MMA Knockout

3 Things That Need To Happen in the UFC in 2025

Opinion: The UFC would be a more exciting product with these key elements.

Mathew Riddle

ESPN

A mile wide, an inch deep; That's the UFC.

While 2024 was a standout year for MMA and the UFC, it feels like the sport is on the verge of an even greater breakthrough. For casual fans, the name "UFC" is almost synonymous with "MMA," yet many would struggle to name three fighters outside of Conor McGregor, Alex Pereira, or Jon Jones.

I think that three key elements would make great headway for MMA and the UFC in 2025.

1. More Activity from the Champs

Five UFC divisions saw one title fight in 2024.

  • Lightweight: 1
  • Welterweight: 1
  • Heavyweight: 1
  • Women's Strawweight: 1
  • Women's Flyweight: 1

On average, current champions fought 1.54 times in 2024, an average of 1.4 fights without Alex Pereira's three short-notice appearances. The worst offenders were Islam Makhachev, who had one fight in June; Leon Edwards, who defended his belt in December 2023 and then waited until July 2024 to lose to Belal Muhammad; and Jon Jones, who had an injury-related delay.

We gleaned from Pereira fighting three times this year that it boosted his stock and kept fans engaged. Keeping divisions moving allows for narratives to form and keeps the sport moving in a way that fans can engage with. This also goes for UFC prospects like Payton Talbott, Michael Morales, Mairon Santos, and more, who only fought once this year.

2. Renovate the APEX!

The APEX was a novelty during the COVID-era of UFC. The product is well-executed and well-oiled, but fans are aware that the APEX is where middling Fight Nights go to fill the event schedule. That said, we've seen some incredible highlights from the APEX arena, some of which are the best in UFC history (looking at you Joaquin Buckley vs. Impa Kasanganay).

The issue is that these highlights go unappreciated as the dozens of fans in attendance aren't quite the thousands you'd find in an arena. Suddenly, monumental finishes like Da'Mon Blackshear getting the third-ever twister submission go unnoticed. Fighters are producing highlights with zero crowd-pop.

I'd like to be clear: The APEX is excellent, but a small crowd would go a long way. The WWE already did it; they renovated the APEX for a small crowd earlier this year. Why can't the UFC do the same?

3. More Creative Liberties

UFC viewers are fans of the custom shorts, and opinions are mixed on the new gloves (aside from the negative sentiment about the knockout rates). There was a time in MMA and the UFC when fighter expression was at the forefront of the sport. Custom trunks, fighter banners, and bespoke walkouts gave fighters an aura that transported them almost into the world of fiction.

This element was lost in the UFC with the introduction of fight kit sponsors and other restrictions on fighter expression, including limiting flag walkouts. I think the UFC could take notes from RIZIN Fighting Federation, GLORY, or regular-old boxing and bring back the excitement of the walkout.

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Mathew Riddle
MATHEW RIDDLE

Mathew is a UK-based combat sports journalist, graphic designer, and SEO expert with over five years of experience in digital marketing and a dedicated four-year track record in MMA journalism. He joined MMAKO in 2023. Mathew's insights have been featured on The Fight Fanatic, Heavy on UFC, Fansided, and Sportskeeda. Reach him at mr@thefightfanatic.com.

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