March. 30, 2026
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) had one of its most successful nights since pairing with Paramount at the beginning of 2026, following the latter’s $7.7 billion deal to secure the broadcast rights to the leading mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. However, during the post-fight press conference, a media member questioned UFC boss Dana White about the recent use of generative AI in the company’s marketing videos.
“I’ve seen a lot of fans and viewers online commenting or discussing what they perceive as a lot of AI-generated content in the broadcast that maybe wasn’t in previous iterations of the UFC,” the reporter asked at the Seattle Climate Pledge Arena presser. “Is this something that’s come in with the Paramount deal, or just a new direction for the UFC?”
“What does that mean?” White snapped.
“AI stuff, commercials, part of the promotional content, just AI in the UFC in general,” the reporter continued. “I’ve seen fans complaining about it.”
“Oh yeah?” White responded, seemingly uninterested in the line of questioning. “What are they complaining about?”
“I’ve seen some people saying that the UFC should be paying artists instead of using generative AI,” the reporter clarified.
“Give me a fucking break,” White barked back in his trademark exasperated manner when fielding unexpected, non-event-related questions. “AI is coming, and if we’re using AI, who gives a shit… It has nothing to do with Paramount. Paramount is not telling us how to run our production, we run the production… We do all from the artwork, to production, to music, everything is done internally… How about this? Shut the fuck up, and watch the fights.”
Since that exchange, White’s statement has overshadowed the comments from UFC fans about AI and turned into a referendum on whether or not the UFC cares about its fans. During his show, breaking down the event, veteran UFC analyst Ariel Helwani called White’s comments “tone-deaf.”
“The UFC just signed a $7.7 billion deal. They could easily afford the kinds of teams they need to be able to make stuff that looks really great on camera, they’re just doing it cheaply [with AI],” said longtime UFC fight commentator Luke Thomas on his Morning Kombat YouTube show. “This is emblematic of everything. You’re giving us a worse product because you’re cost-cutting, and we’re all poorer for it. For Dana to be like, ‘Go fuck yourself’… Customers [you should] understand, [the UFC doesn’t] give a fuck about your opinion because they know you can’t do shit about it. That’s the truth.”
Although some view UFC fans as the types who might not care about whether graphics and promotions are produced using AI or not, it turns out that some of the most loyal UFC fans are indeed voicing their displeasure. This appears to follow a recent trend across media of fan backlash against AI use in marketing, the most recent examples coming from marketing campaigns including Gucci and Prada.
Cover via UFC on Paramount+/YouTube
