7 Ways Pro Wrestling Shaped Modern MMA

Much like the WWE worked tirelessly to create a brand image over the last three decades, MMA promotions are doing the same now. Controls over image rights, exclusively licenced merchandising and massive social media drives are just some of the steps MMA promotions are taking to create a unique image for their respective brands.

MMA promotions are continuously publishing new content on social media, giving unprecedented access to the lives of their fighters and how the companies work. A fine example of this would be UFC's Embedded vlog. By giving us such an up close and personal view of fighters' lives, we get to see just how hard they work to be successful. This adds both a human element to the UFC, and further legitimises the sport and its image.

On a less humanistic note, one simply needs to browse a major online shopping platform to see how many MMA related products a person can buy. Action figures, branded equipment, video games, and even some dubiously branded UFC flip-flops. You name it, you can probably find it with a major promotion's name on it.

If any further proof is needed, go read up on the UFC's exclusive merchandising deal with Reebok.