(Long Island born and raised Chis Weidman defeats Kelvin Gastelum – Photo Credit: Ester Lin/MMAFighting.com)

The UFC came to Long Island for the very first time on Saturday evening for UFC on FOX 25. As you probably read since the card was announced on here, they made sure to stack this card with local talent. Most of all they put Baldwin’s native Chris Weidman in the main event. Why though did this card’s rating come in at the lowest in the series history?

I have a few theories as to why this happened. Some of these may be a little biased because I’m a Long Island girl, but hear me out.

From the second the card was announced, I figured that this was going to be an instant sell out. NYCB Live (formerly Nassau Coliseum) is not a huge venue and fight fans are going to want to support our local fighters and be apart of this. Also, unlike Barclays Center and Madison Square Garden you can tailgate in the parking lot and I mean, what’s more appropriate than that when beers cost $10 each inside the venue?

I’m still surprised to hear from friends that went to the fight that it was not sold out. Many purchased their reasonably priced tickets the week of the fight. That part was even more surprising. You can say people weren’t going because they had plans already (myself included) but that does not explain why a record number of people did not watch the fight. FOR FREE on FOX.

Here’s why I believe this outcome happened…

Lack of Proper Promotion

Did you even know when this card was? Who was on it? Did you keep forgetting? If you answered yes to at least one of those questions, you’re proving me correct.

75% of my social circle are fight fans. All located in the Tri-State area. A majority of them forgot this card was on or  even existed. When someone would bring it up in conversation, they’d say, “Oh yeah, when is that again?” or “Who’s fighting on it?”. Even the open workouts, which were held 20 minutes from the venue and are free to the public, were barely promoted. This is a constant theme I’m noticing with UFC fight promotion as of late, but I know one fight they are promoting. Mayweather vs. McGregor.

It may just have been unfortunate timing for UFC on FOX 25 that the #MayMacWorldTour took place the week before the fight. I can bet you one thing though. The last thing on the UFC’s mind in between posting about Conor or uploading videos from the tour was also promoting the card the following week. Even the fights that took place the Sunday after the tour in Glasgow, Scotland were promoted quietly.

UFC 214

Fingers crossed it stays this way, but the biggest fight card for the UFC this summer is not the traditional early July card. This year, it is UFC 214 coming up this Saturday on PPV. We saw the pre-fight press conference on Wednesday afternoon and aside from a few exchanges between Jones and Cormier, there was something lacking. Maybe we got spoiled with the flashiness of the MayMac Tour that we forgot what UFC pressers are like. Or it was how disinterested White looked the entire time. He enganged with the press and whatnot, but that hype we’ve seen the past was gone.

The true test will be how UFC 214 does in ratings. If this card doesn’t deliver then some serious reevaluating needs to take place.