Why do most MMA websites say that they cover MMA but only cover UFC?

anonymous wrote:
 anonymous asks:
why do mma website say that they cover mma but only cover UFC in their forum/new?I support mma as whole & watch international world wide mma.

fearthefightergroupie wrote:
As one veteran journalist recently said to me, “All big MMA websites are paid by the UFC.” Maybe it’s not an overt payment per se, but it is in the form of advertisement on the websites (cough cough MMAJunkie etc.) or tacit compliance - credentials are important as credentials equal access. You may need to go through the UFC as they will arrange access to interviews with their champs, and as a plus, Dana or Lorenzo will slip you a bit of info to “break news.”
ESPN, if you haven’t noticed, recently fired Josh Gross. I was told months ago that ESPN will be cutting MMA coverage in print/web; I didn’t realize they’d be firing their best and most senior MMA writer.
The reason is likely credentials. Gross is blacklisted and once tried to organize an MMA writers’ association to ensure adequate pay for covering the sport, and part of the negotiations was what % of one’s income could come from Zuffa. Fun fact: Ariel Helwani was at this meeting at Josh Gross’ LA loft, and threw a bitch fit, claiming he was paid by “FOX, not the UFC.” You say tomato, I say Zuffa.
On the other hand, Brett Okamoto of ESPN has maintained “proper relations” with the UFC in terms of his coverage and a few days ago, “broke” some news.
One way or another, there’s a reason why John Morgan is at every UFC event. Those ads pay for his trips. Kevin Iole is friends with Lorenzo, and is fed tips from Lorenzo Fertitta himself at times. He’s also at every UFC event. Remember when Kevin I tweeted something about Vitor Belfort only fighting in Brazil due to TRT and hash tagged #shady? Dana’s first response: “ARE YOU CALLING ME AND @LORENZOFERTITTA SHADY?” Yeah, that’s the reason he tagged Lorenzo in the tweet.
Senior Bleacher Report writers have expressed to me their limitations in covering or printing stories about fighters in other organizations.
Another interesting incident - a UFC HoF fighter once complained about an article a prominent writer printed. He was pissed the fuck off that it portrayed him in a bad light, and was so (unjustifiably) angry that he complained to the UFC brass, who then harassed the outlet. If not for this writer’s position, seniority/authority from his years of experience, ability to get credentialed, and good relationship with the editors, he would have been screwed in many ways.
As it turns out, they only pulled his article. Pulled it off the website entirely solely because of threats from the UFC - access is important, and they didn’t want to burn that bridge.
Gareth Davies is paid by the UFC. His annual pay also exceeds more than most fighters on the roster. Reading his work makes me feel like a fucking masochist because it’s THAT ABHORRENTLY AWFUL, but his UK connection makes the WORLDFUCKINGDOMINATION difference.

KSW wrote:UFC controls the mma media and the "fans" are ok with this. This is why Global-MMA.com is very important for the mma scene. We´re the only site that covers the actual sport. I´m starting to think UFC must die completely for the sport to become legit. The oldschool UFC is dead since the day Zuffa stole it and this new creation (Zuffa FC) is the worst thing that could happen to mma.

Hamilcar wrote:I know Luke Thomas once said that mmafighting.com has one guy to cover Bellator.  Pretty much, they hire all these guys to cover the UFC and then just like one guy to cover anything else.  That is not how you cover an international sport.  
But you can't blame the fans.  It's hard not only to follow international mma, but even harder just to watch it.  If these shows outside America would do more internet streams we could watch them.  3/4 of the stuff on this website I have no idea how to watch until someone decides to put it on youtube.  

Hamilcar wrote:I know Luke Thomas once said that mmafighting.com has one guy to cover Bellator.  Pretty much, they hire all these guys to cover the UFC and then just like one guy to cover anything else.  That is not how you cover an international sport.  
But you can't blame the fans.  It's hard not only to follow international mma, but even harder just to watch it.  If these shows outside America would do more internet streams we could watch them.  3/4 of the stuff on this website I have no idea how to watch until someone decides to put it on youtube.  

wekka wrote:Gareth Davies makes more than most fighters? Good god...that's terrible.

mmainamerica wrote:I use to run a site, I received decent coverage and views mmainamerica but once google took away my ads, it didnt make sense for me to keep site going. I did some decent interviews and covered mma outside of Zuffa.

mmainamerica wrote:mmainamerica