The UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) has been the epicenter of MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) for the last few decades, and nothing is going to change that anytime soon. Over the last few years, though, Dana White and the UFC have had one glaring issue that may affect this weekend’s event.
This Sunday, the UFC will put on its biggest event of the year, “Freedom 250”, which takes place right on the White House’s lawn. The event features some of the company’s top fighters, such as Alex Pereira, Ciryl Gane, Ilia Topuria, and Justin Gaethje. It is expected to be one of the promotion’s largest events ever.
So, what’s the problem?
Freedom 250 has been promoted horribly, and the UFC athletes have had to take a backseat while White flourishes in the spotlight.
During the broadcast of UFC 237, the first video promotion of Freedom 250 was released. The video showcases White narrating. AI (Artificial Intelligence)-generated versions of White, Alex Pereira, Ciryl Gane, Ilia Topuria, and Justin Gaethje step out of vehicles and walk outside the White House.
As one might have expected, the video caused an uproar among MMA fans, who criticized the overt use of AI and expressed that the company has grown lazy in its promotional efforts.
In response, White said he did not care to hear the criticism as the AI promotion would not affect the event’s product.
“Give me a f****** break,” said White. “AI is coming, and if we’re using AI who gives a s***. People are upset, and we should use artists? How about this. Shut the f*** up and watch the fights”.
White may feel that the reception to the UFC’s promotional tactics is irrelevant. Other companies, though, are generating hype for their events and athletes by conducting marketing the right way.
In contrast to the UFC’s approach to promote Freedom 250, Nike opted to create a six-minute commercial starring some of the biggest names in soccer to promote the upcoming 2026 World Cup. The ad features current stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe, and Erling Haaland, as well as icons like Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ronaldinho.
Celebrities such as LeBron James, Kim Kardashian, and Channing Tatum made cameos in addition.
In less than a week, the video has already surpassed 100 million views and has gained over a million likes across various social media platforms. The traction the video has garnered has both exposed casual fans to the world of soccer and sparked interest in watching the 2026 World Cup.
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Though White may believe otherwise, the UFC audience cares a ton about promotional content. To this day, many fans remember the UFC 189 promo video between Conor McGregor and Jose Aldo, and the UFC 214 promo video of Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier.
These videos help generate anticipation for events and get more eyes on the product, which should be in White’s interest.
The UFC is in the business of sports entertainment. They rely on their fighters compiling good performances to eventually become household names. If the UFC continues down this path of poor promotional content, it may miss out on establishing the next superstar and lose the lead it has on opposing MMA organizations.
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