Dana White’s $27 million earnings in jeopardy as CEO forced to change Noche UFC Sphere tickets

UFC 306, or “Riyadh Season Noche UFC,” is possibly one of UFC CEO Dana White’s most ambitious projects. In a recent conversation with Kevin Iole, the UFC boss had revealed that he expected a live goal from “25 to 27 million dollars” and that this groundbreaking event is something that “…this has never happened before” through any promotion.

But is it possible that the UFC boss has miscalculated? According to recent reports, tickets for “The Sphere” are not yet sold out. Therefore, the organizer has decided to change the prices for the so-called “cheap seats” to ensure that the second “Noche UFC” event lives up to the enormous expectations. After all, Dana White had already spent around 17 million dollars on the event months before September!

Dana White and UFC are in a tight spot as ticket prices for “Noche UFC Sphere” are drastically reduced

According to a recent post on X shared by “Wrestle Tix,” tickets for UFC 306 are not sold out yet, with 2,929 seats still available. According to Ticketmaster, the most expensive tickets cost a whopping $12,000, while the cheapest seats cost $3,000. The main event will feature a bantamweight title fight between Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili, and there are several high-profile matchups. It’s a worrying trend that the massive event is struggling to attract fans.

So how does the promoter plan to deal with this huge drop in ticket sales? According to a recent post shared by “XcellentMMA” on social media, it was announced that “The price of the cheapest UFC Noche tickets has been reduced from $3,000 to $1,000.”

This is the second time the promotion has honored Mexican Independence Day with a fight card. The first “Noche UFC” took place on September 16. last year and was headlined by a rematch for the women’s flyweight championship between Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko. This time, however, the two are set to co-main event “The Sphere” at UFC 306 as they look to square off in a highly anticipated trilogy fight.

As Riyadh Season Noche UFC prepares to make history, it faces the challenge of matching the hype with the actual viewership. The next few days will be crucial in determining whether the event can overcome its initial difficulties and deliver the unforgettable experience promised by the promoter and Dana White. In fact, in a recent interview, the UFC boss confessed that the promoter originally had other plans for the event that were thwarted due to friction with MGM!

White reveals he went to “The Sphere” because MGM “screwed” him

In the city of bright lights and high stakes, where every move is a calculated gamble, the UFC and Dana White clashed with one of their oldest partners, the T-Mobile Arena. The venue is owned by MGM Resorts International and Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG). Although the UFC has a partnership with MGM, the drama began when White discovered that the date they had secured for “Noche UFC” last year was quietly being used for another event.

An angry UFC boss said during a recent post-DWCS (Dana White Contender Series) press conference: “We were there last year. That was our appointment last year and then they told us the date without asking us or talking to us.” Unable to book the T-Mobile Arena, White brought the UFC to The Sphere, a venue he was unable to use due to his contract with MGM. In his typical style, White shared that “I couldn’t do ‘The Sphere’ because I have a contract with MGM, but because they screwed us over, they let us do it.”

This last-minute postponement has not only thrown the UFC’s plans into disarray, but has also highlighted the tensions behind the scenes at the Riyadh Season Noche UFC. While the UFC looks to fill the seats at The Sphere by changing ticket prices, it remains to be seen whether Dana White’s gamble to put on a historic event will pay off. Do you think UFC 306 at The Sphere can break event attendance records? Will reduced ticket prices help attract more fans to the event? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!