2. Narratives
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXakJf8-xaU The biggest thing WWE and UFC have in common is that they both tell stories in order to sell cards. Take a look at this video of Brock Lesnar, it could easily have been a WWE production. Lesnar talks about how he is going to beat Frank Mir up and then kicks a door down. It's almost like the way he said he was going to beat John Cena up or the way he gets aggravated in the ring in WWE promos. UFC applies these sort of vignettes for all their top stars. It builds anticipation and makes a fight seem even more compelling, a conflict between two guys who hate each other is way more dramatic than a fight between two guys who get along. Essentially UFC applies the exact same face / heel formula WWE made popular, casting their fights in this way whenever they can. If UFC want to re-ignite their hot period of business, more than ever they need to cast their fighters as defined characters who are fighting in a personally charged feud. Take a look at UFC's history of top drawing
matches , characters and story fuelled the success as much as the sporting context did ... a pro wrestler in fact being MMA's top ever draw.