certainly don’t mean as ring girls. This was especially true in Season 18 of TUF, the first season to include both female fighters and coaches.”

When asked if women should be given the choice to compete in contact sports or if MMA should be reserved for male competitors only, both men and women agreed (79%) that women should be given the choice to compete.

Constantino adds, “MMA provides a next level platform for female combat sports athletes, such as wrestlers and Judo players, that now have an option for a career path to continue in their field. For instance, current UFC fighters Champion Ronda Rousey and Sara McMann have both medaled in the Olympics. With MMA as an option they can now continue their career in a similar field.”

This support of female fighters also carries over into the realm of pay-per-view events, the bread and butter of promotional organizations like the UFC® (Ultimate Fighting Championships®), which has been in existence since 1993 and is now producing more than 30 live events each year (about half of those events are pay-per-view). The UFC had its biggest pay-per-view audience in three-and-a-half years on December 28, 2013 with just over one million PPV buys. Although PPV revenue has had its ups and downs over the years, the December event showed that UFC PPV is still a viable enterprise. Of particular note, the co-main event was a rematch between Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate, the coaches of TUF’s Season 18.

Pay-Per-View Sales

When asked about their willingness to purchase a pay-per-view event for in-home viewing, 11% reported themselves as very or somewhat likely to purchase a pay-per-view event for in-home viewing. That number improves slightly (14%) when survey respondents were asked if they would be very or somewhat likely to purchase a PPV event if the main event is a bout between two women. Here again, race plays a role with a larger percentage of non-whites (23%) than whites (9%) reporting themselves as very likely or somewhat likely to purchase a pay-per-view event if the main event is a bout is between two women

“We already know that MMA fans have changed the landscape of pay-per-view (PPV) sporting events, with UFC PPV sales surpassing professional boxing PPV ticket sales in early 2013” says Lehr, “and now it looks as though they’re just as willing to pay for a fight card whether the main event is between two female fighters or two male fighters.”

 

The Fairleigh Dickinson University poll of 1002 American aged 18 and older who reside in the United States was conducted by telephone with both landline and cell phones from December 9 through December 15, 2013, and has a margin of error of +/3.1 percentage points.

 

Methodology

The most recent national survey by Fairleigh Dickinson University’s PublicMind was conducted by telephone from December 9 through December 15, 2013 using a randomly selected sample of 1002 individuals aged 18 and older who reside in the United States. One can be 95 percent confident that the error attributable to sampling has a range of +/- 3.1 percentage points. The margin of error for subgroups is larger and varies by the size of that subgroup. Survey results are also subject to non-sampling error. This kind of error, which cannot be measured, arises from a number of factors including, but not limited to, non-response (eligible individuals refusing to be interviewed), question wording, the order in which questions are asked, and variations among interviewers.

PublicMind interviews are conducted by Opinion America of Cedar Knolls, NJ, with professionally trained interviewers using a CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing) system. Random selection >is achieved by computerized random-digit dialing. This technique gives every person with a landline phone number (including those with unlisted numbers) an equal chance of being selected.

Landline households are supplemented with a separate, randomly selected sample of cell-phone respondents interviewed in the same time frame. The total combined sample is mathematically weighted to match known demographics of age, race and gender.

 

 

 

 

Tables

How much have you heard or read about the sport known as Mixed Martial Arts, sometimes referred to as ultimate fighting or cage fighting?
	All	Gender		Age				Race
		Male	Female	18-29	30-44	45-59	60+	White	Non-white
A lot	30%	43	17	51	37	22	12	26	39
Some	26%	24	29	22	33	28	22	27	23
Just a little	25%	22	28	19	23	28	29	29	17
Nothing at all	18%	11	26	7	7	22	38	18	21
DK/Ref (vol)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

 

Are you a fan of mixed martial arts, or not?
	All	Gender		Age				Race
		Male	Female	18-29	30-44	45-59	60+	White	Non-white
Yes	26%	42	11	44	40	17	6	23	34
No	72%	56	87	56	58	80	92	75	65
DK/Ref (vol)	2%	2	1	-	1	3	1	2	1

 

How often, if at all, do you watch the cable program, "The Ultimate Fighter?"
	All	Gender		Age				Race
		Male	Female	18-29	30-44	45-59	60+	White	Non-white
Regularly	4%	7	1	8	6	3	-	3	8
Often	8%	11	4	14	10	4	3	7	9
Rarely	20%	25	15	28	25	16	11	17	25
Never	68%	56	78	51	58	75	85	72	58
DK/Ref (vol)	1%	-	1	-	-	1	1	1	-

 

Please tell me which of the following statements best describes how you feel, even if neither statement is perfect. Women should be given the choice to compete in contact sports, such as mixed martial arts OR Contact sports, such as mixed martial arts, should be reserved for male competitors only.
	All	Gender		Age				Race
		Male	Female	18-29	30-44	45-59	60+	White	Non-white
Women should play	79%	83	74	92	89	79	55	78	80
Only men should play	8%	6	10	3	4	10	15	8	10
Neither	10%	8	11	3	5	8	24	11	7
DK/Ref (vol)	4%	2	5	2	2	4	7	3	2

 

 

 

 

 

How would you rate your likelihood of purchasing a pay-per-view mixed martial arts event for in-home viewing?
	All	Gender		Age				Race
		Male	Female	18-29	30-44	45-59	60+	White	Non-white
Very likely	5%	7	3	7	9	3	1	4	9
Somewhat likely	6%	9	3	8	10	3	3	4	9
Somewhat unlikely	7%	11	4	16	6	6	3	6	11
Very unlikely	81%	73	88	68	74	88	92	85	71
DK/Ref (vol)	1%	-	2	1	1	-	1	1	-

 

How would you rate your likelihood of purchasing a pay-per-view mixed martial arts event if the main event was a bout between two women?
	All	Gender		Age				Race
		Male	Female	18-29	30-44	45-59	60+	White	Non-white
Very likely	6%	8	4	10	8	4	2	3	12
Somewhat likely	8%	11	5	13	11	3	4	6	11
Somewhat unlikely	7%	10	4	13	8	4	3	6	9
Very unlikely	78%	70	86	62	71	88	89	83	67
DK/Ref (vol)	1%	1	2	2	2	-	1	2	-

 

Exact Question Wording and Order

 

US1 through US5 released December 18, 2013

 

M1 released January 23, 2014

 

USS11through USS4 held for forthcoming release

 

Now turning to sports…

 

NFL1 through NFL5 released January 23 and January 24, 2014

 

MMA1 How much have you heard or read about the sport known as Mixed Martial Arts, sometime referred to as ultimate fighting or cage fighting?

1          A lot

2          Some

3          Just a little 

4          Nothing at all

8          DK/Refused (vol)

 

MMA2 Are you a fan of mixed martial arts, or not?

1          Yes

2          No

8          DK/Refused (vol)

 

MMA3             How often, if at all, do watch the cable program, "The Ultimate Fighter?"

1          Regularly

2          Often

3          Rarely

4          Never

8          DK/Refused (vol)

 

MMA4             Please tell me which of the following statements best describes how you feel, even if neither statement is perfect.

1          Women should be given the choice to compete in contact sports, such as mixed martial arts.

2          Contact sports, such as mixed martial arts, should be reserved for male competitors only

8          Neither

9          DK/Refused (vol)

 

MM5    How would you rate your likelihood of purchasing a pay-per-view mixed martial arts  event for in-home viewing?

1          Very likely

2          Somewhat likely

3          Somewhat unlikely

4          Very unlikely

8          DK/Refused

 

MMA6             How would you rate your likelihood of purchasing a pay-per-view mixed martial arts event if the main event was a bout between two women?

1          Very likely

2          Somewhat likely

3          Somewhat unlikely

4          Very unlikely

8          DK/Refused

 

 

Sample characteristics

 

Sample characteristics

Gender

Male	49
Female	51

 

Age

18-29	22
30-44	26
45-59	28
60+	24
Refused	2

 

Race/Ethnicity

White	70
Black/African-American	12
Latino or Hispanic	12
Asian	2
Other/refused	4

 

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