When you take a look at the latest wrestling news and read all the comments from passionate fans, it can be hard to figure out which sport has the most followers. Sure, both will have their own loyal fans who will argue to the death that their sport is the best, but how would you find out for sure? It’s simple. Break down both UFC and WWE into categories and choose a winner that way.
What is WWE?
Firstly, a bit of background. WWE is an integrated entertainment and media company called World Wrestling Entertainment Incorporated. Primarily, it covers professional wrestling, so you will hear WWE a lot in wrestling news. However, WWE now dabbles in real estate, the movie industry, and other business ventures.
What is UFC?
UFC is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company called Ultimate Fighting Championship. Going by MMA results, it supports only the best MMA fighters in the world and has held over 400 events. UFC now has a TV deal and viewership in Australia, Europe, Asia, and the United States. It also showcases 12 different weight divisions.
With the background information out of the way, we can now get down to business. Which sport is more popular? We break it down into categories below.
Finances
When it comes to financial success, the wrestling news speaks for itself. WWE is so popular and profitable that it has appeared on Forbes many times. In 2013, WWE made over $507 million, but then made over $800 million in 2017. In year-on-year standards, that’s around a 10 percent increase from 2016 onward.
In line with these lucrative profits in wrestling news was the announcement that North American WWE revenue increased by six percent too. Such success was down to WWE network subscriber growth and higher TV fight fees.
UFC’s financial position, on the other hand, is not looking as peachy, even if the MMA results from leading fighters show it’s not all doom and gloom. According to UFC President Dana White, it’s not as bad as the media are making it out to be, either. They are growing at a rapid pace, even if WME-IMG Endeavour just purchased UFC for $4 billion. At the same time, UFC revenue reached $600 million.
Household Names
One sure-fire way of knowing whether UFC or WWE is more popular of the two is by whether everyday people know the names of the standout personalities.Who appears the most in wrestling news to become a household name? And, who shows the most impressive standings in MMA results?
In UFC, Anderson Silva is one of the more well-known fighters. Silva has the longest defense streak in UFC history and is a former UFC middleweight champion. Jon Jones is also making marks on the MMA results chart, given the title of light heavyweight champion in 2011 and ranking first in the pound-for-pound MMA result rankings. Then, there’s Randy Couture, a Hall of Fame inductee who holds a title both in MMA and UFC.
When it comes to WWE, many household names spring up often in wrestling news. John Cena is, of course, the name that comes to mind first. Cena not only appeared in movies but as a legend in most wrestling news. He has been reigning WWE champion 12 times, and world heavyweight champion three times.
But, who could forget Hulk Hogan? Hulk Hogan’s real name is Terry Bollea,and most people know him for his yellow tank top and headline-grabbing slogan of “What yagonna do when the Hulkster comes for you?” Terry is a 12-time champion and also has six world heavyweight championship wins under his belt.
Equally as famous in WWE and appearing on the front page of many wrestling news websites is The Rock or Dwayne Johnson. Dwayne has 17 heavyweight championships under his belt, and many people, including other wrestlers, consider him to be the best wrestler of all time. Now, he is an actor and entertainer.
Worldwide Appeal
Even if you can’t break your attention away from the latest wrestling news, or who appears at the top of the MMA results, that doesn’t mean these sports have the same appeal worldwide. Who watches it? For many years now, you have been able to enjoy WWE in 20 languages and 180 countries. However, only recently has UFC expanded its reach. UFC now offers a Fight Pass, which lets anyone stream UFC fights if they buy a subscription.
It doesn’t matter who appears at the top of MMA results, or who appears on the front page of the local wrestling news; there are always going to be people who like one or the other, or both. However, in the case of finances, worldwide appeal, and household names, WWE comes out on top!
