Where Have All the Warriors Gone? The Decline of UFC's Talent Pool

Is the UFC going through a talent drought?

Dustin Safranek-USA TODAY Sports

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position or operation of any organization.

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An offhand comment from UFC commentator Daniel Cormier raised eyebrows last week at UFC Saudi Arabia. Cormier's casual remark about the UFC's entry standards suggests that the organization may no longer be focused on attracting the best fighters in the world.

While discussing Felipe Lima's short-notice signing to the UFC, Cormier explained that "there isn't really any way to come in [to the UFC]" if fighters aren't coming through the UFC talent funnels or taking short notice fights.

"At this point in the UFC, if you're not coming in through the Contender's Series, or Road to UFC, or taking fights on short notice, there really isn't any way to come in," Cormier remarked during the UFC Saudi Arabia broadcast.

This comment is particularly troubling, given the numerous missed opportunities over the past two years. The UFC has failed to sign notable fighters such as Cédric Doumbé, Salahdine Parnasse, Paul Hughes, and Baysangur Chamsoudinov, to name a few. For a company with such market dominance, it's hard to believe they couldn't have made the highest bid for each of these fighters.

Why is the UFC not signing top talent?

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The UFC uses a vertical integration business model. This means the UFC takes ownership of various stages of its production instead of relying on third parties. This comes in the form of Dana White's Contender Series, The Ultimate Fighter, Road to UFC, and the multitude of fight promotions that operate under the UFC Fight Pass banner, serving as fighter recruitment tools for the UFC.

More and more, fighters are being brought into the UFC not because of their merit on the regional scene but because of their ascension through the UFC child promotions or talent funnels. The issue is that world-class fighters are pricing themselves out of the promotion when they build their stock outside the UFC family. This is substantiated by the Parnasse and Doumbé contract negotiations:

"[Parnasse's KSW contract] is just huge," Parnasse's manager remarked on RMC Sport. "It's well into six figures. The UFC was between 20 and 30 times less."

"I had a deal on the table [with the UFC] and it was not interesting for me," Doumbé told The MMA Hour. "The UFC is very difficult with negotiations, of course UFC was the first big promotion in MMA, they know that."[The contract with PFL is] 10 times bigger."

Doumbé would later reveal he would be paid $140K per fight with the PFL, and that he would have gotten $20K show + win in the UFC.

Cedric Doumbe says that he will be paid $140,000 per fight in the PFL 👀

He also says that he only would have gotten $20K show + $20K win bonus if he signed for the UFC 😳

via his YT channel pic.twitter.com/09mYFAFLTG

— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) May 10, 2023

In 2021, Contender Series alums made up roughly 20% of the UFC roster, and the figure can only be larger three years onwards. These fighters are paid comparatively less than freshly signed prospects and bolstered by all the promotional material the UFC needs.

With the UFC brand becoming ever more synonymous with MMA, it's not difficult to see why the UFC operates in the way it does. If UFC 300 is anything to go by, the promotion is taking a brand-centric approach, offering UFC as the product rather than the fighters, and if they do encounter a star, they're usually homebrewed.

As the UFC continues to deliver world-class production value, perhaps it's time to shift attention to its faltering talent pool.

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