The UFC is entering the most lucrative era in its history, business-wise. A $7.7 billion seven-year broadcast deal with Paramount promises financial stability, bigger events, and a new wave of viewers. But according to former flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson, that growth may come with a trade-off: the promotion might no longer care much about the hardcore fans who helped build it in the first place.

Johnson raised the concern during a recent episode of the MightyCast podcast with MMA analyst Luke Thomas. Reflecting on the direction of the company, the former UFC champion argued that the promotion is now focused on expanding its audience rather than catering to longtime followers of the sport.

“Have this new usher of fans who love the product. I mean, the gate [for UFC 326] was $8.3 million. I think the revenue was $8.3 million. I think the attendance was like 19,000 fans,” Johnson said. “And I’m not sure what the Paramount+ numbers did. And I always tell Michael, was like, they’re not worried about you as a fan, Michael. They don’t give two sh– about you. They’re not worried about me. They’re looking for that new era of audience that they’re trying to capture.

“They’re not worried about the hardcore fans. Right? The hardcore fans are either going to move on, which I did when it came to WWE, and WWE continues to keep on selling out. And so for me, there’s this, you have to take the UFC for what it’s, what it’s worth.”

Johnson didn’t present the idea as a conspiracy. Instead, he framed it as a business reality. Companies evolve, audiences change, and promotions chase growth wherever they can find it. In his view, the UFC is simply looking for the next wave of fans. For them, if it comes at the cost of hardcore fans, so be it.

“You(Luke Thomas) said the Lone’er Kavanagh vs Brandan Moreno, you’re like, nobody asked for this f—ing fight. And I was like, ‘Hmm, let me see,'” the UFC legend added. “I sat and listened to it. And I was like, you know, at the end of the day, when does the UFC ever make fights that we like… Did Diego Lopes vs Alexander Volkanovski need to happen? Do they ever listen to the fans? That’s one company that’s never listened to the f—ing fans. So it’s almost like, are they going to start now? No.”

The UFC’s recent events have sparked mixed reactions among fans and fighters alike. At UFC 326, the highly anticipated BMF title bout between Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira was expected to produce fireworks. Instead, Oliveira leaned heavily on grappling control, neutralizing Holloway’s offense for five rounds.

Some fans were disappointed by the tactical approach, even though it was strategically effective. Moments like that highlight a long-standing divide in MMA: the difference between what hardcore fans appreciate and what casual viewers expect.

At the same time, the promotion has been experimenting with presentation changes tied to the new Paramount partnership. That includes more cinematic face-offs during fight week, which some viewers have criticized for feeling overly staged compared to the spontaneous moments that traditionally define UFC events.

Not too long ago, Max Holloway called the multiple pre-fight face-offs “absolutely ridiculous,” questioning why athletes need to square off several times before fight night. And the discontent with the direction the promotion is now taking has also reached the upcoming White House card.

Matt Brown questions the UFC’s White House card with fighters he’s “never even heard of”

When the promotion finally revealed the full six-fight lineup for Freedom 250 set to take place on June 14, reactions were mixed. Speaking on The Fighter vs. The Writer, former UFC veteran Matt Brown admitted that the announcement left him slightly underwhelmed.

“Initially, when I first looked through the card, I was not impressed at all,” Brown shared. “It’s a good card. It truly is. My kind issue with the card, if my problems with this card mean anything, is they set the expectations high.

“On top of that, the bigger thing that kind of bothered me, this is a once-in-a-lifetime event that every UFC fighter on the roster wanted to fight at. I don’t think there’s a single person who’s like ‘I don’t want to fight at the White House, on this historic event.’ They’ve got guys I’ve never even heard of. I remember who they are when I kind of thought about it for a minute.”

That’s why some of the names on the card, like Kyle Daukaus and Aiemann Zahabi, surprised him. Brown questioned the inclusion of fighters who aren’t yet household names, wondering why bigger matchups weren’t prioritized when the stage itself guarantees attention. And if that’s the case, the White House card may prove Demetrious Johnson’s earlier point: the UFC doesn’t always need to build events around fan demands anymore, because the audience will likely watch anyway.