“Superstars are Lacking”: UFC Fans Debate Whether Dana White’s Promotion Is Falling Off Amidst Netflix Partnership Rumors

The UFC is in an interesting spot right now. The era of megastars like Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey is long gone, and while the promotion still has plenty of elite fighters, there isn’t a single dominant name that captures mainstream attention the way those two did. The sport is as exciting as ever, but without a larger-than-life superstar, some fans are starting to wonder—has the UFC lost some of its magic?

With rumors swirling about a potential streaming deal with Netflix, the conversation has only gotten louder. If the UFC no longer has the same star power to drive pay-per-view sales and global hype, will it still be able to command the massive deals it once did?

Magnetic personalities like Jon J0nes, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje among others, who propelled the sport into American consciousness are now in the process of phasing out of the sport. And while others like Islam Makhachev, Alex Pereira, and Ilia Topuria continue to draw crowds, they seem to be the last of a dying breed.

For a long time, the UFC has taken pride in finding aces every few years, who take the sport forward a little farther than where they found it. But in this supposed transitory period, that is yet to happen. Part of it can be blamed on pure timing- fighters like Paddy Pimblett, and Mauricio Ruffy might show signs of stardom, but they are far from their primes and cannot command crowds.

Then there are the Colby Covingtons, Sean Stricklands, and the Bryce Mitchels, who while have their own unique sets of fans, cannot be depended on the company to cater to an audience who doesn’t necessarily subscribe to their overly crude points of views, for the lack of a better word.

This absence of pop culture-adaptable personalities not only impacts pay-per-view sales but also affects the UFC’s ability to penetrate the imagination of a newer generation of fans, especially one that has to pay about $79.99 to watch PPVs.

With an obligatory number of events a year, the UFC has managed to water down its major PPVS and Fight Nights. While Fight Nights rarely feature high-ranked pairings, even PPVs suffer with the biggest names saved for a select few dates a year. 

So, when a fan account posted a tweet asking the fans if the UFC was slowly falling off,  the responses gave a unique insight into what fans think are the biggest problems in the organization.

This very succinctly summed up the situation saying, “The sport is better than ever, but the superstars are lacking at the moment.” Another fan reiterated a similar sentiment saying, “I do think there is a slightly decline in Star power names fighting.” 

While it is all doom and gloom for others, this fan has a different approach, “Compared to what? Boxing is its nearest competitor and the UFC has nearly murked that entire sport.” 

Another had an interesting theory that coincided with the sport’s supposed decline with the decline of Conor McGregor. “No. I think Conor peaked their superstardom and since then it has been returning to what it was. People who started watching during the Conor era will say it has though“, he said.

Another reiterated the sentiment and offered a solution. He said, “UFC PPV costs WAY too much now. It used to be $40-50 now you have to go out to a bar to watch. Plus you don’t get the best fights. On top of all that, the UFC makes more money now but the fighter bonuses stay the same. Lame. Make the bonuses $100-150K. Fights will get better.”

Well, that sums it up well. According to fans, the sport is in decline for a plethora of reasons, all of which have been raised by them for years, and for years, nothing has been done about them. The result – PPV buys being so low that reports of the company selling streaming rights to Netflix are gaining momentum. 

White and co to bid farewell to ESPN after 6 years?

With the current broadcast deal nearing its end, rumors are flying that the UFC could be looking to jump ship for a massive multi-billion-dollar deal. Netflix has been heavily linked to the promotion, but according to UFC veteran Brendan Schaub, things might not be as simple as they seem.

“None of [the ongoing reports are] true,” Schaub said. “I have a very good inside source.” He believes the UFC will take a page out of the NFL’s playbook, spreading its content across multiple platforms. “Some fights could stay on ESPN, while Apex events might go to Netflix or Amazon,” he explained.

Schaub also shot down claims that Netflix is the top bidder. “That source from the New York Post isn’t accurate. Netflix isn’t even the highest bidder right now.” He’s convinced the UFC won’t abandon its successful pay-per-view model. 

However, it should be noted that the WWE, UFC’s sister company has already done so with great success.