Though an ambitious endeavor overall, Noche UFC will likely feature fewer bouts than the promotion’s typical pay-per-views.
During an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Monday, UFC CEO Dana White revealed details about the organization’s highly anticipated event, which takes place at The Sphere in Las Vegas on Sept. 14, including the number of bouts on the card.
“There will be 10 fights,” White said, “main and co-main, and obviously the card will be dominated by Mexican fighters.”
As of now, six bouts are scheduled for UFC 306, but the main event has yet to be announced. Ariel Helwani reports that a bantamweight title bout between Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili is scheduled as the main event, while Alexa Grasso will defend her strawweight belt in the co-main event, possibly facing her coach and “TUF 32” opponent Valentina Shevchenko in a trilogy. However, nothing is official at this time.
Much of the interest surrounding the event is due to the unique nature of the venue. The Sphere features a 160,000 square foot LED media plane and can accommodate more than 17,000 people. The Sphere also features suites and other premium seating designed to maximize the experience. During the show, White and McAfee discussed visiting the venue during a U2 concert, and the UFC boss shared how the seating will be arranged for the fight card.
“Some people are sitting in seats, some people are sitting in suites, some people are actually standing downstairs and watching the whole thing, standing room only,” White said, “and then there are the bleachers and the seats.”
The promotional department has already invested heavily in the event, and White hinted that there could be more investment to come on that front.
“I’ve already put $17 million into this event and we’re not even close to September yet,” White said. “… I’m going to do it one night, one time and that’s it. I’m not going to do it again. That’s why I keep telling everybody, this is going to be the most unique, the best, the most amazing show that sports has ever seen.”
