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Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down most of the world in 2020, the UFC has tended to produce most of its Fight Night shows at its Las Vegas APEX center. However, could that be about to change?
Could 2023 be the year that the UFC takes its smaller Fight Night shows on the road again, breaking away from their Las Vegas base? It’s definitely a question that the promotion ought to be debating. There are plenty of pluses to remaining at the APEX for the most part, but there could also be some benefits from moving around again, too.
Here are five reasons why the UFC should take its Fight Nights on the road again in 2023.
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#5. COVID-19 should no longer be an issue for the UFC
Prior to 2020, the UFC tended to move its Fight Night shows all over the place, from breaking into smaller states in the US to taking them to new countries entirely.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic put an end to that. Many countries closed their doors to sports promotions entirely, and with movement largely impossible in those months, it became commonplace for the UFC to stay at the Las Vegas APEX.
Nearly three years down the line, though, the threat of COVID-19 appears to have passed. Very few places have any restrictions in place at this stage, and unsurprisingly, the octagon has now begun to travel around again for pay-per-view events.
With that in mind, Dana White and company ought to take the show on the road again for Fight Night events, too. The reason they stopped doing this has now passed, so why not get back to business as usual?
#4. There are still a number of US markets for the UFC to break into
It doesn’t seem too long ago that the UFC was only just beginning to break into US states such as California and Minnesota. At this stage, the promotion has taken events to most of the country.
However, there are still a number of markets that the octagon has not visited, or has not been back to for a lengthy period of time. Some of these markets are definitely smaller ones, with states like Delaware and Alaska still waiting for their first event.
However, the octagon has still not visited Hawaii – home to one of the promotion’s top stars in Max Holloway – and it’s also been a long time since they visited big cities like Detroit and Washington DC.
Those big cities might be more suited to pay-per-view events, but there’d be nothing wrong with Fight Night shows taking place in smaller states – all of whom tend to be home to at least one or two notable fighters.
After all, 2016 saw the promotion visit one of the sparsest states in the entire US in South Dakota. The show, which featured Tony Ferguson, was well-received. There’s no reason that the same thing can’t happen in 2023.
#3. There are plenty of new markets for the UFC to break into outside of the US
While there aren’t too many new markets for the UFC to take their Fight Night events to in the US, that isn’t the case in other countries.
Not only are there plenty of other countries that the promotion hasn’t visited yet, but there are also plenty of big cities – particularly in Brazil – that would be perfect to host a Fight Night event in 2023.
Cities such as Manaus, Salvador and Recife are well overdue for a visit from the world’s biggest MMA promotion, with a number of top Brazilian stars like Alex Pereira and Deiveson Figueiredo shining right now.
The octagon also hasn’t visited Canada since 2019, while the dream of an African UFC event also remains viable, particularly with fighters like Francis Ngannou and Kamaru Usman in the promotion.
With plenty of European stars on the roster, too, countries like the Czech Republic – home to former light heavyweight kingpin Jiri Prochazka – could also play host to events.
The promotion once moved their Fight Night series all around the globe, so there’s no reason they shouldn’t return to that habit in 2023, rather than staying in Las Vegas.
#2. The UFC would be guaranteed hot crowds if they move around more often again
One of the best-received UFC events of 2022 was the Fight Night event in March that saw the promotion visit London, England.
It was the first time that the promotion had visited the UK since the COVID-19 pandemic, with its last show there taking place in March 2019.
Sure, it helped matters that the card turned out to be a fantastic one, with wild action taking place in almost every fight, but the main reason the event was so memorable was the incredibly hot crowd.
The likes of Paddy Pimblett, Tom Aspinall and Molly McCann, who weren’t that well-known prior to the event, were elevated to stardom by the way the crowd treated them.
With that considered, the same thing could happen to other fighters if the promotion moved their Fight Nights away from Las Vegas in 2023.
Obviously it’s easier and more convenient for the promotion to stay at its APEX, but the fact is that the minimal crowd there makes for a muted atmosphere.
As everyone knows, MMA is a sport that benefits hugely from crowd reactions, and taking Fight Night shows on the road again would be a way for the UFC to guarantee that.
#1. The UFC could make plenty of money in ticket sales for their Fight Night shows
The main reason for the UFC keeping the majority of its Fight Night shows at the Las Vegas APEX is the fact that it doesn’t cost as much to produce an event there.
Because the APEX is part of the promotion’s own facility, it doesn't need to add in the costing of renting a venue, as well as other things like moving personnel and equipment across states or countries.
However, the drawback to this is that not many fans can attend the events, meaning that the promotion doesn’t make much money from ticket sales, if any at all.
Prior to COVID-19, which forced the promotion’s hand, moving smaller Fight Night shows to the APEX may well have made sense. After all, at that time, shows felt watered down and there was a feeling of less interest in the promotion and its lesser-known fighters.
Now, though, it’s been nearly three years since some fans have had the chance to see any octagon action live and in person.
Therefore, while it’s true that fighters who’ve headlined recent Fight Nights like Sean Strickland and Cory Sandhagen aren’t big stars, they also aren’t unknowns by any means.
Would fans in areas that haven’t had a chance to see any live fights in years be willing to pay to watch them? Absolutely.
If the promotion were to take Fight Night series on the road in 2023, then, the likelihood would be that they’d sell out every arena they headed to – making it well worth it for them to do so.
