What if Mixed Martial Arts fighters and figures were instead pieces of real estate? Which ones would be the hot ones to buy, and which ones would be the ones to avoid? He's not a realtor but Don Abato sets the top ten pieces of MMA real estate.
I am the farthest thing from a business man, but the topic of real estate has been invading the spaces of my mind. In my other life I am involved in the production of a real estate television show and have had to learn about the subject fast. In my crash course the idea of location, location, location has been hammered again and again onto my brain. Location is the driving principle of real estate and I get it. I also hear, "time is real estate's friend," a lot these days. Of course the benefits of owning vs. renting is also frequently discussed and it has become apparent how disliked the word "rent" is.
All this focus on real estate got me thinking, what if MMA fighters and figures were considered lots of real estate, who would you invest in? I came up with this top ten list of AMERICAN MMA real estate properties. Why American? Well I'm not too schooled on international real estate, so why try to make a parallel with an area I'm not familiar?
1. UFC- The hot property in American MMA right now. If this was a location, it's the spot all the fighters and advertisers would want to be.
2. Dana White- Runs the most powerful MMA promotion in the world and is also the main spokesman of the company and main apologist of the sport. He's not going anywhere.
3. Randy Couture- Classiest and most well-spoken athlete in MMA. Great piece of real estate because as a current champion, fight commentator and franchiser(putting MMA gyms outside the L.A. market to Las Vegas and soon Chicago area) this Hall-of-Famer will remain top name in sport long past his fighting days.
4. Tito Ortiz- Already immensly popular, he's wisely looking long term and building his "Team Punishment" franchise. Personality and media savvy assures he will live on as fight commentator and maybe film cameos.
5. Rampage Jackson- Hot property right now because he defeated former top dog Chuck Liddell. Possess charisma and personality to potentially help him break into pop culture consciousness in America if he continues to succeed in Octagon. But is he owning or renting the light heavyweight belt?
6. Joe Rogan- Already a staple of UFC broadcasts. His love and enthusiasm for the sport ensures he will be a steady figure in American MMA for years to come. Time is real estate and Rogan's best friend.
7. Chuck Liddell- Future Hall-of-Famer's value has dropped a little, but since his style is fan-friendly a new string of ko victories will keep his celebrity afloat. If he beats Keith Jardine honestly I'd sell him(value will go up, sell high/buy low.) I don't think he will have as much longevity as Randy or Tito since he isn't as well spoken.
8. "Tapout" brand- Amidst the sea of numerous MMA brands that have sprouted up lately, Tapout's name is still the easiest to identify among casual fans and it's broken past the internet barrier to show up on retail racks like Tilly's. Having a reality show also doesn't hurt. Edgy marketing campaign can be controversial though. Despite that it has shown longevity and has been a staple of MMA culture since the dark days of the sport. Plus, the brand name will forever be a term of MMA vernacular.
9. Fedor Emelianenko- Non factor in American MMA, but I would buy him based on the principle of buy low sell high. If he signs with American promotion his expected domination should gain him instant fame and his value will rocket up.
10. Elite XC- Promotion has the backing of Showtime cable and an expected reality show, to be produced by Mark Burnett who succeeded with "Survivor" and "The Apprentice". Still a minor player but it has the most upswing of all the domestic MMA promotions. Again is something to buy low now because its value could jet if it catches on in the next year.
You'll notice there aren't a lot of international names in the list. Fedor is the only non-American part of my supposed "MMA real estate" list. That's because a lot of the fighters don't have attention or imagination of the domestic fans yet. If the likable Anderson Silva continues to dominate all challengers and works hard on his English speaking skills he will crack the list. Shogun Rua is as exciting as they come and his handsome appearance is enough to draw the attention of women, but like Anderson he doesn't speak English. Both are good buys right now because they could be worth much more in the future. Another international fighter who may crack the top ten is Gabriel Gonzaga if he takes the belt away from Couture.
What do you think? Agree or disagree, give me your take on which MMA fighter, figure or promotion is a top piece of real estate in the United States market.
Email: funnydve@yahoo.com
