MMA mirrored the rest of the world in 2017. It was a strange year, and it wasn't always good.
Entering the negotiating period for a critical new broadcasting contract, and with still-new UFC owners WME-IMG yet to make a major impact on that operation, TV ratings wobbled from respectable to lukewarm to record-breakingly abysmal. Speaking to a major lack of star power, no UFC pay-per-view event topped 1 million buys in 2017.
That said, there's plenty to love in this wild sport. Fighters like Demetrious Johnson, Max Holloway, Cris Cyborg and a host of others are a joy to watch.