Women's MA

DWx · Black Belt

Why is it that women's MA doesn't get nearly the same amount of coverage as the guys do? There's no women's UFC and women rarely feature on other cards. Shows like The Ultimate Fighter, The Contender etc. don't have a female equivalent and women's boxing/kickboxing/muay thai is rarely shown on TV. Even though I don't watch it I could name half a dozen male MMA fighters but wouldn't be able to name any females. Same with boxing and kick boxing.

Is it because people don't want to watch women fighting? Lack of top quality female fighters wanting to go professional? Thoughts?
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tallgeese · Black Belt

That's a good question. I seriously doubt that it's due to a lack of qualified candidates capable of making the jump, but I do know from my involvement with amateur mma that it can be a real challenge to fill even a fight for a female. Let alone a full card.

I also would guess that the perceived ticket sales are less for women's events. On this I'm just guessing and really don't know the why behind it if that is, in fact, the case. Maybe the less likely chance of high impact movements and such is part of it. Much like the NBA/WNBA debate over technical skills over dunking.

joesteph · Black Belt

I think it all comes down to dollars and cents.

I remember when women's bodybuilding was growing, right to the point of having a Ms. Olympia to complement the already-established Mr. Olympia. (Many times, Arnold Schwarzenegger has been referred to as a former Mr. Universe, which is a title he did win, but the top bodybuilding contest has been the Mr. Olympia, which he kept on winning.)

The Mr. Olympia drew big crowds, high prices for admission, and whatever media deals could be arranged. The Ms. Olympia just couldn't get the gate receipts, etc., and was nearly canceled in 1999, being rescued by having it held in Secaucus, NJ. To keep it going, it's been included with the Mr. Olympia, with a Ms. Fitness Olympia and Ms. Figure Olympia being added.

You'll probably always find top-notch female martial artists who would do MMA, but they are likely more limited in number than male mixed martial artists. I think women can be on the card, but the economics of drawing a crowd on a regular basis as the men's MMA by having an all-female card is a chance that promoters likely shy away from as financially risky.

It would be interesting, and possibly draw a good-sized crowd at first, but I don't know that it coutd be sustained, which organizations like UFC look for. Personally, I think it's worth a try, but backers have to be found, and that's the snag.
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the beast · Black Belt

bushido_man96 · KF Sensei

The UFC does not field any kind of female competitions that I know of, yet. StrikeForce has been including a female fight or 2 on a few of its cards, and they have been successful. However, I don't think it would go on its own as well. I think people want to talk about it, and don't mind that females want to fight, but I don't think many are really interested in watching it as much as they do the males.
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sensei8 · KF Sensei

Sounds like a letter(s) to the governing bodies of those MMA bodies might be warranted!

I know that I'd watch the female fights, and not just the male fights!

Could it be that while there are many qualified female's that are ready to step into a MMA ring, but, there's not enough female fighters to go around. I mean, who wants to watch Kyra Gracie VS Gina Carano over and over and over and over again, and btw, I'm referring to the fighting, not where some of your filthy minds might be at right now.

Money is a problem and it might always be that way. Look at how female pros in many other sports are treated; men get paid ALOT, while the women get paid very little...and it's not fair, if fair is the right word to use here.

Until the stable of MMA female fighters grow, then we have what we have. I don't know the ratio, but, I'm sure that there are many more men than there are women in the MMA.

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DWx · Black Belt

bushido_man96 · KF Sensei

Honestly, Danielle, and I don't mean this to be rude, but I think the main reason is that women's fighting just isn't as exciting as men's fighting. I think the same wrap has fallen to the WNBA in comparison to the NBA. I know some girls who would rather watch men's basketball than women's, and I imagine that some of that translates to the fighting world, as well.

Personally, I would not be concerned whether women's fighting is considered "un-ladylike" or not, but moreso, if there are enough good fighters out there for the fights to be interesting. I did watch Carano fight, and the fight was ok. But, she's a top notch fighter, as well; perhaps the best female fighter out there right now. But, her fights have been showcased along with men's cards, so she's had good exposure. Now, lots of people say they would love to see a women's fight card, but when it comes down to it, how many will actually go out and buy tickets to go? I don't think the same number that say they would like to see them, would end up going. But, I could be wrong, too.

The best thing right now is that Carano has had some publicity. Hopefully, it catches on, and in a few years, this will all be a moot point, and we'll be adding the "Women's UFC 1" to our KarateForums.com MMA Picks.

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sensei8 · KF Sensei

ShoriKid · Pre-Black Belt

The biggest barrier has nothing to do with commisions or promotions not being willing to put females on cards. It has to do with the lack of female figthers who are skilled enough to compete at the highest levels. Remember, Strike Force, UFC, EliteXE, ie. national televised promotions, are the cream of the crop. They can't field a card with people who aren't the best, or in the same league as the best.

In the spring I watched the first pro promotion in TN, the XFC. They had a female bout which was pretty good for a low level procard. One female fighter was from Florida, the promotions home. The other, which was a replacement for the original fighter, came in from Iowa(?). If there were sufficeint female fighters available one should have been closer to the promotions home, or the event's venue.

Dana White has said before that he'd field women's bouts, and hopes to, as soon as they have enough high level talent. Like others have said, watching Carano vs. Santos over and over would be boring. You can put one fight after fight at the LW division in the UFC because there is a deep pool of fighters. Promoters fielding women's divisions have a hard time putting together a card with more than two or three fights. Take a limited pool of fighters and try putting them into the same weight classes for sanctioned fights.
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