Dana White opens up on possibility of future UFC events at The Sphere after beef with MGM forced unplanned Noche card
Dana White recently discussed the possibility of hosting UFC events at The Sphere in the future. While the UFC usually hosts its Las Vegas events at the T-Mobile Arena, the promotion was forced to move the Noche UFC 306 card on Sept.14 to The Sphere due to conflicts with its owners.
The Noche UFC 306 event will honor Mexico's contribution to combat sports and celebrate Mexican Independence Day. While this event was held at the T-Mobile Arena last year, the venue was booked for the Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga boxing match this year.
Intriguingly, White recently revealed that the cost of hosting the Noche UFC 306 event at The Sphere had touched the $20 million mark. Nevertheless, money seems to be no issue for the UFC CEO as long as he puts on a "game changer" of an event for the fans. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he said:
"I said, ‘I’m doing this.’ I didn’t give a sh*t what the budget was. I’m doing this. I truly believe that this is going to be a game changer, where sports and entertainment truly come together for the first time ever. And I think a lot of other people are going to see this, and I think they’re going to start changing the way they build these arenas."
White also answered a question about the possibility of the UFC hosting future events at The Sphere and said:
"The answer to your question is, right now, this is a one-and-done. We have a deal with MGM, so I have to go back to T-Mobile and do that. But who knows? This was never supposed to happen this year. This wasn’t on our books. This was never planned. But I guarantee you this if some new technology pops up, I guarantee you I will be first." [H/t: The Hollywood Reporter]
Dana White on T-Mobile Arena owners "disrespecting" him and the UFC
As mentioned, Dana White and the UFC were forced to move their Mexican Independence Day special event to The Sphere after the T-Mobile Arena was unexpectedly booked for the Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga fight on Sept.14.
During a recent press conference, White slammed the MGM Resorts International group and claimed they "f**ked" the promotion. Claiming that they had been "disrespecting" him and the UFC since the beginning, he stated:
"That was our date last year [at T-Mobile], and then without even asking us, or talking to us, they gave the date away. That's why I'm at The Sphere. I couldn't do The Sphere because I'm under contract with MGM... When I say MGM, it's the guys who run the arena, who have been literally disrespecting us since day one of the relationship."
Catch Dana White's comments below (12:20):