This year, the UFC’s monumental $7.7 billion deal with Paramount+ and CBS for seven years became the talk of the MMA world. Fans widely appreciated Dana White and Co. for pulling off such an attractive agreement. However, amid all the praise, many also wondered why the promotion decided to shift its PPV model toward a subscription-based approach. Several theories emerged trying to explain what may have driven this decision, but one factor stood out more than the rest.

Illegal streaming. For a long time, unauthorized streaming platforms have been a massive headache for Dana White, as they directly hurt PPV purchases. Even though the UFC CEO has claimed multiple times that the issue was under control, several reports suggested the problem never truly went away. Now, former two-division champion Daniel Cormier has come out and revealed that illegal streaming was definitely one of the key issues that pushed the UFC to completely move away from that business model. 

Daniel Cormier Addresses UFC’s Evolving Business Landscape

“I’m telling you, like today though, Josh, a big pay-per-view number was 500–600,000. PPV just didn’t sell that much. People are stealing it on streams, and they are doing all these things where the numbers just don’t work. I know guys that said, ‘Can I structure with the idea that the PPV is gone?’ And the UFC is like, ‘Yes.’ And now it’s guaranteed money, they are doing better.” ‘DC’ said in Bad Takes Podcast with Josh Thomson.  

Now, as Cormier pointed out, illegal streaming has definitely caused major losses for Dana White and the company, and even this year, we’ve seen its effects. Back in September, a well-known streaming website, StreamEast, was reportedly taken down by Egyptian police and ACE, a move in which the UFC CEO also appeared to play a major role. 

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However, the reality is that multiple streaming platforms continue to broadcast fights illegally, and the number is simply too large to shut down completely. In that sense, ‘DC’ indirectly contradicted White’s earlier claims of having solved the illegal streaming problem. But that’s not all. According to the former champ, fighters are also set to earn much more than they did under the previous system.

 “The guy from the beginning is gonna do better, and the guy all the way at the top of the card is gonna do better. They are giving these guys  more money.” Cormier added.    

Well, Dana White has promised that both the fighters and the company are going to benefit financially from this deal. Still, it remains to be seen how the promotion structures its remuneration. Furthermore, as Cormier shed light on the UFC’s decision to move away from the PPV model, podcast host Josh Thomson also weighed in on the backlash the UFC CEO faced over a recent comment.

Josh Thomson Redefines the UFC Opportunity For Fighters

Dana White has been under scrutiny from fans and expert analysts for his stance on how fighters should view their time in the UFC. According to the CEO, athletes should use the platform to build a bigger name for themselves rather than treat it as a full-time job. White recently reiterated this view on the Triggernometry podcast, although he has maintained the same stance for quite some time.

Although the head honcho has faced criticism for his comments, former UFC fighter Josh Thomson sees it differently. ‘The Punk’ firmly stood by the idea that fighters should actively focus on building their personal brands, especially with the UFC securing a massive deal with new broadcasters. 

“I know Dana got criticized for, ‘Oh, this isn’t a job, this is an opportunity’ and a moment for you to promote yourself and build your brand, to make money outside of the UFC. And that’s kinda where people say, ‘What do you mean this isn’t a full-time job? It’s not this, it’s not that.’ My take on this—it’s the time to build your brand. If you get on CBS, it’s the opportunity.” Thomson said in Bad Takes episode with Daniel Cormier. 

To be honest, the promotion is actively moving toward fighters who can promote themselves on digital media while still putting on competitive scraps. Recently, Islam Makhachev also warned his gym teammates to be more interesting after the promotion cut Rinat Fakhretdinov from the UFC.

That said, as Dana White and the top brass take a more active approach to restructuring the company, do you think this will bring a positive shift next year? Let us know in the comments section below.