Mark Shapiro, the president of TKO, was recently asked why there’s been so much negative feedback about recent UFC events and what the company plans to do about it.
Earlier this week, it was revealed that a $1.5 million ticket would be available for the White House event in June.
With some big-name fighters recently seen with Donald Trump, the promotion is gearing up for some major shows later this year.
But there have been growing complaints from fans about the overall drop in quality across cards. Despite that, TKO doesn’t appear to be concerned.
Shapiro says the UFC is in a great place and points to natural ups and downs
TKO president Mark Shapiro addressed recent questions about the weaker UFC events, explaining why he thinks this narrative has emerged and what steps are being taken in response.
Shapiro pushed back against the negative talk, saying that anyone who attended UFC 327 would’ve been “flat out blown away,” while also praising the energy around last weekend’s card in Perth.
Both events did have their moments, but not every card has delivered in the same way. And with ticket prices hitting record highs, fans haven’t hesitated to voice their frustrations more loudly.
“Look, bottom line is we don’t buy it,” Shapiro responded. “Let’s just start with this premise. The product is great at the UFC, the brand has never been stronger, our reach has never been greater, so the foundational elements of UFC are in concrete.”
He went on to say that sports naturally go through cycles and compared the current situation to past shifts in other major leagues.
“I’d remind you finally that with any sport, there’s just natural ebbs and flows,” he said. “It’s all very cyclical.”
