Moving at the speed of light, the UFC is fast approaching its 32nd birthday. In just a few months, the world’s premier MMA promotion will mark over three decades of dominance—thanks in large part to the vision and relentless drive of Dana White & Co., who—in just over two decades—turned the UFC into a global powerhouse now valued at a staggering $12.1 billion. That eye-popping valuation cements the Dana White & Co.’s place at the very top of the MMA world—not just in America, but across the globe.

Still, that doesn’t mean other organizations haven’t been throwing their hats in the ring. Over the years, the UFC has strengthened its grip by absorbing several major promotions—including PRIDE FC (Japan), WEC, Strikeforce, and a handful of others—bringing with them stacked rosters of elite fighters that helped mold today’s UFC.

Yet competition in the MMA space hasn’t gone away. U.S.-based leagues have continued to rise and fall. While the PFL established a legitimate position, Bellator, and others, lost momentum and their owners eventually sold them. That’s the current lay of the land in global MMA. But lately, it’s the European scene that’s starting to heat up—and it’s coming on strong.

Czech Republic and Slovakia-based Oktagon MMA recently made major waves with Oktagon 72: Vémola vs. Végh 3, hosted at Prague’s Fortuna Arena. The event filled the football stadium to the brim with thousands of passionate fans and generated serious buzz throughout the fight world. Even Morning Kombat podcast host Luke Thomas took to X and noted, “Some of the most exciting stuff in MMA today is happening at the regional/international level in Europe.”

That kind of recognition says it all. Oktagon MMA is now gaining real traction, standing toe-to-toe with top European promotions like the UK’s Cage Warriors and Poland’s KSW (Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki)—which has long been regarded as the most dominant promotion outside the UFC, with an estimated valuation of $200 million.

But following tonight’s high-octane event in Prague, Oktagon might be closing that gap fast. The surging fan support could very well send a message to Dana White & Co. that Europe is no longer just a feeder scene—it’s a rising force. Let’s take a look at what the fans are saying.

Dana White feels the heat as £200M Oktagon MMA gains global momentum

Launched in 2016 by Pavol Neruda and Ondřej Novotný, Oktagon MMA began as a concept born from a reality show. In under a decade, the promotion has rapidly evolved into one of Europe’s most exciting forces in MMA. Although much younger than regional mainstays like Poland’s KSW and the UK’s Cage Warriors exist—both founded in 2004—Oktagon has wasted no time in making its mark.

Its fresh energy and crowd-friendly approach have caught the attention of fight fans across the continent. As one fan summed it up perfectly: “Oktagon is the most entertaining MMA event you’ll find. Legit.” A key part of that appeal? Accessibility. Oktagon keeps ticket prices and viewing options relatively affordable—especially compared to the Dana White & Co., where ticket and pay-per-view prices have reportedly has surged over 400% in recent decades. Fans have increasingly voiced frustration, particularly when big-name fighters are missing from major UFC cards.

That growing dissatisfaction has opened the door for promotions like Oktagon to thrive. As MMA journalist Lewis Thompson noted, “One thing @OktagonOfficial know how to do is put on a show … Wow 😯.” While Cage Warriors has delivered household names like Conor McGregor, Michael Bisping, and rising star Paddy Pimblett—and KSW has produced UFC talent like Jan Błachowicz and Mateusz Gamrot—Oktagon is still developing its own pipeline.

Fighters like Makhmud Muradov have emerged from its roster, and even former UFC champion Jiří Procházka, though not signed with the promotion, regularly trains with Oktagon fighters. Oktagon 72—a much-anticipated trilogy bout between Karlos Vémola and Attila Végh—put all eyes on Prague. With the series tied 1–1, the Fortuna Arena was packed with more than 19,000 fans for the showdown. Jiří Procházka himself was in the crowd, showing just how much buzz the event generated.

And it didn’t stop there. Social media lit up with reactions. One fan joked, “Donn Davis is probably there in a disguise and fake mustache trying to figure out what their secret is,” referencing the PFL founder’s rumored habit of borrowing from successful competitors. Despite its explosive success across Europe, Oktagon MMA remains regionally based. A prior broadcasting deal with DAZN offered a pathway to international exposure, but that partnership is no longer active. As one fan put it bluntly: “Unfortunate they couldn’t keep the DAZN deal.”

Still, with Oktagon steadily building momentum and expanding its footprint in the European MMA landscape, the big question now is: could this fast-growing promotion eventually pose a real challenge to Dana White & Co.? Drop your thoughts below.