A YouTuber went to UFC 306: Noche at the Las Vegas Sphere to find out if it was worth the money or not.
With over 3.3 million subscribers, YouTuber Troydan didn’t just have any ticket, though.
UFC 306 was the first sports event in the Las Vegas SphereUFC
He spent a whopping $67,956 on a VIP experience that included a floor ticket, just three rows back from the famous octagon.
The VIP package also included weigh-in meet and greets, reserved seating at ceremonial weigh-ins, access to the post weigh-in reception with UFC athlete appearances, a dedicated VIP entrance, a post-fight octagon experience, and in-venue hospitality with UFC athletes.
But before all of that, Troydan received a welcome kit at the hotel he was staying in. The welcome kit included a gift bag and cap, as well as a custom UFC sweater, fighter shirt, and UFC shorts, all with his name on them.
The experience properly started at the weigh-ins where Troydan was allowed backstage. He stood right behind UFC President Dana White as the fighters faced-off for one last time.
The YouTuber also had a brief meet and greet with White, who posed for a photo with him and gave him a fist bump.
He then went to the post weigh-in reception which various UFC athletes attended.
Troydan got to rub shoulders with lightweight contenders Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler, and undefeated bantamweight Umar Nurmagomedov. He also managed to get a photo with current welterweight champion Belal Muhammad.
Ahead of the event, he received unlimited food and drinks, which like the event itself, were Mexican themed. He also got access to the VIP areas where had musician Chris Brown and NBA star Jamal Murray in attendance amongst a galaxy of stars
Troydan eventually made his way to his seats, which he admitted were a little disappointing and that there were “way better seats at much lower prices.”
He also said the technology inside the futuristic $2 billion arena was underwhelming at first — as it was mostly used for ads – but that changed as the night went on.
The YouTube was on stage for the final weigh insYouTube@Troydan
He had a meet and greet with UFC CEO Dana WhiteYouTube@Troydan
The streamer went to a post weigh-in reception attended by Gaethje, Nurmagomedov, and MuhammadYouTube@Troydan
The new welterweight champ posed for a photo with himYouTube@Troydan
The UFC upped the visual effects closer to the main fight card which Troydan says was when “things really started to get cool.”
The fights also started to ramp up, starting with the “worst cut he’d ever seen in the UFC“, and ending with Merab Dvalishvili defeating Sean O’Malley via unanimous decision in the main event to be crowned the new 135 lbs king.
Troydan then waited around for 20 minutes for the crowd to filter out before getting inside the octagon.
Part of the VIP package included getting his name printed on the octagon floor, and he stopped to take a photo of it.
That was pretty much the end of what he called “the greatest sports event in history”. The vlog finished with him getting back to his hotel around 2am.
He admitted his floor seat did not have the best view of the cageYouTube@Troydan
Part of the VIP package included getting his name printed on the cage floorYouTube@Troydan
He posed for a photo in the center of the octagonYouTube@Troydan
The UFC 306 Sphere card went down a storm with fans and broke multiple records.
It become the highest-grossing UFC event, as well as the highest-grossing show at The Sphere, and also set a record for the most merchandise ever sold during a live UFC event.
Many believed a return to the high-tech dome sometime in the near future was the next logical step for the UFC.
However, White poured cold water on that idea due to contractual obligations.
“No, I’m under contract with MGM,” White told reporters at the UFC 306 post-fight press conference when asked about an imminent return to The Sphere.
“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.”
MGM also operates the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, where UFC hosts the majority of its Sin City events. However, White somehow managed to negotiate a one-off at The Sphere, although it didn’t sit too well with one person at MGM.
“When I say MGM, it’s the guys who run [T-Mobile Arena] who have been literally disrespecting us since day one of the relationship,” White continued.
“So, now Bill Hornbuckle — the guy who runs MGM — had to get in the middle of this thing and try to fix it. That’s how I ended up at the Sphere. It’s a one and done. We’ll be back with MGM, and hopefully Bill can figure this thing out between us and the f****** guys that run the arena.
“I just think that the guy who runs the the arena has been a complete douchebag to us for 23 years,” White added. “That’s what I think.”