Any long time fans feel like the UFC has lost its magic?

[Sweater of AV]

Haven't watched an event in close to two years and I can't even come close to listing the champions anymore. Interest in anything UFC related has been on a downhill slide since ~2013.

Give me greatness.

 

[Sweater of AV]

 

[don't ask]

UFC is actively pursuing shittiness.

 

[Big Tuppy Hole]

I've gone through this stage once or twice and then something brings me back.

 

[Big Tuppy Hole]

I prefer a card every week and one banger card every two months, at least I know on a Sunday I've got some fights to watch.

Same here, for years I was starved of constant mma. I'm not going to complain (even though I do every know and again)about to much MMA.

 

[ferrisjso]

Yes. I see the prominence of Conor and DC as the death of the old days. Things got better since 2017(the worst this sport ever got) but the magic has not returned.

 

[marvinparsons]

It's extremely watered down. The good fights are still good, but they are spread out between meaningless fights by C-list MMA fighters. Last night's card being a prime example.

Unless the guy's fighting are top 10-ish, high end prospects, interesting legends, or abnormally entertaining, you are watching the equivalent of arena football league football. And the above are like 15% of the UFC roster.

 

[Jeffy37]

The UFC has had multiple different eras and being nostalgic about the "old days" is normal, but there was always a certain magic throughout all of those years. Even when it went fully mainstream with Conor and millions of new fans came flooding in, it still kept that feeling. I just don't feel it anymore.

The UFC is obviously not dying, and that's not what I'm saying. I can't put my finger on what it is.

Anyone else feel the same?

Everything is fine. They do so many more cards now. I would rather watch multiple cards over no ufc cards

 

[Private Whatley]

What has really changed other than more money creating divas

Except there are actually less personalities nowadays. In terms of the people who actually fight, you’ve got Strickland, O’Malley and Izzy; Jones and Conor are the biggest stars in the company but the former, despite still being a top talent in the cage, is notoriously unreliable and troubled with injuries now also catching up with him, and the latter is a more of a brand ambassador at this point than a relevant fighter.

There’s a huge star problem right now, and there are several factors at play. As we all know, the pay is shit in mma relative to other sports and the independent sponsorship opportunities are increasingly limited. Secondly, all the fighters look the same bc they have to dress the same in the cage. Finally, the sport is overrun with foreign talent, and by that I mean, non-native English speaking talent. The prospect of an Islam - Arman Tsarukyan II matchup might give sherdoggers a chub, but it’s a nightmare for the PR team.

It’s an American company catering predominantly to English speaking fans, and it needs more homegrown talent getting top billing. That’s why Bo is on the main card next weekend.

 

[BowserJr]

Yup since like 2014 or 15

Started noticing it around 2010

 

[HavokHarmon]

Honestly, it just doesn't feel the same. I miss the Rogan/Goldberg/tapout days.

It’s all over.

 

[Morning Star]

It's a combination of a few things.

1. Paying their fighter shit wages. Nobody is coming to do MMA and get CTE to make shit money. Other sports pay much much better.
2. Too many events and way too much bloat with mediocre fighters.
3. Fighter aren't allowed to have personality anymore after the shitty Reebok/Venom deals.
4. Fighters especially champs are unbelievably inactive and top fighters are constantly avoiding fights.

 

[Cartiac]

Not for me.

UFC 299 this year was fucking amazing. Stacked card and the fights delivered. UFC 300 in one week. I am pumped. UFC debuts in Saudi Arabia this year with a stacked card. UFC at the sphere, which will be stacked. International fight week coming up where they go nuts on getting banging fights together.

This year is the best time to be a fight fan.

Good call, it is nice to hear some positivity in this place. Even though some of that original magic has worn off I do still very much enjoy watching the events. You are absolutely right that UFC is on top of their game with the very exciting back to back 299 and 300 cards.

I am also super pumped for 306 at The Sphere. I will definitely be in the building for that experience.

 

[ColombianFist]

The product is bland and saturated. When the UFC started to focus on themselves rather than the fighters, non ppv events are boring and without hype. I swear some of those are akin to a regional event; and by not focusing on the fighter, there's no incentive to actually buy the ppv unless it's someone we hardcore fans know. i can't even recall a UFC 300 ad on YT or anywhere else. NO hype, NO promtion or promoting the wrong fighter (Calvillo when she won the belt) or the one with the most boring personality.

At this point they can't afford another MCg whose star power can go beyond mma to the point the income is substantial and well beyond a UFC contract, which it's funny because Andy Silva and GSP were on that level, yet they didn't achieve as much as Mcg outside the UFC and as long as they keep it that way with millions on TV deals, the product will continue to be bland.

 

[ColombianFist]

It's a combination of a few things.

1. Paying their fighter shit wages. Nobody is coming to do MMA and get CTE to make shit money. Other sports pay much much better.
2. Too many events and way too much bloat with mediocre fighters.
3. Fighter aren't allowed to have personality anymore after the shitty Reebok/Venom deals.
4. Fighters especially champs are unbelievably inactive and top fighters are constantly avoiding fights.

5. Champs are more worried on attain dual champ status rather than defend their belt, which ends up on returning to point 4.

 

[mjfan23]

I stopped reading at ufc is not dying.

 

[GroundNPouter]

The product is bland and saturated. When the UFC started to focus on themselves rather than the fighters, non ppv events are boring and without hype. I swear some of those are akin to a regional event; and by not focusing on the fighter, there's no incentive to actually buy the ppv unless it's someone we hardcore fans know. i can't even recall a UFC 300 ad on YT or anywhere else. NO hype, NO promtion or promoting the wrong fighter (Calvillo when she won the belt) or the one with the most boring personality.

At this point they can't afford another MCg whose star power can go beyond mma to the point the income is substantial and well beyond a UFC contract, which it's funny because Andy Silva and GSP were on that level, yet they didn't achieve as much as Mcg outside the UFC and as long as they keep it that way with millions on TV deals, the product will continue to be bland.

Another McGregor though is exactly what they need. People were dying to be on a Mcgregor card because they knew their would be more eyes on them.

All the detractors knew this is what it would be like when they started putting cards on every weekend and here we are.

 

[TeenageMutantLesnarTurtle]

The UFC is obviously not dying, and that's not what I'm saying. I can't put my finger on what it is.

 

[Bowel-forged Stool]

I miss the spectacle it once was. The mainstream “sport” push has definitely sucked the soul out of what it once was imo

 

[Senbonzakura]

I think it boils down to the monopoly on the MMA landscape. There were individual styles you could relate to a personality that made each fighter unique and memorable. (Fedor/Sambo, Andy/Muay Thai, Lyoto/Karate, Nog/BJJ so on and so forth) and they fought in many different servicable promotions that gave visibility to fighters across many platforms back then. Be it Pride, Strikeforce, Dream, EliteXC, you were able to see alot of talent and develop a fandom of that fighter. It was the wild west and fighters could come and go from promotions and also could speak their mind openly. The UFC has became what it is and other orgs dissolved. Now we have the three letter org mainstream under the disney muzzle and it feels like the UFC has been neutered in a way. If they can get away from Disney in the coming years we might have another renissance of the UFC with less restrictions on fighters but until PFL or ONE take a more personality approach to fighting rather than cookie cutter sport based and challenge UFC to do something different then we are left with what we see now for years to come