When Dana White invests in something, the UFC CEO will make it a point to hammer down its significance. Whether it's Jon Jones' pound-for-pound status or the UFC's upcoming event at The Sphere, when White is passionate about something, there is no stopping him.
The event Saturday, Sept. 14, at The Sphere in Las Vegas, dubbed UFC 306 or Noche UFC, is considered a love letter to Mexico and Mexican Independence Day two days later on Sept. 16. UFC 306 airs on ESPN+ in the U.S. Costing more than $20 million to put it all together, White looks to elevate the fan experience in and out of the arena.
Being the first to pull off a live sporting event in The Sphere, which opened in 2023, White believes this one-and-done fight event (per his own words) will be hard to top for whoever tries down the road.
"I'm telling you guys right now, we literally just went through the storyboards two days ago on this thing — this is going to be the sickest live event in combat sports that anybody has ever seen, and it will never be done again," White said at a post-fight press conference via MMA Fighting .
WATCH: UFC 306: Sean O'Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili, exclusively on ESPN+
"We've already spent a s—load of money on this thing. Nobody will ever pull this off again because nobody would spend the money to do it. Nobody's going to spend the money to do what I'm doing over there right now. This is going to be a f—ing masterpiece."
Will expectations for the event become a reality?
UFC 306 features 10 fights, most with fighters of Mexican descent. The co-main event will feature Mexico's Alexa Grasso, the UFC flyweight champion, defending her belt in a trilogy fight against Valentina Shevchenko. The event also features Irene Aldana, Daniel Zellhuber, former contender Brian Ortega and young Raul Rosas Jr., the latter two having familial ties to Mexico.
The event will look to take advantage of The Sphere's immersive experience.
The Sphere opened in 2023, costing $2.3 billion to construct. It features 160,000-square-foot LED screens and 4D features, allowing fans to be part of the experience. White will use the event — an idea that came to him after going to a concert there — to honor those who have paved the way.
Before fights, there will be highlights of all the top Mexican fighters in combat sports. White mentioned Julio Cesar Chavez, Salvador Sanchez and even Canelo Alvarez, who fights down the road at the T-Mobile Arena the same night . Canelo defends his status as the unified super middleweight champion against Edgar Berlanga in a Mexico vs. Puerto Rico rivalry fight.
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"We are going to put on this unbelievable entertainment event," White said on First Take via MMA Junkie . "There's a movie that's going to run in the Sphere, and there are chapters to this movie. So, before each fight, there's a movie, and you will be focused on the Sphere and the screen, then the fighters will walk out, and then the fight is the star of the show.
"When that's over, there will be another movie, then a fight. This movie that I'm talking about and these chapters will tell the history of combat sports in Mexico, the history of Mexican people, their traditions. It is what I call 'a love letter to Mexico.'"
Those in Las Vegas for UFC 306, from the media to the fighters, have praised the concept design. White is dubbing it "the greatest live sporting event of all time" and hopes for an Oscar, Emmy and Grammy, meaning everything must go off without a hitch.
The fighters look to give it their all. It is expected of them. There are elevated expectations for White, the UFC and The Sphere. Can the UFC deliver when all eyes are on them on what could be a historic night in combat sports?
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