Dana White wasn’t kidding when he teased that UFC was breaking the bank to produce the first ever live sporting event at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
The UFC CEO disclosed recently that the promotion has already spent at least $17 million on production for UFC 306 — also known as Noche UFC — at the Sphere, which takes place on Sept. 14. While total cost for the event hasn’t been revealed, TKO Group Holdings chief financial officer Andrew Schleimer stated on Thursday that costs are even higher than the company expected.
That being said, Schleimer believes UFC 306, which is headlined by bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley defending his title against Merab Dvalishvili, could also end up as potentially the most successful event in history in regards to ticket sales.
“Look, we’re bullish,” Schleimer said of the event. “We’ve talked obviously about this being a cultural event and Dana has publicly stated how much more [invested UFC …