UFC Insider Cautions Against Overloading White House Event With Multiple Title Fights: “I Think It’s A Big Mistake”
UFC potentially stacking the White House card with multiple title fights could be a recipe for disaster, according to a veteran voice.
In partnership with the U.S. government, the MMA promotion has announced a landmark fight event scheduled for June 14 on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States.
Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump said the event would deliver an experience unlike anything MMA fans have seen before, while also suggesting the card could feature an unprecedented eight or nine championship fights.
A growing number of fans and fighters, including former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, have voiced concerns about stacking an event with multiple title fights, and UFC insider Chael Sonnen has now echoed that same sentiment.
Chael Sonnen Believes Too Many Title Fights at UFC White House Event Would Overwhelm Fans
During a recent interview with The Schmo, Chael Sonnen weighed in on the idea of stacking the UFC White House card with seven or eight championship fights.
The former multi-time title challenger argued that such a lineup would be draining for fans, pointing to Strikeforce Nashville in April 2010 as a cautionary example, where three title bouts went the distance and left the event feeling overly long rather than memorable.
“Everyone’s talking about there’s going to be seven title fights, which by the way, I hope that there’s not,” Sonnen said. “It’s a little much. Just as a fan, I’ve been to MMA events. It was one that Scott Coker put on, but there was three title fights, it was a beautiful poster, they all went the distance. It was too much. It was 75 minutes of seeing three guys. It was too much. I think it’s a big mistake.”
Sonnen added that star power alone could elevate the event, noting that the inclusion of UFC draws such as Conor McGregor, Jon Jones, and Alex Pereira would more than make up for the absence of multiple title fights.
“I think we’ve got some huge fights out there. The Conor one we’re discussing, the big rumor of Pereira vs. Jones. But those fights have one thing in common: There’s no belt. We don’t have to do a belt, and we damn sure don’t have to do seven.”
