According to Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, the UFC has been having a problem recently regarding its lack of stars.
Over the last few years, the UFC has grown exponentially and has become a huge rival to the sport of boxing, with a big portion of the combat sports world preferring the UFC product.
Although the UFC has already gone through a major growth period, CEO Dana White continues to tease further growth of the promotion, claiming it will become the best promotion in the world, across all sports.
The promotion is set to go through a huge change in the coming weeks as their broadcast deal with ESPN recently ended, meaning they are currently free agents looking for their next huge deal, which they are rumored to be looking for double their last deal.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLCEddie Hearn claims the UFC is going through a ‘lack of stars’ problem
Even though the UFC had a huge year in 2024, a large majority of the fanbase has seemingly become tired of the product, especially as the promotion continues to house events at the UFC Apex with an extremely limited amount of fans.
Not only that, but the premier promotion is seemingly struggling to put fights together between the best fighters, leaving divisions in question.
For example, lightweight champion Islam Makhachev is continuing to refuse to fight Ilia Topuria in a lightweight title fight, leaving that division up in the air.
Heavyweight champion Jon Jones continues to delay a potential fight against Tom Aspinall, which has continuously irked the fanbase.
Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn believes that the UFC may be going through a ‘lull’ because of their ‘lack of stars’.
“How’s the UFC these days and MMA?” Hearn asked on The Ariel Helwani Show.
“There’s nothing fecious in it, it’s a genuine question. I feel like boxing at the moment is just skyrocketing in terms of eyeballs, attention, narrative conversation, digital narrative and look, the UFC is a massive business but, do they need to make a Jon Jones vs Tom Aspinall style fight to really, not get back on track because the business is incredible, but, I don’t know,” Hearn continued.
It is widely believed that one of the biggest issues for the UFC at the moment is its lack of competition, which is something that Dana White admitted he is worried about.
“Is it a lack of stars? By the way, I think this is cyclical, people talk about it in British boxing at the moment… Sometimes there’s just that lull,” Hearn added.
UFC misses out on huge fight due to injury
Some things are unavoidable in combat sports, and injuries are one of them.
Earlier this week, news began to circulate that middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis has suffered a significant injury that will keep him out of a potential fight against Khamzat Chimaev.
This now leaves the 185lb division in a difficult position with there potentially being an interim title added to the equation.