(UFC/Zuffa Boxing)
If we know anything about boxing fans by now, we know that they will usually do as they are told. We also know that they will accept whatever is chucked their way and express gratitude for fear of being left with nothing at all.
They are, in this respect, not dissimilar to an abused spouse, or an orphan child. They want to be loved and respected, but are so scarred by their history and so beaten down by the people who raised them that they no longer know the difference between affection and abuse. Even just having someone show them interest, or offer them something, is often enough to keep them both quiet and compliant.
In boxing, fans are accustomed to being disappointed. They are accustomed to being disappointed when a fight falls through, or when a good one never gets made. They are accustomed to feeling disappointed by the rising cost of participation – whether in the form of tickets, subscriptions or pay-per-views – but are still content to pay the price, if only to ensure they can watch and feel involved. They are also accustomed to being treated like second-class citizens by those whose pockets they line and whose shows they watch. We are talking now of promoters, of course, who expect fans to treat crusts and crumbs as though they were a gourmet meal while remaining silent during the eating of it. As well as promoters, fans are sometimes even silenced by boxers, men and women who try to put fans in their place by telling them they cannot comment on their exploits unless they have boxed themselves. The idea, as always, is control. Like a child, ideally a fan should be seen and not heard. They should pay their money – for a ticket or pay-per-view – and then only watch, not comment.
In this way, the boxers and the people controlling the boxers get precisely what they want from the experience. Together, they can make money and exist in an inviolate, vacuum-sealed world of their own making. They can, in this world, then do pretty much anything, get away with anything. How nice.
Given all that, it’s no wonder so many outsiders seek to infiltrate this world and wrest some of the control. Recently, we have seen this with Turki Alalshikh, the Saudi Arabian financier who has changed the complexion of the sport and indeed how it functions, in the space of just a few years. We have also seen Dana White, the UFC president, puff out his chest and try to involve…
2026-04-03 13:00:00
