UFC 319 on the United Middle in Chicago set a brand new file with a dwell gate totaling greater than $11 million for a bought out present that welcomed over 20,000 followers into the sector.
The success of that card already has town clamoring for an additional occasion with hopes of bringing a struggle card again to Chicago in 2026 however the message from possession is evident — if you need the UFC, you’ve obtained to pony up a hefty website payment. That’s based on TKO Group Holdings president and COO Mark Shapiro, who detailed how the corporate is making journey plans transferring ahead into 2026 with 13 pay-per-view degree occasions up for grabs in addition to 30 UFC Battle Evening playing cards per yr.
“UFC is breaking data in every single place they go,” Shapiro mentioned in the course of the Goldman-Sachs Communicopia and Expertise convention. “The final numbered occasion in Chicago was the best grossing occasion within the historical past of the United Middle. Courting again by the Michael Jordan days. The very best grossing occasion they usually’re already on the desk attempting to get one other struggle for subsequent yr. We’re only a couple weeks publish [event].
“We nonetheless have 30 Battle Nights to promote for UFC and they are often smaller but when we’ve obtained a St. Louis up in opposition to a Des Moines, Iowa, if you need us again there and also you’ve bought out and damaged data in each your arenas, it’s important to pay for us to return again or else we’ll take it to a different city. That goes for NXT and Uncooked and Smackdown on the WWE facet.”
Web site charges are funds made by cities, states or native governments to convey excessive profile occasions to a specific place. For example, Saudi Arabia reportedly paid round $20 million to convey a UFC card there for the primary time in 2024.
Shapiro particularly talked about U.S. cities like Atlanta, Charlotte and Detroit all vying to host UFC occasions within the close to future.
The identical goes internationally with the UFC only in the near past visiting Paris whereas persevering with to develop its footprint within the Center East by a partnership with the federal government in Abu Dhabi in addition to a rising relationship with the powers-that-be in Saudi Arabia.
“Even within the Center East the place we’re breaking out of simply the Center East, we’re in conversations proper now with the Saudis and with Abu Dhabi on bringing a UFC Battle Evening to Saudi,” Shapiro revealed. “We’ve performed one earlier than however we’re embarking on bringing a second one there and that must be financially an excellent story for everybody concerned.”
The touring UFC present isn’t slowing down any time quickly and Shapiro made it clear that value actually goes to drive the demand in the case of touchdown a struggle card.
“No scarcity of nations much like F1 that need to see is convey our present to city,” Shapiro mentioned. “We’re going to maximise these alternatives in variety however most vital to me is money. Money kills. That’s the place we’re.”
As additional proof that TKO is all about website charges figuring out the place occasions happen, WWE introduced simply days in the past that for the primary time ever the corporate’s greatest, marquee occasion WrestleMania would occur in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2027. Whereas no monetary figures have been disclosed, it’s secure to imagine Saudi Arabia greater than seemingly broke the financial institution to get the most important WWE occasion of the yr to happen within the Center East.
