Big John: UFC prefers smaller cage as it ‘creates more action’

Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images

“Big John” thinks the UFC will purposely use a smaller cage in their Apex facility.

According to veteran MMA referee ‘Big’ John McCarthy, the UFC will purposely use a smaller cage in their Apex institute as it creates more action in fights.

The news comes in regards to the upcoming UFC events that will be held at their Apex facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. The first event to take place at the venue will be this weekend, May 30th, with Tyron Woodley and Gilbert Burns meeting in the main event.

McCarthy said on Twitter that even though there is a space for the typical 30-foot cage in UFC Apex, they have gone with the 25-foot size as it “creates more action.”

“UFC operations staff knows it can put a 30ft cage in the Apex,” McCarthy wrote. “The UFC prefers the smaller 25ft cage because they feel it creates more action. Fighters tend to like the 30ft cage because of the space. 25 ft cage came from WEC days and Joe Silva loved it. It’s just preference.”

The smaller cage size is a big deal, especially for the fighters. It forces fighters to engage more as there is less space to move around, potentially leading to an increased rate of finishes and a reduced total fight time in comparison to the 30-foot cage. You can read an in-depth analysis of how cage size influences MMA fights here.