Noche UFC (UFC 306) turned out to be everything that the promotion had promised. Dana White‘s ‘Love Letter to Mexico’ was spectacular, and fans loved the experience. It was a true combination of the Sphere’s technology and UFC’s creativity. 2024 remains a special year for UFC fans as they witnessed the iconic UFC 300 PPV and the once-in-a-lifetime spectacle in Noche UFC.
The thematic event attracted thousands of fight fans, breaking the all-time UFC gate record. Many fans claimed the ticket prices were worth it, given the immersive experience they felt inside the Sphere. However, the same cannot be said about pay-per-view audiences completely. Former heavyweight fighter Brendan Schaub touched upon the issue in a recent video.
My issue is that the product I paid to watch was not great because it wasn’t a pay-per-view-worthy card. The highlight was the Sphere. Therefore, what you’re paying for, unless you’re in person, isn’t that impressive. You know what this is? The Sphere. It’s like the Rainforest Cafe, it look fantastic, but the product was sh*t. I loved the Rainforest Cafe.
Brendan Schaub via X
While the fight card had some interesting bouts, the majority of the fights ended with a decision. The lack of finishes, especially in the championship fights, was something that fans were critical about. Dana White also talked about the situation, claiming that the championship bouts were underwhelming.
The co-main event between Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko was lackluster, with most of the fight taking place on the ground. Shevchenko took the win but her wrestling-heavy approach was frowned upon. Similarly, Sean O’Malley showed no intent against Merab Dvalishvili and lost his title in the main event. According to White, O’Malley was flat until the very last round.
The fall of Dana White’s biggest pay-per-view superstars
Sean O’Malley has always been marketed as one of the biggest UFC superstars. The hype around him ahead of Noche UFC was massive with ‘Suga’ promising a knockout victory. However, the reality turned out to be massively different as he was dominated by Merab Dvalishvili for several rounds.
Former UFC champions (via Imago/X)Traditionally, strikers with knockout power are pay-per-view superstars. However, these strikers are now readily outclassed by fighters who are more complete and have wrestling skills.
With O’Malley’s loss, the UFC has lost yet another pay-per-view star. Ariel Helwani, a popular reporter, discussed this development in a recent podcast.
This has been a tough summer for UFC as far as superstars losing are concerned. Leon Edwards… loses to Belal Muhammad. Izzy, looking good in the comeback fight. He loses to Dricus Du Plessis and now you have Sean O’Malley losing his title to Merab Dvalishvili. That’s a tough stretch in the UFC. Those are three of the more popular fighters in the sport all losing.
Ariel Helwani via Uncrowned Podcast
This new group of champions has its own USP and is gradually getting the attention. For example, Belal Muhammad‘s social media numbers are through the roof and the public impression around him is also changing. It would be interesting to see how the UFC adapts to this change and capitalize to their benefit.
