UFC and WWE Represent Altogether Different Entities

Despite being owned by the same parent company, WWE and UFC will largely exist in their own lanes

The MMA Notebook runs every Friday.

Now that WWE and UFC are both Endeavor-owned entities, it would make sense for there to be synergy between the two products.

And I agree with that–but only to a point.

WWE ads should run during UFC cards, and UFC commercials should air during WWE events. While there will certainly be occasional chances to connect the two brands, it is absolutely best to keep them separate as often as possible.

Dana White: Lawrence, I love you, one of the dumbest statements of all time.#UFC pic.twitter.com/iPqDssnmH5

— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) September 13, 2023

There is a lot both promotions can learn from one another. WWE operates in a manufactured world where as many details as possible are scripted out ahead of time. If you have ever watched a UFC press conference, that is clearly not the case. The answers are unscripted, and intended for a much more mature audience. WWE would benefit from a taste of that realism. On the other side, UFC can make even more of a profit following WWE, which is a force in marketing in ways foreign to the UFC. The WWE action figure line, for example, effectively prints money. UFC has an older audience, but opportunities to expand the brand commercially still exist.

The merger should have no bearing on whether a WWE fan becomes interested in the UFC, or vice versa. There is a good reason for that: the products are vastly different. WWE is built around storyline, while UFC is dictated by what takes place in the Octagon. As wild as it would be to imagine it, the Money in the Bank contract will not be arriving any time soon to the UFC, nor will the BMF title ever make its way inside a WWE ring (though Steve Austin would be a solid choice to award the belt). They can connect, but only briefly–and in a manner that does not insult either audience.

Inevitably, there will be some crossover. But out of respect to both fan bases, it should be minimal. These two worlds work best when separated.

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Last week: 3-2

2023 record: 101-61