UFC 315 marked the promotion’s long-overdue return to Montreal after nearly ten years, but judging by how things played out, it might be Dana White’s last stop in the Great White North for some time. The main event saw Belal Muhammad being stunned by Jack Della Maddalena in a dominant fashion, with the Australian claiming the welterweight title. While the upset reshaped the division and opened the door to fresh matchups, it was hard to ignore the financial sting the UFC took that night. The official gate numbers and attendance figures tell a disappointing story—UFC 315’s return to Canada fell flat.
What was already shaping up to be a troubled card took an even bigger hit when multiple bouts were canceled; most notably, the much-anticipated clash between Joel Alvarez and Benoit Saint Denis. The chaos surrounding the event didn’t go unnoticed. MMA journalist Damon Martin even took to X to highlight the poor ticket sales, pointing out that just a week before fight night, only about 60% of the arena’s seats had been sold.
It was a rough look for a promotion that is used to having venues packed. During the post-fight press conference, UFC executive Dave Shaw revealed the official gate and attendance numbers for UFC 315, and they were underwhelming. The event pulled in a modest $6,003,340 in ticket sales, with a crowd of 19,786 in attendance.
When stacked up against UFC 314 in Miami, the contrast was stark. That card drew an impressive $11 million gate despite a smaller audience of 18,287. The comparison, later shared on X by MMA analyst Jed I. Goodman, made it clear: UFC 315 had one of the lowest gate totals for a pay-per-view event in 2025. However, it now seems that the UFC 318 might also face the same problem. So what’s really the reason? It seems it’s because of the ticket prices that have been set by the promotion.
One of the users took to his X account to share a message for the UFC. They wrote, “So the @DustinPoirier vs @BlessedMMA tickets dropped, I’ve been wanting to go. $638 each for nose bleeds. Wanted to bring my wife and son. That’s $1914 just for tickets. Doesn’t count my hotel, gas,food. @danawhite the ufc has priced the fans out man.”
How is this not illegal? Tickets aren’t even on sale for this event yet.
If you’re balling and just want to guarantee you’re good, I guess this is a fair service. But this seems like it’s just duping people who aren’t aware they’re essentially buying ticket futures.
— John Morgan (@JohnMorgan_MMA) May 14, 2025
John Morgan was also surprised by the prices which has been kept and took out time to respond to it in his own X account. Morgan wrote, “How is this not illegal? Tickets aren’t even on sale for this event yet. If you’re balling and just want to guarantee you’re good, I guess this is a fair service. But this seems like it’s just duping people who aren’t aware they’re essentially buying ticket futures.”
The tactics of raising ticket prices seem to be backfiring on the promotion. Interestingly, Dana White has remained silent when it comes to the rising cost of UFC event tickets, never addressing the issue in interviews or press conferences. However, he did comment on the surge in pay-per-view prices back in 2022, firmly distancing himself from the decision.
Dana White claims he is not responsible for the increased ticket prices
One of the biggest pain points for fans lately has been the sky-high PPV prices on ESPN+, which have reached record levels. Understandably, many are reluctant to shell out that kind of money—and it’s not just about the cost. The real issue lies in the unpredictability of the events themselves. Fans want value for their money, and too often, the cards don’t deliver.
Take UFC 306 at the Las Vegas Sphere, for example. Dana White hyped it as the greatest live combat sports event in history. But for a lot of viewers, the main event turned out to be a total letdown—a slow, uneventful affair that didn’t live up to the billing.
A few years prior to UFC 306, Dana White openly expressed his frustration with pay-per-view pricing. He admitted he wasn’t a fan of the steep costs and made it clear that, if it were up to him, the prices would have stayed much lower. According to White, the decision to raise PPV rates came from the higher-ups at ESPN, not from him.
During an interview with MMA Junkie, White said, “We don’t have any say in that. We gave the pay-per-views to ESPN, so yeah, that’s their decision. You know how I feel about that stuff. I don’t love when prices get raised, but it’s not my decision. It’s theirs,”. We may finally get some answers about the rising ticket prices once the UFC’s deal with ESPN wraps up in 2025.
That moment could offer some much-needed clarity on who’s really behind the price hikes. Until then, it’s all speculation. What’s your take on the situation? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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