LAS VEGAS – UFC CEO Dana White is adamant that boxing would only ruin the experience at Sphere.
After seeing footage of U2 live performances at Sphere in “Sin City,” White became obsessed with putting on a UFC show at the new MSG-owned venue. White is targeting Mexican Independence Day to host an event next year and wants to be the first combat sports promoter to break into Sphere. Golden Boy Promotions’ Oscar De La Hoya has pitched the idea of co-promoting to the likes Bob Arum and Eddie Hearn for a potential Super Bowl weekend event at Sphere this coming February, but White scoffed at the idea.
“These boxing guys are calling them up going, ‘Oh, we want to do a fight over there.’ Those f*cking guys,” White said at the DWCS 66 post-event news conference. “They’re not going to spend the money to put a f*cking show on there. Those guys can’t even do f*cking replays for Christ’s sake.
“They think they’re going to f*cking put on an event at the Sphere? The Sphere is a whole other level and basically, in my opinion, I don’t run the Sphere and it’s not my company, but it’s so good that for the first at least year, they should do nothing but incredible experiences.”
It’s no secret how White feels about the boxing business model and specifically Showtime Boxing. White argues that boxing doesn’t have the money to hold an event of that magnitude at Sphere.
“I will put on the greatest live combat sports event anybody has ever seen at the Sphere in September for Mexican Independence Day,” White said. “I f*cking guarantee it. I’m so in on this it’s not even funny. If the Sphere is smart, they don’t let anybody go in there until we go in there to do a live event. The first live transmission from there should be us, and that’s why I’m saying September.
“Obviously because I want it for Independence Day, but it’ll take that long for us to really work this thing out and figure it out. Plus, you know I will spend the money to make it right. Boxing is going to f*ck around with them on the tickets. They don’t have the money to do it. None of those bums got the money to do it. I’ll do it.”
