"Islam, Khamzat, and Charles Oliveira don't fight enough" - Fans discuss whether UFC is past its heyday amid concerns about waning star power

Fans expressed their opinions on a popular MMA content page's post questioning whether the UFC is in decline. While the UFC remains the dominant force in MMA and has significantly expanded its global presence and talent pool, there are whispers about the company's inability to produce breakout stars in recent years.

MMA content page, @DovySimuMMA, recently posted on X, asking fans to share their thoughts on the issue. The post read:

"Do you think ufc is slowly falling off?"

Fans took to the comments section of the post and shared their perspective on the issue.

One fan wrote:

"Alex Pereira gone is the last straw. Islam, Khamzat, and Charles Oliveira don't fight enough. And Jon Jones their "GOAT" IS LAME FOR ASPINALL DUCKING!"

Another fan commented:

The sport obviously peaked during the Conor Era, but the sport is not falling off! It has new stars and new fans all of the time, and it is still extremely popular even without a Mcgregor like star at the top!

Check out more fan reactions below:

Fan reactions

Fan reactions

Since the early 2000s, the UFC's growth has been fuelled by its pay-per-view stars such as Chuck Liddell, Brock Lesnar, Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva, Ronda Rousey, Jon Jones, and more recently, by Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov.

However, its current roster of fighters, and particularly champions, have not been able to achieve the same level of stardom as the names mentioned above.

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Does UFC's revenue for 2024 show signs of decline?

In recent years, the UFC has seen a steady increase in fighter salaries, production quality and frequency of events. In 2023, Endeavor established TKO Group Holdings as part of the merger between Zuffa LLC (UFC's parent company) and the WWE.

The TKO Group, which is valued at approximately $23.9 billion, reported a surge in its revenue during the third quarter of 2024. However, reports showed that the UFC's performance during this period amounted to $354.9 million, marking an 11% decline. The decline in revenue was attributed to a reduced event schedule.

However, the results for the fourth quarter indicated an increase of $61.1 million in the UFC's revenue. Overall, the promotion's revenue for the year 2024 reached $1.40 billion, which is an increase of $114 million compared to the annual revenue for 2023.

While the promotion's revenue demonstrates steady growth, concerns about the waning star power of UFC athletes - particularly following the era of Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov - have proven to be valid based on the pay-per-view sales.