Title: Do Ultimate Fighting Championship fans exhibit gender bias? Evidence from memorabilia markets

Authors: David M. Yaskewich

Addresses: Department of Accounting, Economics, and Finance, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701, USA

Abstract: Despite the integration of women into the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) over the past decade, prior studies have identified unique challenges faced by female athletes when endorsing products and building a personal brand. This study examined whether consumers exhibit gender discrimination in secondary markets for UFC memorabilia. The effect of a fighter's gender on the market price of a fighter's trading card was assessed while controlling for other fighter-specific characteristics. Multivariate regression models indicated that a fighter's gender had a statistically insignificant association with a card's price. While trading card collectors did not display gender discrimination, a fighter's name recognition had a strong positive effect on card prices. The main results suggest that consumer demand for memorabilia is driven by the star power and celebrity status of UFC fighters.

Keywords: consumer discrimination; gender discrimination; mixed martial arts; MMA; memorabilia; trading cards; Ultimate Fighting Championship; UFC.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSMM.2025.148983

International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing, 2025 Vol.25 No.1, pp.1 - 24

Received: 19 Feb 2024
Accepted: 10 Dec 2024
Published online: 07 Oct 2025 *

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