Why Muay Thai and Kickboxing Fails in the West

Summary

The video discusses why Muay Thai and kickboxing, despite their appeal to casual fans who enjoy striking in combat sports, are not as popular in the West as boxing or MMA. The dominance of boxing and UFC in Western sports culture, combined with factors such as fighters' hard-to-pronounce names, smaller size, and a lack of trash talk and rivalries, are seen as barriers to their success. However, with proper promotion, especially by someone like UFC's Dana White, these sports could potentially grow in popularity in the West.

Takeaways

• 🥋 Muay Thai and kickboxing should be popular in the West due to their emphasis on striking, which many casual MMA fans enjoy.
• 💰 Despite their potential, Muay Thai and kickboxing haven't gained widespread popularity in the West, partly due to the dominance of boxing and MMA in Western sports culture.
• 👊 Casual MMA fans often prefer striking-heavy fighters like Conor McGregor and Israel Adesanya, while wrestlers like Colby Covington are seen as less exciting.
• 📉 Dana White, president of the UFC, is reluctant to promote kickboxing, citing the lack of big events and fan interest, even though niche sports like Power Slap have seen promotion.
• 🇯🇵 Large-scale kickboxing events in Japan, like the Tenshin vs. Takaru match, have drawn bigger crowds and revenue compared to UFC, but these events are rare in the West.
• 🌍 One reason for the lack of popularity in the West is cultural bias, with Western audiences less receptive to foreign names and fighters from Asia or other regions.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Western combat sports fans often prefer larger, heavyweight fighters, while most Muay Thai and kickboxing stars are smaller athletes from Southeast Asia.
• 🤝 Kickboxing and Muay Thai fighters display a high level of respect for each other, which contrasts with the trash-talking and rivalries that drive fan interest in the UFC and boxing.
• 🎤 Trash-talking and spectacle, popularized by figures like Muhammad Ali and Conor McGregor, have fueled the growth of combat sports in the West, a factor largely missing from Muay Thai and kickboxing.
• 📈 Despite the obstacles, the script suggests that with the right promotion, Muay Thai and kickboxing could grow in the West, as their action-packed nature appeals to many fans.

Q & A

Why aren't Muay Thai and kickboxing as popular in the West as they should be?

Despite their action-packed nature, Muay Thai and kickboxing are not as popular in the West due to the dominance of established combat sports like boxing and MMA, which have a deep cultural history and audience base in the West.

What is one of the key reasons for the dominance of boxing and MMA over Muay Thai and kickboxing in the West?

Boxing has been a well-established sport for over 100 years in the West, while MMA, particularly through the UFC, gained prominence due to strategic promotion and overcoming early negative perceptions.

How does the cultural perception of MMA in its early days compare to its current status?

MMA was once dismissed as a fringe sport, with critics like politicians labeling it as violent or inappropriate. However, thanks to promotional efforts, particularly by Dana White, it has become a mainstream and well-respected sport in the West.

Why does the UFC appeal to fans who might otherwise enjoy kickboxing or Muay Thai?

The UFC offers a mix of striking and grappling, which satisfies a broader range of combat sports fans. Additionally, popular UFC matchups often feature high-level striking, which gives fans what they would get from kickboxing without needing to switch sports.

What role do Western fans’ preferences for fighter personalities play in the popularity of combat sports?

Western fans are often drawn to larger-than-life personalities, trash-talking, and rivalries. The UFC and boxing have embraced this spectacle, while Muay Thai and kickboxing fighters tend to show mutual respect, which is less marketable in the West.

How does the UFC’s current dominance affect the potential for kickboxing or Muay Thai to grow in the West?

The UFC’s dominance creates a challenging environment for new combat sports like kickboxing and Muay Thai to break through, as MMA already encapsulates much of what combat sports fans want.

What are some specific obstacles that Muay Thai and kickboxing fighters face in gaining Western attention?

Fighters from these sports often have names that are hard to pronounce for Western audiences, and their relatively smaller size compared to Western athletes can make it harder to attract attention, as many Western fans prefer larger fighters.

How do fighter sizes in Muay Thai and kickboxing compare to popular Western combat sports divisions?

Many of the best Muay Thai and kickboxing fighters are from Southeast Asia, where fighters tend to be smaller. In contrast, the UFC and boxing have historically highlighted larger divisions, like heavyweight, which are more popular with Western audiences.

Could kickboxing or Muay Thai succeed with the right promotion in the West?

Yes, with the right promotion, especially by someone with marketing prowess like Dana White, kickboxing or Muay Thai could succeed in the West, as many casual fans enjoy striking-focused sports.

What is one example of a large-scale kickboxing event that rivaled the UFC in terms of audience and revenue?

A Japanese kickboxing event featuring Tenshin Nasukawa and Takuro drew $25 million and 60,000 attendees, surpassing the gate and attendance of UFC’s Conor McGregor vs. Eddie Alvarez, which earned $17.7 million with 21,000 attendees.