by Paula Ibieta
I hadn’t actually sat down to watch an entire UFC event in a while. This past Saturday, watching UFC 189 from beginning to end turned out to be a much-needed reminder. I had forgotten why nakmuays have a visceral reaction to any suggestion that they need to be more like the UFC. But now I remember. The songs, the shit-talking, the loudmouth commentary – it’s just too much. I get the appeal, but it’s the antithesis of everything we understand Muay Thai to be.
Don’t get me wrong; I can enjoy watching MMA and the UFC, and I will certainly continue to follow it at some level. When Ronda Rousey fights Bethe Correia on August 1st, nothing will be able to move me from my spot in from of the TV. But I couldn’t imagine a Muay Thai show on this scale using the same strategies. It’s a natural comparison, as MMA is the only fighting sport currently pushing its way into the mainstream. But it doesn’t fit for Muay Thai.
So what’s to be done? How is Muay Thai supposed to sell itself? It’s got to be different from MMA and Western boxing, not only because it is such afundamentally different sport, but also because the UFC already occupies that niche.
Can a Ranking System Help?
Here’s an idea. Siam Fight Productions, an Arizona-based promotion,has recently launched a brand-new venture: the International Amateur Muaythai Gym (IAMG) ranking system. Like many people in the Muay Thai community, Siam doesn’t believe in following too closely in the UFC’s footsteps. They feel that the business model of promoting characters doesn’t fit well with Muay Thai athletes because the majority of them are not as outspoken and boisterous as MMA fighters.
Instead, Siam is looking elsewhere for strategies. The IAMG ranking system is inspired by those used in all mainstream sports. It would rate Muay Thai gyms the same way the NFL or MLB rates its teams and players. Muay Thai gyms will be treated as teams with an overall rating. The points each fighter scores will contribute to that score, in addition to becoming his or her personal stats.
The Benefits of a Ranking System
This ranking system could mean tremendous benefitsfor the existing Muay Thai world – and it doesn’t cost promotersor fighters a cent.All that needs to happen is for promoters to visit www.muaythaigymrank.com, register, agree to have their shows ranked, and submit fight results. ThenIAMG system will calculate total points awarded per show, creating a live-updating ranking of the best gyms.
The IAMG rankings are formulated to favor the most active, competitive gyms. It’s an objective point system, calculating scores based on concrete results. For example, participation alone counts positively toward a gym’s score, regardless of outcome. Winning and/or defending a national or world title bringsmany more points. Offenses such as cheating, a no-show or any kind of WADA violation count as a negative score and so detract from a gym’s total.
Promotions that adopt this system can vastlyincrease theirpull. An IAMG-rated show offers fighters a new incentive: the chance to boost their gym’s reputation on an internationally recognized scale. By the same token, fighters and gymsreceive individual benefits. Athletes from recognized gyms becomemore desirable contestants and are more likely to receive a spot on a coveted card.
The IAMG website will also develop into a central database for promoters and coaches to build connections. Promoters will become more aware of active, competitive gyms, and coaches will gain a deeper understanding of which promotions are most suitable for their athletes. Having a centralized portal is crucial to fostering competition, as gyms and fighters will know exactly where they stand and how they can improve their status.
Building Fans from the Outside In – Fantasy Muay Thai?
The ultimate goal of the IAMG rankingsaren’t just to boost connections within the existing Muay Thai world, though. Siam’s ultimate goal is to build fans from the outside by “[taking] a page off of the NFL playbook.”Through the IAMG rankings,Siam is putting their own spin onwhat Forbes called the single most important marketing tool for the NFL, or the world’s most lucrative sports league– the game of fantasy football.
In this case, yes, it’s exactly what you’re thinking – the IAMG rankings would eventually lead to Fantasy Muay Thai. It may sound far-fetched, but when you look at the change fantasy football has wrought on the financial state of real football, it’s more than worth considering. The improvements that fantasy football has brought to the real sport– a wider fan base, tighter social ties, increased viewership, greater excitement, more athletic personalities –are just what Muay Thai needs most.And fantasy football hasn’t achieved this by fostering controversy or creating outrageous personalities. It’s increased revenue by upping the thrill factor involved intechnical performance, something Muay Thai has no shortage of.
The Take-Away for Muay Thai – Going Beyond the UFC Debate
Evidently, the differences between football and Muay Thai mean that fantasy Muay Thai would play out in a significantly different way. But the potential is there for fantasy Muay Thai to have a similarly transformative effect.The rankings published by the IAMG system would provide all the information needed. With the right support, this could be just the thing to take Muay Thai one step closer to the mainstream.
What’s undeniable is that if Muay Thai is going to become financially viable on its own terms, it needs something radically different from what’s been done in the UFC. The UFC’s success can’t be argued with, but nakmuays should embrace the fact that MMA now exists in a wildly different niche than Muay Thai wants to occupy. There is noneed to spend forever debating whether Muay Thai should sell out by copying them,or remain in obscurity. Rather, Muay Thai needs an alternative approach that will be just as successful, maybe even more so, in a completely different space. The need for exceptional marketing is absolute – it’s just going to take a lot of creativity, and maybe even a little fantasy, to get there.
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