Arum says MMA audience is still too white

Bob Arum irked mixed martial arts followers a few years back when he said the majority of fans were "skinhead white guys." 

Even with MMA pay-per-view and arena audiences exploding across the U.S. and the world, Arum still believes MMA's scope is limited.

"It's the same audience over and over," Arum told USA Today. "It's white males, and they have never been able to expand their demographic."

For that reason, the UFC and MMA can only reach certain heights according to Arum. 

"The Hispanics don't care anything for it. Most African-Americans don't watch it. Hey, this country is becoming more and more Hispanic, and it's growing African-American (in the) audience," Arum said.

"So the future success of UFC is limited. The success of boxing is not, because boxing reaches those groups. The only demographic that boxing has lost is the white, young males, period."

Arum believes the fight market includes all males and that MMA doesn't draw the eyes of Hispanics and African-Americans. He also hints at the fact that boxing may experience a resurgence if it can mend fences with network television and deliver more of its product for free. 

We posted the latest fan video from Strikeforce. The audience at the Izod Center appeared to be pretty diverse. 

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