TKO's monopoly mask-off moment for UFC & boxing

Pure process and raw power, with little interest in substance or fight promotion.

If this felt like one of the strangest, most unsettling weeks as a fight fan then you’re not alone. Something doesn’t feel right. The question is why.

In my long and vainglorious writing career, I cannot recall less fight promotion from the home UFC office than I witnessed for UFC 313. It was almost as if the event at T-Mobile Arena barely existed. It sure didn’t feel like the Fight Week of old, did it?

The only thing that felt normal was people bitching about having problems ordering the PPV with ESPN+.

To top off the madness, the promotion was busy with a presser for the upcoming UFC 314 event taking place… in Miami. A presser for an upcoming Miami event in Las Vegas before a numbered UFC event… and it was focused on pushing the Bryce Mitchell circus.

You can never count Endeavor out when it comes to lack of creativity with their “punch the Nazi” marketing strategy.

Because right now, the matchmaking for UFC is absolutely terrible. And yet, they are automatically generating billions of dollars. UFC 313 reportedly drew a $10 million dollar gate. How is this possible?

They put their top star Alex Pereira in a terrible spot by booking him against Magomed Ankalaev. Pereira lost, and now any luster that may have existed for a fight with Jon Jones is out the window.

Meanwhile, the front office has decided that Patricio Pitbull will fight on the UFC 314 prelims while Bryce Mitchell gets third-from-the-top billing and Michael Chandler gets semi-main event status in Miami.

Endeavor, which has a stranglehold over media representation and marketing, is struggling to develop mainstream UFC stars and has to rely on star power from other organizations or stars years past their expiration date.

And the cherry on top of this proverbial sundae? UFC’s main carnival barker was barely around Las Vegas to promote UFC 313.

When was the last time Dana White appeared to be totally checked out from a UFC event, especially a numbered show in his own back yard? Perhaps he was like us and didn’t want to see Alex Pereira lose, either.

Dana was asked about his UFC future at the UFC 313 post-fight presser:

Q: At what point do you say, you know, I've got to find someone to pass a few of these things onto?

A: We're going to find out this year. This year is going to be the, you know, we're going to find out this year. We'll see. We'll see how long I can run this hard. C'mon, Gary Brecka.

Uncle Dana needs more of Gary’s gimmicks. I guess the Biohacker won the UFC Billionaire Buddy dispute.

Dana’s too busy living his newest career arc — conquering boxing. Or at least marketing the concept of doing so.

The Dana & Turki Show in New York this past week revealed some very stark truths about the sport of boxing, the health of general fight sports, and most importantly some raw lessons about what Endeavor and TKO have in store for all of us when it comes to marrying Wall Street, world governments, private equity, and politicians into one giant psychological operation.

A psy-op, you might ask? Let us show you how the powers-that-be not only want to steamroll the competition but want to completely make you submit as a fight fan.

‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help’