It’s all about the numbers
MVP MMA’s success or failure all comes down to the numbers game: how many people tuned in, and for how long? Keeping in mind only five fights aired on Netflix (yes, there were some pacing issues, but seemingly every promotion has those, with the UFC better than most outside of numbered events), did fans stay for the majority of the card?
Anecdotally, Rousey vs. Carano was the #1 title on Netflix on Saturday in North America. #6 worldwide, according to Dave Meltzer of WON. If those numbers are accurate, it’s hard to think the card was anything but a win.
In house at the Intuit Dome, attendance was 15,795, a number floated by Meltzer citing Wrestletix. A grain of salt might be needed, official confirmation would be nice, but despite some online trolls claiming the venue was empty (the lighting at the Intuit Dome doesn’t help), it clearly wasn’t. Plenty of outlets, including this one, were on hand to witness it.
Let’s take a look at some other numbers, however.
Tapology revealed following Rousey vs. Carano that Saturday was the biggest day in the website’s history in terms of traffic. Tapology has become the leading record keeper for MMA, essentially the gold standard.
“We don’t normally go into our usage numbers, but for whatever it’s worth, in terms of the discussion of whether anyone was tuning in to watch MMA yesterday, it was by far the biggest traffic day in our history. Not even close,” the website wrote in a statement on social media. “One of those new records where you don’t expect to top it again for a good long while. Except there’s some unusual stuff coming soon with Freedom Fights and Conor McGregor’s return, so who knows.”
For what it’s worth, our own publication had its biggest day in years. Rousey and Carano seemed to drive that traffic, which was easily double your UFC PPV events of late. We haven’t seen that sort of interest in any single event since early in the coronavirus pandemic, when MMA and the UFC in particular had what amounted to a captive audience. Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov’s rivalry, which came to a head at UFC 229 in 2018, might have done just a little less, maybe equal to, but this publication was just a little over a year old at the time, and used a different audience metric platform as well.
In any case, anecdotally at least, there was a whole lot of interest in Rousey vs. Carano. It’s doubtful MVP can find two bigger stars should they put on a second event, but this turnout could very well secure a couple more shows moving forward.
Run Moraes vs. Nkuta back
Whether or not you think Phumi Nkuta got a bum deal at MVP MMA’s Rousey vs. Carno, run his fight with Adraino Moraes back.
Moraes was down on the scorecards, then latched on with a rear-naked choke late in the third. Nkuta did not tap. He did go out. The question was, did he go out before or after the final bell? Officials said before, after reviewing the replay. It was close. There’s an argument to be made that Moraes held the choke for an extra second or two, and that Nkuta wasn’t actually out at the horn.
It’s a tough way to suffer your first pro loss, but Nkuta looked like a star up to that point, against the only man to finish Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson. Ever. At any weight class. And it was a thrilling fight, the best of the night.
You absolutely do this one again. On a main card next time.
