‘Merab Topuria and Jon Jones Are the Only Exciting Champions Left’: Fans React as UFC-ESPN Tension Escalates, Dana White May Turn to Netflix

The UFC is reportedly furious with ESPN+ and is now exploring other options, potentially striking a deal with Netflix in the near future. According to Erich Richter of the New York Post, the promotion feels that ESPN has failed to deliver on its end of a five-year exclusive broadcast rights agreement established in 2019.

Things have not gone according to plan. UFC fans have been plagued with frequent streaming issues, connection dropouts, unbearable lag, and overall poor performance during major PPV events. The situation reached a breaking point during the Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev UFC 313 pay-per-view last Sunday, where the technical issues were so unbearable that even UFC fighters publicly criticized the network.

It seems UFC and its parent company, TKO, are doing everything they can to pivot to Netflix. It’s a logical move considering Netflix’s recent success in sports broadcasting, like the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight and the NFL’s Christmas Day games and, of course, UFC’s sister company, the WWE.

With Netflix clearly aiming to dominate the streaming sports market, landing a partnership with the UFC could be a game-changer.

Fans have been vocal about this ongoing situation, and their reactions are telling.

Comments like, “None of these champs are actual PPV draws except Jon. Sorry, but your Spanish and Russian Instagram followers don’t translate to buys,” highlight the perception that only a few UFC stars truly move the needle.

Another fan joined in on the debate about the lack of stars in the promotion and said, “What do u expect? The UFC has turned into a Dagestan-hugging conference. Merab, Topuria, and Jon Jones are the only exciting champions left.”

Some fans have even suggested practical solutions, such as abandoning their current streaming model. “If they got rid of the PPV model and included everything in subscriptions, it would make piracy less attractive,” one fan pointed out.

Others echoed similar thoughts: “They need to sign with Netflix and eliminate the PPV model. They could actually compete with the NBA and NFL if all you needed to watch was a Netflix subscription.”

And of course, there’s always that one name that keeps popping up. “Maybe they need Conor more than they’d like to admit,” another fan commented, hinting that the UFC’s ability to draw massive numbers may still depend on its biggest star.

It’s a chaotic moment for the UFC-ESPN relationship, and if things keep going this way, Netflix might just become the new home of UFC pay-per-views.

Meanwhile, as chaos reigns under his own roof, UFC CEO Dana White is branching out, claiming to solve the problems pugilism is facing at the moment.

White’s boxing promises amid UFC woes

White has long expressed his distaste for the way the he sees boxing being run at the moment. To the UFC bossman, the sport has lost its appeal, courtesy of multiple promoters, titles, promotions, and poor matchmaking.

So, his collaboration with Turki Alalshikh can be taken as a sign off his attempt to ‘Make Boxing Great Again’  The UFC president has since also clarified that his sole focus in his new collaboration would be on the boxing side of things.

“I think that the sport of boxing is so broken, it needs to be built from the ground up again, and that’s what I’m gonna focus on doing.”, White claimed.

Instead, he’d rather work on the rankings and make the best fights and the best PPVs possible in the sport. However, given UFC’s own troubles with getting enough PPV buys, it does come off as a bit rich from White. His role in his collaboration has also been further questioned by fans and athletes alike who don’t think the UFC model of paying fighters a poor wage won’t go over too well with the big boys.