Ex-fighter utterly disappointed with UFC's "gamble" with The Sphere: "It's Rainforest Cafe - it looks f***ing great but the product is sh*t"
Noche UFC 306 wrapped up last Saturday night inside The Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada. While the event was undoubtedly an extravagant affair, a former UFC heavyweight fighter recently voiced his discontent with the fight card, arguing that it fell short for a spectacle of such magnitude.
Noche UFC served as the second annual tribute to Mexican heritage and was one of Dana White's most aspiring ventures yet, supported by an impressive $20 million production budget. The event fully leveraged The Sphere's state-of-the-art audio and visual technology, providing an unparalleled immersive experience.
However, despite the grandeur, many, including Brendan Schaub, believe that the pay-per-view seemed to lack genuine star power in terms of the fight lineup. During a recent episode of Thiccc Boy, 'Big Brown' voiced his frustrations with the UFC, accusing the organization of disregarding the enjoyment of viewers tuning in from home in favor of those attending the event live at The Sphere.
The MMA fighter-turned-stand-up comedian also took shots at the quality of the fights on the card, stating that the event fell short of expectations and didn't deliver the excitement fans were hoping for. He said:
"My issue is that the product I paid to watch was not great because it wasn’t a pay-per-view-worthy card. The bell of the ball is The Sphere. Therefore, what you’re paying for, unless you’re in person, ain't that great, dude. And the main event and the co-main event—boy, did the UFC gamble, and they lost."
Schaub further compared The Sphere as a venue to the American jungle-themed restaurant chain Rainforest Cafe:
"You know what this is? The Sphere. It’s like the Rainforest Cafe, it looks f**king great, but the product was sh*t... UFC doing events at The Sphere is like the Rainforest Cafe: it looks great, a fun experience, but the actual product sucks. I would rather watch great fights at the Apex Center; I don't need all that."
Check out Brendan Schaub's comments below:
Check out the full episode of the show below:
Who walked away as the winners at Noche UFC 306?
In the main event of Noche UFC 306, Merab Dvalishvili unseated defending champion Sean O'Malley to claim the bantamweight title. 'The Machine' showcased his superior grappling and wrestling skills, dominating the fight and cruising to a unanimous decision victory.
Meanwhile, in the co-main event, Valentina Shevchenko reclaimed her flyweight crown with a commanding performance against Alexa Grasso. 'Bullet', known for her elite-level striking, controlled much of the fight on the ground, securing a dominant unanimous decision win.
Check out the full results below:
Main Card
Merab Dvalishvili def. Sean O'Malley by unanimous decision (48-47 x2, 49-46)
Valentina Shevchenko def. Alexa Grasso by unanimous decision (50-45 x3)
Diego Lopes def. Brian Ortega by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27 x2)
Esteban Ribovics defeats Daniel Zellhuber by split decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)
Ronaldo Rodriguez def. Ode Osbourne by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27 x2)
Preliminary Card
Norma Dumont def. Irene Aldana by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Ignacio Bahamondes def. Manuel Torres by TKO at 4:02 in round one
Ketlen Souza def. Yazmin Jauregui by submission at 3:02 in round one
Joshua Van def. Edgar Chairez by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Raul Rosas Jr. def. Aoriqileng by unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)