UFC’s political identity is not subtle anymore. This video lays out why MMA, especially under the UFC banner, reads as right coded and MAGA aligned, from candidate walkouts to fighter surrogates and crowd chants that became part of the brand. We walk through concrete examples, how the broader media reads it, and why there is no real left-side equivalent. Keywords: UFC, MMA, MAGA, right wing sport, Donald Trump, political commentary, Luke Thomas, media consolidation.

Beyond the headlines, we look at how this shift accelerated after 2022, why it resonates with a durable slice of the audience, and why some fans quietly left. We also touch on the media consolidation that limits real alternatives and why boycotts ring hollow when five giants control most of what you can watch. The core question is not whether politics touched the cage, but how intentionally the organization embraced it and what that means for the sport’s future.

Listen to the full conversation over on Luke’s Substack: https://lthomas.substack.com/

If you appreciate nuanced political analysis of sports and culture, subscribe for more.

Chapters

00:00 Opening backlash and thesis

02:10 How media frames UFC now

04:30 No left equivalent in MMA

06:40 Fighters as campaign surrogates

09:10 Chants and global examples

11:40 Manosphere and influencer ties

14:20 Fanbase shift over time

16:30 Political rewards and access

18:50 Media consolidation aside

21:10 What this pivot could yield

23:10 Why denial persists

25:00 Final takeaways