The UFC had a banner year in 2016. Zuffa sold the sports franchise to WME-IMG for a mind-boggling $4 billion. There were several marquee events that brought in massive revenue, including UFC 200, UFC 202, and the promotion’s first foray into Madison Square Garden at UFC 205. Conor McGregor became the first-ever simultaneous two-division UFC champion and his star rose higher than ever, taking the UFC with it.
But 2017 isn’t looking as rosy for the world’s premiere mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion. A slew of issues confront the new owners. These problems could conspire to deny fans the number of marquee events, historic moments, and highly-anticipated fights they enjoyed this past year. Let’s examine the reasons 2017 might not live up to the lofty expectations set by a thrilling 2016.
1. Lack Of Superstars
The new owners at William Morris Endeavor have to be sweating that $175 million bonus they were looking forward to, and a lack of available superstars heading into 2017 is the primary culprit.
Following UFC 205 this past November, the company’s brightest star, Conor McGregor, announced he would be taking time off for the birth of his first child. It was later announced that he could be out for 10 months, putting his return in the fall of 2017. If that projection holds true, McGregor is likely to fight only once this year.
Ronda Rousey, the promotion’s second-best (or maybe best) draw and its most popular crossover star, may never fight again. She took 13 months off following her first loss to Holly Holm in November 2015 and just suffered a second setback to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207. The UFC would likely be ecstatic if she fought even once this year. This is a steep decline after the two combined to fight four times, headlining four huge money-making events in 2016.
Other potential stars who might help fill the void are also out of action. Brock Lesnar, perhaps the biggest draw before the McGregor-Rousey tandem came along, just got hit with a one-year ban. His fighting future is very much in doubt. The same is true of Jon Jones. While he is expected to return to active competition following his suspension, does anyone really trust Jones to stay out of trouble and fight consistently anymore?
Jones’s former teammate Georges St-Pierre is a reliable draw, but he cannot seem to come to terms with the UFC for a comeback fight. He also doesn’t need to fight, and his relationship with UFC brass is further complicated by his involvement with the MMAAA.
The UFC also has to be desperate for big-money fights. This might lead them to choose an ill-advised and short-sighted strategy for producing them. Does that sound familiar?
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