Dana White reveals the 'beast' UFC 306 show at the Sphere has now surpassed $20m in cost
28/08/2024 10:39
On September 14 the UFC is hosting a one-off event at the Sphere in Las Vegas and it will be the first combat sports event to take place in the new state-of-the-art venue.
Current UFC bantamweight champion and arguably the sport’s biggest current star, Sean O’Malley will defend his title against the relentless number one contender, Merab Dvalishvili.
UFC CEO Dana White has spoken extensively about the event and how it will be a love letter to Mexican MMA as it is taking place on Mexican Independence Day weekend.
Dana White reveals UFC 306 has already surpassed $20m in cost
The event, which is in partnership with Riyadh Season, is going directly head to head with a boxing show which takes place on the same night, headlined by Mexico’s own, Canelo Alvarez.
White revealed that because the T-Mobile Arena was booked for Canelo’s fight, they had to find a new venue for their show.
“MGM is guaranteeing the gate for that (boxing) fight, so why would they not go on that date if MGM’s gonna put up all the money? We went there (T-Mobile) last year, it was our date last year and then without even asking us or talking to us, they gave the date away,” White stated this past Wednesday during the Dana White’s Contender Series post-fight press conference.
“That’s why I’m at the Sphere. I couldn’t do the Sphere because I’m under contract with MGM but because they f*cked us, they let us do it,” White continued.
With UFC 306 being such a unique event, White isn’t concerned about having to compete with a boxing event down the road and is focused on trying to make it a smooth and once-in-a-lifetime event.
“What I’m focussed on, on that weekend, is putting on a show that no one has ever seen before. I’m more concerned about, this show is so complex and there are so many different moving pieces to this, this thing being seamless and going off the way I want it, I’m more focussed on that than any of this MGM bullsh*t.
“We’re at $20m (cost) now. This is an expensive show. This is a beast and I’m way more focused on all of that stuff,” White added.
Dana White comments on Merab Dvalishvili removing his own stitches
One-half of the monumental main event, Dvalishvili, recently suffered a cut in training and posted a video of it on his social media.
White wasn’t happy that he did so and labeled him as ‘dumb’ for leaking that he had suffered an injury in fight camp. Despite White’s comments, ‘The Machine’ posted another video this past Wednesday of him removing his own stitches with an obscenely large pair of scissors.
“Isn’t he awesome?” White sarcastically commented about the video of Merab.
“I think he’s just f*cking with me now, to be honest with you. No, (I’ve not spoken to him), do what you want. You ever see the scissors they take stitches out with, they’re tiny and they have that thing on there so you don’t cut yourself, this dude had like, f*cking bush shears that he was using that gardeners use. Whatever, good for him,” White stated.
