The UFC is still the undisputed king of MMA promotions. No other organization comes close in terms of global reach, star power, or sheer brand recognition. Yet, in recent years, one major issue continues to linger: the UFC has a mega-fight problem.
For the better part of the past decade, the UFC was synonymous with superfights: championship clashes that captivated both hardcore fans and the casual sports world. But lately, it feels like the organization can’t quite deliver when it comes to those highly anticipated, era-defining matchups. Overpromising and underdelivering has become an uncomfortable trend. What’s more concerning is that this is not a one-off issue. It’s happened repeatedly, leaving fight fans frustrated and PPV numbers in decline.
Arguably the hottest fight in the UFC right now, and while this bout could still happen down the line, as of today, it looks unlikely. Ilia Topuria moved up from featherweight, vacating his title, looking for the matchup with the pound-for-pound number one fighter in the UFC. After Topuria did this, Islam Makhachev decided to vacate his lightweight title and make the move to welterweight to fight for double-champ status of his own.
This is a move Mahkachev had been discussing for some time now, and now he can make it, with his friend Belal Muhammad losing the belt. To do so with arguably the biggest fight the UFC has seen since Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor is so unfortunate for the fans. Weight class differences, scheduling issues, and unclear matchmaking priorities have slowed momentum for what could be one of the most exciting matchups of the modern era.
Heavyweight champ Jon Jones was initially slated to fight Stipe Miocic, bypassing the division’s rising star, interim champ Tom Aspinall. After an injury sidelined Jones and following a prolonged absence, he has now announced his retirement, effectively ducking Aspinall and robbing fans of a generational showdown between old guard and new blood. The UFC promoted this fight as if it would happen, even though fans knew better. Fans knew Jones was ducking this fight, but Dana White and the UFC kept promoting the fight regardless. This fight will likely never happen now with Jones’ retirement, leaving one of the biggest what-ifs in the promotion’s history.
A bout that was scheduled five separate times but never came to fruition, derailed by injuries, illness, and ultimately Khabib’s early retirement. While this wasn’t the UFC’s fault per se, it stands as a reminder that in MMA, and in the UFC in particular, even the most hyped fights are far from guaranteed.
After Daniel Cormier won the heavyweight title in 2018, the UFC aggressively promoted a potential clash with former champ and WWE megastar Brock Lesnar. Lesnar even faced off in the ring with Cormier, leaving fans excited for the potential matchup. Lesnar ultimately re-signed with WWE, leaving Cormier to defend against other contenders. A massive pay-per-view fight that vanished in a puff of smoke.
Perhaps the greatest dream fight that never was. For years, Georges St-Pierre vs. Anderson Silva seemed inevitable, two of the sport’s all-time greats, both champions, both dominant in their respective divisions. Yet timing, injuries, and business complications meant the superfight was never booked.
One of the clearest symptoms of the UFC’s mega-fight problem? The slump in PPV sales.
Unlike in the past, the UFC no longer releases PPV buy figures for every event, and that’s likely by design. The numbers simply aren’t as strong as they used to be. UFC 300, held in 2024, reportedly crossed the 1 million buys mark, but that was the last event to do so, and it’s now been well over a year since the event.
Eight of the top ten highest-grossing UFC PPVs feature the notorious Conor McGregor, whose star power once elevated the UFC to mainstream prominence. But with McGregor plagued by inactivity, legal troubles, and injuries, the UFC’s most reliable needle-mover is no longer around to buoy the promotion’s numbers.
UFC 306 did set the record for the largest gate in company history, bringing in over $22 million. That milestone however, had more to do with the novelty of the event being hosted at the sphere rather than a stacked fight card.
Several factors may help explain the UFC’s ongoing mega-fight problem. First, injuries remain an unavoidable part of the sport. MMA is brutal, and top fighters often get sidelined by serious injuries, forcing cancellations or delays of highly anticipated bouts.
Second, disputes over fighter pay are becoming more common. More athletes are speaking out about compensation, and some are choosing to sit out or reject fights they feel aren’t worth the risk or the paycheck, leading to stalled negotiations and missed opportunities.
Third, the UFC may be oversaturating the market. With events now taking place nearly every weekend, even strong fight cards can get lost in the shuffle. There’s less time to properly promote matchups and build the kind of hype that mega-fights require.
However, perhaps the most significant factor is the growing trend of fighters ducking the very matchups that excite fans the most. Today’s fighters are more focused than ever on shaping their legacies and chasing the next big opportunity, sometimes at the expense of the obvious fight right in front of them.
Makhachev, for example, is prioritizing his quest to become a double champion, passing up on what could have been a massive fight with Topuria.
Jones, too, has been reluctant to face Aspinall, claiming the matchup doesn’t enhance his legacy enough. Ironically, the longer Jones sits out, the more hyped the potential bout with Aspinall has become. Had Jones fought Aspinall as soon as he was cleared, the fight would have been big, but now it’s even bigger, with even more fan interest and more pressure.
In short, fighters are often too focused on engineering their legacies and chasing the perfect “mega fight”, and in the process, they miss the one that’s already waiting for them.
The UFC is still on top, no doubt about it. But if the promotion wants to remain the driving force in MMA, it needs to solve its mega-fight problem. Building and delivering those defining fights isn’t just good business, it’s what keeps fans invested and the sport thriving.
Instead of getting Topuria Vs. Mahkachev and Jones Vs. Aspinall, Topuria is now squaring off against Charles Oliviera for the lightweight belt, Mahkachev will face Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight belt, and Aspinall will face whatever contender the UFC will give him. These are all interesting fights that MMA fans are excited for. I will be watching these, and I am excited for these fights, but they lack the glamour that these potential superfights have. It is a shame that these will never come to fruition.
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