UFC Perth 2025 arrived with high hopes, particularly from Dana White, who has always regarded Australia as a crucial international market. However, the latest Fight Night at the RAC Arena fell far short of expectations, surprising fans and promoters. With a gate of only $1.8 million and an attendance of 12,543, the event headlined by Carlos Ulberg and Dominick Reyes struggled to make an impact, being remembered more for what it lacked than for the action inside the Octagon.

The numbers are stark when put into context. Earlier 2025 Fight Nights in places such as Paris, San Antonio, and Nashville consistently drew gates of more than $2 million, with attendance ranging from 15,600 to over 19,800. Even smaller events like Kansas City, Des Moines, and Mexico outperformed Perth, generating gates of more than $2 million and attracting thousands more attendees.

UFC Perth: A financial far cry from the company’s usual outings in Australia

Historically, Perth events such as UFC 305 in 2024 and UFC 284 in 2023 have grossed more than $4 million, dwarfing the latest edition despite having similar or only slightly higher attendance in prior years. According to 7News Australia, ticket sales for UFC Perth 2025 were extremely low, causing price cuts in some areas to as low as A$75-100, down from the original pricing of roughly A$400.

The RAC Arena appeared to be only around half full, suggesting a considerable lack of local interest. Analysts believe that the underperformance wasn’t just due to scale; modestly sized Fight Nights abroad in 2025 generated far higher income per ticket and overall sales.

Several elements compounded the issue. Fans complained that the card included largely lesser-known fighters, and the cancellation of the co-main event between  due to a last-minute illness was also a massive letdown. Scheduling also played a role: for Australian viewers, the early AM start made attendance challenging.

Collectively, these circumstances transformed a high-profile worldwide event into a commercial flop. While Dana White has long promoted Australia as a vital UFC market, UFC Perth 2025 raises concerns regarding local demand and the timing of future events. With ticket prices drastically reduced and attendance lagging, the UFC will need to reconsider how it markets events in Australia if it wants to match the financial success witnessed in other overseas cities.

The goal of Australia becoming a consistent high-revenue stop on the UFC calendar may need to be adjusted before the next Fight Night. And while we are yet to get a word from the UFC about the lack of revenue generated by the Carlos Ulberg and Dominick Reyes headlined event, we did get to hear from it back when the low ticket sales were reported.

What the UFC had to say about the low ticket sales

While media sources reported empty seats and discounted tickets, the UFC seemed quite unconcerned. Dave Shaw, Senior Vice President for International Operations, rejected concerns about ticket sales, claiming that the event was doing well despite misconceptions. According to Shaw, rumors of poor attendance didn’t convey the whole story, and Ticketek data painted a more optimistic picture.

Shaw stated that the UFC has been gradually expanding its footprint in Australia for more than a decade. From UFC 110 in 2010 to the historic Ronda Rousey vs. Holly Holm event in 2015, and the lifting of the Octagon ban in Western Australia in 2017, the organization has consistently grown the market.

“We’ve always played the long game here,” Shaw explained, emphasizing that Australia remains an important part of the UFC’s international strategy. Beyond statistics, Shaw emphasized the importance of UFC Perth 2025 as a whole, highlighting the UFC’s dedication to providing local viewers with a showcase of developing stars by including more regional talent than ever before, including athletes from Australia and New Zealand.

However, it seems like, despite it all, the UFC just simply failed to captivate fans. While their core focus wasn’t just filling seats but cultivating a fanbase that saw Australian athletes compete on the global stage, in the end, the gate data revealed a much bleaker story, highlighting the amount of work the UFC still has to do to make Australia one of its golden eggs in MMA.