Holding UFC 306 at the Sphere Has Already Cost the Promotion $17 million

July 18, 2024

5 months

A frequent refrain from UFC fighters over the past few months has been people asking to fight at the Sphere for UFC 306 September in Las Vegas. UFC CEO Dana White has been looking into the venue for a long time. He wants it to be one of the most memorable events in combat sports history.

The UFC has invested plenty of money to ensure that everything will go smoothly. White was recently interviewed to answer some questions about the event. While there were no official fight announcements yet, White did share some information about UFC 306, which will be the promotion’s second “Noche” UFC event.

Last year’s Noche UFC card was well received as the promotion involved many Mexican fighters for a spirited fight night. Having a Mexican champion in flyweight Alexa Grasso to put on the card helped the first event. Grasso is still the champion and is looking for a return date.

MMAfighting latest news shows that Grasso may be an option, but White hasn’t made anything official yet. The UFC can see the finish line for this year’s Noche card.

It’s hard to imagine the UFC putting more resources into this card than for UFC 300 earlier this year. But White has long been fascinated by the Sphere and will be glad to get this fight card off the ground.

Deep Pockets Helps the UFC

It is hard to think about the UFC being nearly financially insolvent less than 25 years ago. White said that he believes no other promotion will be able to host a fight at the Sphere because of the cost of the event. With the fight card still being a few months away, White said the UFC has already spent $17 million on the event.

White knows the UFC likely won’t recoup its investment on this gate. For example, last year’s Noche UFC card, held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, sold 18,766 tickets. The reported gate for the event was $2.27 million dollars.

This year’s gate will likely be higher because the tickets should be priced that way because of the venue, but it is unlikely to top the cost involved.

White confirmed that they will have ten fights on the card. Due to the logistical constraints for this event, White said that this will be a one-and-done event for the UFC.

Because of the Sphere’s unique setup, there will be fans who can watch the fight standing along the floor in addition to more traditional seating and luxury events. The Sphere is set up to seat between 18 and 20,000 people for typical events.

Pandemic Has Taught Promoters How to Think Fast

The COVID-19 pandemic had ripple effects around the world that still impact businesses and people. But one positive came from how the UFC handled the adversity. Instead of packing up for two years, the UFC found a way to stay in business.

Stateside, the UFC was able to use its Performance Institute building in the Las Vegas area. Many fights have been held in the UFC Apex, and the promotion still uses the event to hold fight cards.

The UFC was also clever in building a relationship with the United Arab Emirates. During the pandemic, the UFC held fights on what they called “Fight Island.” The promotion staged fights on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi in 2020 and 2021.

Because of pandemic restrictions, these fights were held behind closed doors in the small venue. The UAE finished construction of the Etihad Arena, and the UFC now holds events there. Hopefully, they won’t have to think about using Fight Island again due to the pandemic restrictions no longer being a thing.

Did Broadcast Leak Fights?

When you speak one language and are only concerned about being tapped into the main feed of a UFC broadcast, it’s easy to forget the promotion usually has broadcasters who speak other languages cageside. TVA Sports does a French-language broadcast for UFC fights.

The broadcaster announced that a fight between Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway, along with a fight between Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili, would be featured on the card. However, the confusion was quickly debunked.

There is still some thought that O’Malley might defend his bantamweight title against Dvalishvili, but it is unclear which card that fight will end up on.

Grasso Says That She Will be Involved

Grasso had the honor of fighting on the first Noche UFC card, which took place on Sept. 16, 2023, and was an event that celebrated Mexican Independence Day. Grasso had an opportunity to make her first title defense in a rematch with Valentina Shevchenko. It looked like Grasso was going to lose the fight.

However, Grasso scored a late takedown in the fifth round, and the fight was ruled a draw. Following the fight, Grasso suffered an injury that kept her out of fighting. Grasso returning to defend her title on a card that promises to feature much Mexican talent would make sense for all involved.

This would also be an important fight for Shevchenko, who is trying to regain the championship, according to MMA latest updates.

Undercard May be Filling Out

The UFC has plenty of time to announce the main card, but eager fans are hoping to get a hint of the promotion’s direction early. With White promising a heavy Mexican flavor, there will be a hostile environment for any fighters who step into the venue who aren’t from Mexico. There were allegedly a few fights announced early.

Here’s a look at the rumored fights for the event: