Mixed Martial Arts Coming to Myrtle Beach?
It's a sport that's experiencing rapid national and worldwide growth, and world-class competition may soon be coming to the Grand Strand.
Though it's contested in various forms, mixed martial arts (or "MMA") essentially uses a combination of boxing, wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills. And as the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and PRIDE Fighting Championships have led the sport's surge in popularity, the owner of two Grand Strand dojos hopes to ride the wave.
Regardless of whether you're a fan of MMA, you can't help but be intrigued by its possibilities in the Myrtle Beach area. Some items to ponder:
How would MMA be received in a "family beach" destination? Though it has evolved dramatically from its "no holds barred" roots to the more formalized rules and banned techniques that guard the fighters' safety today, MMA is still occasionally depicted in the media as brutal. Will these perceptions hurt or help the sport's chances in the country's top family beach tourism market? The ultimate answer may come from a subset of the Grand Strand's 14 million annual visitors that represents MMA's target demographic: males age 18-34.
The UFC-Hard Rock connection. The UFC and Hard Rock brands have intertwined on several occasions, as Hard Rock hotel & casino locations in Las Vegas and Florida have hosted numerous UFC "Fight Night" events. With the Hard Rock Park coming to Myrtle Beach next year, will it bring the UFC with it at some point? Given the park's unique entertainment niche, its several thousand-seat performance venue and an anticipated 30,000 daily visitors during peak season, it would seem to have most of the key elements in place to make it happen. We shall see.
What do you think? What kind of future does MMA have on the Grand Strand?
Part of the reason ultimate fighting has taken off is that boxing has gotten so bad. UFC is taking over the PPV events in Vegas, the Hollywood types are showing up to the events in droves.
MMA has gotten a bad rap from people who just don’t know what it’s about. I’m sure that if the big shows come here, they’ll do pretty well.
Yeah, MB is a "family beach" destination, but the 18-34 male segment makes up a sizeable chunk of the golf market here. Consider that, and the number of adult entertainment establishments that exist around here, and you’d think that MMA would fit right in.
Hey, that post leeavs me feeling foolish. Kudos to you!