UFC fighter slams "irritating" stretch of Apex fights after wife and child are denied tickets - "It doesn't feel like a real fight"

A UFC athlete has criticized the organization and suggested that his family members have consistently been denied tickets to his fights. The MMA fighter also notably highlighted the drawbacks of competing on fight cards at the UFC Apex.

The Azat Maksum vs. Charles Johnson men's flyweight bout is booked to transpire at the UFC Vegas 85 (Feb. 3, 2024) event at the Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A.

In a recent conversation with Charles Johnson, interviewer Jamie Theodosi of Cageside Press indicated that the upcoming event would witness Johnson's sixth consecutive bout at the Apex. For his part, 'InnerG' outlined the cons of the Apex, where only a relatively small number of fans are permitted. He stated:

"For the time, I enjoyed it. But now, I'm just kind of like, irritated with it because I don't feel like I've been afforded the full UFC experience, and my whole career is going to be in the f**king Apex. And no fans; I can't even get my wife in there and my baby girl 'cause the tickets are f**king 1,600 dollars-plus. And they say they don't have any tickets every time I fight, to give me one ticket for my wife. So, it's pretty irritating. That's the most irritating aspect of it. For it to be in-house and stuff, I feel like you could give one seat for me, for my wife, for a family member."

Watch the interview below:

Additionally, 'InnerG' opined that there's usually a "heckler" at the Apex, likely a rich individual who can afford its expensive tickets. The 33-year-old acknowledged that he likes the intimate setting where he can hear his opponent breathe and perceive other happenings, too.

Johnson added, however, that since his days as a track athlete, he's performed best in the biggest moments with the most eyes on him. He recalled that he's experienced the organization's events in bigger arenas and enjoyed that energy. The American noted:

"When I'm in the Apex, it feels like a spar session. It doesn't feel like a real fight a lot of times."

Check out Charles Johnson's comments below:

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Akin to Charles Johnson, Renato Moicano denounces the Apex ahead of UFC Vegas 85

Among the marquee matchups at UFC Vegas 85 (i.e., UFC Fight Night: Dolidze vs. Imavov) is the Renato Moicano vs. Drew Dober lightweight showdown. Moicano recently spoke to MMA Junkie and appeared to suggest that people generally don't care about the Fight Night cards, so he isn't worried about being relegated to a co-main event or lower spot on the card.

Moreover, echoing similar sentiments as Charles Johnson, Renato Moicano expressed his dislike for events organized at the Apex. Postulating that the fans, as well as the fighters, hate the Apex, the Brazilian athlete said:

"Another thing is nobody likes the Apex, my brother. You can ask anybody in the world. The fans hate the Apex and the fighters, I'm pretty sure they don't like the Apex too."

Watch Moicano's assessment below: