UFC 306 made history in almost every aspect, with the event at The Sphere sending four records tumbling.
President Dana White produced and held the first-ever combat sports card at Las Vegas’ new iconic and immersive venue The Sphere, UFC 306 headlined by Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili.
The event was a record-breaking success for White and the UFCGetty
It was reported that the MMA promotion had spent a record $20 million putting together the event, which was the hottest ticket in town.
And the numbers now look staggering after the conclusion of the final bout, with the ‘Noche UFC’ breaking four records on the night.
Firstly, the event brought in the UFC’s highest-ever gate of $22 million, breaking the $17 million record set by Conor McGregor‘s clash with Eddie Alvarez in November 2016.
And in turn the event, that marked Mexico’s Independence Day, became the UFC’s highest-grossing event ever, while also bringing in the biggest gate in the short history of The Sphere.
The venue has already played host to some big stagings, and it is likely that the UFC will now look to return to try and break these new records.
Lastly, it represented the promotion’s biggest-ever merchandise sales, with several new items made to commemorate the ‘UFC Noche’ event, which partnered with Riyadh Season.
The arena brought the chance for fans and fighters to see once-in-a-lifetime visuals, with incredible images beamed on the 160,000 square-foot screen.
It helped bring to life the event like never before, with stories of the countries’ history beamed for fans to watch in between proceedings in the octagon.
Despite its cost, White will likely be extremely proud of the success of the event, although it may not return in the near future.
The promotion hold a current contract with the MGM Grand [T-Mobile Arena] so are likely to return there to host events for the time being.
The Sphere was able to produce groundbreaking and immersive visuals for fansGetty
Dvalishvili stunned O’Malley in front of the incredible backdropGetty
Despite the breathtaking visuals surrounding the event, the headline acts failed to capture the imagination.
Sean O’Malley was dethroned as champion by Merab Dvalishivili, who put on an efficient performance to win by unanimous decision.
Valentina Shevchenko picked up the UFC flyweight title in her third meeting with Alexia Grasso, snatching the belt on the judge’ scorecards.
White was impressed with the event overall, and said: “Literally, the whole thing seamless.
“It was perfect. We didn’t have a lot of time to rehearse, but the team absolutely nailed it.
“I told you guys leading up to this, the way it played out, tonight was meant to happen.
“We did it, we killed it! I’m literally getting blown up by everybody about this event.
“The other thing we accomplished was it translated well on the television too.
“I felt like it was a different experience then they get on a normal Saturday night.”
