The UFC returned to the UK at London’s O2 Arena for UFC on ESPN+ 82. UFC London saw the return of the highly rated heavyweight prospect Tom Aspinall against Marcin Tybura. He made quick work of the Polish fighter and earned a 1st-round TKO win. Moreover, the main card saw yet another first-round finish in the co-main event. Julija Stoliarenko defeated UK’s own Molly McCann via an armbar submission.

However, that wasn’t enough for the show to get sold out. Users on social media showed that Dana White and Co. failed to sell out the event despite the return of Tom Aspinall after almost a year. Many fans have reacted to the ticket statistics on Reddit. So, what really happened? Why did the event not get sold out completely?

Did Dana White put up a boring UFC card? Fans unhappy

A Reddit user by the username ‘LocalGman’ shared a screenshot of the ticket statistics for the recent UFC London event. He claimed that at least 10 percent of tickets for the event remained unsold. Moreover, the ticketing agent ‘AXS’ even dropped the price a week before the show, but it did not work in their favor.

The fans were not impressed with the fight card for UFC London. They claim that the tickets were too expensive with the lack of big names at the event. Furthermore, the fans also stated that it was one of the worst UFC events in a while, where most of the fights looked like “sparring” matches.

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UFC London didn’t sell out
by u/LocalGMan in ufc

• Too expensive for a mid card
• The ticket prices are stupid thats why

Besides, the last few UFC events held at the O2 Arena sold considerably faster than the most recent one. Many Reddit users believed that the recent hike in ticket prices may have led to people getting fed up with the UFC.

• It was one of the worst events I’ve seen in a while. The one dude totally took a dive on a phantom head kick that never connected lol. Half the fights were incredibly boring. Really seemed like sparring, not actual fights that mattered. Guys were burning time alot not engaging. It was hard to watch. Maybe 1-2 good fights between prelims and the main card.

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Many people felt the fights were boring. They believe that the lack of star power of someone like Paddy Pimblett is one of the main reasons for the lack of attendance at the O2 Arena.

• It’s a Fight Night.
• Not surprised, no huge names.
• That’s cuz Paddy wasn’t on the card, lad. Everyone know’sh he’s the boy and puts the bums in seatsch.
• The card was low tier as hell. Only exciting fight was aspinal come back.

The fans claimed the event didn’t sell out because it was a Fight Night event. Furthermore, the only reason for the people who attended the fight was because of Tom Aspinall’s highly anticipated return. After all, he remains a staple for fights in London.

It is noteworthy that UFC more-or-less anticipated the poor turnout. Apparently, UFC took its sweet time to confirm the contract with Aspinall. The reason was simple. As fans have already guessed, they weren’t able to find a big name to be his opponent. In fact, in July, Aspinall offered to not headline UFC London altogether. He pleaded, “Just get me a fight.”

In an interview with The Independent, Aspinall said, “Me and Tybura actually know each other personally. We were both looking for fights and believed that none of the heavyweights were really free, so we said, ‘Let’s get a fight going with each other.’

“I asked the UFC matchmakers when I was in London [for UFC 286 in March], and they were like, ‘We’re keen on it, we just don’t know if Tybura is a big enough name to do a main event.’

Aspinall kept pushing for his cause. However, UFC kept repeating the same lines. “I started seeing people were getting booked for this event, so I messaged the UFC again and asked: ‘What’s going on? Why have you not sent me a contract yet?’ They said, ‘We’re not overly thrilled on this for a main event.’ So, I said: ‘I don’t mind not fighting in the main event, just give me a fight.’

“They said they were gonna try a couple of other opponents first, because they wanted me as a main event. The opponents declined, so I’m fighting Tybura. That’s where we’re at.”

It would be interesting to see how Dana White navigates such events in the future. Besides, there are chances that the UFC might not consider hosting more than one event per year in London, given the statistics of their recent ticket sales.

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