Over the past 12 years, women`s fights have frequently featured prominently in UFC pay-per-view events. Notably, Ronda Rousey and Amanda Nunes stand out, each having headlined six different PPV cards.
However, it`s been nearly two years since a women`s bout last held the main event slot on a numbered UFC card (Nunes vs. Irena Aldana at UFC 289 in June 2023). The upcoming flyweight title fight between Valentina Shevchenko and Manon Fiorot is scheduled as the co-main event. Furthermore, there appears to be a lack of a strong youth movement in the ranks; currently, only three female fighters under 30 are in the women`s pound-for-pound rankings, and all current champions are 35 or older.
UFC legend Matt Brown believes that this situation, whether attributed to diminished drawing power or a slow pipeline of new talent, primarily signals that the initial widespread fascination with women`s MMA has decreased in recent years.
“I think it was like a little bit of a honeymoon thing,” Brown commented on The Fighter vs. the Writer podcast. “When women`s MMA first came in, everybody was so excited about it. Much of the audience consists of less knowledgeable people, like your average person watching a main event on a Saturday night. But as they become more invested – I`m not trying to criticize women`s MMA, they are great for what they are – you just can`t directly compare it to male MMA.”
He continued, “After that initial `honeymoon` phase sort of wore off, I think everyone has simply started to realize that the fights aren`t as high-quality. That`s the simple truth of it.”
Brown genuinely feels that the skill level in women`s fights is not on the same par as in men`s fights, which he believes has resulted in a decline in interest from a significant portion of the overall UFC fanbase.
“I`m not sure how to phrase it delicately, but women are simply not as good fighters as men,” Brown stated. “I don`t know if that`s a controversial statement. They compete in different divisions for a reason, right? They are just not on the same level. I think when people move past all the drama, the initial excitement, and delve deeper into it, they think `I want to see the truly elite fighters compete.` That`s my interpretation.”
“I don`t want to hate on them. I don`t want to put them down or anything. I`m not saying that in an offensive way. So if [the podcast source] puts a clip of this up and it goes viral, it`s going to be met with negativity from all sides, which is fine. I think we can all acknowledge they`re simply not as good. It`s not as exciting to watch the fights that aren`t at the absolute highest level. The UFC is the pinnacle of MMA. We want to see the world`s greatest fighters, period. That`s what excites us.”
While there are plenty of memorable moments and fantastic fights in the history of women`s UFC, Brown feels that the number of truly exceptional bouts has decreased in recent years, contributing to the lack of widespread interest.
For instance, since June 2023, the date of the last women`s fight to headline a UFC pay-per-view, only four women`s contests have earned `Fight of the Night` bonuses. Of these, only two occurred on a pay-per-view event, and neither of those was featured on the main card itself.
“I don`t find the fights nearly as exciting,” Brown reiterated. “Because I want to watch the most formidable human being in the world, whether male or female, executing the best techniques possible and engaging in intense combat.”
The departure of Ronda Rousey`s undeniable star power is also a factor that cannot be overlooked, particularly given the massive global attention she commanded, making her one of the biggest names on the entire UFC roster.
Brown believes Rousey`s dominance fueled conversations that amplified her legendary status, but since she left, he feels no one else has truly emerged to even come close to replicating her impact.
“A few years ago, one of the biggest discussions revolved around Ronda making ambitious statements, like suggesting she could beat elite male heavyweights. That actually sparked genuine conversations in bars and amongst fans,” Brown recalled. “`Ronda could take you out!` – that kind of talk generated hype and excitement, adding drama and discussion points.”
“I think we eventually realized that`s generally not the case for most female fighters,” he added. “Someone like Kayla Harrison might be an exception; she`d likely perform well against some male competitors, but that`s a very rare situation.”
Of course, Brown recognizes that his opinions are almost certainly going to be met with disapproval and criticism, but he remains outspoken when it comes to women`s MMA in the UFC.
“We want to see the toughest, we want to see the best… in MMA, we want to see spectacular knockouts, spinning elbows, the absolute peak level of athleticism and intense combat,” Brown asserted. “With no disrespect intended whatsoever, you simply don`t witness that level as frequently in women`s MMA, point blank. That`s just a reality.”
“I`ve probably just set myself up for all sorts of backlash from this podcast. But that`s just how it is. Honestly, I don`t even care; I`m just speaking what I believe to be the truth.”
Marcus Blakely