LAS VEGAS (CelebrityAccess) — The Sphere in Las Vegas will host its first sporting event on Saturday as the mixed martial arts promotion UFC hosts its 306th event at the already iconic arena.
The event, branded as Riyadh Season Noche UFC as part of UFC’s first experiment with title sponsorship through a partnership with Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, will feature bantamweights Sean O’Malley taking on Merab Dvalishvili as the main event.
The show is likely to be the most expensive in UFC’s history with the organization’s executive vice president and chief content officer Craig Borsari in a recent interview with Shakiel Mahjouri, putting the cost at an estimated $8 million.
The fight card also includes a UFC Women’s Flyweight Championship trilogy bout between current champion Alexa Grasso and former champion Valentina Shevchenko along with a featherweight bout between former UFC Featherweight Championship challenger Brian Ortega and Diego Lopes.
Along with the fights, the event will leverage the Sphere’s technical capabilities and interior LED screens to show short video segments between each fight, highlighting Mexcio’s history, supported by practical effects and costumed octagon girls.
UFC boss Dana White dropped into ESPN’s “First Take” to tout the event, describing it as a “A love letter to the Mexican people and their culture.”
White also conceded that despite the UFC star power lined up for the event, the arena itself is the “the star of the show.”
.@DanaWhite says Noche UFC will be “where sports and entertainment truly come together for the first time ever.” 👀
“The Sphere is the star.” pic.twitter.com/VXDed7kF15
— First Take (@FirstTake) September 9, 2024
