UFC 306 at The Sphere: How Dana White wants to pay tribute to Mexican martial arts legends

When Dana White invests in something, the UFC CEO makes a point to emphasize its importance. Whether it's Jon Jones' pound-for-pound status or the upcoming UFC event at The Sphere, when White is passionate about something, he's unstoppable.

The event on Saturday, September 14, at The Sphere in Las Vegas, called UFC 306 or Noche UFC, is considered a love letter to Mexico and Mexican Independence Day, which takes place two days later, on September 16. UFC 306 will be broadcast in the US on ESPN+. The total cost was over $20 million, and White wants to take the fan experience in and out of the arena to a new level.

White is the first stadium operator to host a live sporting event at The Sphere, which will open in 2023. He believes that this once-in-a-lifetime fighting event (in his own words) will be hard to top for anyone who tries it in the future.

“I'm telling you guys, we literally looked at the storyboards for this thing two days ago – this is going to be the most badass live combat sports event anyone has ever seen and there will never be anything like it again,” White said at a post-fight press conference on MMA Fighting.

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“We've already spent a lot of money on this thing. Nobody is ever going to do it again because nobody would spend the money on it. Nobody is going to spend the money on what I'm doing right now. It's going to be a fucking masterpiece.”

Will the expectations of the event become reality?

UFC 306 features 10 fights, most of them featuring fighters of Mexican descent. In the co-main event, Mexican Alexa Grasso, the UFC flyweight champion, will defend her belt in a three-way match against Valentina Shevchenko. The event also features Irene Aldana, Daniel Zellhuber, former challenger Brian Ortega and the young Raul Rosas Jr., the latter two having family ties to Mexico.

The event will leverage The Sphere’s immersive experience.

Scheduled to open in 2023, the Sphere will cost $2.3 billion to build and will feature 15,000 square feet of LED screens and 4D features that allow fans to be part of the experience. White will use the event – an idea he came up with after attending a concert there – to honor those who paved the way.

Before the fights, highlights of all the top fighters from Mexico in combat sports are shown. White mentioned Julio Cesar Chavez, Salvador Sanchez and even Canelo Alvarez, who fights the same night at the T-Mobile Arena. Canelo defends his status as unified super middleweight champion against Edgar Berlanga in a rivalry fight between Mexico and Puerto Rico.

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“We're going to put on this incredible entertainment event,” White said on First Take via MMA Junkie. “There's going to be a movie that's going to run in the sphere, and that movie is made up of multiple chapters. So before each fight, there's a movie, and you're going to focus on the sphere and the screen, then the fighters come out, and then the fight is the star of the show.”

“When this is over, there will be another film, then a fight. This film I'm talking about and these chapters will tell the story of martial arts in Mexico, the history of the Mexican people, their traditions. It is what I call 'a love letter to Mexico.'”

Those attending UFC 306 in Las Vegas, from the media to the fighters, have praised the concept design. White calls it “the greatest live sporting event ever” and is hoping for an Oscar, an Emmy and a Grammy. That means everything has to go smoothly.

The fighters want to do their best. That's what's expected of them. Expectations are high 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?