UFC Announces Chicago Event With Mixed Reactions From Fans

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A night full of epic fights is promised by the UFC with the event in Chicago, and tickets go on sale this Friday. The promotional poster does feature some fighters, but since the actual fights aren’t announced, speculation and arguments are in full swing among MMA fans.

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Triggered by the media frenzy that surrounded the event, the fan responses couldn’t have been more divergent. While some were excited at what they perceived as an opportunity to host the PPV of the year, the others frowned upon the composition of the card and the inclusion of women’s fights.

“This shit is the main event?? Cut Dana White from UFC,” said a blatantly sarcastic comment showing dissatisfaction around the perceived level of the proposed card. “UFC hasn’t been epic in 5 years,” said another perhaps bluntly stating that maybe it is the general discontent with recent events.

One comment on ticket prices stood out calling them ‘fucking insane’ and the prices had become ‘ridiculous at this point.’ Multiple others jumped in by declaring that UFC cares more about profiting than making the sport accessible to their fans.

Among the users themselves came the most notorious criticisms of women’s MMA. One user labels it as “low skill boring rubbish” and proposed that female fights should be held on separate cards; another said, “No one wants to see this,” while that opinion stood far from unanimous.

On the other side were the supporters. Legit going to be PPV of the year, remarked one, and another said that Elliott vs Asakura keeps him quite excited.

This side-track conversation led us into a little UFC politics: some rumbles around Khamzat Chimaev fighting Dricus Du Plessis had surfaced and maybe got scratched; then there were rankings and where people feel fighters should be placed: for example, somebody jokingly mentioned if So Andrade still top 5.

The nastier moments were stained with a few nostalgic protests for the loss of that ‘festive feeling surrounding UFC events’, implying the promotion might have lost some glitter.

With the sale of tickets knocking at the door, doubters are hard to convince by the UFC to give the Chicago card the ‘epic’ label. Whether the fights deliver or disappoint, divided fan expectations remain a foregone conclusion.

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UFC 319, as it is sometimes called nowadays, seems to be the litmus test for UFC – will it prove the actors right or give them further worthwhile fuel for discontent? Fight night alone shall decide.