This might be the most turbulent start to a year in the promotion’s history.
Here’s a list of things plaguing the UFC at the moment (not ranked by objective severity or significance).
- Its president was caught on camera striking his wife multiple times and faced no consequences.
- It is entangled in an FBI investigation regarding illegal gambling by some of its fighters and coaches.
- It lost its Heavyweight champion and royally fumbled his free agency.
We are less than 20 days into 2023, and already the UFC has collapsed into a chemical fire.
It started in the early morning of January 1 at a Mexican nightclub when a 53 year old was caught on camera slapping his wife across the face in a drunken rage. That 53 year old just happened to be president of the UFC. The embers of the aftermath are smoldering but needless to say, the horrendous actions by Dana White put the UFC on everyone’s radar (and not in a good way).
Then, on January 12, ESPN released new details regarding the ongoing investigation into James Krause, the former UFC fighter-turned-coach who allegedly engaged in fight-fixing and nefarious betting. Turns out, according to those who wagered with him, he was acting like your everyday college bookie for an offshore gambling site. The UFC is apparently cooperating with investigators, but being at the center of an FBI probe isn’t exactly great for the brand.
Three days later, on January 15, breaking news shook the MMA world. Minutes after the conclusion of UFC Vegas 67, Dana White announced that Francis Ngannou, the Heavyweight champ and subsequent “scariest man on the planet”, had chosen not to re-sign a contract extension and would therefore not be returning to the UFC.
More from The Camp: The UFC Fumbled Francis Ngannou
In classic fashion, White has been critical of Ngannou this week, claiming Francis was dodging fights when in reality the UFC terms were suffocating the champ (the guy just wanted health insurance). Francis buried the UFC even deeper when he finally broke his silence on the matter.
Indeed, the company is facing plenty of detrimental backlash at the moment. What we know about the UFC is that it is resilient; it has withstood tough moments. It’s important to remember that the UFC doesn’t operate like a normal business. An MMA promotion won’t feel the effects of public relations nightmares like, say, a Fortune 500 company.
However, people outside the MMA world are starting to take notice. The sheer amount of bad press engulfing the UFC right now is tough to ignore, and unless changes are made at the top, the promotion will start to feel the effects of it all.