Shane McMahon: Good Or Bad For The UFC?

Promoted To Front Page From Fanposts By Kelvin Hunt And Title Slightly Edited 

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Heavy.com has run an interesting article that explores the now well known fraternizing of top UFC brass with Shane McMahon, a bastion of the WWE empire. They pose some very legitimate and intriguing questions, the most pertinent I believe being

What does he offer the UFC that makes his potential hiring one of the most intriguing stories of 2010? 

While it is no shame to say the UFC has yet to attain mainstream status, it has come a long way from the "No holds barred" spectacle of UFC 1. It is now a legitimate sport and every year garners more support and a larger fan base for the high octane, professionally skilled athletes who compete combatively in the worlds premier proving ground. However for all this success, the UFC (or more aptly its parent company Zuffa) crave succe$$. They have yet to witness their product being sold in "popular" shops, nationally and globally. It is unquestionably their end goal and realistically that of hardcore fans too, to see UFC merchandise being sold in shops like Wal-Mart and various other commercial and sporting outlets. While we might not share in the commercialisation of the sport we love, I do believe we would all agree that it would go a long way to defining it as a mainstream sport in the popular psyche. It's not that we enjoy seeing nor actually "want" to see merchadise being touted to the masses, it's the cold reality that such a step would bring a relevancy to the UFC that is missing.  It might also come hand in hand with such outlandish plans as seeing UFC on network tv. I for one live in hope, out of my love for the sport.

The man Shane would likely replace, recently hired executive Bryan Johnston, has failed to impress Zuffa in his short tenure on the job. Johnston came to the company from Burton Snowboards and has a very strong reputation. But since joining Zuffa this year, he hasn't been able to secure the major deals company officials were expecting. McMahon, though he might be tempted to jump off the Octagon and onto Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg’s announce table, can certainly do better than that.

The sticking point, as it so often seems to be in the fight business, is money. McMahon, who recently cashed out more than $50 million in WWE stock (and still has another $30 million in stock), doesn’t want to be a mere employee. He wants to buy into a thriving company, joining Dana White as a minority owner of the company owned by Station’s Casino magnates Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta. The Fertittas have struggled mightily, and very publicly, with a real-estate bust in Las Vegas that caught them unprepared. They may actually, as strange as this seems for two billionaires, need the money. That may be the difference between whether we see Shane McMahon inside the UFC Octagon in 2010.

Shane is undoubtedly a shrewd business man and is well aware of the appeal and potential that the UFC brand has to offer. This is reflected in his interest in the company but also the news that he is seeking a share in the company as opposed to an employee's check. Time will eventually tell how valuable Zuffa see his services as being, and so will his contract agreement. Firstly though it  does remain to be seen do you the hardcore fans wish to see Shane's involvement with the UFC? Do you believe he has the ability to help establish a UFC empire?