Imagine you’re exhausted, but as a dedicated UFC fan, you make it a point to catch the annual UFC event in London. There’s a catch, though — to watch the main fight, you’ll need to stay awake early in the morning. Why? Because the UFC adjusts its schedule to align with prime-time pay-per-view (PPV) timings. Sounds fair? Maybe not, but that’s the reality Dana White and the UFC have embraced to maximize viewership and revenue. However, how is the UFC planning to change this fiasco? Well, the head honcho has advice for his American viewers.

While having a conversation with ‘TNT Sports’, UFC CEO Dana White advised American fans to come to the United Kingdom to witness the UFC live as it would be a new experience for them, “I tell people all the time, from different parts of the world, especially America — if you’ve never seen a fight in the UK, you have to come see one. Whether it’s in London, Manchester, or wherever it is, it’s always a great experience here.”

At UFC 304, fans were visibly frustrated as the promotion prioritized catering to its primary audience in the U.S. To align with American prime time, the event in Manchester saw its main card kick off as late as 3 a.m. local time. The late-night scheduling left many questioning whether the UFC was sacrificing the live experience for the sake of TV ratings across the Atlantic.

Well, their outcry did work as UFC London is now set to happen at a more suitable time. However, it’s still not ideal for UK fans, as reports suggest the prelims will start as early as 5 PM and continue until 9 AM. This makes it a bit difficult considering transportation and other factors. Well, the UFC primarily focuses on the U.S. for their revenue.

If we have a simple breakdown, then we could witness that the United States accounts for 31.95% of all of the traffic to UFC.com. Following closely, Canada contributes 7.53%, the UK 6.84%, Germany 5.2%, and Australia 3%. While this strategy aligns with their primary audience, many fans are voicing their discontent. Although the USA is the primary market for the UFC, that doesn’t mean that Dana White is not thinking of diversifying.

Dana White plans to diversify UFC in the near future

Last year, the UFC CEO highlighted the promotion’s plans to reach new heights and expand its presence globally through its flagship events. Dana White further stressed that these international fights are primarily driven by star power, stating, “It’s always star-driven.” Fortunately, the promotion has its fair share of stars representing various countries.

He further added, “We got a guy right now, Ilia Topuria, who is our featherweight champion, and he’s big in Spain. We’ve never been to Spain, so we’re gonna go to Spain. I just opened a Performance Institute down in Mexico, cultivating lots of Mexican talent down there right now. Mexico’s gonna be big for us over the next several years. I’m looking to go into Africa for the first time. We have a champion from South Africa. So I’m looking to go everywhere, everywhere on this planet, we’re gonna end up doing a live event.”

The UFC has already held its event in Australia and is now planning to head to Azerbaijan and Canada for its upcoming endeavors. Dana White promised that he would make sure to deliver, and that’s what he is doing. Given that, what are your thoughts on the hubbub? State your opinion in the comments below.