A long time has passed since the UFC calendar has remained devoid of events at the UFC Apex. However, head honcho and taskmaster Dana White indicated that a change would happen soon enough. After quite a raucous UFC on ESPN 56 event, White divulged record night gates in St. Louis. According to Dana White, the event touched a whopping $2,470,197 gate, a UFC Fight Night record! That only bolsters his resolve to hit the road further.
UFC Apex events began in 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic to hold cheaper shows in Las Vegas. And meet government protocols. While a temporary in-house shift, it hosted 29 events in 2020, 42 in 2021, 29 in 2022, and 27 in 2023. As of August 2024, there would be seven numbered cards & 8 in the uncrowded UFC Apex. White has long sustained his desire to move away from the in-house shows.
Even if you were watching on ESPN, I’m sure you guys were getting texts too, like, ‘Jesus Christ, it’s like a pay-per-view there right now, …When we first got into the fight business, everybody just went to Vegas, Atlantic City…sometimes L.A… As we start to get our sh*t together, I’ll call it, and start to move out and go out to these different cities like we used to…We’ve got to get out of the Apex and start doing more events in all these different cities.
Dana White at the UFC on ESPN 56 post-fight press coference
This week, at TKO Group’s Financial press call, Mark Shapiro alluded that the Fertitta brothers & Dana White connected to people by being on the road. Hence, Shapiro mentioned the UFC would put on shows in different locales. The regulation and model change comes in light of TKO Group Holdings suffering a Q1 net loss of $249.5 million. However, it did help out with $335 million in settlement debt.
Dana says that the UFC is getting rid of UFC Apex events this year#UFCStLouis
— Jason Hagholm (@JHagholm1) May 12, 2024
White indicated that this will be the year that the promotion banks on its roadshows. It couldn’t have come any sooner with Shapiro & TKO Chief Financial Officer Andrew Schleimer urging an interest in selling out arenas on the road. Apex has also become a magnet for controversial sparring stints. The matter has accordingly resulted in a plethora of fan responses.
Fight fans react to the notion of uncrowded shows ending at UFC Apex
UFC Apex provided the lowest cost structure for holding shows during the global pandemic, thus helping UFC stay afloat. But rather than a one-time thing, it went on. Out of the ones held so far in 2024, UFC has split evenly, with seven cards being held at large crowded arenas. While seven others happened at Apex. After UFC on ESPN 56, the eighth one is underway.
Fans react to the matter (Source: Instagram)Dana White prompted the time to go out on the road again. Here’s how fans reacted to the pointers White said at the UFC on ESPN 56 post-fight event:
Please come to Portland Oregon @danawhite we had a fight card scheduled but then Covid got it cancelled… we deserve to have one
— Gilly Goose Gang Fan Club 🤴 💎 (@Poirier155) May 12, 2024
Hell yeah come to Seattle
— aybo 💤🌎 (@400aybo) May 12, 2024
Miracles do happen
— Michael Silver (@BigEastSilver) May 12, 2024
I’ll believe it when I see it
— jupiter (@5FromTheSun) May 12, 2024
The matter has consequently garnered responses from prime MMA coverage pages and journos. Shakiel Mahjouri, the famed Combat Sports and pro wrestling journo for CBSSports, pitched in with a “Hallelujah.” Sites like Full Violence MMA have also commented similarly.
Concurrently, a prime fan reaction (@cardiomcgregor) noted – “The world is healing.” Many have resonated on the matter similarly. Both fans and pundits think it’s high time to move to other crowded arenas with more demands. All in all, the matter has instigated some much-needed change in the positive gradient.
