UFC owners: 'We don't buy it' on complaints over weaker events
TKO Group Holdings President Mark Shapiro defends UFC card quality against growing criticism, stating the product is strong and comparing natural sport cycles to NBA trends.
UFC defends event quality
The UFC stages nearly 50 events annually, which inevitably produces variation in caliber. Recent criticism targets a growing number of Fight Night cards and events featuring many newcomers from Dana White's Contender Series, particularly since the launch of the new Paramount broadcast deal in January.
Mark Shapiro, president and COO of TKO Group Holdings, firmly rejects these concerns. "The product at the UFC is of high quality. The brand is stronger than ever and our reach is greater," Shapiro said during a financial call.
Shapiro emphasizes the UFC constantly recruits young talent from around the world and places them in competitive matchups. He points to emerging stars like Joshua Van, Carlos Prates, and Michael Morales as evidence of roster growth.
Building next generation
UFC leadership trusts CEO Dana White and his matchmaking team—Hunter Campbell, Sean Shelby, and Mick Maynard—to construct strong cards on a weekly basis. While Shapiro acknowledges the current roster lacks the marquee stars of the McGregor and Rousey era, he views this as natural and cyclical.
He compares the situation to NBA trends, where strong periods with Michael Jordan and later Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant alternate with lower viewership periods. "Sports experience inevitable ups and downs," Shapiro explains. The UFC manages these same dynamics as any major sports organization.
--- Source: https://www.mmafighting.com/ufc/486689/we-dont-buy-it-ufc-owners-respond-to-complaints-that-ufc-promoting-weaker-events-lately