Fables and planning failures

The card was originally billed as a full-length event, with President Trump stating it would be attended by 20-25,000 on the White House’s South Lawn, and that it would be held on Independence Day, July 4. 

TKO CEO Ari Emanuel stated earlier this month that the event, which has been moved to June 14, would be attended by around 4,000 viewers, and no public tickets would be made available.

The promotion is also unable to have a specific athletic commission sanction the bouts, as the South Lawn is federal property and must self-sanction for the event to take place.

The UFC have also been tasked with the full restoration of the South Lawn after the event, with a Puck News article estimating the event’s cost to be in excess of $60 million. 

Mark Shapiro, TKO President, has also stated that the event is not expected to even sniff a profit, hoping that around 50% of expenses will be covered by new sponsorships and promotions. 

With the already widespread disappointment surrounding the card’s booking, the promotion must also be wondering whether they’ve financially bitten off a bit more than they can, or want to chew. 

When will the UFC actually pull off the big card?

UFC 300 was a dramatic affair, highlighted by the aforementioned last-second knockout of Justin Gaethje, Alex Pereira’s quick dispatching of Jamahal Hill and … Bo Nickal again? 

Nickal fought as the opener on the main card, ahead of ex-champions including Jiri Prochazka and Aljamain Sterling, a questionable booking that drew the ire of fans.

However, like the Freedom 250 event, both UFC 300 and 200 have had main-event issues.

White had previously emphasised the grandeur of 2024’s marquee event, and the disappointment of a McGregor-less card was once again an issue, with Pereira’s star factor arguably paling in comparison. 

UFC 200 was a similar story, with Jon Jones pulling out of the main event after testing positive for banned substances, as well as the co-main event’s returning winner, Brock Lesnar, eventually having his result overturned. 

Mystery has surrounded a fight that was pulled from the upcoming card at the last minute, with a viral clip of UFC matchmakers allegedly finding out about the fallout on stage at the UFC 326 weigh-ins. 

While the fight has remained unnamed, the frustration on the face of UFC matchmaker Hunter Campbell tells a story and makes you wonder: if the fight had stayed on the card, would the bookings have made more sense?

Great events have come thick and fast for the UFC since the rise of Conor McGregor, but it does feel as if the promotion has rather consistently fallen short of expectations whenever a marquee event is announced. 

The Freedom 250 card is the latest in a long line of eye-rolls and disappointments whenever the UFC and White claim that an event will be truly great, making it feel as though, whenever the promotion makes a promise regarding bookings, there will always be a catch.

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