UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones and fan-favorite Nate Diaz revealed they rarely follow the promotion that made them household names.
“I barely watch it,” Jones admitted in a recent video shared online. His sentiment was echoed by Diaz, who added, “I barely watched it. Unless it’s my weight class.”
The surprising confession from two of the UFC’s most recognizable stars highlights a growing disconnect between the organization’s old guard and its current roster of talent. Both expressed unfamiliarity with many of today’s competitors.
“Who are all the people?” the caption accompanying the video reads, summarizing their confusion about the current UFC landscape.
Diaz elaborated on his disinterest: “I don’t even root for nobody that’s so directly on my team. Unless you know them, right?” He continued, “I don’t lose sleep over. I’ll give a whole explanation. But I don’t get [bothered] though.”
Jones, who currently holds the heavyweight title after a dominant career at light heavyweight, shared a similar perspective: “A lot of people that we don’t know. Everybody’s gone. It’s like a whole new generation.”
This revelation comes at an interesting time for the UFC, which is currently in the midst of billion-dollar broadcast negotiations. Just this week, the UFC’s fight library mysteriously vanished from ESPN platforms, with nearly every UFC event from UFC 308 (October 2024) and prior being scrubbed from both mobile apps and desktop websites.
While a source close to the situation described the disappearance as “an ongoing technical issue” rather than a negotiation tactic, the timing is noteworthy as the UFC reportedly seeks up to $1 billion for broadcasting rights to their annual events.
Jones and Diaz’s comments may reflect a broader sentiment among longtime fans who feel the promotion has undergone significant changes in recent years. “Like, everybody’s got the potential, but it’s like slow moving right now,” Jones observed about the current talent pool.
The UFC continues to evolve and expand its global footprint, the disconnection expressed by two of its biggest stars raises questions about how the organization bridges its storied past with its ambitious future.
