There was "The Ultimate Fighter" boom in the mid-2000s. Then came the Ronda Rousey craze in the early 2010s, and finally the Conor McGregor era in the mid-2010s that catapulted mixed martial arts into the mainstream. With the UFC set to hold one of its biggest events to date at the White House on Sunday and McGregor less than a month away from returning to the Octagon, are we in the midst of another upswing for the world's premier MMA promotion?
The UFC better hope so.
It's an interesting time to be a fight fan. UFC CEO Dana White will tell you that things have never been better. Financially, the business is definitely booming. TKO Group Holdings, the UFC's parent company, reported in May that the promotion generated $401.2 million in revenue in the first quarter of 2026, a $41.5 million increase from the previous year.
But it's also no secret that many longtime fans have started to lose interest in the sport. Some say the quality of the UFC's fight cards - including 12 events at the Meta Apex in 2025 and six so far in 2026 - hasn't been good enough. Others say 40 events per year is too much.
The UFC kicked off a new $7.7-billion broadcast deal with Paramount+ at the start of the year, leading to a big change in how fans consume the product. The deal eliminated the pay-per-view model in the United States, grouping all numbered events into a standard streaming subscription. The UFC still distributes pay-per-view events in Canada, though the promotion announced last week it's shifting to the new Paramount+ model in 2027.
As the UFC hits a critical point in its 33-year history, let's dive a bit further into the state of the promotion and where it's headed next.
What's up with the watered-down events?
The UFC product is definitely watered down compared to what it used to be. Every event was appointment viewing 10 or 15 years ago, but that's no longer the case. Now, Fight Night cards have minimal name value outside of the main event, and even the headlining bouts aren't always great. The UFC's numbered events - what used to be pay-per-views - remain the promotion's strong suit, with the most recent one featuring a blockbuster title fight between Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev, along with several other marquee matchups. But these happen only once a month.
One of the biggest problems is that the UFC's current roster doesn't have the same kind of superstars that it once had. Ilia Topuria, Alex Pereira, and Sean Strickland aren't on the same level of mainstream stardom as McGregor, Rousey, and Jon Jones. Some fighters just don't click with fans, and that's the way it goes. Still, it's on the UFC to find its future stars, build up its talent pool, and make fans care.
The constant influx of Dana White's Contender Series talent hasn't helped, either. Each year, the UFC signs dozens of new fighters from its feeder promotion. Some have gone on to have respectable careers and even win titles, but many end up getting released within a few fights. These days, the average Fight Night preliminary card probably has at least four or five fighters from Contender Series, and then often one or two other newcomers. As a result, many cards end up diluted with fighters who don't even belong in the UFC.
Pros and cons of the Paramount+ era so far
Pros
- Cheaper to watch UFC: This one's a no-brainer. Pay-per-view events used to cost $79.99 in the U.S. Meanwhile, a Paramount+ subscription starts at $8.99 a month, and, again, that gets you access to every UFC event. This new broadcast deal has made it much more affordable for fans to watch UFC, which was becoming one of the more expensive sports organizations to support.
- Earlier start times: Numbered events used to start at 10 p.m. ET generally, but now they begin an hour earlier at 9 p.m. ET. This has been a welcome change, especially for fans on the East Coast.
Cons
- More commercials: With events no longer on pay-per-view, UFC broadcasts have more ads than before. Not the end of the world, but it can be an annoyance.
- Quality of numbered events could decline: The UFC no longer asks fans to spend $80 per major event, so the brass may feel less pressure to stack the deck with top-tier fights. As with anything, you get what you pay for.
Do people care about McGregor coming back?
The other big UFC event this summer is McGregor's return. He's coming back to face former featherweight champion Max Holloway in a rematch at UFC 329 on July 11 in Las Vegas, marking his first Octagon appearance since breaking his leg five years ago. Although the sport has moved on without him, the UFC is surely thrilled to have him back.
Even after all this time away, McGregor is still the most popular fighter in MMA. Though some fans might not be intrigued by a 37-year-old McGregor stepping back into the Octagon, this fight against Holloway will generate more interest among casual fans than any other fight this year. Tickets are going for thousands of dollars and are already close to sold out.
White said earlier this week that he expects UFC 329 to break the promotion's all-time gate record. UFC 306, the event held at Sphere in 2024, currently holds the record at $21.8 million.
"He's a f-----g powerhouse. ... It's great to have Conor back," White said, according to MMA Fighting.
Will the White House card give the UFC a much-needed boost?
It should.
Sunday's UFC Freedom 250 event - taking place on the White House South Lawn and featuring a lightweight title bout between Topuria and Justin Gaethje - will be one of the biggest in UFC history. That's not hyperbole. In terms of mainstream interest, it's hard to top an outdoor event with the freakin' White House as a backdrop.
White said he's expecting "Super Bowl-type numbers" for the event, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said "a billion people all over the world" will be watching. Now, that might be hyperbole, but you get the point. No matter what you think about the political nature of the event, the spotlight will be on the UFC in a way it arguably never has before.
The UFC apparently isn't directly profiting from this event and is instead taking a $60-million hit upfront. It's a gamble that could - and probably will - pay off in the long run.
"This is an investment for the long term," TKO executive Mark Shapiro said in February, according to MMA Junkie's Matthew Wells. "This is about earned media, this is about sampling new fans, casual viewers, a spectacle and a stage that will ultimately expand our audience, our viewership, and our success on Paramount+."
While UFC Freedom 250 is on track to be a hit, it's hard to say how lasting its impact will be on the promotion. Hosting an event at the White House is obviously a big deal, but it's just one event. This won't fix all of the UFC's problems - certainly not overnight.
Could the UFC's White House event lead to another boom period, like "The Ultimate Fighter" did in 2005 or McGregor's epic rise a decade later? Maybe, maybe not. But one thing is for sure: all eyes will be on the Octagon for at least one night.
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