A major streaming deal between the UFC‘s FightPass and the ADCC fell apart due to an inappropriate incident involving a UFC executive and Mo Jassim‘s girlfriend, according to former UFC media relations head Ant Evans.
Speaking on the MMA History Podcast, Evans revealed the details behind the collapsed partnership that would have brought the premier grappling competition exclusively to UFC’s streaming platform. The deal, which was poised to deliver a significant blow to FloGrappling‘s dominance in the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu streaming market, crumbled after what Evans described as an insulting encounter at a business meeting in Las Vegas.
According to Evans, the collapse centered around Crowley Sullivan, who was brought in to oversee FightPass operations despite having no background in combat sports or streaming services. Evans described Sullivan as someone who “doesn’t know what OTT is” and had never heard of “churn” – basic industry terminology for streaming platforms.
“He mistakes Mo’s wife for a pr*stitute,”
Evans explained, correcting himself to specify it was Jassim’s girlfriend. When pressed for details about what exactly happened, Evans stated,
“I don’t know, man. Like does he make an offer? Somebody tried to [proposition] my girlfriend in front of me for money. I probably wouldn’t want to be in business with them anymore. And that’s what happened.”
The incident occurred after ADCC had already announced their partnership with FightPass through a press release, making the subsequent collapse even more embarrassing for the UFC’s service.
Mo Jassim, ADCC’s head organizer, confirmed the renewed partnership via FloGrappling’s official release. Notably absent was any explanation for why the UFC FightPass deal was dropped.
“The rise of grappling has been monumental, and our team is thrilled to work with FloSports to showcase some of the best grapplers in the world. We look forward to delivering ever-improved event production and coverage for the global grappling community.”
Seth Daniels, another key ADCC figure, later offered more transparency in a direct statement addressing fan backlash:
“Since so many people are posting their opinions of ADCC returning to FloGrappling instead of UFC Fight Pass as originally announced I can give you the truth and reasons of why this decision was made. 1. Flo has the best technologies to run multi-mat/stream events. 2. Flo goes above and beyond in terms of coverage and marketing for ADCC and the athletes. 3. 90% of the mistakes of 2022 ADCC were my team and my fault. I took on more than I was capable of and it broke me mentally. I’ve decided to turn over control of production to real professionals that can produce an event worthy of an entire year Flo subscription and the cost of a ticket. I’ve listened and read the thousands of comments from 2022 and am addressing everything including my horrible attitude I had during that week. 4. After 6 months of trying to make things work with Fight Pass it was clear that returning to Flo was not only the right option but the only option. 5. I want to thank the Fight Pass executives and teams that tried their hardest to make this venture happen and wish them the best in the future.”
Evans painted a damning picture of Sullivan’s qualifications, describing how the executive was hired based on his friendship with a top WME executive (UFC’s holding company) rather than any relevant experience. The former UFC media relations chief recounted incidents where Sullivan failed to recognize legendary MMA stars in business meetings, including not knowing who Chael Sonnen was during discussions about a potential Anderson Silva vs. Sonnen grappling match.
“This is your combat sport streaming service. He knows nothing about streaming services. Nothing. But he also knows nothing about combat sports,”
Evans said of Sullivan’s appointment as his boss at FightPass.
Evans suggested that Sullivan was going through personal issues at the time, noting he was “either divorced recently or was going through a divorce or about to divorced,” which may have contributed to his inappropriate behavior during the crucial ADCC meeting.
The failed ADCC deal represented a massive missed opportunity for UFC Fight Pass. Evans and his colleague Stephen Tecci had been specifically targeting FloGrappling’s dominance in the grappling streaming market, with ADCC being “the crown jewel” they needed to compete effectively.
UFC has since attempted to launch UFC BJJ to mixed reviews.
