Dana White prides himself on bringing combat sports to the Sphere in Las Vegas before anybody else.
The UFC CEO spent upwards of $20 million to put on a spectacular night of fights at the futuristic arena in September 2024.
Later this year, two boxing legends will try to emulate what Dana White achieved at UFC 306.
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Dana White’s warning about the ‘incredibly expensive’ Sphere
Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao are set to rematch on September 19 at the Sphere.
During a press conference on Sunday, Dana White was asked about the boxing superstars following in his footsteps by bringing fights to the $2.3 billion venue.
The MMA mogul responded by sending a warning to Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, and everyone involved in the redo of their 2015 fight, which generated over $600 million and became the most financially successful combat sports event of all time.
“Who is promoting it? S—! I wonder who is paying for production,” White said after Jai Opetaia’s win over Brandon Glanton at Zuffa Boxing 04.
“They are in for a big surprise. It is incredibly expensive. It’s interesting.
“They’d better call somebody to figure that out.”
Will the UFC ever return to the Sphere?
Dana White has insisted that the UFC would not return to the Las Vegas Sphere.
The 56-year-old says a combination of contractual issues and the vast amount of money needed to put on a show rules it out as a realistic venue choice.
“No, I’m under contract with MGM,” White said when asked if fans can expect another Sphere event after UFC 306.
“I told you guys leading up to this, the way that this whole thing played out, tonight was meant to happen. It happened, we did it, we killed it … I have literally been getting blown up by everybody about this event.
“The other thing we did was that it translated well onto television, too. People felt like it was a different experience than they get on a normal Saturday night for a UFC event.”
In addition to MGM Grand Garden Arena, MGM also operates T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, where UFC 326 took place on Saturday night.
It appears that is where White will continue to host his UFC events that take place in ‘Sin City’.
2026-03-09 11:00:00
