Walker: Invicta Deserves Seat at UFC Table

Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media.

* * *
Cris Cyborg will defend her Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight title against former Invicta Fighting Championships bantamweight queen Yana Kunitskaya at UFC 222 this Saturday in Las Vegas.

When the announcement was made, UFC President Dana White spent more time trying to pronounce the challenger’s name than explaining to anyone viewing who she was and what she could do. Granted, only the most hardcore of fans would know that the Russian immigrant put on one of last year’s best performances in a title fight, as she outclassed Raquel Pa'aluhi at Invicta 25. Isn’t that a problem? After all, Invicta is featured on UFC Fight Pass and consistently is the source of the promotion’s female talent. In fact, all three of the current female champions in the UFC spent time on the Invicta roster. Why is a champion of the organization barely a footnote when she’s booked to fight as a pay-per-view headliner?

Another homegrown Invicta standout has been snatched from the company by the UFC on short notice. In years past, Zuffa just purchased promotions to gain access to their rosters, as the buyouts of Pride Fighting Championships, World Fighting Alliance, Strikeforce and World Extreme Cagefighting provided great boosts to the talent pool. In a world without a pending antitrust lawsuit, this would be a viable option. Of course, with ongoing litigation, it would be wise to not absorb yet another promotion and further boost the case brought against UFC parent company Endeavor. Perhaps the solution to this problem is co-promotion.

Co-promotion has typically been a dirty word for the UFC. Cross-promotional superfights were stored away in fantasy conversations among enthusiasts, as the Fertittas and White were hesitant to mix their brand with the likes of M-1 Global and others. The closest we came were the attempts to see Chuck Liddell and Pride 205-pound champion Wanderlei Silva fight each other while they were hailed as the best light heavyweights on their respective rosters. Also, after purchasing the WEC in 2006 and running it as a separate company, Zuffa used the non-descript preface, “UFC Presents” on the posters for the WEC’s lone pay-per-view event. The broadcast itself was devoid of obvious connections to the larger company, save for the presence of Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg as commentators. At that time, the UFC had no need to co-promote. Although Pride had a good hold on the international scene, there was no doubt who was the overall leader in the sport. The schedule of events was nowhere near as cluttered, and there were also no television obligations outside of Spike TV, as the Fox deal and UFC Fight Pass had yet to be realized.

Today’s landscape is much different. While the UFC still has a firm stranglehold on the mixed martial arts world, that world is on shaky ground right now. Decreasing ratings for MMA and most live sports serve as the unfriendly background noise to negotiations for a new television broadcasting deal. The creation of Fight Pass has added to the multiple platforms -- PPV, Fox and Fox Sports 1 -- that are in need of content. Unfortunately, the inflated schedule necessary to accommodate their obligations has led to more than a few events that are skippable on paper and have little to no name value. Announcing a pay-per-view main event with another seemingly faceless fighter whose name can barely be pronounced is the absolute last thing that will help matters. Co-promoting with Invicta can provide a bit of relief from some of these problems while giving names and faces to the uniformly Reebok-decked roster that fills in hours of content nearly every weekend.

The house that Invicta President Shannon Knapp built has consistently put on an incredible product in a crowded MMA field. Invicta’s distribution agreement with Fight Pass has raised its profile and left the failed streaming pay-per-view disaster of Invicta 4 in the distant past. However beneficial this has been, the UFC has repeatedly set Knapp backward in establishing stability. So far, all three of Invicta’s undisputed bantamweight champions have vacated the title in favor of the UFC. When establishing the strawweight division, Invicta’s 115-pounders were nearly cleaned out to cast “The Ultimate Fighter” season that ended up installing Carla Esparza as UFC champion. Of course, this is pretty common on the regional scene.

As an unofficial rule, champions among the upper end of regional promotions can typically expect a call up to the big leagues. However, where Invicta differs from the Legacy Fighting Alliances or Titan Fighting Championships of the world is that it isn’t a typical regional promotion. While LFA and Titan have produced top-tier talent in the UFC and currently have great prospects that may someday enjoy success at the highest levels, members of the Invicta roster are routinely among the absolute best fighters in the world. While it isn’t unusual to see a raw fighter debuting or honing her craft on a preliminary card, a main card for Invicta typically features women who can be found on most reputable rankings. If the UFC continues to mine Invicta’s ranks for talent, why not give that talent a boost in promotion? Instead of Kunitskaya being an afterthought in a fight announcement, there could be more awareness surrounding her, which could lead to more eyeballs on the pay-per-view. Simultaneously, the extra attention on Invicta will obviously be a benefit for Knapp and Co.

Another benefit to co-promoting Invicta would be a potential increase in the core fan base. When Ronda Rousey rose to prominence, there was a noticeable change to the look of fans. There were simply more women interested in MMA. Her popularity was enough to prompt the UFC to add female fighters to the roster. This led to a greater awareness of the sport from an audience that previously showed little to no interest in it. However, due to Rousey’s well-documented downfall, a void has been created. While Rose Namajunas, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Amanda Nunes and others have shown continued excellence in the cage and personalities that can be marketed, no one has touched the heights Rousey reached in such a short time. While no one person has been able to take her place, perhaps a whole roster filled with highly skilled and varied women could. Featuring Invicta fighters and event results on “UFC Tonight” could be a soft introduction to the MMA fans who haven’t yet caught on. As for the women and girls that only stuck around to see Rousey, why not push some standout female fighters, including those from the Invicta roster, on more mainstream platforms that could pull them back in?

The UFC doing so little to acknowledge a promotion with which it does as much business is a hindrance to much-needed growth. Unlike the idea of co-promoting with M-1 Global in exchange for the elusive Fedor Emelianenko appearance in the Octagon, ramping up the partnership with Invicta will benefit the UFC beyond a singular fight. As the collaboration with Showtime and Mayweather Promotions showed, the right price can convince Endeavor to break with the tradition set by the Fertittas. Obviously, the return on investment won’t come on one glorious night of spectacle. Instead, it will be a slow burn. While that doesn’t seem to be the modus operandi for Endeavor, it would be wise to secure long-term success.

There is simply no downside for the UFC in this. Feature Invicta more prominently in simple ways. Invite Invicta fighters to appear on the same outlets as UFC fighters. When women who cut their teeth in the promotion fight in the Octagon, have Julie Kedzie take a color commentary role. It means more people watching when fighters get the call, more people willing to watch those fighters on Fight Pass, more people paying for marquee events and more people paying for Fight Pass subscriptions. The UFC would be able to have its cake and eat it, too.