Hot on the heels of the news that the UFC is preparing to hold a stacked event on May 9th, it’s also emerged that the promotion is looking to host shows in their own facility in Las Vegas.
“We built the APEX facility next door just in time to save the day from this pandemic,” White told Variety. “Live fights will be produced out of there starting next month and for the foreseeable future.”
The UFC had previously targeted APEX as a landing spot for events when the pandemic first became a major issue, but then Las Vegas issued a ban on sporting events along with other measures that made it impossible for the UFC to proceed there for the time being.
However, White told Variety that he expects some of those restrictions to be lifted next month, which would give the green light for the UFC to start cranking out events behind closed doors in their own home city.
White also responded to speculation that the UFC’s overlords, Endeavor, are struggling to see a return on their investment in the promotion as things stand.
“Let’s not forget all the negativity about Endeavor when they bought UFC,” White told Variety. “Media said Endeavor overpaid; that I made so much money on the sale that I won’t care or be focused; that we can’t get a TV deal; etc. But the truth is since Endeavor acquired UFC, we’ve seen growth in every area. In 2019, we had the best year in the history of UFC. Sponsorship, Licensing, consumer products, and media revenues hit all-time highs. The ESPN deal doesn’t even happen without Endeavor.”
“…The whole business has been on a killer run since these guys got involved. Don’t ever bet against Endeavor.”
