UFC won’t debut in The Sphere in Las Vegas until September, but Dana White is already counting down the days until it happens.
The massive $2.3 billion arena, which features a capacity of more than 18,000 seats as well as an immersive video experience thanks to a 16K resolution wraparound LED screen, captured White’s attention after he attended a U2 concert there upon the venue’s grand opening. Almost immediately afterward, White announced the UFC will take its next Noche UFC card there in September 2024 in celebration of Mexican Independence Day.
White says planning for the UFC card at The Sphere is already underway, and he promises it’s going to be an event unlike anything the company has ever done before.
“I was blown away by The Sphere when I went in there,” White told The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday. “The first thing that happened was everybody started talking about, ‘It’s great, it’s an amazing experience for concerts,’ and then you had people with the negative, ‘You could never pull off a show in there. It will be too expensive,’ this and that.
“We’re going in there during Mexican Independence Day and I’m going to put on the greatest live event anybody’s ever seen, and it’s going to be this huge love letter to all of combat and combat sports throughout the history of Mexico. Some of the baddest dudes that have ever walked the face of this Earth have been Mexican. On Mexican Independence Day, I’m going to deliver the craziest show anybody’s ever seen.”
White stated that much like the Noche UFC card this past September, this year’s version will feature a slew of Mexican fighters but no matchups have been determined just yet. That could possibly change after Feb. 24 when the UFC returns to Mexico City with a card filled with local talent, including the athletes in both the main and co-main events.
As much as The Sphere has been showcased so far while hosting marquee concerts and feature films, White says the true potential of the arena hasn’t been exploited yet. One benefit White mentioned was the sound that will be delivered to the fans attending the card, as each person could end up with an individual experience watching the card.
“You’re sitting here and you’re watching the show in English. He’s sitting in that seat, he can watch it in Spanish,” White said “The speakers are aimed directly at the seats. There’s so many things that you can do.”
White has stated that the financial investment required to pull off the card will probably scare off any other potential competitors looking to follow in the UFC’s footsteps. Still, it’s a risk White is willing to take to put together what he’s already saying will be “the greatest live sporting event anyone has ever seen.”
“What we’re going to pull off there, will never be done again,” White said. “Nobody’s going to be willing to spend the money that I’m going to spend. I’m not playing around with this. I’m going in guns blazing and I’m going to blow everybody’s mind with this event.”
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