Dana White vows that UFC 306 at The Sphere will be "the greatest f**king love letter to the Mexican people"
Dana White has addressed the much-awaited UFC 306 event, which would mark the UFC organization's Las Vegas Sphere debut. White suggested that UFC 306, which will take place during Mexican Independence Day weekend, would be dedicated to Mexico and its people.
The Sphere notably comprises a wraparound interior LED screen, exterior LED displays, and special audio infrastructure that all promise an incredibly immersive experience. Its opening in Sept. 2023 saw world-renowned rock band U2 put on 40 shows running from Sept. 29, 2023, to March 2, 2024.
On comedian Andrew Schulz's Flagrant podcast, UFC CEO Dana White recently alluded to U2's concerts at The Sphere. Juxtaposing it with the UFC 306 plans, he highlighted that while U2 had adequate time to get accustomed to the unique venue, the UFC would have just one day to figure things out. White also claims to have already spent $14 million to set up UFC 306 at The Sphere.
Earlier this month, former UFC women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko indicated that UFC 306 (Sept. 14, 2024) won't have a Mexican Independence Day theme and its theme would instead be focused on The Sphere. However, UFC women's flyweight champion Alexa Grasso contradicted Shevchenko's assertion. Their trilogy bout will likely transpire at UFC 306.
As for Dana White, he's consistently implied that UFC 306 will be a Mexican Independence Day-themed show, even bigger than the Noche UFC (Sept. 16, 2023) event. On the Flagrant podcast, White stated:
"I gotta come in, and we gotta figure this whole f**king thing out in one f**king night. Okay? And this is going to be a f**king love letter to the Mexican people, right? I have this thing, huge boxing fan, so I have this thing with Mexicans, man. When you tell somebody — I got goosebumps telling you this right now — when you tell somebody you fight like a Mexican, it's the biggest f**king compliment you could ever f**king give somebody, right?"
He added:
"Some of the baddest motherf**kers that have walked the face of this Earth have been Mexican. And The Sphere show is on Mexican Independence Day, and it's going to be the greatest f**king love letter to the Mexican people of all time."
Check out White's comments below (50:08):
Dana White hints at big fights for UFC 306 card
Around the 51:25-minute mark of the aforementioned Flagrant podcast video, Andrew Schulz asked Dana White about the UFC 306 fight card. The 54-year-old replied by alluding that the majority of the UFC's top Mexican fighters would be surely booked for the event. Nevertheless, White didn't name the fighters who'll feature in it.
Earlier this year, combat sports megastar Conor McGregor expressed interest in competing at UFC 306. Regardless, McGregor's currently booked to fight at UFC 303 (June 29, 2024).
Furthermore, Dana White recently signaled that the UFC is working on booking the next BMF championship fight. Concurring with Flagrant co-host Akaash Singh's suggestion that UFC 306 could potentially feature a BMF title fight, White said:
"Yeah. I'm not saying sh** about the card until we get there ... Think about all the best Mexicans that we have on contract, and it's pretty much guaranteed they're all going to be there. Plus, some big guys that aren't Mexican... I like your style. A BMF title wouldn't be bad either."