Dana White’s ambitious UFC Fight Night Baku marked the promotion’s entry into Western Asia and Eastern Europe—a bold entry into new territory. Local hero Rafael Fiziev finally got the chance to perform on home turf and made the most of it, securing a win over a surging UFC lightweight prospect in the co-main event. Meanwhile, the headliner between Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree had plenty of anticipation behind it. But a bizarre twist ended up stealing the spotlight.
After Rafael Fiziev secured his win over Ignacio Bahamondes, the crowd began to clear out Baku Crystal before the main event even kicked off. For a card that had so much hype, especially with Jamahal Hill vs. Khalil Rountree headlining, the sudden mass exit raised plenty of eyebrows. Popular MMA account Spinning Backfist dropped a blunt post on X: “So everyone left the arena or?” French journalist Marcel Dorff followed up with his own puzzled take: “W—f did everybody leave?” The moment quickly stirred up buzz across the MMA world.
Even the light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev reacted with, “I am falling asleep.”, maybe because of the odd timing of the event. However, another X user pointed out, “UFC is a mere shadow of its former self. I know prospective broadcast partners likely don’t watch, but on the off chance they do, I can’t imagine they’d think this was worth dumping hundreds of millions per year into.”
The shot was basically fired straight into the heart of Dana White’s billion-dollar ambition. With the UFC’s broadcast negotiation window opening this past April, potential partners and broadcasters are now closely watching every move. But with the UFC Baku main event turning into a near-empty arena spectacle, questions are being raised. Could this unexpected flop jeopardize the UFC’s chances at landing that massive deal? That’s something only time will reveal.
Lots of fans at #UFCBaku left the arena after Rafael Fiziev’s win, and didn’t stick around for the main-event
Ushataykapic.twitter.com/yHTGXIqJZ4
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 21, 2025
However, that wasn’t the only time the UFC has faced noticeably empty seats. Back in January, a similar situation unfolded when posts about UFC 311 began circulating online, showing several empty sections in the arena.
Before UFC Baku, UFC 311 was also marred by empty seat concerns
UFC Baku might’ve come as a shocker—how does a crowd, supposedly there to witness top-tier action, just walk out like that? But surprisingly, this wasn’t an isolated case. UFC 311 also faced similar concerns despite having a stacked card. Islam Makhachev headlined the event against Renato Moicano, while the co-main featured Merab Dvalishvili taking on Umar Nurmagomedov.
During the broadcast many have reported that the Intuit Dome looked pretty empty—even though the UFC said it was sold out. People online were quick to point it out. But audiences who were actually there for the Makhachev vs. Moicano fight said otherwise. They claimed the place was packed with the crowd all enjoying the card. However, the tables were turned when it was said that the lights around the seats gave the illusion of some seats being filled.
With that being said, the UFC will no doubt take a closer look at the details behind why so many fans left before the UFC Baku main event even began. Could something like this impact their billion-dollar broadcast deal? Do you think moments like this could make the UFC reconsider or scale back their international events? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.
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