It’s costly being a UFC fan today.
Except for having to shell out $80 each month for a pay-per-view on high of an ESPN+ subscription, the prices related to attending an Final Combating Championship occasion have grown to astronomical proportions.
This Saturday, the promotion returns to Iowa for the primary time in 25 years, heading to Wells Fargo Enviornment in Des Moines for a Battle Night time card headlined by a featherweight conflict between Cory Sandhagen and Deiveson. Additionally showing can be notable names within the MMA sport, like Bo Nickal, Reinier de Ridder, former bantamweight champion Miesha Tate, and former Miletich Combating Techniques standout Jeremy Stephens.
Earlier than this weekend, the final time the UFC was within the Hawkeye State was all the best way again on June 9, 2000, for UFC 26.
Simply to provide followers an thought of how a lot prices have risen during the last couple of a long time, former UFC and WEC fighter Mike Brown shared a picture of an unique entrance row ticket for UFC 26 versus a entrance row ticket for UFC Des Moines.
Evidently, the worth distinction his jaw-dropping.
The fee for a entrance row ticket at UFC 26 was $100.50. Now, that very same entrance row seat will value you a whopping $4,402, representing an enormous 4,300% improve.
Is the UFC beginning to worth itself out of the market?
With the promotion’s explosion in recognition, it’s no shock that consuming the product has change into significantly dearer, however contemplating solely 15% of the income goes to the precise fighters (paltry in comparison with different skilled sports activities organizations, which frequently share 50% of their income), many are discovering it laborious to proceed supporting the promotion financially.
That’s resulted in a staggering drop in pay-per-view buys, and even final weekend’s Battle Night time in Kansas Metropolis was thought of considerably of a disappointment when it comes to complete ticket gross sales.
Clearly, Dana White and Co. will proceed to be the highest canine on the earth of MMA, however with rising prices and an overflow of lackluster occasions, are combat followers beginning to spend their hard-earned {dollars} on different types of leisure?
