MATLOCK

End of an Era

December 15, 2025

I blinked, and it is now December. The end of the year, but also the end of an era, as the final fight aired on ESPN this past Saturday.

Good riddance.

The ESPN website sucked, and the app sucked. I never used it to the extent that others did, since UFC Fight Pass covered everything except the live fights. Still, paying for that subscription and the PPVs was rough. Eventually, I scrapped it altogether and ended up watching on pirated sites—because, frankly, those actually worked. Now it’s moving to Paramount+, which I’m sure will come with its own set of issues.

How did I feel about this year of fights? I’d give it a C+.

Looking back, the year felt dominated by Poatan and Merab. Heavyweight was dismal and will probably stay that way until Gable signs with the UFC.

On a personal note, I’m hoping to be more organized in 2026 and keep better notes on past fights. I’m also planning to launch a podcast, which is currently in pre-production. I’m aiming for a Toonami vibe—mostly audio-only. There will be video of the podcast taking place inside a spaceship, so I’m working on the graphics, but it’ll be very passive visually.

I also plan to keep closer tabs on the rankings. I never really have in the past, but I expect a lot of movement this year. With the sheer number of fights that happen, I sometimes lose track of what’s going on in each division. That might be a bit of an exaggeration—I generally know—but things can still get confusing.

Anyway, happy holidays.