Noche UFC is being billed as the greatest live sporting experience by Dana White. But if ticket prices are any indication, UFC 306 is becoming an event struggling to get fans to attend.
As of the time of this writing, attending the Las Vegas Sphere to see Noche UFC will cost anywhere from $757 to $10,007 on Ticketmaster. While those may be high numbers for the average numbered pay-per-view event, it’s important to note that the high end represents a resell in a VIP section while the low end is a significant drop off from the original $3,000 ticket price.
The Sphere, a $2.3 billion arena that seats 18,600 and boasts nearly 600,000 sq ft of LED screens, will play host to the Octagon as Sean O’Malley defends his bantamweight title against Merab Dvalishvili.
According to White the technological capabilities of the venue will be put to full use, accounting for the $20 million production cost. While addressing the media following last night’s Contender Series, the UFC CEO said that he was “extremely confident” that the “badass” finished product would live up to the lofty expectations he has set.
Noche UFC Spars with Canelo for Las Vegas Crown
Of course, for fans to enjoy the event, they must first enter the building. One big obstacle standing in the way is a short drive away at the T-Mobile Arena. That’s where pound-for-pound boxing great Canelo Alvarez is scheduled to face Edgar Berlanga in the main event of a stacked fight card.
By comparison, tickets to see Alvarez that evening start at $405 in the nosebleeds and cap at $3,999 ringside. One of the biggest stars in sports competing at a lower price for the average fan just two miles away is unlikely to help the UFC fulfill its goal of a sell-out crowd.
Both events are intended to pay tribute to Mexican Independence Day. The UFC began its Noche branding last year when Mexican-born Alexa Grasso defended her flyweight title in a rematch against Valentina Shevchenko. Alvarez has traditionally fought during that weekend for well over a decade.
