This week ushers in the most anticipated time of the year: Thanksgiving. For many, it’s about the food, but at its heart, the holiday brings families and friends together to share traditions and make some happy memories of the year, awaiting Christmas. Yet, for the American UFC community, this year’s Thanksgiving is far from being memorable.

Frankly, 2025 has been a tough year for American MMA. As the promotion embraces global diversity, U.S. fighters have struggled to remain in the spotlight. At present, there is no American male champion in the UFC, and the situation has only worsened since Jon Jones vacated his belt back in June, over three months ago. With Thanksgiving 2025 passing by, this marks an unprecedented low point, making the year feel particularly awkward and disappointing for the American MMA scene.

A historic first Thanksgiving without an American male UFC champion in 2025

Dana White and his team have steadily expanded the UFC’s global reach. This year alone, the promotion returned to Montreal after a ten-year gap, staged an event in Azerbaijan during the summer, and most recently held a show in Qatar. Despite this international growth, American fighters have struggled to stay at the top, with Sean O’Malley standing out as the only one maintaining an elite position.

Whether due to motivation or skill gaps, the reality remains that until late June, Jon Jones was the only American champion. MMA expert Andy Hickey recently highlighted this sobering reality on X: “2025 is the first Thanksgiving in UFC title history (1995-present) where the United States of America does not have a champion in the male divisions. The highest-ranked American-born fighter is Sean O’Malley (#2). The empire has fallen.”

Currently, for the first time since 2004, no American male holds a UFC title yet this year. There is some positive news, however, as the women’s bantamweight belt remains in American hands with Kayla Harrison, who defeated Juliana Peña in June. In the coming months, she is expected to face Brazilian star Amanda Nunes, likely early next year. If that matchup occurs, the division’s balance of power could shift, potentially marking one of the darkest periods for the American promotion without a male champion.

Islam Makhachev shares his take on why Americans lack UFC support today

Brazilian, Russian, and Georgian fighters have been rising through the UFC’s ranks, while American champions have struggled to maintain their dominance. Recent title changes have highlighted this shift, with the power increasingly moving into the hands of international competitors. Fighters such as Alex Pereira, Ilia Topuria, and Merab Dvalishvili have been establishing themselves at the heart of the octagon, and newly crowned welterweight kingpin Islam Makhachev has further solidified this trend.

Highlighting cultural differences in the sport, Makhachev believes American fighters lack the same drive. According to him, their more relaxed approach affects performance, and he points to the country’s fight sports mentality as a key factor.

“Our guys live for this sport,” Makhachev told Ushatayka’s Islam Babadzhanov. “In the USA, for example, they don’t worry even if they compete badly. But behind our guys, there is a family, the whole city, the whole Republic. [They] feel this responsibility, and go out with full responsibility and win.”

How do you view Islam Makhachev’s perspective? Could this mindset be why American fighters like Sean Strickland, Belal Muhammad, and Sean O’Malley struggle to reach the top and maintain UFC titles? Share your thoughts.