On September 14, the Las Ve
gas Sphere, a $2.3 billion entertainment marvel, will host its first-ever live sporting event, showcasing the UFC in a groundbreaking format. The Sphere, renowned for its massive 160,000-square-foot LED screen, will immerse approximately 20,000 attendees in various “worlds” throughout the night, setting the stage for an unprecedented experience in mixed martial arts.
UFC CEO Dana White was inspired by the Sphere’s debut performance by U2, where he felt the venue itself overshadowed the band. This revelation led White to envision a unique opportunity to combine the cutting-edge technology of the Sphere with live sports. “Seeing the Sphere in action made me think about how we could push the boundaries of live events,” White recalls. His ambition is to exceed even U2’s immersive experience, creating an entirely new level of spectacle for the UFC event.
The Sphere event, branded as Riyadh Season Noche UFC, aims to integrate the venue’s extraordinary visual capabilities into the fights themselves. UFC’s Chief Content Officer, Craig Borsari, explained that each fight will be set against a different backdrop projected on the Sphere’s colossal screen. These settings will narrate a larger story celebrating Mexican culture and combat sports, enhancing the thematic richness of the event. The interludes between bouts will feature short films, crafted in collaboration with acclaimed producer and director Carlos López Estrada, further enriching the audience’s experience.
Borsari describes the event as a blend of cinematic storytelling and live sports, with each fight embedded in a “world” projected on the screen. This ambitious endeavor involves not just UFC staff but also external partners like Valerie Bush and Antigravity Academy, who have contributed to the high-tech production. White, despite the event’s soaring budget of $20 million, believes this investment is crucial for revolutionizing how sports and entertainment converge.
However, this event might be a one-time occurrence due to UFC’s existing exclusivity agreement with MGM for its T-Mobile Arena. White acknowledges that, while this Sphere event was a spontaneous addition due to a scheduling conflict, future opportunities may arise if new technologies emerge. “This was an unexpected opportunity, but if new innovations come up, we’ll be ready to lead the way,” White affirms.
