Analyzing the Evolution of the UFC’s Branding

Brandon LeBlanc

In April of 2024, the Ultimate Fighting Championship put on its three-hundredth pay-per-view event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The event, billed with the tagline “Unrivaled Greatness” featured two championship bouts as well as fan-favorites Max Holloway and Justin Gaethje slugging it out for the BMF belt. The event occurred in front of a sellout crowd of 20,000 people and sold over one million buys on pay-per-view, marking a significant milestone for the UFC. However, the UFC has not always seen this level of success— unlike baseball which is ingrained in culture as “America’s Pastime”, mixed martial arts has only existed in its modern form for 30 years and has spent much of its existence struggling to survive as a sport. The UFC especially has faced significant scrutiny since its debut event in 1993 and did not burst into the mainstream of professional sports until well into the 2000s, owing much of its success to The Ultimate Fighter reality TV series as well as transcendent stars like Brock Lesnar and “The Notorious” Conor McGregor. While these athletes have become household names, the UFC had to go through years of negative press and even governmental restrictions before it gained traction financially. 

Mixed Martial Arts as a professional sport has only existed for little over 30 years but traces its roots all the way back to ancient Greece, which developed the martial art known as Pankration for both military combat training and sporting contests—even including the sport at the earliest Olympic games. In the 20th century, the idea of combining martial arts for special-rules contests became more popular, as the Gracie Family challenged other fighters to test their skills against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Even famous boxers got in on the action, with Muhammad Ali crossing over and competing against Antonio Inoki in a bizarre mixed-rules match. The first true mixed-martial-arts competition took place in a small arena in Denver in 1993 and was a thinly attended and bizarre spectacle. The octagon-shaped cage and varied equipment (some fighters wore boxing gloves, others wore karate gi, some wore sumo gear) resembled something like a fighting video game, and there were only three rules: no biting, no groin strikes, and no eye pokes. Fighters were placed in a tournament-style bracket, with some fighting up to three times in one night (UFC 1: The Beginning). Naturally, this event and its ruleset did not last, but the sport still drew the ire of commentators, the public, and governing bodies. U.S. Senator John McCain attempted to get the sport banned in all 50 states and labeled it “human cockfighting” while boxing promoter Lou DiBella dismissed it as a violent fad, closer to professional wrestling than boxing and other pro sports. To shake this criticism and become a respected professional sports league, the UFC had to adapt and evolve their rules and presentation, drawing from history, other sports leagues, and knowledge of rhetoric to both build a strong and dedicated fanbase and expand the sport to new eyes. 

The research question for this study is: How did the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) use different forms of media to communicate and reshape their brand image from 1993-2025? To effectively answer this question, a wide range of texts/media forms were selected to demonstrate the UFC’s concerted effort to present their brand as a professional sports league, which can be seen in various kinds of media they produce. I chose to analyze three different forms: live events, television episodes, and commercials/promotional videos. For live events, I chose UFC 1, UFC 126, and UFC 300, to demonstrate both continuity and change in the UFC’s marquee productions. I also chose to analyze two episodes from season one of The Ultimate Fighter TV series (2005-) due to its significant role in saving the UFC from bankruptcy and for the balance of polished professionalism and violence in the show. Lastly, I chose to analyze some promotional videos, as they closely tie into the same central themes and function as great examples of both how the UFC wants to present itself to potential new viewers and how they frame the outcomes and storylines of the fights they promote. 

Since the UFC has only existed for 30 years, there was not a surplus of academic literature written about the UFC’s changes in branding and presentation—or about the UFC in general. Fortunately, there was substantive writing about other professional sports: hockey, American football, soccer, and boxing, which discussed principles and ideas that can relate back to mixed martial arts and the UFC. For example, the importance of brand deals with the UFC had not been analyzed, but had been in the context of the UEFA Champions League and the NFL. What little writing there was about the UFC mostly centered on criticism of the sport and fighting in general, which was also important to examine since these same criticisms forced the UFC to alter its rules and presentation. 

This study consists of a methods section, literature review, and analysis section. A mixture of textual and discourse analysis was used, since I wanted to analyze both the texts and UFC themselves as well as relevant criticisms and discussions. The literature review covers relevant background information, establishing the importance of brand deals, visual and audio conventions, and the presence of mythology in sports. The methods section details how I approached extracting meaning from the chosen texts, and previews the aspects of each text that convey the UFC’s communication and shifting of their image. In a broad sense, the answer to this research question paints a history of the UFC through a lens of branding and presentation, following the company’s use of media to communicate their values and become an international sports icon.

Literature Review

My research question for this project is “How did the UFC utilize different forms of media to communicate and shift their brand image from 1993-2025?” To examine and answer this question, it is important to first have some background knowledge on the UFC’s history, relevant commentary and criticism, and broader concepts of branding in sports. While the main texts analyzed for this project include UFC pay-per-view events, merchandise, and other forms of media, this literature review will cover a range of scholarly sources, including books, journal articles, and research projects. The history of the UFC and combat sports in general will be examined with the help of journal articles, books, and online sources, and the concept of branding is aided by books and research projects. It is also important to note that while this project is focused on mixed martial arts (and more specifically, the Ultimate Fighting Championship), ideas of branding in sports will be covered here within the context of different organized sports, such as soccer and American Football. Due to the UFC’s relatively short lifespan as a company, which began in 1993, there is far more in-depth research on branding in sports as it pertains to other professional organizations. Most importantly, it has been examined in the NFL, which as a brand holds many similar values to the UFC. To create a logical progression, the UFC’s history will be covered first along with relevant criticism, followed by concepts of branding and communication in sports.

As mentioned earlier, the UFC as a brand has had a relatively short existence. Formed in 1993, it was created with one goal in mind: “to host – in a single event – a fighting tournament featuring various different martial arts disciplines to determine the ultimate fighter” (Brent and Kraska 362). Up to this point , combat sports had remained largely separated, and untested against each other: boxers fought other boxers, jiu-jitsu practitioners and karate fighters held tournaments, along with kickboxing and shoot fighting. While there had been a few attempts at martial arts crossovers (such as boxer Muhammad Ali fighting Antonio Inoki in a mixed-rules match in the late ‘70’s), the UFC was the earliest attempt and creating an organization that displayed multiple martial arts at the same time. In its earliest, most unfiltered form, the UFC only had 3 rules: no groin strikes, no eye gouges, and no biting. This meant that the UFC had no weight classes, no time limits or rounds, no judges (meaning fights could not end in a decision, only by knockout or submission) and many actions that would later be banned, such as hair pulling, were completely legal in the UFC (Hill par. 5).  Additionally, the UFC did not follow the traditional format of a “fight card,” where fighters fight once per night. Instead, they opted for tournament style, where fighters were placed in a bracket and would advance to the next round if they won. This meant that fighters could potentially fight upwards of 3 times per night if they won, which would create issues for the UFC in the future. Gradually, as the sport evolved, more rules were added, both to improve fighter safety and for the progression and legalization of the sport (Hill par. 5). To have a good understanding of the UFC as a company, it is important to understand what mixed martial arts competition looks like both in its present form and in its infancy, and how it developed throughout history.  

Encyclopedia Britannica notes that the idea of mixed martial arts dates to Ancient Greece, which saw its martial arts combat training (called “pankration”) as a sport. This brutal combat sport, which only disallowed eye pokes and biting, could only end when a fighter “acknowledged defeat” or was rendered unconscious, and in some cases saw competitors die. Despite the dangerous nature of this competition, pankration was one of the most popular sports in the Ancient Olympic games. The sport of pankration would later be banned by Roman Emperor Theodosius I, and would remain out of the sporting world until the 20th century (Hill par. 3). However, that does not mean that combat sports in general faded from the public- in fact, combat sports produced some of the most memorable sporting moments and icons of the 20th century- Muhammad Ali became one of the most storied athletes in history with his legendary “phantom punch,” his cinematic trilogy with “Smokin” Joe Frazier, and infamous knockout of George Foreman at the “Rumble in the Jungle” which was viewed by an estimated 1 billion viewers worldwide (Croucher par. 3).  Also during this time, a sport known as Vale Tudo began to gain popularity in Brazil, spearheaded by brothers Carlos and Helio Gracie, who were both jiu-jitsu practitioners. They would take on all fighters, and the spectacle (which resembled a slightly more controlled form of pankration) grew to such popularity that fights would be viewed from soccer stadiums (Hill par. 3). 

The UFC’s existence owes itself to the Gracie family, as they would choose to showcase their talents to the world at the “Ultimate Fighting Championship,” which later became known as UFC 1. This was the first major event of its kind in North America, and the aim “was to pit fighters of different styles against each other—such as wrestler against boxer and kickboxer against judoka” (Gosner par. 1). The tournament featured many of the largest names in early MMA, such as shoot fighter Ken Shamrock and jiu-jitsu practitioner Joyce Gracie, and did just what it set out to do, creating a new and somewhat bizarre spectacle. Kickboxer Gerard Gordeaux knocked out sumo wrestler Tela Tui with a high kick that resulted in one of Tui’s teeth becoming lodged in Gordeau’s shin, which was one of the more violent moments of the night (Hill). Other highlights included boxer Art Jimmerson wearing one boxing glove in his fight against Joyce Gracie (showcasing the lack of uniformity in this new sport) and the tournament’s finale, which saw Gracie submit Gordeau to become the UFC 1 tournament champion (Gosner par. 4). While this event would launch the UFC, change would come quickly as the sport struggled to gain support across the United States. Unified rules of mixed martial arts would be adopted in 2001, and the sport would rise to become an entertainment powerhouse, producing international stars such as “The Notorious” Conor McGregor, Chuck Liddell, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and George “Rush” St. Pierre. However, the UFC did not see their image and success change overnight- it was aided by strong branding and a concerted effort to improve the sport’s public perception. 

While academic literature on the UFC’s use of branding is limited, there is much written about branding in sport, such as Michael Oriard’s book Brand NFL: The Making and Selling of America’s Favorite Sport. Oriard, an academic and former pro football player for the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, covers the evolution of the NFL and several key concepts about sports and branding/public image. American football, as a sport, suffered from many of the same criticisms as the UFC early on, with detractors dismissing it as overly violent. One of the important points covered early in BrandNFL is the importance of stars to a league “Professional football became America’s favorite spectator sport in the 1960’s. It was a decade of great players (as is every decade) Johnny Unitas and Sonny Jorgenson, Lenny Moore and Gale Sayers, Deacon Jones and Dick Butkus…” (Oriard 10). Oriard also notes that the biggest star of this era (along with hard-nosed quarterback Unitas) was Cleveland Browns running back Jim Brown, who transcended the sport through his work in the civil rights movement. These stars were presented in heroic fashion, such as Unitas’s key role in the 1958 NFL Championship game, which garnered the title of “The Greatest Game Ever Played” and saw Unitas’s Baltimore Colts defeat the New York Giants in dramatic overtime fashion, 23-17. Games such as this catapulted the NFL into the mainstream, and became mythical, both for the games themselves and the players involved. This concept of mythos in sport is also covered by Andrew Billings, Michael Butterworth, and Paul Turman in Communication & Sport: Surveying the Field, which dedicates an entire chapter to this relationship. The authors define “myths” as “stories designed to explain the world or, as Hart (1990) puts it, to describe "exceptional people doing exceptional things that serve as a moral guide to proper action” (Billings et. al 95). This concept is seen throughout pro sports, as many of the most important moments in sporting history are based on generational talents overcoming great odds, achieving what was thought impossible, or coming through when they or their teams needed it most (think of Tom Brady and the New England Patriots’ 28-3 comeback, Ali’s upset over Foreman in 1974, or Conor McGregor winning his first undisputed title in a mere 13 seconds). The UFC owes some of its success to the promotion and achievements of its brightest stars, who catapulted the brand into the mainstream with moments that transcended the sport. They reinforce this notion by stating that “What each of these has in common is that they feature either transcendent athletes or championship moments that persist in our collective sports memories. In this way, sports mythology is a way of preserving the best of our past as we try our best to move forward in the future” (Billings et. al 98). For the UFC, sports mythology helped immortalize some of its brightest moments (such as the 2005 Stephan Bonnar vs. Forrest Griffin fight), turning a 15-minute MMA contest into a legendary battle that saved the UFC from bankruptcy. 

Another aspect important to the UFC that is covered within Communication & Sport is the drawing power possessed by violence. When discussing fighting in the National Hockey League, the authors note that from a fan perspective this violence is encouraged and perpetuated by a mythology equating strength and toughness with hand-to-hand combat” (Billings et. al 99). Violence is something that the UFC has never lacked, and in its early days, was something the company leaned into to find a more niche audience. Infamous moments such as the “just bleed” quote from a rowdy early UFC fan and the sport’s limited early ruleset exemplify the inherent violence of the UFC. At UFC 15 in 1997, a crowd camera captured a fan in the audience with the words “Just Bleed” painted on his chest, a moment that would go viral with the rise of the internet and became synonymous with negative stereotypes about the UFC’s fanbase (Jenness).  Billings also notes that violence in sport is not always an unfettered positive: “Unfortunately, even as the game's violence may attract some fans, it has the potential to detract many others from following what can be an exciting sport. In his study of hockey in Canada, Grant (1998) concludes that “‘the mythic power of sport is being used to the detriment of sport itself’" (Billings et. al, 99). Much of the early criticism the UFC faced, and had to work to reshape, stemmed from the violent perception of the sport. 

One example of the UFC’s violent perception comes from Nicholas Dixon in “A Moral Critique of Mixed Martial Arts”, a journal article excerpt from Public Affairs Quarterly. In the article, Dixon analyzes the morality of engaging in mixed martial arts combat while also connecting the sport to boxing, which has also drawn criticism for having a violent nature. The descriptions and analysis Dixon provides are overwhelmingly negative: he notes that in boxing “a snapshot of the face of a fighter on the offensive is liable to reveal an attitude toward the opponent that, in any other context might be fairly described as vicious” and relates this to mixed martial arts: “this description is all the more applicable to MMA, which is far more akin to a street fight” (Dixon 367). The wording of these quotes is particularly relevant to the UFC, as the phrases “street fight” and “human cockfighting” would be used to criticize UFC in its early years, and was even used by boxing commentators to shun and trivialize the sport of MMA. 

This boxing/MMA debate was put on full display in 2008, when Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and UFC commentator Joe Rogan debated boxing promoter Lou DiBella on an October edition of SportsCenter. The debate quickly became contentious, with both trading verbal jabs at each other and attempting to put down the other’s sport of choice and knowledge/expertise. One of the first barbs offered by DiBella targets the UFC’s perceived fanbase: “as long as they can get young white guys to watch, they’re going to be there for a long time” (DiBella). With this, DiBella frames the UFC as a sport that attracts a limited pool of viewers who mostly are concerned with the more violent and bloody aspects of mixed martial arts. Also in this debate, DiBella used the phrase “human cockfighting” to describe the UFC: when asked if MMA was in the same market as boxing, DiBella replied “it’s got nothing to do with boxing, in the same way that pro wrestling has nothing to do with boxing, it’s a different form of entertainment… in my view, it’s like human cockfighting or pitbull fighting. Guys are elbowing each other in the head, guys are kneeing each other, getting into leg locks and start rolling around on the ground in submission holds” (DiBella). This perspective was one that was shared by many boxing pundits, and the public in general, and descriptions such as this led the sport to be (at one point) banned in 36 U.S States. Later in the debate, DiBella makes a comment that ties in the importance of reputation in brand deals to the UFC’s perception- “if we ever advertised boxing matches on ESPN or HBO or anyplace else with blood splats, like you do on your Spike TV show, the state athletic commissions would jump all over us…” (DiBella). This statement is hardly fact based- DiBella was not referring to any specific piece of media, and was trying to attack the sport of MMA as less civilized (and claim that Joe Rogan simply didn’t understand boxing). Additionally, the mention of ESPN and HBO is somewhat ironic in the context of MMA- while the UFC was airing events and related media on Spike TV in 2008, in the coming years, the UFC would sign a broadcast deal with ESPN to air all pay-per-view events on the ESPN+ network and rival MMA organization Bellator would ink a deal with HBO and Showtime. The last piece of this debate that is particularly noteworthy comes near the end, when Rogan reminds DiBella that UFC athletes are just as talented in their martial arts as boxers are, whether they be NCAA wrestling champions, Olympic judokas, world champion kickboxers, or otherwise. This showcases how the UFC and its supporters would emphasize the skill of their athletes just as much as the violence, if not more. 

Scholars John Brent and Peter Kraska comment on violence and the perception of mixed martial arts in “Fighting is the Most Real and Honest Thing: Violence and the Civilization/Barbarism Dialectic”, which is an excerpt from The British Journal of Criminology, In the context of this literature review, it is helpful for understanding some of the most prevalent types of commentary on the sport of MMA, which the UFC has had to combat and work around. Only two years into the UFC’s existence, they were already faced withing scathing critique from United States lawmakers: “In 1995, Senator John McCain sent letters to all 50 states asking them to ban the sport, stating in an interview: “it is an incredibly brutal spectacle that is on the level of cockfighting, only we’re using human beings. This is as close as anything I’ve seen to the days of the gladiator” (Brent and Kraska 362). While McCain’s efforts fell short of the full 50 states (as stated earlier, 36 states banned the sport initially) the added ruleset helped the sport gain legitimacy and gain approval from state athletic commissions. Another point that Brent and Kraska make is that attempts to standardize and regulate perceived “no-holds barred” fighting will ultimately lead to counter movements, such as the mentioned “Felony Fights” internet series, which promotes a more gimmick-laden and less organized form of combat, with 2 vs. 2 fights and male vs. female fights. While the sport of MMA would grow apart from these backyard brawls, the negative stigma around them would often become linked to the MMA world.

In a different sense, Brand NFL also coversperception of sport, but in a more literal sense- how are sports presented to viewers? Oriard notes that NFL Films developed a visual presentation style that lays many fundamentals to sports broadcasting, which can be seen in the UFC’s pay-per-view events and promotional material. In terms of imaging, the importance of close-ups and slow motion are mentioned, which can show the human emotion on athlete’s faces and allow viewers to see events that may have been missed in real time. The importance of sound is also noted: Oriard elaborates that sound in NFL Films features “equally important elements of symphonic music punctuated by grunts, collisions, and shouts caught by wireless microphones” (Oriard 16). Additionally, the use of lean narration, described as “sometimes poetic, always melodramatic”, editing montages with distinct segments to highlight different aspects of the sport, and the use of epic, “mythic” storylines are central to NFL Films (Oriard 16). These concepts prove to be not just essential to pro football, but to video coverage of all sports- the UFC included. 

Brand NFL also contains helpful information on the relationship between pro sports leagues and other brands. Oriard notes that while a large sum of NFL revenue came from various TV deals with CBS, ABC, and others, the NFL was also seeing significant revenue from its various deals with Coke products, Gatorade, and other brands. Additionally, around 1993, the NFL saw a shift in its marketing perspective- the NFL was so popular that it began competing not just with other sports leagues, but with all forms of entertainment, such as movies, TV shows, and music. While it is fair to say that the UFC has not quite reached this level of popularity, the NFL’s strategy shift does reveal something important about large professional sports leagues: to expand and grow a sport, you need more than just a strong, dedicated group of hardcore fans, but also need to market to casual fans. This strategy allows companies like the NFL to boost numbers and expand their total fanbase- someone could start as a casual fan catching a game on a Sunday and gradually become a more dedicated fan of a certain team (Oriard 180). 

Another source that details brand relations to pro sports is from Remco Beek and Inge Derom. In their work “Sponsoring the UEFA Champions League: Exploring the Impact on Brand Equity Among Fan Profiles”, a journal article from Soccer & Society. Beek and Derom examine this concept through the lens of the UEFA Champions League, which is one of the most prestigious soccer leagues in the world- pulling the best teams from the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, and all throughout Europe. Remco and Derom state that “With reference to human associative memory, one of the dominant theoretical perspectives in brand association research, sponsorship studies have shown that consumers form linkages between brands and events in order to build brand equity” (Beek and Derom 564). This concept is crucial to understanding how brand deals have impacted the UFC’s evolution, as many sponsors and brands associated with the UFC have been long-standing partnerships or have at least been linked to each other for some time (for example, apparel brand Venum was one of the first companies to make athletic gear specifically for MMA athletes and now holds a multi-year deal with the UFC as the exclusive supplier of UFC fight gear). Also noted is the wide-ranging sponsorships that can affect fan recall and impact commercial success:

This playfield of sponsorships ranges from official UCL competition sponsors (e.g. Nissan), UCL supply partners (e.g. Adidas), official shirts of participating teams (e.g. Jeep for Juventus, Chevrolet for Manchester United), team kit-suppliers (e.g. Nike and Puma), individual athlete sponsors (e.g. boot deals of Nike with French striker Mbappé and Puma with Brazil’s Neymar) in addition to various media partners with its commercials by diverse brands. (Beek and Derom 575-576) 

While the UFC does not have sponsorships with the same brands as the UEFA Champions League, it does have similar types of sponsorships (Venum and Reebok as supply partners, athletes doing commercials for Bud Light and Jose Cuervo). Also of importance is the mention of “media partners”, which have played a big part in the UFC’s search for legitimacy. While DiBella criticized the UFC for airing content on the Spike Tv Network, the UFC would later sign broadcast deals with reputable brands such as FOX, ESPN, and most recently Paramount. 

While the topics of discussion in this literature review have covered boxing, soccer, the NFL, and NHL, they all relate back to mixed martial arts and the UFC through the shared values and connecting threads present in all professional sports. With the knowledge of the UFC’s development as a sport and history of criticism, as well as the strong effect branding and media have on professional sports, it will be easier to understand and follow the analysis of UFC media and content.

Methods

My research question for this project is: How did the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) use different forms of media to communicate and reshape their brand image from 1993-2025? This question is one that is important to consider when looking at where the UFC stands among professional sports today, and ties in concepts such as branding in sports and the power of brand deals. Additionally, it also tracks the evolution of the sport of mixed martial arts, starting as a perceived bloody and underground cage fight and transforming into one of the fastest growing and most popular sports of the 21st century. To answer this question, I analyze UFC Fight Cards from different eras, as well as the brand deals and fight graphics contained within them, promotional videos, and episodes from the first season of the TV Show The Ultimate Fighter, which originally aired on Spike TV in 2005. I use both textual and discourse analysis to analyze these texts and examples, as the various forms of media being examined require different methods and lenses to find meaning from them.

When choosing texts and examples to analyze, I engage with a wide range of media types, which allows for a more complete analysis of the UFC’s evolution. For UFC Events, I chose portions of the main cards of UFC 1 (1993), UFC 126 (2011), and UFC 300 (2024)- which represent different eras in the UFC’s history and showcase crucial aspects of the UFC’s growth. The first event is a demonstration of the company and sport in its rawest form- with minimal rules, an extremely unconventional format, and almost gimmicky presentation. UFC 100 is a good example of the sport’s progression towards legitimacy and professionalism- while still retaining elements that defined the company in its early days. UFC 300, which aired in April of 2024, displays MMA as it stands today: a sharp, professional sports league, with intelligent commentary and precise branding. These pay-per-view events provide a wide array of elements to analyze, from in-fight commentary, fighter graphics, musical cues, and more; even the fighter’s shorts play an important role. Additionally, I also cover an episode of The Ultimate Fighter TV show, as its airing is credited with saving the UFC from bankruptcy and bringing a new audience to the sport. The show, which ran on the Spike TV network in the mid-2000s, showcased the human side of MMA fighters, which helped shift negative perceptions about the sport and its athletes while providing more emotional weight behind the contests, which is a key aspect of the perceived “mythos” behind professional sports which is covered by journalism and media experts Andrew Billings, Michael Butterworth, and Paul Turman, featured in the literature review. 

To properly examine these texts, I chose to use both textual and discourse analysis to provide a balanced and wide-ranging perspective of the analyzed texts. Analyzing texts, according to media scholar Alan McKee, is “a way for researchers to gather information about how other human beings make sense of the world…we make an educated guess at some of the most likely interpretations that might be made of that text” (McKee 1). Additionally, it is important to note that “whenever we produce an interpretation of something’s meaning…we treat it as a text” (McKee 2). Therefore, UFC pay-per-views, TV episodes, fight graphics, and even musical cues can be viewed from a textual analysis standpoint- meaning from these can be extracted with proper analysis and context. However, there are some situations where discourse analysis would be equally helpful in understanding these texts and using them to answer the research question. According to the writers of Introducing Communication Research: Paths of Inquiry, “discourse analysis focuses on how language shapes meaning and our understanding of events and how particular labels or concepts are developed and made powerful by language” (Treadwell and Davis 243). When analyzing the spoken commentary in the UFC, as well as media coverage and discourse about the UFC, it will be helpful to analyze the importance of language being used and how it shaped the UFC’s evolution. Many of the negative stereotypes the sport faced in its early days stemmed from continued discourse about the sport’s bloodthirsty and violent nature, which detractors used to criticize and even ban the sport. 

The research in this project aims to provide an analysis of the UFC’s evolution that paints as complete a picture as possible, and covers a variety of media forms- by analyzing UFC Events, deals, and discourse, the answer to my research question will come into focus as the UFC’s shift in brand image is seen throughout all aspects of its media and promotion. The pay-per-view events will demonstrate a shift in how the sport is viewed, talked about, and presented, while the TV show will demonstrate a keen awareness of mythology in sport by the UFC. The brand deals, when tied into broader ideas of branding in sports, will show the UFC’s focused effort on legitimacy and professionalism. With these ideas in mind, and relevant context provided, we are now properly equipped to analyze these texts and examine how the UFC utilized them to turn their sport from a fledgling outsider into an entertainment giant on par with the NFL.

Analysis

The Ultimate Fighting Championship: Early Days and Growing Pains

The research question being examined is “how did the UFC use different forms of media to communicate and shift its brand image from 1993-2025?” After providing context and relevant background information in the literature review, I analyzed a variety of UFC media forms from different points throughout the UFC’s history, such as pay-per-view events (ppv’s), commercials, brand deals, TV episodes, and the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. While studying these texts and pieces of media, several key themes became apparent in shaping the answer to this question. First, the UFC’s brand image, promotion, and production are not unlike other professional sports, as it features many of the same visual and auditory cues and storytelling aspects as the NFL and other sports leagues. Secondly, the UFC has consistently balanced responding to criticism from outside sources and staying loyal to its beginnings, and has made changes to combat it without losing their core fanbase. Finally, over the 30-plus year history of the UFC, the company has made a concerted effort to shape their brand image to reflect a more polished and professional product. These themes are present in several different forms of media and products and can be used to frame the UFC’s chronological journey from a fringe exhibition series to a global sports phenomenon. 

When telling the story of the UFC’s evolution, there is no better place to start than the night it all began: on Friday, November 12th, 1993, the McNichols Sports Arena hosted “The Ultimate Fighting Championship,” (referred to in current day with the tagline “The Beginning”) described by the commentary team as a “landmark martial arts event: eight of the deadliest fighters in the world will meet in a no-holds barred combat to determine who is the Ultimate Fighting Champion”. Commentator Bill Wallace then continues by noting “be forewarned: there are no rules, no judge’s scores, and no time limits” (UFC 1: The Beginning 00:00:46). From the very beginning, the UFC’s roots and initial premise are made clear: which martial art is truly the most effective in an actual fight? While there is nothing inherently wrong or negative about this idea, the way it is framed in UFC 1 introduced a host of elements that the UFC would face criticism for. Stating on the official broadcast that there were “no rules” provides a pathway for detractors to liken the sport to a street fight or chicken fight (as seen in the literature review from U.S. Senator John McCain and boxing promoter Lou DiBella). 

However, this is immediately followed by the introduction of the fighter introductions- a feature that would become a staple of all UFC events, and remains on UFC pay-per-view events in modern day. In each introduction, the fighter’s name and martial arts background is given (ex: “Ken Shamrock, the number one ranked shoot fighter in Japan”). While this is not a lot of information, it links each fighter with their respective martial art and could help viewers remember and identify with a certain fighter based on region or discipline. This was especially important to the UFC, as the sport’s ties to Brazilian jiu-jitsu have given them an avid fan base in Brazil, but more broadly makes their athletes more than just fighters— they are representing their respective martial arts and are the best of the best, building them up to be near-mythical (a recurring theme with the UFC’s promotion of their fighters). 

Another interesting facet of UFC 1 is the commentary, which features NFL Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown. While best known for his pro football career, Brown had also carved out a successful career as a boxing commentator, having served as a color commentator for several high-profile boxing events, such as the legendary 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle” event featuring Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. Immediately, Brown sets the fighters apart from all other athletes: “I’ve been around the toughest fighters in the world- Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Mike Tyson, I’ve been around the greatest NFL players and tough guys- Dick Butkus, Sam Huff, all of those guys, but I tell you, they could not last in that ring” (UFC 1: The Beginning, 00:02:32). Brown’s presence on the commentary team has several important effects: it establishes credibility and professionalism on the bench, as Jim Brown was a well-known figure in combat sports, provides name-recognition for the more casual viewer, and connects the UFC to two (at the time) much more mainstream sports, NFL Football and professional boxing. 

For the UFC’s very first event, there is already a clear effort to promote the sport of MMA to a similar fan base as the NFL and professional boxing, and to establish that MMA is not just a televised street fight: rather, it is a sport and should be viewed as such. Furthering these ideas is the inclusion of five-time world kickboxing champion Kathy Long on commentary, who can provide a fighter’s perspective on the event. After some more words from Walace, the first fight is introduced: sumo wrestler Teila Tuli against kickboxer Gerard Gordeau. These fighter introductions feature unique walkout music for each fighter, while also following each fighter’s walk towards the octagon with close-up shots. The use of music established here will also prove to be an important feature in the UFC’s development; while the close-up visual shots allow the viewer to see the emotions on each fighter’s faces, emphasizing the athletes themselves is a key feature in pro sports, established in the literature review of this project by Michael Oriard in Brand NFL. 

Unfortunately for Tuli and in some ways the UFC, this first fight ended in an absurdly violent and very fast manner- Gordeau knocked out Tuli with a head kick that sent one of Tuli’s teeth flying across the octagon, before following up with a straight punch to the head that sent Tuli crumpling to the mat. This brutal display would, among other events, lead to the UFC’s perception as an overly violent product, which is one of the most consistently enduring criticisms the UFC has faced. However, this fight also displays the introduction of another important visual cue: the use of slow-motion replays. The use of slow-motion in sports is also mentioned by Oriard in Brand NFL, who notes its usefulness in both showing the human emotion of athletes and allowing spectators to see and examine events that happened too quickly in real time (Oriard 16). 

One final aspect of UFC 1 that is important to note is the fighter’s attire and the octagon they fight in. Part of what made the first UFC event such a bizarre spectacle was the “clash of styles” it was presenting, which can be seen visually through the fighters themselves. There is no standardization of equipment at this event- some fighters sport a traditional gi (two-piece garment worn in jiu-jitsu, judo, and other martial arts), while others sport boxing shorts, wrestling trunks, or pants with no shirt. Additionally, there were no rules about footwear or gloves: some fighters fought bare-knuckle, while boxer Art Jimmerson fought with one boxing glove and one free hand; additionally, some fighters wore shoes while others did not. While this diversity did showcase the variety of martial arts on display, it also creates a very disjointed look for the UFC, lacking any standardization or uniforms. There are also no sponsors on the mat- the only decoration is the UFC’s original logo, placed in the center. By the 1990s, leagues such as the National Football league already featured uniform suppliers and a plethora of sponsorships, so this stripped-back look further separates the UFC from a traditional sports league. The UFC’s first event would start up the sport of MMA, but they did not find mainstream success overnight- in fact, the UFC was near bankrupt around 2005. To showcase where the UFC was in the early 2000’s, it would be an oversight to not cover the show that is credited with “saving” the UFC: The Ultimate Fighter. 

Before delving into the actual show (episodes five and the finale of season one will be covered here), some context on where the UFC was at this point in time is needed. By 2004, the owners of the UFC, brothers Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta, were running out of options. After purchasing the UFC for two million dollars in 2001, they had sunk more than 40 million into the company with little success (Rothestein par. 4). Pay-per-view events weren’t profitable, and growth had been non-existent (much of this due to widespread criticism of MMA, such as the 36-state ban mentioned in the literature review). The Ultimate Fighter, as an idea, was created as a last-ditch effort to save the UFC- a reality TV show, where 16 fighters would compete against each other for 2 UFC contracts while living in the same house. According to UFC President Dana White, “This was going to be our Trojan horse. You're watching the fights, but they are taped so the network doesn't have to be terrified of them. We can take a peek inside and let fans see how cool this sport is, how exciting the fights are, how interesting the fighters are” (Rothestein par. 8). White’s remarks on issues of violence and network support are examples of some of the biggest hurdles the UFC faced. Former UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta also noted these issues: 

We literally met with every network, every sports network—from the big broadcasters, NBC, ABC, CBS, the obvious, ESPN—multiple times…Met with anybody that would take a meeting. We couldn't get anybody to bite because everybody was very concerned that the product was too violent, not something they could put on TV. It was too bloody. They didn't want to see guys bleeding on the mat. (Rothestein par. 1)

 In terms of building a brand image, network support is crucial; Michael Oriard and Victoria Johnson both note the importance of major broadcasting deals between CBS, ABC, and the National Football League that helped build the NFL’s brand and promoted the NFL’s biggest events, such as Monday Night Football. The UFC, to this point, had very limited network support- and The Ultimate Fighter was seen as a final chance to secure it, and along with it, some legitimacy in the sports world. After failing to secure a deal with most of the big networks “ABC, CBS, and ESPN, among others,” Spike TV decided to air The Ultimate Fighter, albeit somewhat reluctantly: producer Craig Piligian recalls the Spike executives being disinterested in the product and saying “if you pay for it, we’ll put it on air” (Rothestein par. 11). The show was set to air after WWE’s Monday Night Raw, and the UFC hoped this would help them build a fanbase- pro wrestling, while a different form of entertainment, shares many core brand values with the UFC, and the UFC hoped that securing a deal with Spike would both broadcast the UFC to a wider audience (Spike TV’s programming catered mostly to men, who also formed the majority of the UFC’s fanbase) while also making MMA a broader, more generally accepted sport, like boxing (Rothestein par. 9).
Central to the show’s success were the coaches- the UFC set up the show to have two teams of eight fighters, each coached by a UFC star. For The Ultimate Fighter, the UFC selected Chuck “The Iceman” Lidell and Randy “The Natural” Couture- both UFC champions and big names in the sport, who would be scheduled to fight at the show’s conclusion. By picking two of the sport’s most successful (and marketable) fighters to lead the show, the idea of myth in sport once again presents itself- sports are often portrayed in a mythical setting, with the athletes themselves performing mythical or heroic actions in the sport to overcome great odds or achieve what was thought impossible. This is not to say that the fighters competing on the show were not important- they were battling against each other for only two contracts, and the reality TV format was set to showcase the fighters as not just athletes, but as human beings- leaning into their backgrounds, motivations, and personalities to capture viewer interest. 

Episode six was chosen as a text for this analysis due to its content exemplifying both what made the show work and common negative stereotypes about the UFC as a product. One aspect of the show that demonstrates a clear step towards professionalism is the gear- fighters in the show are given UFC official fight shorts and training shirts, as well as UFC branded sweatshirts. Also of note is the presence of Tapout gear. Tapout was one of the most popular brands in MMA apparel in the early 2000s, along with Affliction. Seeing a clothing brand in a UFC production demonstrates the importance of brand deals and associations in professional sports- connecting with the brand values of a network or clothing brand, such as Spike TV and Tapout here, helped the UFC strengthen its identity as a tough, gritty sport that was unique compared to other leagues and professions while still having a network to support them (such as Monday Night Football having an early association with ABC). 

While the episode does help showcase the fighters as more than just athletes by featuring montages to show time passing, cutaways to get one-on-one interviews with each of the fighters, and extended periods of time at the house to see them interact with each other, there was also an incident that fueled the “street fighting” critique that was leveled at the UFC during this time. Middleweight contestant Chris Leben, known for his brash personality, got into an altercation with several of the other fighters, leading to a physical fight while at the house. Contestant Mike Swick described the house in the episode, saying “there were drops of blood all over the house…it was like a crime scene, just blood everywhere” (“Un-caged” 30:30-30:48). Ironically, the prominence of blood and aggression in this episode both helped and hurt the UFC from a brand image perspective: on the one hand, the high tensions between fighters made for entertaining television, which Lorenzo Fertitta remembers hearing about after the show’s debut “Did you see the numbers?" It was a 1.8 rating or something like that, which for Spike was a huge number in any time slot” (Rothestein). On the other hand, blood as an image was an association that kept the UFC from mainstream success and was responsible for a lot of criticism. When boxing promoter Lou DiBella told UFC commentator Joe Rogan that “if we ever advertised boxing matches on ESPN or HBO or anyplace else with blood splats, like you do on your Spike TV show, the state athletic commissions would jump all over us…” he was not entirely wrong- while the UFC never used blood as a promotional tool in advertisements, it was such a prominent visual aspect of MMA that the association just stuck (DiBella). Violence in general kept the UFC from securing a large TV deal for The Ultimate Fighter, and it persisted throughout the show. 

While most of the episodes were pre-taped and televised, the finale of The Ultimate Fighter was broadcast live, which top UFC executives saw as essential to the UFC’s future success. UFC President Dana White recalls thinking “This thing has to be successful because, yes, all the taped shows had been really, really good and successful, but we needed a successful live event,” with producer Craig Piligian touting a similar perspective: “A lot of money was on the line. And there's nothing we can do once they shut the cage door. Either the fellas fight or they don't” (Rothestein par. 70). In this moment, the two fighters in the light-heavyweight final, Stephan Bonnar and Forrest Griffin, rose to the occasion and delivered a fight that is credited with saving the UFC. After months of episodes fleshing out the backgrounds of these fighters and bringing the sport of MMA to a new audience, the finale would serve as a bridge between the reality TV format of The Ultimate Fighter and a standard UFC pay-per-view event, giving fans of the TV show a foray into the world of live mixed martial arts. The finale is full of the standard visual hallmarks of live sports, creating a recognizable and polished viewing experience. Oriard details the importance of editing montages and narration to emphasize different aspects of the sport in Brand NFL and those concepts are seen on full display in the finale of The Ultimate Fighter (Oriard 16).Before the fight, each fighter has an edited segment showcasing their hometowns and family, while also showing them training in the gym before leading into a pre-fight graphic (TUF Finale: Team Liddell vs. Team Couture 05:10). Important to note here is the use of color; while red is still prominent in the color scheme, it has been superseded by gold as the main color, which reflects ideas of gold medals and trophies that have been central to championships in all sports. This use of gold is a small, but notable example of the UFC altering their design language to more closely reflect professional, organized sports and de-emphasize any notions of MMA being a “street fight.” 

While these uses of camera work and graphic design are important, The Ultimate Fighter is remembered as “saving the UFC” due to the actual fight it delivered in the finale. Light-heavyweight finalists Bonnar and Griffin delivered a pulse-pounding spectacle, demonstrating in equal measure their skills in MMA as well as sheer heart, toughness, and determination. After a back-and-forth brawl that saw each fighter have their moments, the judges awarded Forrest Griffin a 29-28 decision victory- earning him a UFC contract. However, the fight was such a massive success that Dana White decided to award both Bonnar and Griffin contracts. This decision, along with the broad success of The Ultimate Fighter, serves as an excellent example of the importance of mythos in sport. The UFC utilized the reality TV format to make their fighters more than just athletes, focusing on who they were as people and the odds they were attempting to overcome. In Communication & Sport: Surveying the Field, myths are defined as "exceptional people doing exceptional things that serve as a moral guide to proper action” (Billings et. al 95). Through the lens of TUF, the UFC is clearly emphasizing this mythical aspect- 16 fighters were given a shot at a UFC contract, fighting to overcome each other and solidify their MMA careers. In the finale, both Bonnar and Griffin etched their names into the history of the UFC (and sports in general) by rising to the occasion and standing toe-to-toe in the octagon, slugging it out and putting everything on the line for a shot at greatness. UFC President Dana White recognized this and commemorated the already-spectacular event by rewarding both fighters with a contract, demonstrating to their newly expanding fanbase that the UFC was home to incredible sporting moments, punctuated by the gladiatorial nature of one-on-one combat (Rothestein par. 91). 

UFC in the 2000s and Early 2010s

While the success of The Ultimate Fighter certainly put the UFC on the path to success as a company, the UFC still faced criticism well into the 2000s, as the company struggled to balance brand choices that supported mainstream viability with ones that would stay loyal to the UFC’s original fanbase and core values. This juxtaposition can be seen in UFC media from this time, including pay-per-view events such as UFC 126 and promotional material such as the “Gladiator” Intro. Many of the same ideas present in early UFC events and media can be found in this transitional era, with the ideas of mythology in sports still being prevalent and contributing to the cinematic aspect of UFC events. However, there are also many indicators of change in the company’s presentation and mindset, as the UFC continued to present their product as a professional sports league and less of a gimmicky tournament. Many different aspects reflect these ideas- fighter gear, commentary, graphic design, and even the fights themselves demonstrate important changes and details of the UFC’s brand image.

The ”Gladiator” Intro is one of the most popular pieces of promotional content the UFC has ever produced, as loyal fans continue to use its style and music to make their own promotional videos to this day. A key aspect of this video is its music, which signal to viewers that the UFC is a unique blend of professional sports and gladiatorial spectacle, as the video starts with a chant, gongs, and thudding percussion reminiscent of a movie score set in Ancient Rome. This theme plays in the background of UFC fighters promoting the fights- some respectfully talking about their goals, while others (like UFC Middleweight Dan Henderson) simply stating “I want to beat him up and finish him.” At the 1:10 mark of the promo, the gladiatorial theme gives way to a loud, heavy track- “Face the Pain” by Stemm (Face the Pain: UFC 100 1:10). In a way, this song choice mirrors the UFC itself: Stemm was a nu-metal band, a genre popularized in the early 2000’s as a mixture of heavy metal and rap, just as the UFC and mixed martial arts was a mixture of violence and technique. The lyrics are fitting for the UFC’s original purpose of putting martial arts to the test in a “no-holds barred” contest, with the main chorus closing out with “face the pain, face the pain, ripping me into pieces”. 

Of equal importance to this promotion’s communication is the visual choices and style. Interspersed between clips of fighters hyping up their respective matchups are clips of a Roman-style gladiator in what appears to be a sand-floored room, putting on his armor, unsheathing his sword, and stepping out of the tunnel and into the arena for battle. The connection between myth and sports as well as MMA’s roots to classical antiquity with pankration are made abundantly clear with the inclusion and emphasis on the UFC’s athletes being “modern-day gladiators”- a continuation of a lineage of fighters tracing back to antiquity, representing the strongest, toughest, and most skilled combatants in the world. This connection is also demonstrated at the 1:10 mark, syncing with when the music switches- the gladiator steps into the light and transitions to highlights of the UFC as the gladiator theme gives way for the down-tuned guitars, pounding drums, and shouted vocals of “Face the Pain” (Face the pain: UFC 100). The audio and visual choices work together to communicate a link between the UFC and its gladiatorial predecessors- the UFC’s events are a modern-day gladiatorial spectacle but updated to the modern era. However, this video also contains visual clues that the UFC was attempting to model a professional sports league: for example, the video cuts to a logo for “UFC 100: Making History” in black and gold. Gone are any elements of blood, replaced by a clean, professional scheme (gold being associated with athletics championships and gold medals in general). Additionally, the idea of comparing sports contests to real-world battle was already well-established: the NFL frequently describes their games as a “war” between the two sides, with coaches acting as commanders and quarterbacks being referred to as “field generals”. This push towards mirroring professional sports is more evident in the UFC 126 broadcast, but before seeing this, the implications of this promotion on the UFC and its relationship to criticism of the sport must be discussed. 

While the “Gladiator” Intro is a fan-favorite of UFC fans, it has a more mixed effect when looking at its effectiveness at helping the UFC shed negative perceptions. As stated in the literature review, much of the criticism the company faced from commentators and the public centered on the violent nature of MMA, with specific comparisons to gladiatorial combat being used to vilify the UFC and paint it as a bloodthirsty cage match. These criticisms were voiced on the national stage by U.S. Senator John McCain, who stated in an interview, “it is an incredibly brutal spectacle that is on the level of cockfighting, only with human beings. This is as close to anything I’ve seen to the days of the gladiator” (Brent and Kraska 362). McCain’s comments were certainly not focusing on the mythical aspect of gladiatorial combat, as he was writing letters to all 50 U.S. states to ban the sport of MMA in 1995. Granted, by this time the UFC was a sanctioned sport in the United States, but the negative associations voiced by McCain persisted, and were repeated by commentators such as boxing promoter Lou DiBella. Additionally, the use of “Face the Pain” as a theme song in promotional media has been phased in and out in the years since its debut in 2002, with it disappearing for stretches in the 2010’s before reappearing to pay homage to the UFC’s history at UFC 300. This can largely be attributed to possible negative perceptions of the lyrics, but also the dated aspect of the nu-metal genre. The “Gladiator” Intro and its accompanying music defined the UFC’s perception and style in the 2000’s and early 2010’s, communicating a company that was striving to balance a professional presentation with staying true to their core values and fanbase. While this promo leaned heavy into the mythological roots of MMA and early days of the sport, UFC 126 serves as an example of the changes the UFC was making in the broadcast realm to better align with other professional sports organizations.

UFC 126 took place in 2011, which was a transitional period for the UFC between the early days of tournament-style events and the current-day product. Pay-per-view events display a host of elements that can be used to communicate messages about the sport of MMA and the UFC’s image, and by 2011, the sport had evolved significantly since its inception in 1993. For the purposes of this study, the equipment and clothing of the athletes, the commentary, the rules of MMA, and visual conventions will be covered to demonstrate the UFC’s shifting image and connection to its beginnings. 

Early in the broadcast, UFC commentator Mike Goldberg remarks that fighter Demetrious Johnson is part of “one of two new weight classes”, in this case referring to the newly added bantamweight division (weight limit of 135 pounds). Goldberg also adds a level of depth to the commentary that was not present in the sport’s infancy, noting the speed of smaller fighters, noting that Johnson and his opponent “bear the responsibility of continuing the introduction of fans to the fast-paced action epitomized by the 135-pounders” (UFC 126 FULL EVENT 00:00:27). While this introduction seems basic at face value, the inclusion of weight classes signifies the development of MMA as a legitimate sport progressing past the gimmicky aspects of the past. MMA has often drawn comparison to boxing, and by including a weight class system, the UFC is both mirroring a pre-established sport and adding measures for fighter safety- combating criticisms of being overly violent and dangerous as well as aligning with pro sports over spectacle. 

Weight classes were one of several rule changes that had been implemented by this time, due in large part to the criticism the UFC faced for being too violent and dangerous. Serious shifts in the rule book started to come about in 2001, and by 2009, the UFC was pushing for a set of rules to standardize the sport of MMA on a global scale. At UFC 126, all fighters wore fingerless, padded gloves, were not allowed to headbutt or throw 12-6 elbows, or throw knees and kicks to the head of a “grounded” opponent (in MMA, a grounded fighter means having a knee, elbow, back on the ground).  Many of these new rules were implemented for fighter safety (Gosner par. 5). Additionally, the way fights ended changed as well: now, fights did not always go until a stoppage. Judges would score rounds with the 10-point scoring system used in boxing, and if a fight went all 3 rounds (5 for championship or main event fights) and there was no stoppage, the winner could be declared by judge’s decision (Gosner pars. 4, 6-7). These changes demonstrate the UFC making a concerted effort to respond to criticisms of the sport and create a scoring system like other martial arts contests. 

Even the fighters’ gear reflects a shift in the UFC’s image—gone are the days of fighters wearing shoes in the octagon, and the fighter gear is much more standardized: fighters can choose either regular shorts or compression shorts, which creates a cleaner, more uniform look. The fighters also had individual sponsors on their shorts and personalized designs, which allowed them to make money from sponsorships in addition to their UFC contracts.  Fighter shorts and gear in general is an important medium in the history of the UFC’s branding and associations, and will be discussed again in the modern-day context of UFC 300. Earlier in the literature review, Remco Beek and Inge Derom establish that making brand deals and associations can help further establish a league’s identity, while also helping foster fan recognition (Beek and Derom 564). By 2011, this concept was on full display at UFC 126, with brands appearing on both the octagon fence and mat in addition to fighter gear. This demonstrates the UFC’s status as an emerging legitimate sports league- brands were not afraid to have their product associated with the UFC over fears of bad press; rather, it would be beneficial for them to be associated with a league that attracted such viewership. And it was undeniable by this point that despite having a rough start in the 1990s, the UFC was attracting attention: Brent and Kraska note that “the UFC accounted for six of the top ten pay-per-view events in 2009, with the number one spot secured by UFC 100 with an estimated 1.6 million viewers (Brent and Kraska 2). Spurred by the success of The Ultimate Fighter, the UFC was no longer struggling to avoid bankruptcy- they were a legitimate sports league competing with boxing for top pay-per-view marks. 

At the conclusion of each fight, the winner is given a post-fight interview while the broadcast switches between close-up shots of the fighters talking and slow-motion highlights of the fight. This had become the standard for UFC broadcasts by 2011 and indicates the UFC’s attempt to follow other leagues in building a strong brand identity. This idea is reinforced by Victoria Johnson in “Monday Night Football: Brand Identity:” “networks build powerful brand identities through strong generic cues, casting, visual/sonic codes, scheduling, and commercial unity” (Johnson 263). Johnson further expands on the scheduling aspect, noting that brands can use the concept of regular scheduling to connect with viewers “television networks are able to create brand loyalty through the ritual rhythms created by scheduling and the resulting connection to viewers’ regular weekly and daily engagements with “must see” nights of viewing… perhaps no genre serves this better than sport television” (Johnson 263). The UFC borrowed a page out of the sports TV playbook- just as the NFL utilized this concept, making Sundays ruled with football as well as creating recognizable brands with Monday Night Football, the UFC became synonymous with late Saturday nights, and increasingly managed to get both die-hard fans and casual viewers to stay up late and catch the action. 

Moving on from visual indicators, the UFC’s commentary had progressed significantly since their first event in 1993. Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg, who did the color commentary and play-by-play respectively, speak with a depth of knowledge about the sport that simply was not present in the early days of the sport. As Forrest Griffin takes on Rich Franklin in the co-main event, Rogan and Goldberg discuss Griffin’s credentials “in November of 2010 he earned his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt from Robert Drysdale” while also noting subtle techniques and skills being utilized by the athletes “Rich is doing a good job from the bottom with wrist control of the right arm of Griffin” (UFC 126 FULL EVENT 2:59:33). These commentary details indicate a shift in perspective from the UFC: instead of depicting their fighters as brawlers, they instead focus on their skills, credentials, and techniques. 

With UFC 126 and the “Gladiator” Intro, the UFC can be seen balancing their roots in mythological combat and violent spectacle with conventions and styling more reminiscent of established professional sports leagues. This concept of balance can be seen in the final two pieces of media in this analysis, which demonstrate the UFC’s modern usage of mythology to promote its brightest stars while also making more deals and associations to further legitimize their brand image. 

The UFC in the Modern Era

This final section of analysis will be structured similarly to the previous one, by examining a UFC Commercial as well as a pay-per-view event. For the pay-per-view aspect, UFC 300 serves as one of the best examples of a modern UFC broadcast while also representing a landmark moment for the company, hitting their 300th pay-per-view event in April of 2024. However, when discussing the UFC’s image and perception in the last 10 years, it would not be complete without a mention of its biggest star. For the commercial, the UFC 189 promotional video starring Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor exemplifies the UFC’s use of mythology in media in its most polished form. 

Before delving into the design choices of this video, some background information on UFC 189 and the fighters involved is beneficial to gain a more complete understanding of why certain visual and musical aspects are included. In the buildup to this fight, McGregor and Aldo were on a collision course that pitted a dominant champion against the sport’s most exciting and outspoken star. At UFC 183, McGregor extended his win streak to 13 with a vicious knockout of Dennis Siver and then proceeded to jump over the cage to confront Aldo, the reigning featherweight champion who had not lost a fight in 10 years. The two were then scheduled to fight at UFC 189, which was set to take place in July of 2015. McGregor was rising to the top like no other fighter in the history of the company and was on a three-fight knockout streak heading into the contest. Aldo, on the other hand, had been the champion at 145 pounds for seven years (Okamoto). Aldo was cool and collected, while McGregor had already gained a reputation as one of the sport’s biggest trash talkers. These elements and details had a noticeable impact on the UFC 189 promotional material and the outcome of the fight.

The trailer starts with an ominous-looking sky crackling with thunder and shots of downtown Las Vegas, where UFC 189 was scheduled to take place. Just as “Face the Pain” underscored the “Gladiator” intro, this video features accompanying music: “No Church in the Wild” by Jay-Z and Kanye West. As the camera flashes back and forth between McGregor and Aldo, close-up and low-angle shots are used to emphasize McGregor’s confident swagger and Aldo’s ice-cold demeanor. The lyrics of this song are used to reflect the mythological and larger-than-life status “human beings in a mob/ what’s a mob to a king/ what’s a king to a god/ what’s a god to a non-believer/ that don’t believe in anything” (UFC 189 en vivo por UFC NETWORK, 0:35). Aldo is shown for the “mob” and “god” lines, while McGregor is shown for “king” and “non believer,” which reflects their career paths going into the fight: Aldo was seen as a near-unbeatable force with an entire nation behind him (Brazil), but McGregor was quickly being heralded as the new top dog in the company and had zero fear of Aldo’s dominance. As the two meet in the center of Las Vegas, the camera swirls in a 360-degree circle around the two men, now staring down in the center of the octagon before the camera cuts out right before they connect- as the line “tears on the mausoleum floor/ blood stains the coliseum doors” rings out. 

Very evident here is the use of mythology in sport, which the UFC leans on heavily to sell this fight. Despite not having gladiators, that aspect is still included in the music, and both fighters are depicted as more than just elite athletes- they are two transcendent figures, both capable of overcoming great odds and doing the impossible. These ideas are discussed by Billings, Butterworth, and Turman in Communication & Sport: Surveying the Field, which as seen in the literature view, dedicates an entire chapter to the relationship between sports and myth. They note that in addition to athletes being propped up as heroes, there are also select events that become larger-than-life: 

There are many accomplishments and moments within sports that have achieved mythical status: Babe Ruth’s alleged “called shot” during the 1932 World Series, when he supposedly pointed to a spot in the Wrigley Field outfield then delivered a home run to that exact location; Muhammad Ali’s “phantom punch” that dropped Sonny Liston in a heavyweight rematch in 1965; Willis Reed’s miraculous recovery from a leg injury and re-entry into a playoff game for the New York Knicks in 1970… (Billings et. al 98) 

While the UFC cannot script the outcomes of fights, the result of McGregor vs. Aldo would end up enshrined in both UFC and sports history as a mythological feat. After a year of buildup and a fight cancellation that saw the bout postponed to UFC 194, the two would finally meet to determine the UFC featherweight championship. A mere 13 seconds into the fight, McGregor landed a left cross that put Aldo out cold on the canvas, and after two follow-up shots, McGregor claimed the featherweight title and the fastest KO in UFC title fight history, winning the belt and putting his name next to all-time sporting greats. Billings notes that “Sports leagues are acutely aware of their histories, and they often draw upon the past to create mythological narratives that help guide the present (Billings et. al 96). This would prove to be true for the UFC, as McGregor earned the nickname “Mystic Mac” for predicting his round 1 win against Aldo, and would end up headlining the UFC’s seven of the UFC’s eight most-bought pay-per-view cards as he became the most famous mixed-martial-artist ever (Sutherland). After seeing the continued effectiveness of mythology in the UFC, demonstrating their commitment to the sport’s origins, UFC 300 will show the other end of the spectrum- the UFC at its most professional. 

For the UFC’s 300th pay-per-view event, held in April 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada, the UFC aimed to pay homage to their history while putting on the best night of fights in the history of the company and the sport. The card was loaded with top end talent and was headlined by light heavyweight champion Alex “Poatan” Pereira defending his title against former champion Jamahal “Sweet Dreams” Hill. From a branding and image perspective, this event continues a lot of the trends established with UFC 126, while also introducing new elements that reveal the state of the UFC’s perceived image by the public and by other companies. 

Noticeable from the very beginning of the broadcast is the cinematic narration and highlight reels of the fighters on the card, which is a hallmark of not just UFC broadcasts but for sports in general. Michael Oriard examined the visual and narrative techniques popularized by NFL Films in Brand NFL, which in many ways provided a blueprint for sports production that the UFC exhibits influence from. Oriard notes that NFL Films story narration was “romantic, melodramatic, epic, mythic, usually with playful and humorous interludes” (Oriard 16). UFC 300’s opening monologue fits this description, as an unseen voice states “legends will be made, legacies will collide, and the primal scream will go up, loud enough to induce nightmares in the light heavyweight division”. The voice continues, describing Pereira: “a two-division champion and one of the deadliest marksmen on the planet, has tapped into the native spirit of a stone-faced killer. Ready to avenge his mentor and defend his title against the former champ” (UFC 300: Unrivaled Greatness 00:02:27). 

Also present in this broadcast are sonic cues to help the viewer understand and follow the action. To open the broadcast, there is a bass-driven track to accompany Jon Anik’s narration and advertisements that shifts into a hard-rock riff before fading out. A distinct theme that plays leading into fighter introductions after both combatants have entered the octagon is also present, which can be heard before the lightweight bout between Charles Oliveria and Arman Tsarukyan (UFC 300: Unrivaled Greatness 00:46:12). These sonic cues are comparable to the NFL’s use of music in Monday Night Football, which Victoria Johnson expands upon: “the classic theme’s consistency and familiarity cut through any momentary controversy to call MNF viewers back to what matters (Johnson 266). The UFC follows the same game plan: use music to remind the viewer that it’s time to watch the fights. 

In the literature review, one of the key pieces of critical commentary came from Lou DiBella’s debate with Joe Rogan about MMA vs boxing, where he stated “if we ever advertised boxing matches on ESPN or HBO or anyplace else with blood splats, like you do on your Spike TV show, the state athletic commissions would jump all over us…” (DiBella). This quote is especially ironic when covering UFC 300, because both the preliminary fights (early) and the pay-per-view card aired on ESPN+, which became the official broadcast home of the UFC starting in 2019. This serves as a thematic capstone for the UFC’s path to legitimacy in the sports world- the same company that couldn’t get anyone besides Spike TV to air their TV show in 2005 now had a multi-year deal in place with one of the biggest sports networks in the world to be their official partner. By 2024, the UFC had become, according to Jon Anik, “a global phenomenon” and it made sense for the UFC to partner with a global powerhouse like ESPN so that fight fans across the globe could get access to the UFC (UFC 300: Unrivaled Greatness 00:06:30).

One of the most important visual developments on display at UFC 300 has to do with fighter equipment, which has changed considerably since the sport’s inception over 30 years before. All fighters and coaches at UFC 300 wear Venum gear, from hats, jackets, sweatpants, and official fight shorts, which shows the UFC making the effort to follow the path of other pro sports leagues by having an official uniform supplier. While Venum currently has the uniform rights for the UFC, they were not the first to strike a deal with UFC President Dana White: in 2015, the UFC inked a deal with sports apparel brand Reebok to be the official fight gear supplier of the UFC, which lasted until 2021 when Venum took over. After going over 20 years without a uniform supplier, the UFC now had a cohesive visual style for all their fighters to wear, while also providing them financial compensation for wearing the Venum gear. 

One critique of the Reebok deal and early Venum designs were that they were “too plain” and lacked the personality that fighter shorts had in the pre-Reebok days (for example, Chuck “the Iceman” Liddell had two-tone blue shorts with frost and icicles, while Reebok and early Venum kits had no options for customizations besides basic color combinations). However, Venum slowly began incorporating custom designs for high-profile fighters, which gave the appearance some more creativity and gave the fighters a chance to represent their heritage (Zhang Weili, women’s strawweight champion, had custom red and gold shorts for her Chinese heritage, Max Holloway had a floral design to represent his home state of Hawaii, and Justin Gaethje had a subtle black-on-grey American flag pattern). From the perspective of this study, the custom Venum fight kits represent the state of the UFC in present day very well: a polished, professional sports league that has not forgotten its beginnings, with the balance between presenting the UFC as a pro sport and the undeniable entertainment value that fighting brings visible on Venum’s custom shorts. 

To close out the analysis of UFC 300, the bout between Max “Blessed” Holloway and Justin “the Highlight” Gaethje for the BMF title exemplifies the UFC’s commitment to stay in touch with its violent roots and shows that even with the addition of rules for fighter safety, the sport still allows for incredible moments of violence, which is undeniably a draw of the sport. In 2019, the UFC introduced the “BMF” belt (an abbreviation of “Baddest Motherf***er”) for a fight between Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz. The belt served as an honorary trophy, only brought out for fights between fan-favorites who have a reputation of fighting hard and delivering crazy moments. On the UFC’s biggest stage, the BMF belt was brought out once again, paying homage to the dogfights and slugfests of the past by matching up two of the best strikers in the lightweight division for five rounds of action. The fight delivered on every promise and more- Holloway and Gaethje went to war. Both fighters scored knockdowns and Holloway landed multiple spinning back kicks, including one at the end of the first round that broke Gaethje’s nose (UFC 300 01:37:19). With 10 seconds remaining in the final round, Holloway pointed to the ground in the center of the octagon, communicating to Gaethje that he was going to stand and trade despite being up on the scorecards. The risk paid off for Holloway, as he scored a vicious knockout with an overhand right that put Gaethje old cold with one second remaining in the fight. This moment, despite being not even two years ago, has already been established as one of the greatest knockouts in UFC history- which the UFC uses to promote to both hardcore and casual fans. Even with the plethora of changes the sport has undergone, and despite the criticism it faced, the UFC continues to entertain with the promise and delivery of violence. 

Conclusion

As the company struggled to gain footing in its early days, the UFC was forced to make changes, both to the sport itself and how they presented it. As criticism of the UFC was spouted by U.S. politicians and boxing commentators who found the sport violent and barbaric, the UFC pushed to refine and standardize the rule set, putting mixed martial arts in the conversation with other combat sports and away from the tournament-style affair of the early 1990s. The addition of gloves, banning of shoes, and rules such as the removal of kicking downed opponents and grabbing hair had a two-pronged effect: they both helped improve fighter safety and cleaned up the sport’s perceived excessive violence. These rule changes caused some of the sport’s harshest critics to change their mind: John McCain, who popularized the phrase “human cockfighting” when asked about mixed martial arts acknowledged that by 2007 the “sport had made significant progress” (Gosner par.5)

This study serves as a history of the UFC through the lens of brand image and perception, following the sport of MMA from its origins in ancient Greece to the current day as the UFC looked to shed negative stereotypes about mixed martial arts contests. One of the most important things to note is that the UFC had no other MMA leagues to compare to early on- but rules of branding and visual communication that had been established in other sports and leagues were able to transform the UFC’s image and rework its perception in the public eye. By establishing these connections, as well as other concepts like the presence of mythology in sports, this paper was able to analyze forms of media that do not yield much quantitative data. The only numbers that really aid this project were pay-per-view sales- which were virtually nonexistent in the 90’s, and now reach over 1 million buys, competing with boxing (Sutherland). While this study looked at only the UFC, several other MMA promotions operate today- ONE Championship (ONEFC) and the Professional Fighter’s League (PFL) both attract high-level talent and host events internationally. Further research adjacent to this project could look at the relationship between the UFC and other promotions and analyze the UFC’s influence on MMA as a sport as well as delving into issues of the UFC’s dominance nearing a monopoly on the sport. 

The UFC has undergone significant changes throughout its relatively short 30-year lifetime, but at its core, has maintained its true purpose: to figure out which martial art is most effective in a fight. What changed the most was not the sport itself, but rather the way it was presented- what used to resemble an underground, violent, “no-holds-barred” tournament, held in a small arena in Denver, is now selling out arenas and collecting athletes and viewers from across the globe. When a fan tunes into a UFC broadcast, what they see is not just a backyard brawl- it is a professional sporting contest between elite athletes, and is talked about by fans and commentators in the same way that boxing is- a far cry from it being called a fad and “human cockfighting” on ESPN in 2007. While Lou DiBella once stated that he could never get away with advertising the way the UFC on ESPN like they did on Spike TV, he had no way to predict the UFC becoming such a powerful organization, which is now moving to Paramount starting in 2026 and is looking to host an event at the White House. By utilizing broadcast techniques, clever promotion, and consistently working on shaping their image, the UFC went from nearly banned in the United States to a global sports phenomenon.  

Acknowledgements

Firstly, I want to say thank you to my mom, dad, and sister, for supporting me throughout my academic and athletic career and tolerating my UFC rants at the dinner table. 

I also would like to thank my friend Christian, for talking about the UFC with me for hours at team dinners and long runs. 

Thank you to Professor Lupo for allowing and encouraging me to write about this topic. I came into the semester very unsure about what my thesis would be about, and I am glad I was able to write about something I enjoy so much.

Lastly, I want to thank my professors and teachers throughout high school and college, especially Professor Haringer, that helped me improve and practice my writing. 

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