We have been receiving more and more pay-per-view (PPV) events lately in the BJJ community. For many, this is a dream come true, as we get to see many exciting matches that we could have only dreamed of before.
It all essentially started with Metamoris 1, and is now very popular with many promotions running both super fight match ups and tournaments in the PPV format.
It is easy to get lost in all the hyped matches these days. For instance, last weekend we had Metamoris, EBI, and a local event here in Portland, The Submission Underground (promoted by Chael Sonnon).
Can you say WOW? With three events on a single weekend (one Saturday and two on Sunday), it seems like I could have sat and watched it away.
All of these events have positive and negative consequences. I would like to go over three of them in this article.
More Publicity and Money
This one is great. It is helping the community in a brand new way. Fighters are being paid well and even some younger, lesser-known guys and girls are getting their shots. This is helping both parties become more well-known.
A recent example is Gordon Ryan who, while already known in the community, was still somewhat doubted. However, he definitely showed everyone when he took first in the previous EBI event.
Fan Service
The other great part about these events is that we, the fans, get to see the matches we have always wanted. Seeing two competitors go at it can actually become rare if they are usually in slightly different weight classes or compete in different formats or circuits. This is heightened by the common submission-only format that can eliminate seeing a winner declared by points.
Boredom?
Yes, you read that correctly. This is one of the negative consequences of running these PPV events. While match making will continue, it isn’t hard to imagine that someday, the vast majority of super matches will have already taken place (even multiple times). This could make the playing field seem stagnant to some viewers and possibly drop sales for promoters.
Although new talent will continue to make its way into the events, I believe we need to be careful on how quickly promoters run through all the matches we really want to see. Before these events, we sometimes had to wait months and years to see two fighters we enjoyed compete hard against one another. Now, if a promoter senses it, they can be put on the very next show.
As I’ve shown, these events have both positive and negative consequences. Sure, there is the boredom, but other than that, these events have been a dream come true for most of the jiu-jitsu world and I can’t wait to see the next one.
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