UFC Mexico Faces Ticket Sales Drop
For the first time since UFC's return to Mexico in 2024, tickets are still available during fight week—about 4,000 of 20,000 seats unsold for Brandon Moreno's headliner. Previous events sold out weeks in advance, indicating declining enthusiasm despite 16,000+ attendance still being solid. The UFC is facing criticism for raising ticket prices while fielding a less star-studded card, with fans experiencing "fatigue" after several Mexico City main events featuring Moreno.
The recent UFC Fight Night in Mexico City, headlined by Brandon Moreno, set a new attendance record for the promotion in Mexico, drawing 21,546 fans to the Arena CDMX. This event surpassed the previous record of 21,036 set at UFC 188 in 2015. The event was the UFC's first in Mexico City since September 2019. Ticket prices on the secondary market for the February 24th event ranged from approximately $100 for upper-level seats to over $2,800 for ringside locations. Five days before the event, reports from secondary ticket marketplaces indicated that very few tickets remained available for the arena, which has a capacity of over 22,000. The main event featured a rematch between Brandon Moreno and Brandon Royval, with the co-main event showcasing a bout between Yair Rodriguez and Brian Ortega. Moreno, the first Mexican-born UFC champion, has a record of 0-2-1 in his three previous fights in Mexico City, which may have contributed to a narrative of local fan fatigue. The UFC's debut in Mexico, UFC 180 in 2014, sold out in just eight hours, demonstrating the initial high demand for the sport in the country. That event was headlined by Fabricio Werdum and Mark Hunt for the interim heavyweight title, after the then-champion Cain Velasquez, a Mexican-American star, had to withdraw due to injury.
