Hello nate and Zach, huge fan of all the work you do. I have heard through several of my sources that DWCS will be moving to a monthly model in 2026, going from 10 to 20 events, and fighters will be expected to win 2-3 times to get into the ufc. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this, what you’ve heard, and particularly the effect this could have on the regional scene with promotion like LFA and cage warriors. Thanks!
I haven't heard specific targets/numbers but what you are suggesting is very possible regarding the Contenders Series. The bottom line is that TKO is a very expensive landlord right now with the APEX and they want to start filling up the calendar with dates.
On the podcast, we suggested that there could be some financial pressure on promoters airing events on Fight Pass. Which, when you think about it, is crazy. More media money to corporate but less to the farm league promoters? Penny wise, pound foolish if it plays out that way.
What I do envision, given Mick Maynard's affinity for LFA, is a restructuring of the satellite promotions. The Spain event coming up is a big tell in my mind about UFC having satellites grab some initial marketing data on events.
Even if UFC still plays nice with satellites, there is going to be a concerted effort to really make the APEX a centerpiece in media rights negotiations.
Thank you for the response, and I completely agree with all your points.
Fight pass contracts are so restrictive, and it prevents any promotion from growing organically outside of “UFC” fans. I also worry that so many of the better fighters for these regional promotions will simply jump to DWCS, further drying out the regional scene. Just a sad direction of the sport.
I enjoyed reading this article, and we actually discussed it this week on our own podcast at www.fightradio.info. My co-host (we call him "the Psychic") brought up a great point. I get your reasoning for the outrage and the concern for the sport, but what do you really expect the casual fan to do about any of this?
Zach covered a lot of my story with the Xyience lawsuit, which coincided with his coverage of the PRIDE downfall. So, I know more than anybody about how the UFC and corrupt interests have been intertwined for decades. Still, when I tried to call attention to the shadiness, I got sued for $25 million. No good deed goes unpunished. I was primarily pissed about the how the UFC backers at the time paid themselves before they took care of the fighters that Xyience sponsored when the shit hit the fan and the brand bankrupted itself to make the Fertittas a big pile of cash at the end of the day. Xyience is finally really dead in the water and looking to phase out operations, but it's still a huge part of the UFC's history.
What's the average fan going to be able to do to make a dent in any of the UFC's plans for world domination these days? I love that you guys are covering subjects most MMA reporters are afraid to touch. That's admirable, but I wonder why you expect fight fans to be up in arms about any of it. And even if they are just as upset as you guys are, what can any of them really do to express their frustration?
Are you looking for a boycott? Should pissed-off fans try to recruit a flash mob to storm the cage at the next big event? Honestly, I really want to know how you expect them to react to your reporting. What's your call to action, so to speak?
Hello nate and Zach, huge fan of all the work you do. I have heard through several of my sources that DWCS will be moving to a monthly model in 2026, going from 10 to 20 events, and fighters will be expected to win 2-3 times to get into the ufc. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this, what you’ve heard, and particularly the effect this could have on the regional scene with promotion like LFA and cage warriors. Thanks!
I haven't heard specific targets/numbers but what you are suggesting is very possible regarding the Contenders Series. The bottom line is that TKO is a very expensive landlord right now with the APEX and they want to start filling up the calendar with dates.
On the podcast, we suggested that there could be some financial pressure on promoters airing events on Fight Pass. Which, when you think about it, is crazy. More media money to corporate but less to the farm league promoters? Penny wise, pound foolish if it plays out that way.
What I do envision, given Mick Maynard's affinity for LFA, is a restructuring of the satellite promotions. The Spain event coming up is a big tell in my mind about UFC having satellites grab some initial marketing data on events.
Even if UFC still plays nice with satellites, there is going to be a concerted effort to really make the APEX a centerpiece in media rights negotiations.
Thank you for the response, and I completely agree with all your points.
Fight pass contracts are so restrictive, and it prevents any promotion from growing organically outside of “UFC” fans. I also worry that so many of the better fighters for these regional promotions will simply jump to DWCS, further drying out the regional scene. Just a sad direction of the sport.
I enjoyed reading this article, and we actually discussed it this week on our own podcast at www.fightradio.info. My co-host (we call him "the Psychic") brought up a great point. I get your reasoning for the outrage and the concern for the sport, but what do you really expect the casual fan to do about any of this?
Zach covered a lot of my story with the Xyience lawsuit, which coincided with his coverage of the PRIDE downfall. So, I know more than anybody about how the UFC and corrupt interests have been intertwined for decades. Still, when I tried to call attention to the shadiness, I got sued for $25 million. No good deed goes unpunished. I was primarily pissed about the how the UFC backers at the time paid themselves before they took care of the fighters that Xyience sponsored when the shit hit the fan and the brand bankrupted itself to make the Fertittas a big pile of cash at the end of the day. Xyience is finally really dead in the water and looking to phase out operations, but it's still a huge part of the UFC's history.
What's the average fan going to be able to do to make a dent in any of the UFC's plans for world domination these days? I love that you guys are covering subjects most MMA reporters are afraid to touch. That's admirable, but I wonder why you expect fight fans to be up in arms about any of it. And even if they are just as upset as you guys are, what can any of them really do to express their frustration?
Are you looking for a boycott? Should pissed-off fans try to recruit a flash mob to storm the cage at the next big event? Honestly, I really want to know how you expect them to react to your reporting. What's your call to action, so to speak?