Opinion poll on the politics of MMA fans
Most people think MMA fans are Republicans. The data says otherwise.
The White House hosted a UFC fight on the South Lawn on Sunday, staging one of the fastest-growing sports in the world on a politically charged backdrop. Whatever you think of the fight, it’s worth remembering that there is no such thing as a partisan fanbase in the United States. The fans of every major sport are split nearly evenly between Democrats, Republicans, and Independents.
Given the highly politicized fight, it’s easy to assume that MMA fans lean heavily Republican. In reality, MMA fans are split nearly evenly: 33 percent Democrat, 29 percent Republican, and 31 percent Independent. The fanbase looks a lot like the country.
That pattern holds across nearly every major sport. A nearly-equal share of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents make up the fanbases of the NFL, NBA, MLB, college football and basketball, and international soccer.
Even the two outliers, NASCAR (41% Republican) and WNBA (45% Democrat), are less lopsided than most people might assume.