The landscape of MMA is constantly shifting, with too many storylines to follow at once. Here are our five biggest storylines in MMA to follow throughout 2024.
1. The Return of Conor McGregor
It’s hard to speak about MMA without mentioning the biggest star of them all, Conor McGregor. And if his New Year’s announcement is anything to go by, he will make his long-awaited return at UFC 300 in April.
Unsurprisingly, McGregor is expected to face Michael Chandler in that bout. A fight that had been expected since the announcement that they would be coaching across from one another on TUF 31. But the season came and went, and still no fight was ever made between the coaches.
The possibility of McGregor’s return has been pushed further and further back due to the requirement of fighters to re-enter the USADA testing pool for six months before the competition. After a very public spat with USADA, who accused McGregor of using performance-enhancing drugs to recover from his severe leg break in 2021, the UFC parted ways with the anti-doping organisation.
Despite this, McGregor has re-entered the testing pool, leaving further questions about why his return has continuously been delayed. At least now, the return date does seem set for UFC 300, with McGregor claiming the fight will be contested in the 185-pound Middleweight division.
No matter the weight class, hopefully, McGregor does finally get back into the Octagon in 2024. The UFC and MMA world is always better with McGregor active.
2. The End of an Era?
Over the past five years, we have had some pretty consistent Champions who have reigned over their divisions and the sport. But entering 2024, many of these fighters look to be progressing into the tail end of their careers and potentially retirement.
Long-time champions or former champions Alexander Volkanovski, Israel Adesanya, Kamaru Usman, Max Holloway, Robert Whittaker, and Valentina Shevchenko, amongst others, are all entering 2024 without titles or off the back of losses.
On top of that, the likes of Rafael dos Anjos, Tony Ferguson, Andrei Arlovski, Aljamain Sterling, Dustin Poirier, Jon Jones, Stipe Miocic, Jim Miller, Clay Guida, and the aforementioned McGregor are all entering the points of their careers where they may be one fight away from hanging the gloves up.
We may see an actual changing of the guard in 2024, with newer champions and title contenders cementing their places atop the sport. It’s time to try and enjoy every moment of these fighters’ careers before it ends.
3. The UFC Antitrust Class Action Lawsuit
We have discussed two fan-focused storylines, so let’s get to the stories that may alter the entire MMA landscape. First up is the ongoing and ever-evolving UFC antitrust Class Action lawsuit.
The Class Action was first filed in December 2014 against then-UFC parent company Zuffa, LLC. The lawsuit was led by representatives comprising former UFC fighters, including Cung Le, Nathan Quarry, Jon Fitch and Brandon Vera. As a Class Action, these fighters represent all of the fighters who fall under the relevant classification of the lawsuit.
The crux of their argument is that the UFC used improper strategies to dominate the MMA market and violated US antitrust laws to the detriment of all MMA fighters. In doing so, the UFC was enabled to pay MMA fighters significantly less than they would have had to otherwise.
The lawsuit was granted class certification in 2023, paving the way for the issue to go ahead to trial on behalf of all fighters who competed in the UFC between 16 December 2010 and 30 June 2017. If the class action is successful, the UFC may have to cough up over $1 billion in damages to the fighters involved.
The suit clearly has a long way to go, with these sorts of cases lasting several years, especially when appeals are involved. However, it is an issue that only continues to grow, with increased discussion around fighter pay and the current movement in the UFC’s main competitors, PFL, Bellator and ONE Championship.
4. PFL and Bellator’s New Era
Speaking of the UFC’s competitors, 2024 is set to see the launch of PFL’s new structure following its acquisition of Bellator MMA. One of the biggest stories of 2023 was the prolonged rumours that PFL would be purchasing Bellator, a sale that finally became official in November.
The PFL will continue running its regular season and playoff formats in the US and Europe. What will be interesting is seeing which of Bellator’s fighters will make their way into the format, with the PFL acquiring the entirety of Bellator’s former roster.
Bellator will continue under the Bellator International Champions Series title, which will see traditional MMA events worldwide and likely feature the existing Bellator champions. In all of this, there is still much to be learned about how everything will actually work.
The most imminent question is whether the proposed PFL Champions versus Bellator Champions fight card will occur. PFL CEO Donn Davis suggested this would happen in the first quarter of 2024, but we have not seen any announcement. It will be an important event for PFL to begin their new era successfully.
5. The Fall of ONE Championship
Along similar lines, the other big player in combat sports, ONE Championship, has continued to face concerns about its financial viability. With the UFC being accused of monopolising the sport and the PFL acquiring the other major promotion in the sport, ONE Championship’s success or failure could significantly impact the sport.
ONE Championship has received significant investment from large investment funds and the likes of the Qatar Investment Authority. However, the company’s financial reports have shown consistent net losses. This is despite ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong boasting about the company’s continued revenue growth in the media.
The concerns have been worsened by ONE Championship continuing to lay off workers, reducing its commitment to MMA and reports that the company is seeking further large-scale investment. These are all signs that ONE Championship may face severe struggles over the next few years.
One response to “5 of the biggest MMA storylines to follow in 2024”
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