Both mixed martial arts and boxing are sports that have been vying against each other for popularity for many years. Currently, mixed martial arts fighting tends to be much more widely watched and talked about than boxing. However, the tables can and probably will turn at any moment, only to turn back again as they have for quite some time. Really, though, most bookmakers wish that the battling would simply stop and that both sports could exist peacefully without all the competition. See, it doesn’t really matter which sport has a wider audience or is being watched on the most frequent basis, at least not in the sports betting world. That’s because people still bet on both, and they are still profitable ventures for professional bookies.
Mixed martial arts is huge right now, but it could still benefit from a few changes to the way things are done. It takes work to stay at the top, and one thing that could really help the MMA to secure its spot is widening its target audience. Almost all devoted viewers of MMA competitions are males between the ages of 18 and 35. By reaching out and by creating advertising and general marketing for females and for those outside of this age range, MMA could greatly increase its scope and cement its popularity. This could mean even more money coming in for bookmakers, because if more people are watching, more people are likely going to be betting as well!
As for the boxing world, there is far too much padding of statistics. New boxers are placed against a large number of opponents for better stats, but they miss out on the actual learning process of making mistakes and taking some serious hits, something that is common in MMA. By demanding more from professionals, the sport might regain some of its credibility and thus attract back old fans and even win over some new ones. Again, more people watching means more people betting!
Really, though, there isn’t much that bookmakers can do to help increase the popularity of boxing or of MMA, nor should they trouble themselves over this too much. In the end, people are still going to bet on both sports, and the betting means extra income for the seasoned, effective bookie. All bookies really have to do is offer their players lots of options for betting on both sports, and the rest will take care of itself.
