ESPN journalist Brett Okamoto appeared on the Weighing In podcast and did not hold back when discussing the UFC’s White House card.
When asked whether the White House card was disappointing, Okamoto acknowledged the feeling while pointing to something more systemic.
“I think it’s not a great sign that… what would have not made us disappointed, Jon Jones or Conor McGregor,” he said. “And I feel like when you’re talking about some of those names, man, you’re talking about some of the older names, which is then also to me illustrates that this sport doesn’t create new stars anymore.”
He elaborated on why that reliance on established names creates an impossible situation for the organization.
He stated: “If we’re always kind of relying on the old guard that is not as incentivized to fight sometimes and does demand these big paychecks, which we know that this sport historically does not go out of its way to pay, then how could we not be disappointed, you know?”
Okamoto was quick to point out that the card itself was not without merit. “I think Ilia Topuria is the right guy to headline the card. I think he’s the most exciting guy,” he said.
However, he noted that even acknowledging quality athletes on the card does not resolve the fundamental issue of star creation.
He also tied the problem to a shift in how the UFC approaches its events, suggesting that location has replaced athlete star power as the primary selling tool.
“You almost can’t blame them because look at them. I mean, they’ve never been as profitable as they are now, the big match will kind of come organically. I don’t think we’re ever going to see a world tour like we had with Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor. The UFC will provide a platform and then it’s up to the athletes to create that huge matchup.”
On the challenge of building new stars in the current landscape, Okamoto was candid. “It’s hard to build stars. We criticize UFC for not doing it anymore, but it’s very hard to do.”
He also noted that attention itself has become a scarce resource, making star creation more difficult across the board.
He said, “It’s harder to do within the UFC universe and then it’s harder to do even beyond the UFC universe. The big massive matchup is still possible but it’s just going to be a lot more less frequent.”
According to Okamoto, the White House card confirmed a problem that has been building for some time: the sport’s inability or unwillingness to cultivate the next generation of names capable of carrying a card without leaning on athletes well past their prime years of activity.
