Dana White reveals $150M roadblock for UFC Colosseum event

Dana White says the UFC will need someone willing to spend $150 million before the promotion can stage fights inside the Roman Colosseum.

White told MMA Mania after UFC Vegas 119 that the historic venue demanded that figure when he was negotiating the collapsed bout between Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. The funds would have gone toward restoring iconic sites across Italy, but the fight never materialized and neither did the Colosseum plan.

White House and Sphere success fuel Colosseum talk

The UFC boss has overseen spectacle events at the Las Vegas Sphere and the White House in recent months, sparking speculation about the next one-off location. When asked about Rome, White called it "impossible" under normal circumstances. "The Colosseum would take Zuckerberg fighting Musk for it to happen because those two were gonna put up the money," he said.

Still, White left the door cracked. If a billionaire or wealthy backer like Saudi adviser Turki Al-Sheikh wants to write the check, the promotion is ready. "Anybody to put up the money for the UFC to fight in the Colosseum, I'm in," he told the outlet.

The Colosseum last hosted combat around 404 A.D., when gladiatorial games ended. White has said the White House card will dwarf even the Sphere's budget, calling that event "chump change" by comparison. No timeline exists for a potential Rome show, but UFC's 2026 schedule is already packed with stadium dates.

Original reporting:

• mmamania.com — Dana White Reveals What UFC Colosseum Event Would Take | MMA Mania