“You Want Viewers?” – UFC Supremo Dana White Has a Solution to the Olympics’ Worst Plight

UFC has come a long way from the dark ages of the early 2000s and late 90s. Mixed martial arts have finally become a global sport with a viewer base that continues to climb new heights. On the contrary, the Olympics, which is the traditional sporting event, is seeing a steady decline that recently reached a record low. The prestigious multi-sport event brings together the entire world to compete in a healthy yet fiercely competitive sporting environment.

UFC’s evolution paved the way for more promotions in the MMA ecosystem to jump in. There is no doubt that it is indeed the fastest growing sport in the modern era. Its popularity can aid the Olympics as well, claims UFC president Dana White.

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During a Q&A session with UFC analyst Laura Sanko on YouTube, White was asked about the same. In response, the promotion head stated that he isn’t pushing for this to happen, but would not mind seeing MMA take over the Olympics.

He said, “I think it should be an Olympic sport already, it’s not my job. It’s not what I am looking to do. I am not pushing to turn this thing into an Olympic sport, I agree with whoever said that yes. Not to mention the fact that one of the big problems the Olympics is having right now is the viewership. You want viewers? Put MMA in Olympics.”

The Olympics have reached dangerously low in rating

According to a report by Axios, the live viewership of the winter Olympics has taken a downward dip in the past few years. And now the prime-time ratings of the previous Tokyo Olympics were reported to reach a record low with a nearly 46% decline. Time zone constraints and the absence of fans during the event could have further accentuated the drop in viewership.

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Do you agree with Dana White’s claim? Will MMA’s inclusion save the Olympics from a strange downward spiral in viewer base?