From Hype to Letdown: How the UFC Is Failing Its Fans in 2025

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The UFC has a major PPV problem right now. This year in the UFC it has been quite underwhelming in terms of expectations. We have yet to see that main event that makes fans anxious. In the beginning of the year we were supposed to get an exciting lightweight battle between Arman Tsarukyan and Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev. Unfortunately due to a back injury Tsarukyan had no option but to pull out. After this we were given a very lackluster and terrible PPV in UFC 312 where we saw our Middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis take on Sean Strickland in a rematch that nobody asked for. We easily could’ve seen the more refreshing matchup with Khamzat Chimaev, but Dana White chose otherwise. Dana White has also made it very clear that he doesn’t care about making the best possible matchups. 

Since Tom Aspinall won the UFC interim heavyweight championship in November of 2023, we have seen nothing but poor decision making and bad matchups by White. Usually when there is an interim champion, the current champion is forced to fight the belt holder of the interim belt. But White thinks otherwise, as there was no other matchup that made sense to him other than a 42 year old Stipe Miocic who’s last fight was against Francis Ngannou in 2021 in which we saw him get knocked out. I can only speak for myself and possibly some fans when I say that the only fight at heavyweight that is worth paying PPV money for is Tom Aspinall vs. Jon Jones. Oh, and by the way that is the only fight that makes sense at heavyweight. This fight was rumored to take place in the summer of 2025 but earlier this week it was reported by veteran MMA journalist Ariel Helwani that Jon Jones wants at least six months of preparation. If White wants to take control of his fighters he must hold Jon Jones to the same standard as any fighter and either make him vacate or defend the belt before the end of summer. 

We’ve also seen the cards this year have very underwhelming undercards. There has only been one fight this year that has been a number one contender fight and even that fight is in question because of the fighters fighting in that matchup both lost against the champion. The fight I’m talking about is Jiri Prochazka vs. Jamahal Hill on UFC 311. So, the undercards are weak, the main events aren’t what the fans want and now the fights to make are slipping away from us. This begs the question of ‘’Why would we pay $79.99 for a PPV that has no marquee matchups.” Well the truth is, we aren’t. The UFC is in a drought right now and the fights to make for us fans just aren’t happening.