Combat Content wrap-up

Your weekly edition of combat content lessons is here! This week’s edition features KSI, Jake Paul, HappyPunchPromo and the Gypsy Dosser.

KSI and Jake Paul are at quote wars on X

quote post from Jake Paul responding to KSI

Following Jake’s fight with Nate Diaz last weekend, the rivalry is far from settled between KSI and the problem child. 

As expected, they continue to mock each others legacies over X, the ideal platform where combat sports athletes talk trash to one another. 

However, what can we learn about this from a marketing perspective. Quote posts are optimal methods of scoring high engagement across other users feeds. 

Therefore, if you’re a brand/influencer/creator/athlete. Consider using quotes to repurpose your content. E.g. Quoting summaries from blog posts, sharing facts and figures relating to different topics, engaging with like-minded parties to optimise reach, awareness and engagement 💡

What can HappyPunchPromo teach us about repurposing content from other channels? 

Instagram post from HappyPunchPromo

In the crossover boxing scene, there’s been a lot of heat with regards to Salt Papi reportedly avoiding a bout with Slim Albaher 👀

Happy Punch are seen to be a leading voice in the crossover boxing scene from a fan perspective, to optimise the features available through IG, they’ve chosen a carousel format to share this recent news. An engaging thumbnail followed by a screenshot in a branded format to keep house style consistent 💡

When it comes to Instagram in particular, it’s crucial to keep house style and branding consistent as this is what allows your audience to recognise a brand at first glance 👀

Therefore, the lesson to take away is FIRST IMPRESSIONS COUNT. 

Now that’s how you make an announcement! 

@drinkprime

PRIME X FC BAYERN — the new official Hydration partner of FC Bayern München 🇩🇪🤝 #drinkprime #fcbayern #loganpaul #ksi

♬ Come as You Phonk – lofi’chield
TikTok video announcement of PRIME becoming the new hydration partner of FC Bayern Munich

PRIME is giving the sports industry one hell of a sweet tooth! KSI and Logan Paul are taking the combat sports world by storm as its also recently mentioned that KSI and Logan Paul will both be competing on the Misfits Manchester card this October! 🔥

What made this promo video so awesome is the timing. It also happens to be announced that Harry Kane has agreed a deal in principle to join Bayern Munchen in the upcoming season, and guess what, PRIME has just been announced as the clubs new hydration sponsor. 

Therefore, when it comes to producing content, make sure you follow the following 👇🏾

👉🏾 keep it entertaining

👉🏾 keep it eye catching

👉🏾 stay in tact with wider trends 

How can you attempt to maximise engagement on YouTube? 

YouTube video from Gypsy Dosser promoting the Jake Paul vs Nate Diaz fight

“Gypsy Dosser” made a fight compilation video theming the trash talk moments between Jake Paul vs Nate Diaz! 

There were plenty of funny moments without question, however, a little something that stood out was the account posing a question in the comments 💡

If you’re starting out as a creator or a brand, it’s crucial to optimise engagement with your audience and this is what Gypsy dosser is doing very well! 


Enough from me, is there anything that I’ve missed out?

Combat Content wrap-up ed.6

We’ll start off the newsletter with a meme 🌟

The GOAT of meme marketing in MMA, Mojahed Fudailat, comes through with a banger summarising the Lewis vs Da Lima fight through animation 👊🏾

Consider identifying user-generated content accounts to curate your social feeds if you’re a creator, brand or athlete. It provides multiple benefits to keep your feed fresh, fan-orientated and innovative with engaging content 💡

What does the UK tuck into for a UFC PPV 🌟

Casuals Corner continues to do their thing with food content! The best thing about food is, it applies to many different industries, and the digital algorithms have a strong appetite for it 🍕

Therefore, when creating content, regardless of the concept for a fan-led account, consider food 🍉

E.g. Food testing competitions, cooking tutorials ahead of sports events etc.

Jake Paul interview ahead of #PaulDiaz

The Problem Child will be taking on the UFC veteran this weekend in a boxing match co-headlines by MVP x Real Fight Inc 🥊

Jake has set up his own medium known, BS, an interview show where he hosts discussions about topics going on with his day-to-day alongside inviting other guests on the show 🌟

When building a brand, being your own self-promoter is crucial to its success. Therefore, take a leaf out of Jake Pauls book 📖

Engagement flies rockets

@espnmma

A special surprise from #TheRock 👏 #UFC #MMA #surprise #thembagorimbo #house (via @The Rock, 🎥: @Taylor Stephens )

♬ original sound – ESPN MMA

What made this video so engaging?

I’ll answer my own question, we’ve just seen Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson grant Themba Gorimbo a life-changing opportunity 🌟

To further enhance this heartfelt moment, the video is accompanied by a heart-warming audio piece to accompany and cherish the moment between The Rock and Themba ❤️

Combat Content wrap-up ed. 5

KombatKingz spelling bee

MMA podcast, KombatKingz, recently did a spelling bee challenge with none other than referee, Marc Goddard 🔥

This screams out so many blessings from a content perspective 🌟

💡Repurposeful across multiple channels (FB Reels, TikTok, YouTube shorts etc.) 🌟

💡Bitesize and engaging content 🌟

💡Content tailor made for inclusive purposes through captions 🌟

Repurpose. Engagement and inclusion. Three key themes to follow when creating content on ANY channel 💡

Proof that fans are you biggest advocates

A fan account produced this awesome thread about UFC lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev. Endorsing Khabib’s prodigy about his achievements 📝

Threads are an awesome way on X to summarise copy in a comprehensive format that can maximise retention rates in comparison to traditional blog posts. 

Therefore, think about when you next upload a blog post, you can repurpose it through a thread summarising the key points to optimise retention from your desired audience 💪🏾

How can I engage my community on YouTube 🤔

Elusive 2.0 is a analytical masterclass when it comes to combat sports, boxing, MMA, you name it. Always timely with analysing prospective fights or previous fights on a daily basis. 

It’s excellent to have a consistent upload schedule to ensure your fans know what to expect with your brand, however, how can you take this one step further 🤔

Maximise the comment section! It will greatly benefit your engagement by interacting with your audience and make them feel greatly valued through your content and more likely to convert as subscribers and followers on your channel. 

If you’re an upcoming creator, it’s easier to manage as well in comparison to being a well-established personality. Therefore, maximise this tip and keep your audience engaged 💡

Cage Titans know how TikTok works 

The algorithms across the ‘digisphere’ are unique as they come. Cage Titans get it like the back of their hand 🌟

When it comes to creating short form content, it’s a matter of understanding the habits of your consumers and orientating content around that, rather than purely focusing your content strategy on your niche 💡

For example, lads and lasses at sports events know about the drinking culture, especially in combat sports, particularly with shoey’s becoming more and more popular. Therefore, maximise that and focus on how it can benefit your brand 💡

Another transferable example can include when I go to football games, I notice quite a few fans start making paper aeroplanes and throw it around in the crowd, therefore, if you’re a fan-led account, record it, add some voiceovers and engaging audio and this will be appreciated by the TikTok algorithm 

Combat Content Wrap-up edition 4

🌟Awesome imagery from a fan-led account

I absolutely love this. It’s clear how close Islam and Khabib are regarding their love for each other and their support of each other’s legacy. It’s amazing what graphic design tools can do to illustrate the creative direction in this respect 🌟

🌟Creative IG story from CasualsCornerMMA

Instagram story screenshot from CasualsCornerMMA

None other than Molly ‘Meatball’ McCann has announced the opening of her new restaurant, Polpetta. She happens to be competing this weekend at UFC London. This was an optimal time for some user-generated content to be promoted to celebrate her new entity 🌟

🌟How do I promote sponsorship opportunities on TikTok 🤔

@bodyfit.maidenhead

A great opportunity for someone …. please @ and tag any brands you think would be interested in this great opportunity🤩🚀 one time payment for potentially years of exposure . to me its a no brainer 🚀🚀🚀 #boxing #boxer #boxersoftiktok #sponsorwanted #sponsoropportunity #fight #knockout #fighter #nobrainer #opportunity

♬ Space Cadet (Original Mix) – BLVKSHP

None other than my local boxing gym, bodyfit, is looking for new sponsors at their gym, and to draw attention, they’ve specifically paid attention to physical advertising space at the property where brands can advertise their services for. 

Plus, the account has tagged potential sponsors to draw interest towards their brand. This is a great thing to do as a small business to optimise visibility 💡

🌟Israel Adesanya’s team are knowledgeable about optimising YouTube algorithms 

The UFC middleweight champion has certainly gone from strength to strength with his content game in recent years 💪🏾

He’s proven to be a trailblazer in and out of the octagon; for this reason, I’d like to share something he’s done in his most recent upload 📹

He’s offered one lucky fan the chance to attend him competing at a UFC event by encouraging viewers to leave a comment, and he’ll review them to decide who he’ll select. 

This is a great way to improve video visibility through optimising engagement in the comments section 💡


That’s enough from me; now, let me know if I’ve missed out anything

Combat Content Wrap-up

Hello, sports enthusiasts; I’m starting a new blog series which looks at one piece of innovative content on various platforms across the combat sports landscape. These channels include TikTok, Instagram and Twitter and YouTube.

RilxWils optimising video formats

RilxWills podcast discussion accompanied with Tommy Fury content

You’ve probably seen plenty of video formats like this. They’re a fantastic way to illustrate content in the form of a podcast or interview-based content to make it easier for the user to consume information 💡

Honesty from Bryce Hall

Bryce Hall Twitter post accompanied with boxing footage

US influencer has recently shared some footage on his Twitter feed of his training. Although it’s not quite what you’d expect, it’s sparring footage illustrating his flaws. As a boxing enthusiast, you’re probably thinking, “Why on earth are you doing that?!?!”. However, when it comes to social media, it’s imperative to be authentic with your audience to ensure you build that robust relationship with them. This is evident from the level of engagement Bryce has received.

Keep it casual!

@casualscorner_

Foo’d Fighter UFC290 edition. Lineup of snacks. #ufc

♬ original sound – Casuals Corner MMA
Casuals Corner TikTok post

As a UK MMA fan, it’s always a struggle to stay up and watch a UFC card when it’s taking place in the US. However, Casuals Corner MMA have created some content which showcases what they do with food to help them stay up overnight 👀

The food looks amazing, and it’s the type of content that the TikTok algorithm will appreciate highly, considering the popularity of food across social media. 

Fury vs Ngannou. One hell of a trailer

Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou trailer

The gypsy king will take on the Cameroon Born in a boxing match in a few months! Despite myself not personally being a fan of this fight, I can’t help but admire how the trailer has been put together 💡

The one thing that stands out for me is the voiceovers! Sport is a fan-led industry, full of opinions and thoughts; therefore, when creating content, lead the theme of it through that 🌟

Combat Content Wrap-up

Welcome to the 2nd edition of the combat sports wrap-up! This week, we have a wide range of content that will blow your mind regarding the strategies that make them engaging and compelling!

FC Barcelona are now sponsored by PRIME

TikTok video promoting the recent partnership between PRIME and FC Barcelona.

KSI & Logan Paul have taken multiple industries by storm ever since introducing PRIME into the content world 💦

FC Barcelona did a short-form Q&A testing the knowledge of JJ and Logan around the club, and there were some super cool transitions and effects used to optimise the bite-size content that TikTok algorithms appreciate 📈

Storytelling on YouTube 📹

Latest upload on Anthony Joshuas YouTube channel

None other than the former heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, returns to YouTube with a storytelling piece illustrating his resilience, an overview of his last fight and more 🌟

There’s no denying how marketable the Watford fella is with his personal brand. However, what stood out to me with this piece was how the video utilised third-party traffic through the descriptions of his social channels alongside the voiceovers of him through archived clips of him training and fighting 💡

Whether you’re an established fighter or not, showcasing storytelling-themed content is highly recommended to build authentic connections with your audience. When that begins to build, you can then start to gain more sponsorship opportunities to maximise monetisation 💡

Threads are underrated 

Twitter thread illustrating the key updates throughout the Islam Makhachev vs Alexander Volkanovski event.

Shoutout to Octagon Obsessed for this piece of content! For true UFC fans, you’ll know how close of a fight Makhachev vs Volkanovski was. 

It was an absolute war and arguably the fight of the year. Although the way that a thread has been used to illustrate the narrative is compelling and draws in the consumer 💡

Welcome Instagram threads to the social media sphere

Screenshot of Gilbert Burns mocking Twitter with the release of Instagram threads.

None other than Durinho has made his stamp on Instagram threads! The social media landscape is evolving to imitate other platforms for monetary gain and to become the go-to app for as many audiences as possible 💡

Combat content wrap-up 

Hello, sports enthusiasts; I’m starting a new blog series which looks at one piece of innovative content on various platforms across the combat sports landscape. These channels include TikTok, Instagram and Twitter and YouTube.

Cage Titans Octagon announcement

TikTok post for MMA Promotion, Cage Titans

In combat sports, the ring announcement is a big part of what drives the appetite ahead of a fight 👀

Cage utilised this well in their TikTok, illustrating one of their fighters coming out in a Captain America outfit. 🗽

It’s funny, entertaining and engaging. Three key ingredients for TikTok content to work 💡

What’s your favourite food?

A recent Instagram post from an Instagram fan account entitled Casuals Corner MMA

Casuals Corner MMA posted a remix reel of Sean Strickland mentioning his favourite food is hamburgers and then was followed up with a quick hamburger tutorial. 🍔

Food tutorials are very engaging on IG and TikTok, a super awesome bit of content showcasing the unique creativity available through Instagram. 🌟

Sportico uses a Twitter reach optimisation tactic.

Tweet from Sportico relating to a recent business move from Jake Paul

With the good news of Jake’s Betr media raising $35m, to ensure this was heard by as many consumers as possible, Sportico ensured their tweet had a full stop at the start! 

If the tweet began with Jake Paul’s @, it would be classified as a reply, meaning it would spread to fewer accounts across Twitter. 💡

Incredible how little tactics like this can make a big difference 🌟

Adesanya vlogging with none other than Logan Paul

YouTube video from UFC Middleweight Champion, Israel Adesanya

Unsurprisingly, Israel’s videos look well-engaged, slick and compelling. Including the thumbnail.

However, the video is exactly the type of context and theme of what works on YouTube. Giving fans an insight into something new that they can try out themselves.

Having the combination of Logan and Adesanya’s reach compiled into one video will always work efficiently.


What do you think of those content pieces? If there’s anything you feel I’ve missed out on, do let me know!

Exploring the marketing mix for Cage Titans

Cage Titans are a combat sports promotion based in Massachusetts, New England. As marketing is such a niche area within combat sports, I thought I’d outline the marketing mix for the New England fight promotion. The marketing mix comprises ‘the 7 ps’, which include product, price, promotion, place, people, packaging and process. These elements can be formed together to form a comprehensive plan to drive a successful business.

Product

Cage Titans 59 event promotion poster

Cage has an illustrious set of products, which applies similarly to other fight promotions. For example, events where their fighters compete, are the core product which likely generates the most income. Secondly, their athletes. They’re the ones who are selling the event to current Cage Titans audiences and prospective audiences across MMA. 

Cage Titans e-commerce screenshot

In addition to their events and fighters, they also have an e-commerce strategy. It’s a relatively small collection of hoodies, hats, shirts & other clothing. However, as the organisation’s profile increases, its e-commerce assets will likely grow. Having a branded merchandise collection is beneficial for many reasons. For example, it ignites brand recognition amongst your audience and enhances your engagement with your online community. Thirdly, it adds another revenue stream amongst your other products/services. 

Price

Regarding Cage Titan’s e-commerce strategy, they’ve deliberately placed their products around the $9-45 price range. Whereas, if you look at a brand like the UFC, they’ll likely have a larger scale of products at a wider price range. The reason is that they’re a larger company that has brought in more revenue through their products and services. On the other hand, Cage is on an upward trajectory of growth, so they’ve set the scale of their products and prices to meet the scale of their organisation.

Cage Titans ticket promotion
Cage Titans ticket promotion

Cage’s pricing strategy will align with the host of their events. For example, depending on where they hold their events and which rows the customer will want to sit will contribute towards the price of the ticket. Adding to this, there will also be a range of pricing options for this. For example, fans will have the chance to access VIP tickets as well as standard tickets.

For fight promotions experiencing growth, to maximise your pricing strategy, exploring options around hosting external events surrounding meet and greets with athletes and similar has proven efficient. Adding to this, holding awards ceremonies to celebrate the achievements your promotion has made is another efficient generator towards gaining more revenue and an endorsement of your athletes.

Promotion

The majority of Cage Titans’ promotion comes through their social media channels. From my research, the platforms include TikTok, Twitter, Instagram & YouTube. Their strategy for each channel differs slightly from a content perspective. For example, when they don’t have events happening anytime soon, they’ll repurpose archived fight footage to keep fans enticed within the brand. 

Cage Titans Twitter feed

On Twitter, they deliver this with the #WeAreCageTitans hashtag to optimise brand awareness. Furthermore, they’ll add their sponsors into the captions to endorse them through the Cage Titans brand. 

Cage Titans latest YouTube video

They’ll promote more event-focused content on YouTube, such as media conference clips, the build-up towards fight night and more. 

On TikTok and Instagram, content themes typically revolve around user-generated content, athlete-driven marketing and archived fight highlights. 

Of course, closer to event promotion, Cage will prioritise more hard advertising through banners around where events occur. 

Place

Regarding place, Cage’s product is attainable through ticket sales for live events. 

Regarding their merchandise, this is attainable through their website. 

The awareness for each product will likely stem from the promotion across social media. 

People

In terms of the audience that Cage Titans attract, it will, of course, be fight fans. However, what does the average fight fan look like? 

Ultimately, it will be those who watch the sport alongside others, professionals working in the industry, and those who train at gyms specifically focusing on MMA. 

Packaging

Aside from their merchandise, the best efforts which Cage utilises with packaging focus on their colour schemes which they theme across social media and web promotion. Additionally, their inventory will likely come with the same colour schemes embedded through their logos and other branding materials.

Process

The core processes that Cage will be interested in are purchasing tickets and merchandise and raising awareness about their events. 

These services are championed through their promotional strategies, including social media and website marketing. Therefore, spotting SEO opportunities comes into play—for example, making the site map comprehensive enough to spot where to find out about events. 


To conclude, the marketing mix of Cage Titans is highly orientated around promoting their events through their digital marketing channels, highly focusing on social media content. Are there any other elements that I’ve missed? 

Who are the top 10 most engaged crossover athletes across Instagram?

From a marketing perspective, Instagram has proven to be one of the most effective social platforms due to its visual nature. Video, imagery and illustration are all fundamental components when building a personal brand. This is a core factor that makes the crossover sports scene a very entertaining and fascinating trend across the sports industry.

Across the digital space, there’s an ongoing debate around what matters more, followers or engagement. Both are important when building a brand; however, engagement rates are key because they signify how involved your audience is with your content. The engagement rate is generally defined by metrics, including likes, comments, shares etc.

In the influencer-led sports space, it’s crucial that crossover athletes have engaged communities to ensure they’re invested in their brands enough to want to see them compete, which can convert into ticket sales. Therefore, considering the importance of Instagram and engagement, I have identified the top 10 most engaged athletes on Instagram in the crossover combat sports scene; let’s see what makes them stand out.

Number 10: Jay Swingler

By trade, Jay is a YouTuber but most recently has become a multi-purposed entrepreneur through his new project, Childish Energy. Childish Energy is a zero-sugar energy drink brand which is targeted towards gym-goers and similar characters.

On Instagram (IG), most of Jay’s content consists of fight promotion, boxing training clips, short-form content exported from his YouTube channel, promo for his business endeavours such as merchandise and e-commerce, and giveaways alongside plenty of uploads promoting his appetite for retro style clothing.

Jay’s upload schedule is relatively inconsistent; as he’s become more involved in the YouTube boxing scene, he’ll tend to upload more to his IG account during the promo. But having said that, it’s worked out well for him, considering that he’s still one of the most highly engaged personalities across the crossover boxing community.

Number 9: KSI

The man that needs no introduction, KSI! Considering how busy this man’s content schedule is, it’s no surprise to see him in the top 10. KSI IG content game consists of the following: boxing training, fight promotion, sponsorship endorsements, Sidemen associated-endeavours and festival/concert clips.

Typically, KSI will upload to his IG channel 2-3 times a month. Despite this not sounding like a lot, we’ve all heard the phrase ‘quality over quantity’; plus, it gives your audience more of an appetite when you do upload because they’re curious to hear from you more often.

Broadly speaking, KSIs IG stats consist of the following: 282+ media uploads, 12m+ followers, following 577 accounts, 5.76% engagement rate, average likes of 730k+, average comments of 3k+.

What can we learn from KSIs IG strategy? Well, to build a successful brand on Instagram, when it comes to uploads, favour quality over quantity.

Number 8: DTG

DTG has an accolade of endeavours under his belt, from being a music artist, Twitch gamer to entering the influencer boxing scene.

DTGs IG content portfolio consists of highlighting his achievements, endorsements from other celebs in similar industries to himself and being pictured at sports events.

Collectively, DTG has 92 media uploads, over 100k followers, follows 3k+ accounts, an engagement rate of 5.83%, an average like figure of 5.7k and 140 comments per post.

DTG uploads at least once a month to his IG channel. Whether you’re a creator or representing a brand, what you can learn from DTGs IG strategy is to ensure your content illustrates the achievements you’ve made so that you can establish your credibility online.

Number 7: Austin McBroom

Austin McBroom, one of the innovators in the crossover boxing space. He was the former founder of the promotion, Social Gloves, but despite the initiative not being around any longer, he remains a pivotal figure in the digital community.

Majority of McBroom’s content involves fight promo, memories with his wife and children and training footage.

Austin obtains 598 media uploads, 6.2m+ followers, a 7.66% engagement rate, 474k+ likes per post, 2.1k+ comments per post.

Typically, the Ace family member tends to upload 5 pieces of media per day. But what can we learn about how Austin handles his account? Ultimately, each piece of content on his IG grid represents his personality and interests, a fundamental factor to building a personal brand.

Number 6: Deji

Deji, also known as comedygamer, tends to orientate his IG content game around achievements throughout his boxing journey, training footage and behind the scenes content at events he fights at.

The younger brother of KSI has 312 media uploads, 3.1m+ followers, follows 360 accounts, an engagement rate of 11.82%, 374k likes per post alongside 2.2k comments on average per post.

Deji aims to upload to his IG channel about once a month. Similar to other creators, they follow the quality over quantity approach. The reason this works is because your fans become more curious about what is happening with your brand, which instigates the chances of gaining more traction.

Number 5: Tommy Fury

Tommy’s IG content predominantly consists of personal life updates, training footage, fight promo and general modelling pics.

Tommy has over 870+ media uploads, 5.1m+ followers, 725+ accounts that he’s following, a 12.01% engagement rate, 612k+ likes and 3.5k+ comments per post.

Fury’s upload schedule is updated once every few days. With Tommy’s content, the biggest learning curve relating to how he’s ranked number 5 for engagement is likely due to the personal life updates he shares as your online community will naturally become more invested into your brand.

Number 4: Landon McBroom

Landon McBroom, the brother of Austin McBroom, regularly uploads family updates and general modelling pics which promote the lavish lifestyle the YouTuber intends to live.

Landon has 23 media uploads, 1m+ followers, follows 34 accounts, a 12.31% engagement rate, 121k+ comments per post and 2.7k+ comments.

McBroom tends to upload rather inconsistently, there isn’t a clear pattern but according to his results, there doesn’t seem to need to be.

Number 3: Faith Ordway

Faith made her influencer boxing debut in January this year against Elle Brooke. Her IG content includes fight promo, herself trying new experiences, workout clips and modelling styled photos.

Ordway possesses 96 media uploads, 1m+ followers, follows 846 accounts, a 12.35% engagement rate, 132k+ likes per post and 376k comments per post.

With Faith’s content, the lesson to learn includes to make the most of your figure and also look to repurpose your content, which is something Faith does on occasions. For example, reuploading her TikToks as Reels.

Number 2: King Kenny

Kenny’s content on IG includes fight announcements, fight clips, shouting out other pages alongside nostalgic themed content including body transformations, former throwback pictures and more.

The Beta squad member has 68 media uploads, 393k+ followers, 420 followers, a 14.34% engagement rate, 55k+ likes per post, 486 comments per post.

It’s clear Kenny has become super invested into the crossover boxing landscape, for this reason, he only tends to upload regularly around the time of fight promotions. A lesson to learn from Kenny includes to build a like-minded network, such as, what he has with the Beta Squad. A group of friends who get up to lots of crazy stuff. But it isn’t just that, it allows you to cross your audiences over and become a more grown personality in the digital space.

Number 1: AnesonGib

None other than AnesonGib claims the number one spot in the crossover boxing community. AnesonGib’s IG content orientates around fight content, such as announcements, highlights, workout pictures and clips.

Gib’s got 109 media uploads, 956k+ followers, 129 followers, a 16.98% engagement rate 161k+ likes and 1k+ comments per post.

It’s fair to say AnesonGib has undergone the biggest transformation in the crossover boxing community. For example, in the build up towards the Austin McBroom, in the face-to-face, the London lad openly admitted that he couldn’t do a push-up until he was 21 years of age. The is a major reason why Gib is one of the most highly engaged personalities in the space and it also comes down to his creative flair around his announcements, one prime example involves his announcement for entering the Kingpyn tournament.


There’s various factors which contribute towards high engagement on IG. But in the context of crossover boxing, the likes of consistency, but that also works in reverse, for example, if you don’t upload so often, this will keep your audience curious if executed towards the right timeframes. Plus, be as open as possible with your audience, this helps yourself build authentic connections with your demographic who will invest in your brand (e.g. likely to buy tickets, merchandise, advocate for you etc.)

Exploring the UFCs UX Design Strategy

Landing Page

The UFC are one of the leading global sports leagues across the MMA and combat sports world. The company acquire roughly over 7m monthly visitors to their website. However, 3.3m+ of the visitors are new visitors per month. Throughout December 2022- February 2023, the leading MMA promotion has experienced 21.19m visits. These are huge numbers for an independent organisation, and UX Design is a big factor contributing to web traffic. So, let’s waste no time and explore the UFC’s UX Design strategy.

When you land on the UFCs landing page, it shows a banner promoting the company’s next event. This demonstrates a solid understanding of typical fan behaviour. Consumers want to learn more about what’s next when one event ends.

As you can see at the bottom of the banner, they have a Timex countdown representing the amount of time left until the next event. Timex is the sponsor of the UFC fight clock, and this is a smart way to integrate enhanced UX with promoting one of their sponsors.

The banner has two tabs, one entitled read now and another entitled ‘UFC 30th anniversary’. The tab entitled would usually direct consumers to buy tickets, but the company’s UX Design team has taken a unique approach due to 30 years of the UFC. These are two behaviours strongly associated with fans, attending events and further general information relating to the backstory, narrative and where they can watch it if they’re not attending.

Site map

As you can notice at the top of the website, six tabs define their site map. Once again, these represent the features the UFC audience is most interested in. For other UX Designers or web content professionals, this is a point to take away for learning purposes. Ensure your site map is influenced by your target audience’s interests and behaviours rather than promoting the services you want them to know. That way, you’ll more likely gain traffic for longer session times. When it comes to raising awareness about particular services, you can implement that through other features such as pop-ups. 

Scrolling through the home page

When you hover over an element on the website, it expands in size ever so slightly. This meets a solid UX Design principle of enhancing consumer usability.

Furthermore, the home page is filled with news about different topics, including athletes, events and fight coverage. This enhances UX Design because time isn’t stagnant. Instead, consumers are always wanting to keep updated with the latest developments.

Language transcription

Scrolling right to the bottom of the UFC web page allows you to select a different language. As the UFC is a global organisation with a variety of different audiences, it helps allowing consumers to get content transcribed into their mother tongue.

Branding

From the colour codes to the page layout and the site map, the UFC website has a strong brand value, giving its consumers a strong sense of muscle memory whenever they’d see content published by the brand.


What UX Design principles stand out for you with the UFC?