News I say told you so when I told you so. But this is really about the UFC putting out a bad product

[Pancake Sprawl]

I think they'd be making more money if they'd left it a niche sport like it was for about 15 years in the USA. It was a spectacle to watch.

The trying to grow the sport and turn it mainstream is one of the reasons the sport is currently suffering. Regional circuit level fighters that a few years ago wouldn't be able to sniff a UFC contract are now on the main card of events.

I remember when the UFC was full of professional fighters that has cut their teeth all over the world in other promotions. No prospects were to be found on the roster. You had to have a 8 to 1 win/loss ratio to even be considered UFC worthy.

it used to be called "the Super Bowl of MMA" remember that? i always say, money and popularity makes everything shittier. but it happens in basically every sport, every business. the quantity goes up and the quality goes down.

 

[Thepaintbucket]

That was the whole point of a tv deal. The UFC was hoping to offload the cost to a different company. Guaranteed money in exchange for a mediocre product.

It isn't completely the UFCs fault tho. These networks should known better imo. Combat sports on a PPV model is extremely difficult to benchmark long term.

In all likelihood ESPN probably calculated the contract on the low end of things.

 

[TheMMAnalyst]

People here act like MMA is a money machine that goes direct to Dana's pocket. It's really niche sport that isnt anywhere near NFL or NBA level of pay. The fact UFC is chugging along is because of all the dumbass sponsors since Fox.

It's easier to see when PFL, Bellator, Affliction, etc just light money on fire. But the real truth is we're lucky it's not at the level of boxing where those fighters actually expect to get paid more than the event makes money.

It's a losing mentality to have and been supported by easy money atmosphere. When a day comes that cold hard cash has to support the sport, it's going to be shocking when it comes down. The money gained has to be more than money spent, or else it will collapse.

I'm just a MMA fan who wants fights forever to be sustainable and worry the lose money may one day pull the rug on our sport.

They (meaning “Management”) are making boatloads - two of the suits (Ari and one other investor) pocketed $275 million just from Endeavor getting taken private.

That’s more money then every fighter in the UFC earned for every fight in a year, and that’s not even taking into account their multimillion dollar yearly salaries, bonuses, perks (private jets, box seats, catering, etc). They didn’t put their lives and health at risk at any point, they just let other people do it as cheaply as possibly while they lie about their employment status (contractor in name only, employee in every conceivable way).

And they do this by lying to partners about how valuable partnering with them is, making everything an ad for gambling, liquor, fast food, or shit, and systematically underpaying the talent that is the reason people watch in the first place.

Their entire operation is financed by bank loans and every time they increase revenue significantly by whoring themselves out and cutting the product like a sketch coke dealer they pay themselves huge bonuses and take out new loans.

The model isn’t sustainable, they aren’t growing the sport any longer, they are extracting value from it by watering it down and selling out at every opportunity.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

Yeah its insane to see the level of drop off. We're forced to watch regional level fighters on main cards at the Apex now.

I think the UFC started to go down hill a few years after the Strikeforce acquisition. That merger brought a ton of great fighters over and we had some awesome fights for years as a result but that generation of fighters aged out right around the time that the UFC got bought by WME and made the ESPN deal which led to the watered down product we have now. Its was the last great infusion of elite fighters preceded by the WEC wave before it and the Pride wave before that.

The roster has always had a lot of shit fighters on it since the fox deal and the move to 42-45 cards a year. People just forget about the shitty ones from the past

 

[Hellowhosthat]

I remember when the UFC was full of professional fighters that has cut their teeth all over the world in other promotions. No prospects were to be found on the roster. You had to have a 8 to 1 win/loss ratio to even be considered UFC worthy.

This era never existed and I'm not sure why people think it did.

 

[RockyLockridge]

Bo, who is a wash, and Ruffy are more exceptions than the rule. The UFC like Johnny Walker type fighters. Sloppy brawlers that put on exciting knock out or get knocked out fights but skills wise lacking.

It's been like that since the UFC let go of guys like Jake Shields and okami and Jon Fitch. These were not very exciting guys who were definitely good enough to spend years in the top 10 knocking off younger guys but would never be champ and had contracts that allowed them to earn getting pretty good money. It's easier to just bring in younger, less skilled fighters that should be on the regional or even local circuit and sign them to the UFC, pay them 10K/10K and let the UFC's PR arm make the public believe these guys actually are the best fighters in the world.

I say this a lot but If the UFC says the best fighter in the world is such and such and they are Ranked p4p no 1 in the world, People will buy it without a second thought. It's kinda insane really, The UFC and the MMA media can just tell you someone is the best fighter they've ever seen in a weight class and people will accept it.

Look at jamahal hill recently, some contender series guy who beat johnny walker and santos. (the type fighters the UFC like to keep around, like you said) then a 42 year old glover.

There were people convinced that he would beat Jiri. There were people convinced that he'd beat Poatan. Despite having miles less experience and relative skills. but they believed it because of how the UFC hype up fighters. People told me how good hill was because of his "beauitful straight punches" It really made me wonder if we were watching the same thing. It's like the ufc has a monopoly on fighter perception, It's bizzare how they can shape our thoughts.

 

[kirsky]

I said that Fox was happy to end their relationship with the UFC because Fox was losing money. A great many on Sherdog called me unflattering names.
I said that Reebok was happy to end their relationship with the UFC because they didn't get anywhere near recouping the $70 mil they paid to the UFC for exclusive sponsorship. Sherdog once again flamed me.
I've been saying for over a year now that ESPN is not happy with the UFC because the UFC ppv aren't selling. ESPN guarantees the UFC 300,000 ppv buys for every event they put on. ESPN is the one holding the bag or reaping the benefits from actually selling ppvs. If it undersells then ESPN is fucked for that event. If it oversell then they reap the rewards. Sherdog said I didn't know what I was talking about.

I'm sitting at work early with about 20 minutes to kill and Google tells me that I'd be interesting in this article.

Another Twist Amid ESPN Contract Expiry as Dana White and UFC’s $1B Demand Gets Clear Message From Netflix CEO

As the ESPN deal is coming to an end, Dana White and Co. received a hint as to what Netflix thinks about acquiring UFC's broadcast rights.

www.essentiallysports.com

ESPN, on the other hand, wasn’t happy about the plummeting PPV numbers either, as opposed to what the promotion had assured its partner. “The UFC gets [paid] 300,000 pay-per-view buys as a ‘buy-in’ from ESPN. There’s no way that ESPN is getting 300,000 pay-per-view buys out of every pay-per-view, from what I was told…ESPN is frustrated because they’re not getting the pay-per-view buys that they had expected,” the New York Post’s Erich Richter had said.

Basically everything I've been saying and people have been calling me crazy (not everyone but the vast many) about I'm actually right about.

But this isn't about me. This is really about the shit product that the UFC puts on and the fact the consumers are punishing the UFC by not buying the product anymore. How can the UFC fix this issue?

Even in the late 00s the UFC could pull 300K ppv easy. In 2025 they struggle to make that number

Just one sentence is needed: Quantity over quality

 

[kirsky]

Yeah its insane to see the level of drop off. We're forced to watch regional level fighters on main cards at the Apex now.

I think the UFC started to go down hill a few years after the Strikeforce acquisition. That merger brought a ton of great fighters over and we had some awesome fights for years as a result but that generation of fighters aged out right around the time that the UFC got bought by WME and made the ESPN deal which led to the watered down product we have now. Its was the last great infusion of elite fighters preceded by the WEC wave before it and the Pride wave before that.

SF was bought in 2011, yeah you are right about that, tho I belive it started around 2008, Those were times when UFC wanted to make out of Brock Lesnar The Ultimate Champion ( that was funny shit btw). As I rember correctly Overeen in 2011 ( thats why I agree with date you wrote) shut down Project Lesner in atsonishing fassion ). That being sad 2008 or 2011 is not a date of golden times in mma, it was much erlier ( I know offtopic)... Question is left, what ufc did too rise their own profile after 2011... answer is simple, they did nothing exept rising number of event and waiting if that sells( basiclly screwing their co-partners on so called lucrative deals .I am not native english speaker, so sorry for mixing things up, cheers.

 

[WillyWarminski]

UFC is dyn?

 

[mangokush]

The UFC needs to trim most of the roster

Too many no name cans on the roster who cost the UFC money instead of making money for the UFC

Should be around 15-20 fighters per division only

UFC actually needs to be the best of the best again not just full of no name cans whose skill level are equivalent to bums fighting on the street

 

[Xanzito]

I sure as hell am not paying $90 for a ppv. I wouldn't support espn either. F 'em all.

I mean if you try to look at the value, you can buy a 100h+ game for almost half that.
Fk paying 90$ for Paddy x Chandler with an awful undercard to boot.

 

[RockyLockridge]

it used to be called "the Super Bowl of MMA" remember that? i always say, money and popularity makes everything shittier. but it happens in basically every sport, every business. the quantity goes up and the quality goes down.

It's definately Prominent in video games and music. "Widening your audeince typically translates to "Appealing to the lowest common denominator"

 

[jeff7b9]

Of the UFC?

We're in the slop era. Full stop.

Todays music? Slop
Marvel Movies? Slop
Western video games? Slop
Hollywood films? Slop
Disney entertainment? Slop
Western females? Slop
Social Media? Slop
Political discourse? Slop
News media? Slop
Online discussion? Slop


Everything has severely degraded in quality over the past 15 years.

There are insanely talented musicians out there right now.

Maybe not the ones getting thru to your ears but I assure you they are out there.

Overall pop culture that is pushed is trash, ill agree with you there.

But I think there are as many incredibly talented writers, videos editors, artists, musicians & singers as ever, art is very very much alive and well.

 

[RockyLockridge]

There are insanely talented musicians out there right now.

Maybe not the ones getting thru to your ears but I assure you they are out there.

Overall pop culture that is pushed is trash, ill agree with you there.

But I think there are as many incredibly talented writers, videos editors and musicians ans singers as ever, art is very very much alive and well.

yes but the what direction industries move in are dictated often by the mainstream, which is designed to push fads with no staying power that disappear as quickly as they arrive.

 

[EndlessCritic]

had Woodley and Dunham and Green who were all very legit back then.

Green was a massive underdog making his UFC debut and was expected to get dominated against Volkmann.

https://www.bestfightodds.com/fighters/Jacob-Volkmann-1246

 

[jeff7b9]

yes but the what direction industries move in are dictated often by the mainstream, which is designed to push fads with no staying power that disappear as quickly as they arrive.

The prominent business model is for sure to squeeze every penny out of hyped up hot garbage.

No argument there.

My only counter is that there are insanely talented folks all over the place on the artist level.

 

[CrimsonFan]

I think If WWE was able to get away from the ppv model then the ufc can too.

 

[DiazSlap]

I said that Fox was happy to end their relationship with the UFC because Fox was losing money. A great many on Sherdog called me unflattering names.
I said that Reebok was happy to end their relationship with the UFC because they didn't get anywhere near recouping the $70 mil they paid to the UFC for exclusive sponsorship. Sherdog once again flamed me.
I've been saying for over a year now that ESPN is not happy with the UFC because the UFC ppv aren't selling. ESPN guarantees the UFC 300,000 ppv buys for every event they put on. ESPN is the one holding the bag or reaping the benefits from actually selling ppvs. If it undersells then ESPN is fucked for that event. If it oversell then they reap the rewards. Sherdog said I didn't know what I was talking about.

I'm sitting at work early with about 20 minutes to kill and Google tells me that I'd be interesting in this article.

Another Twist Amid ESPN Contract Expiry as Dana White and UFC’s $1B Demand Gets Clear Message From Netflix CEO

As the ESPN deal is coming to an end, Dana White and Co. received a hint as to what Netflix thinks about acquiring UFC's broadcast rights.

www.essentiallysports.com

ESPN, on the other hand, wasn’t happy about the plummeting PPV numbers either, as opposed to what the promotion had assured its partner. “The UFC gets [paid] 300,000 pay-per-view buys as a ‘buy-in’ from ESPN. There’s no way that ESPN is getting 300,000 pay-per-view buys out of every pay-per-view, from what I was told…ESPN is frustrated because they’re not getting the pay-per-view buys that they had expected,” the New York Post’s Erich Richter had said.

Basically everything I've been saying and people have been calling me crazy (not everyone but the vast many) about I'm actually right about.

But this isn't about me. This is really about the shit product that the UFC puts on and the fact the consumers are punishing the UFC by not buying the product anymore. How can the UFC fix this issue?

Even in the late 00s the UFC could pull 300K ppv easy. In 2025 they struggle to make that number

You make a lot of sense here but eh…just SU and pay $89.99 to watch Merab dry hump another manlet for 25 minutes because Joe Rogan and all his drug abuse will tell you this is high level/once ever stuff.

 

[RockyLockridge]

The prominent business model is for sure to squeeze every penny out of hyped up hot garbage.

No argument there.

My only counter is that there are insanely talented folks all over the place on the artist level.

yeah, i understand that but the people with the most talent aren't getting that mainstream push. the ones that produce superflous crap quickly, do.

the most talented arists aren't the ones shaping the industry. and thats a shame. Maybe they shape their own scene or genre, which is a respectable feat, of course.

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

yeah, i understand that but the people with the most talent aren't getting that mainstream push. the ones that produce superflous crap quickly, do.

the most talented arists aren't the ones shaping the industry. and thats a shame. Maybe they shape their own scene or genre, which is a respectable feat, of course.

The talented ones either succumb to enshitification or get squeezed out of the business.