Looks vs. Talent – the Biggest Question in Women’s MMA

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Gina Carano in Maxim Magazine

I was on a recent episode of “MMA Gospel” to debate the future of the women’s division in MMA, which is a great two hour debate if you have time. On the panel was MMA fighter Michelle Ould, Chris Schenk from Schenk Fighter Management, and MMA Gospel contributor Dan Griffin. This debate was started due to Griffin’s women's MMA viability article on MMAGospel.com, and my response article here on “Women Talk Sports”.

One topic that came up several times was about marketing the sport. Like many sports in which women participate, this is an ongoing question of when it’s too much and when is not enough when using looks as a selling point.

In wake of the debate, "That Girl is Funny" MMA blogger Cheryl Ragsdale (whom I interviewed on the Fightergirls podcast) posed a question to all of us on the panel.

What are your thoughts on what’s more important in capturing your attention – are you mostly interested in watching women mixed martial artists who offer exciting fights even if they’re plain-janes or will you only watch women fight if they look like Octagon Girls?

I went into a little of the answer during the debate, but here is my philosophy.

Strikeforce Champion Cyborg Santos

You have to have some talent. You can’t get away with being in this sport without it. However, it does help market those people who are talented. Michelle Ould made a great point during the debate that Strikeforce champ Cyborg Santos had started wearing make-up more often when she signed with Strikeforce. If this was a personal choice, something recommended by Strikeforce or her management is unknown. Concern for what she looks in public is got to be a key reason why, in my opinion. It doesn’t hurt to look girly in outside the cage and I have not seen anything but positive responses.

Some fighters have been criticized for using their looks to further their careers and not using their talents to speak for them. This comes down to marketing yourself as a viable representative of your sponsors, and a lot of times, this doesn’t hurt. Does it cheapen the sport? Depends on far they go, but if you dominate, who cares?

Gina Carano vs. Kelly Kobold in EliteXC 2008

One of the biggest misnomers about Gina Carano is that she is all looks and can’t fight. This is far from the truth. She has had only one loss on her MMA record, and has beaten some of the best in the sport. She never declared herself “The Female Face of MMA” – that moniker was given to her by the media.

Simple fact in MMA – you can’t slide on looks. Being an individual sport, it’s all up to your talent to get you to the big time. Most fighters are the most physically fit people on the planet, and it’s hard not to say they aren’t stunning or could be. That’s what marketing departments are for right?

Cyborg & Coenen face off in 2010 - Courtesy Ester Lin/Strikeforce

That being said, the biggest weapons when it comes to marketing women’s MMA are the storylines and the fighters themselves. All fighters have stories behind where they came from, who they fought, and what they have accomplished. With the new social media and the advent of twitter, beefs are being aired in public, and fighters are tweeting their loyal fans. UFC President Dana White even admitted twitter was a great marketing tool, with the offer of bonuses for those fighters who start tweeting. The twitter war between Marloes Coenen’s management and Miesha Tate has done nothing heightened the anticipation of their match later this summer. People want to see some kind of drama or some kind of stakes going into most matches.

Fighter Roxanne Modafferi

They also side with their favorite fighters, rooting for them harder and louder. A lot of this stems from the WWE style marketing Zuffa has executed superbly (although they would never admit it). Every person is a character and to market to that character, be it male or female, will sell the fans on the product. Not saying fighters should go over the top like the WWE does, but they should connect fans about who they are, and what they represent.

This beats any team sport in terms of marketing, and this is how I would market women’s MMA.

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