The start of the year could have been even bigger for the UFC if they had landed one major signing.
UFC 324 did not go off without its issues, especially as it launched during the promotion’s first event of their Paramount+ partnership at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas last month.
Fans complained about issues with the broadcast and were already disappointed by the absence of what many considered to be the best fight on the card, a women’s bantamweight title match that was scrapped.
Despite those setbacks, the numbers still looked good. Fans in the US did not have to pay pay-per-view prices for a numbered UFC card for once, and that seemed to help viewership.
The promotion will likely be quite satisfied with these outcomes, especially since several plans – including a major new roster addition – did not materialize.
Rico Verhoeven turned down the UFC to focus on boxing, says Hunter Campbell
At UFC 324, Waldo Cortes-Acosta picked up his third straight win and finish since the start of November by stopping Derrick Lewis.
But that fight could have looked very different. Some new details have come out about another bout that was in the works but did not end up happening.
Before his return on January 24, Lewis mentioned on The Beast and The Cowboy podcast that he was originally set to face Rico Verhoeven at the event.
Verhoeven had just vacated his GLORY heavyweight title back in November after deciding not to renew his contract. That ended a remarkable 12-year run as champion.
The ‘King of Kickboxing’ had been linked with several promotions at the time, including talks with the UFC about a potential move.
Speaking during Thursday’s hearing for the UFC antitrust lawsuit, Hunter Campbell confirmed that they had made an effort to bring Verhoeven in, but he chose instead to focus on boxing.
Rico Verhoeven’s next move looks to be in boxing
It would have been fascinating to see how Verhoeven’s world-class striking translated to a division still trying to find its footing.
After watching Waldo Cortes-Acosta completely dominate Derrick Lewis, it is easy to picture the former kickboxing champion putting on a similar show.
But when you consider the other opportunities on the table, especially as Verhoeven nears the end of his career, boxing makes a lot of sense – especially if big names are involved.
And that appears to be happening, with Turki Alalshikh already pushing for a match-up against Oleksandr Usyk next.
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