Something big is happening in MMA, and not enough people are putting the pieces together. Jon Jones just retired, officially. Tom Aspinall was handed the undisputed UFC heavyweight title without a fight. This is not just the end of a legendary fighter’s career, it feels like the symbolic unraveling of UFC’s hold over the entire fight business.
Let’s break this down.
1. Jon Jones retires, UFC loses its GOAT
Jon “Bones” Jones, the youngest champion in UFC history and arguably the greatest fighter the sport has seen, is stepping away at 37. He was supposed to headline a massive unification bout against interim champ Tom Aspinall, arguably the most hyped heavyweight fight since Ngannou vs Miocic. That fight is gone. Dana White confirmed the retirement post-UFC Baku, and Aspinall is now champ by default.
Jones leaves with a 28‑1‑1 record, a legacy as dominant as it is controversial, and a fanbase torn between admiration and frustration.
2. This isn't isolated, Francis Ngannou walked first
Ngannou left the UFC as champion in early 2023 after UFC refused to include basic demands, health insurance, sponsorship freedom, better pay, and the right to box. Dana White publicly framed it as Ngannou avoiding challenges, but the truth was clear, Ngannou wanted fighter autonomy. He got it. His fights against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua made him more money than his entire MMA career combined. He paved the way, and fighters paid attention.
3. Demetrious Johnson, proof that greatness isn’t enough
Mighty Mouse was arguably the most technically gifted fighter of his generation. Eleven straight title defenses. Untouchable. And still, UFC let him go to ONE Championship because he didn’t generate PPV revenue. He retired in 2024 saying he didn’t enjoy MMA anymore, not because of the fights, but the system surrounding them. His value wasn’t recognized, and he knew it.
4. The Conor Paradox, UFC’s Jordan Moment, Wasted
Here’s what’s truly baffling, UFC had its Michael Jordan moment with Conor McGregor. He transformed the sport’s visibility, brought in massive casual audiences, broke PPV records, and helped make Endeavor’s IPO a reality. He put the UFC into pop culture and mainstream media.
But unlike the NBA post-Jordan, where salaries exploded and players gained influence, the UFC tightened its control. Fighter pay didn’t scale with revenue. Sponsorships were locked down under the Reebok, then Venum, deals. Independent brand-building was discouraged unless you were already a Conor.
Imagine if, after Jordan, the NBA told every player they couldn’t have signature shoes or personal sponsors. That’s what the UFC did. Conor’s success didn’t lift the tide for other fighters, it became an outlier, a one-time storm they tried to bottle.
5. Missed Opportunities in the Social Era
In the last five years, fighters have been handed tools that didn’t exist a decade ago, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitch, Substack, even OnlyFans. Fighters can monetize directly, build followings independent of the UFC, and sell their narratives without needing a Zuffa PR filter.
Jake Paul is the ultimate example. Love him or hate him, he leveraged YouTube, called out UFC’s pay model, fought real fighters, and made himself a millionaire outside the cage. Fighters noticed.
The irony? When Paulo Costa began trolling online and asking for better pay, Dana White sarcastically suggested he should “go be a YouTuber like Jake Paul.” Now Jake Paul is a legitimate business threat, running his own league (Most Valuable Promotions), co-owning PFL equity, and drawing more pay-per-view buys than many UFC Fight Nights, and Costa grew up his own audience on social medias as suggested by "the promoter".
That insult aged like milk.
6. Is UFC still the center of MMA?
In brand recognition, yes. In talent magnetism, less so. PFL and ONE are gaining traction, Bare-knuckle boxing is pulling retired UFC names. Even celebrity boxing has peeled away the audience that once tuned in religiously for UFC main events.
More importantly, fans now follow fighters, not leagues. Gen-Z doesn’t care who Dana White thinks is the number one contender. They care who’s real, who posts content, who interacts, who tells a story. They’ll watch Ngannou in Saudi Arabia, Mighty Mouse doing gi jiu-jitsu, or even Nate Diaz slap-box in a warehouse if the vibe is authentic.
7. The UFC model is cracking
Exclusive contracts. Zero unionization. Capped sponsorships. Backroom bonuses instead of guaranteed pay. That model worked when the UFC was the only show in town. It doesn’t work anymore.
And fans notice. Title shots are arbitrary. Activity is sporadic. Fighters go inactive for years holding belts. Matchmaking is more about marketing than merit.
Meanwhile, the fighters UFC let go, or mistreated, are thriving. Ngannou made $30 million in one night. Mighty Mouse retired on his terms. Even a mid-tier fighter like Sean O’Malley leveraged his own brand to become champ while pushing back on the UFC’s marketing machine.
8. What happens next?
Either UFC evolves or it bleeds. Not all at once. But one name at a time. One headline lost. One superfight canceled. Jon Jones is gone. Ngannou is gone. Johnson is gone. The next could be O’Malley, or Aspinall, or anyone who decides they’re more valuable than their contract says they are.
Fighters have the tools. Social media, sponsorships, brand deals, side businesses, alternative leagues, and global exposure. UFC is still the biggest platform, but it’s no longer the only one. And the fighters know it.
TL,DR
The UFC had its Jordan moment with McGregor, but instead of using it to lift all fighters, it locked them down. The ones who left—Ngannou, Johnson, maybe now Jones—found success elsewhere. With the rise of social media and alternative leagues, fighters are learning that the cage isn’t the only place to win. And Dana White’s old playbook isn’t working anymore.
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