MMA analyst Luke Thomas recently delivered an assessment of the UFC’s pricing strategy, arguing that the promotion has systematically excluded working-class fans from attending live events.
Speaking on his Luke Thomas Gets Political podcast, Thomas highlighted ticket prices that reached nearly $800 for the very last row at Chicago’s United Center and $150 at a park, declaring: “They’ve definitely alienated the working-class fan.”
Thomas drew parallels between the UFC’s approach and economic trends affecting Las Vegas and the American economy. He referenced reporting from More Perfect Union, a media company focused on economic inequality, which documented how Las Vegas businesses have fundamentally shifted their target demographic.
“What they’re doing is they’re just catering to a different audience,” Thomas explained. “They’re catering to an audience that can afford a lot more rather than what we want is, hey, we’re going to give drinks away for free if you play slots and we’re going to have cheap stuff because we just want as many people as possible. They don’t care about that now.”
The analyst pointed to casino owners who reported strong financial performance despite declining tourism and reduced gaming activity, noting they now focus on extracting maximum revenue from high-income customers rather than serving mass audiences.
Thomas compared this strategy to airlines prioritizing business class over economy seats, observing: “You don’t care if the back of the plane is full as long as business class is.”
Thomas provided a particularly striking example from Formula 1’s Las Vegas race, where organizers installed physical barriers to prevent non-ticket holders from viewing the track, even covering restaurant windows.
“If you were in a restaurant that just happened to have a seat where you could see the track, they would cover it so you can’t see,” he said. “They’re literally walling off middle and lower middle and then poor people off from these offerings.”
The analyst emphasized that this represents a fundamental shift in American consumer economics, noting that the top 10% of earners now account for the majority of consumer spending in the United States.
“What happens when these brands don’t need us to come and buy all their stuff anymore?” Thomas asked. “Because we used to have some more influence. And of course, we still matter to a degree, but consumer spending is just shifting up and folks like you and me are just kind of hanging out.”
