Mark Shapiro, president of TKO, the UFC’s parent company, says the quality of UFC fight cards remains high despite recent criticism. He says the promotion is finding new stars and the product is strong worldwide.
Shapiro: “We don’t buy it”
Shapiro spoke on a TKO financial call and directly rejected claims that UFC cards have fallen in quality. “Bottom line is we don’t buy it,” he said.
He said the UFC brand has never been stronger and its reach has never been greater. Shapiro pointed to the last numbered event in Miami, UFC 327, and a recent Fight Night in Perth, Australia. He said fans at those events were “flat-out blown away” and that both were sellouts or still gave fans an “extraordinary sport” to watch.
New fighters are rising fast
Shapiro said the UFC is always building and finding the best new talent around the world. He argued that several young fighters are moving into top slots and bringing new personalities to the sport.
He named a few of the up-and-coming fighters: Joshua Van, Brazilian Carlos Prates, and the undefeated Michael Morales. Shapiro called them the “next generation.”
He also mentioned cards the UFC is promoting now. Shapiro said the so-called “White House card” is a strong card and that the promotion recently added a fight to it. He pointed to UFC Freedom 250 as another stacked event and said the company is using it to feature one of its most promising stars, Ilia Topuria.
Backing Dana White and the matchmakers
The talk about cards comes as Dana White expands into boxing with Zuffa Boxing. Shapiro defended White and his team, noting their 25 years of experience in running the UFC.
Shapiro said the UFC cannot control who wins. “You take these great personalities, who hail from every corner of the world, with exciting fighting styles and if they win, you’ve caught lightning in a bottle,” he said. He praised White for finding those moments.
He also praised the UFC’s matchmakers by name: Hunter Campbell, Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard. “There’s no better matchmakers in any sport than we have with Dana’s team,” Shapiro said.
Every sport has ups and downs
Shapiro did admit that all sports go through cycles. He used the NBA as an example, saying stars like Michael Jordan, then Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, affected public interest over time.
He said these cycles create talk and noise, but they do not change the long-term strength of a sport. Shapiro left the message that the UFC is still building its next generation of stars and that the company remains confident in its product.
—UFCcoverage
