Dana White is ambitiously attempting to revolutionize live combat sports by hosting UFC 306 at the technologically advanced Sphere in Las Vegas, aiming to create an unprecedented experience for both the live audience and viewers at home, despite the significant logistical challenges and high expectations.
Dana White was so preoccupied with whether or not he could produce a UFC show at Sphere that he didn’t stop to think if he should.
That’s not an actual quote from anybody talking about the UFC CEO — it’s a line borrowed from the classic film *Jurassic Park*. But the idea behind it remains the same as the MMA promotion seeks to put on “the greatest live combat sports show anybody has ever seen” for UFC 306 at Sphere in Las Vegas on Saturday.
The $2.3 billion arena features a 16K resolution wrap-around LED screen inside and 580,000 square feet of LED display outside. Originally built for concerts, films, and special events, it wasn’t designed for sports. White vowed to change all that after attending a U2 concert there alongside NFL legend Tom Brady.
White challenged his production team to incorporate Sphere’s unique visuals for the live audience and translate that experience to fans at home. The UFC hired specialists, including 14-time Emmy winner Glenn Weiss, who produces live award shows like the Oscars. They even brought in members of the team behind Taylor Swift’s massive Eras tour.
Over $20 million later, the UFC finally unveils its version of Sphere on Saturday night.
“You go in these arenas, they’re made for sports,” said Glenn Jacobs, ESPN’s vice president of production for MMA. “Yeah, the Super Bowl gets played in different [stadiums], but they’re football stadiums.”
“This would be like saying ‘Do the Super Bowl on the Moon.’ Go figure that out. That’s essentially what this is.”
A 32-year veteran at ESPN, Jacobs has seen just about every major sporting event ever produced. Even he was gobsmacked at the idea of taking a card to Sphere. The layout inside didn’t lend itself to a live sporting event, creating new obstacles for the production team leading into the Sept. 14 event.
“It’s almost hard to describe,” Jacobs said. “It’s so different. This is not apples and oranges. These things are completely different.”
“Think about when you go to a UFC event: there’s a big overhang over the octagon where the lights are; there are monitors — but where do your lights hang? What Craig [Borsari, UFC head of production] and his team are doing is so remarkably ambitious that it’s hard to even describe to you.”
Because UFC 306 serves both as a pay-per-view and a love letter to combat sports in Mexico, the show goes beyond typical broadcasts and what fans see in the arena.
As previously revealed, six films will air between each fight on the main card, telling the history of combat sports in Mexico. Each film is only approximately 90 seconds long but together forms a puzzle that tells the whole story.
There will also be much different visuals during fights because Sphere serves as a huge backdrop to the action happening in the octagon. Unlike typical UFC pay-per-view cards where the octagon takes center stage, the venue itself will get plenty of attention.
UFC 306 promises a much different experience, but figuring out how it would all come together fell on UFC’s production team along with ESPN to ensure both live and televised experiences work hand in hand.
“This is why Dana is so brilliant,” Jacobs said about the UFC CEO. “Dana set the bar super high.”
“Everyone involved from UFC’s side and ours — Craig Borsari has lived this for months. He built this creative team of Avengers; people who worked on Taylor Swift’s tour are working on this event.”
Jacobs admitted that figuring out how this entire show comes across to home audiences was possibly the most daunting task. It’s one thing to pull off an awe-inspiring live show; how does that work for those watching at home?
“What you’re getting at remains one of the single biggest challenges in this,” Jacobs said. “Because you are essentially serving two different audiences.”
“There’s the audience in Sphere looking around with heads on swivels — it’s truly overwhelming how cool it is.”
“What about fans at home experiencing it through their screens? I cannot say enough about Craig and Zach Candito’s work — this event would be hard enough if they did nothing else for six months.”
“Instead they’ve done major pay-per-views from Australia, Abu Dhabi, Fight Nights almost every week, *Contender Series* kicked off during this window.”
“But they’re still trying to pull this off.”
The UFC raising the bar with Sphere required ESPN to follow suit as their broadcast partner. While ESPN constantly advertises upcoming UFC shows, particularly pay-per-views, this Las Vegas card was different.
White has hyped this show so much that anything less than spectacular would be disappointing. That mindset drove ESPN executives when planning for UFC 306.
“We’ve challenged ourselves,” Matt Kenny, ESPN Vice President of Programming and Acquisitions told MMA Fighting.
“We know how much effort UFC put into it.”
“Fans are smart; they know when there’s genuine interest. Clearly that’s the case here.”
“The beauty of this event is its crossover appeal because of Sphere and its storyline.”
It’s rare when an arena gets as much attention as fights themselves, but that’s happening with UFC 306 at Sphere.
Jacobs believes that curiosity factor will draw an even bigger audience than typical UFC pay-per-views and perhaps match interest levels seen with superstars like Conor McGregor.
“Sphere is essentially a character here,” Jacobs said. “In some ways, Sphere *is* the character.”
From opening fight through main event, UFC 306 has many promises to deliver on. Can it live up to expectations?
“Dana aims for ‘oh shit’ moments,” Kenny said. “Leading up to, through, and after the event.”