How much does star power mean in today's UFC?

Now here’s a topic that gets people worked up and flaming each other on social media.

And based on our intense reader reaction and traffic numbers, it’s hitting a raw nerve.

Is it better that UFC’s brand is bigger and stronger than the popularity of its champions?

And why is there such an emotional reaction from hardcore UFC fans and fighters towards criticism that a fair amount of today’s UFC product is slop?

This week’s edition of The MMA Draw podcast addresses these topics and the allegations that older fight fans are just crusty pensioners yelling at the clouds.

We put our money where our mouth is by analyzing the current roster of UFC champions and where they fit into the global landscape. It’s an extension of Nate Wilcox’s piece from this past week about the current role of storytelling and star power in the current Endeavor-flavored UFC product.

In a wildly volatile media market where streaming platforms are having a second look at customer data, what is the value of UFC’s volume-based content strategy in 2025?

What are the numbers telling us about what UFC fans want versus the expectations Wall Street and other major institutional investors have in combat sports?

In our paid portion of this week’s MMA Draw podcast, Nate and Zach address the criticisms leveled on social media this week about seasoned MMA fans having unrealistic expectations and outdated tastes on what makes fight sports great.

Are Generation X fans simply too old for today’s scene? What about older Millennials? And just what exactly do male Gen Z fans want to see in today’s UFC scene?

It’s the great debate about entitlement vs. entertainment.