What are the biggest challenges UFC is facing as an organization?
The Ultimate Fighting Championship a.k.a the UFC is the biggest promotion in the world of mixed martial arts right now. Since its inception in 1993, the UFC has gone on to become a name synonymous with MMA. The promotion has now become a multi-billion dollar empire with no close competition to it. In 2016, Zuffa, parent company of UFC, was bought by William Morris Endeavor for a whopping $4 billion. Dana White, who took the role of UFC president in 2001, played a crucial part in taking the promotion to unprecedented heights. The UFC churned out stars like Ronda Rousey, Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz who have transcended the sport of MMA and are now known worldwide. McGregor has produced some of the biggest pay-per-view events in the company's history. It was under White's strong leadership that the UFC managed to pull off fighting events in the United States on a regular basis. The company even managed to get an island in Abu Dhabi to host fights for the international audience. This goes to show that the UFC is constantly growing at a rapid rate and does not intend to slow down anytime soon. But all this success does not mean that there is no trouble in paradise. There are some serious problems that the promotion faces today, some of them having existed for a long time with no solid solution. On that note, let's take a look at some of the major challenges faced by the UFC today. UFC's pay dispute with the fighters  UFC superstar Conor McGregor recently managed to secure the number one spot on the list of highest paid athletes of 2021 by Forbes magazine. But other fighters on the UFC roster are not getting nearly the same amount of money as 'The Notorious'. It is not only the new or less successful fighters who are complaining about the low pay offered by the UFC either. UFC stars like Francis Ngannou, Paulo Costa, Jon Jones and Jorge Masvidal have also criticized the promotion for not paying their fighters enough money. It's crazy to think that Logan Paul (0-1) just made $20M on a boxing exhibition.   Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) June 7, 2021  The fighter pay issue has persisted in the UFC for a long time but recently, the dissenting voices have been growing louder. As of today, White has not given in to the majority of the fighters' demands. Thus, it seems like the money problem is not going to get solved in the near future. Weight-cutting related health concerns  Khabib Nurmagomedov has released footage of his weight cut for #UFC 254. Weve known for a long time that the cut is absolutely gruelling for him. Seeing it, however, really rams it home. Its difficult viewing.  via @TeamKhabib on YouTube pic.twitter.com/UzGo0ZHDTD  Chisanga Malata (@Chisanga_Malata) December 11, 2020  UFC fighters go through the process of weight-cutting in order to qualify for the fights of their weight division. Weight-cutting is gruelling and can take a heavy toll on the health of the fighters as some of them have to get extremely dehydrated in order to make the weight limit. Also read: 5 instances of biggest weight misses in UFC history  Many UFC fighters like Deiveson Figueiredo, Daniel Cormier, Darren Till, Yoel Romero, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira have had horrible experiences while cutting weight for an upcoming fight. Also read: 3 fighters who are outspoken critics of weight cutting in the UFC  So easy for people to sit there and say shit but I swear I feel like anyone saying Im weak for this doesnt cut weight. Its death to me. Im dying already and have 6 more lbs to go. I know it doesnt sound like a lot but its harder than the first 14.  Platinum Mike Perry (@PlatinumPerry) November 20, 2020  UFC has made a rule under which a fighter who misses weight has to surrender a certain percentage of his fight purse to his opponent. This deterrent has not proved to be very successful. T-Wood thinks Mackenzie Dern's win bonus should also be forfeited for missing weight by seven pounds. pic.twitter.com/mLhyAWJrio  FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) May 11, 2018  Many statements have been made by MMA experts against weight-cutting but the UFC seems unlikely to change their minds about the brutal process. Eye Pokes and Inadequate MMA gloves  My heart is shattered my first main event ended like that but Gods the best of planners im sorry to the fans and the @ufc you deserved a full fight.. Alhamdillah the vision is coming back and no permanent damage to the eye Ill be back and want to run it back @Leon_edwardsmma pic.twitter.com/5xsvhmZ5Uh  Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) March 14, 2021  Another challenge that has been plaguing the UFC for a long time is eye pokes in fights. The latest example of this came in the fight between Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad at UFC Vegas 21, which ended in a no-contest due to an inadvertent eye poke by Edwards. After the fight, many UFC fighters took to social media to demand new gloves for themselves. We need new gloves. Period! Theyre out there. I just dont understand what were waiting for to make these changes. How many more eye injuries do we need to bring these new gloves in, that significantly reduce the spreading of the fingers.#UFCVegas21  Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) March 14, 2021  It is about time that UFC brings out a new design for fighting gloves that are safer for the fighters. Illegal Streaming  Uncle Dana got an illegal streamer  #UFC257    pic.twitter.com/ONXgPTOcGc  Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) January 21, 2021  The UFC suffers a revenue loss at pay-per-view events as many people watch the fights via illegal streaming links on the internet, instead of paying for them. UFC president Dana White has recently started cracking down on these illegal streamers. The UFC president claimed that he even caught one streamer red-handed. But one is not enough as there are numerous other streamers around the world who watch fights illegally. It is very difficult to trace the source of these illegal streams on the internet as the people behind them are skilled in dodging the regulatory authorities at every turn. Despite White's strong attempts, it will take a long time to completely eradicate the streaming problem. Edited by Jack Cunningham