'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Dana White recently provided an inside look at what they have planned for Noche UFC at The Sphere on Sep. 14. Elsewhere, Israel Adesanya got into a street altercation with a man in New Zealand.
Sportskeeda MMA returns with today's top combat sports updates. Read on to find out more.
"I didn’t give a shit what the budget was" - Dana White on Noche UFC plans at The Sphere
UFC 306 was not supposed to take place at The Sphere in Las Vegas. But fate intervened as the promotion got into a spat with their long-term venue collaborator, MGM.
Trending
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
Despite their exclusive deal, T-Mobile Arena was let out for the Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga boxing event on Sep. 14, which landed the UFC in the high-tech, futuristic venue.
Noche UFC will create an immersive experience a million times better than The Sphere's opening act, The U2 residency, and will take fans to a "whole other universe," Dana White told The Hollywood Reporter.
The $20 million endeavor will feature six short films of 90 seconds each set to air between fights celebrating Mexico's heritage, culture, and contribution to combat sports.
The creative effort will be led by the likes of director Glenn Weiss, known for leading multiple Oscars and Emmys productions, and Carlos Lopez Estrada of Raya and the Last Dragon and Blindspotting fame.
UFC's chief content officer Craig Borsari chimed in on the matter:
"Those films then transition into what we’re calling these worlds, which is like these environments that take up the entire LED screen, that then the fights sit within. So there’s what we call a film and a world and an act. So there’s these acts that take you through the entire night, and we tell the story within those acts."
Despite the ambitious nature of the project, for now, it is "a one-and-done" scenario for UFC at The Sphere. They will have to go back to T-Mobile Arena to honor their contract but White promised to experiment with any new technology that pops up in the world of live sporting event hosting.
Israel Adesanya filing police report after street altercation goes viral
A video of Israel Adesanya surfaced on Friday in which he is filmed arguing with an unidentified individual. He's seen attempting to get into his car after telling the man to "walk away." The UFC star eventually spits at the man and says, "I will pay for you to fight me."
Take a look at the video below:
After the video went viral, Adesanya said in a statement to The New Zealand Herald:
"I am extremely disappointed after an incident on Wednesday when a random member of the public stopped his car, racially abused me, and challenged me to a fight. We have been in contact with [the] police and will be pressing charges."
Adesanya was leaving a cafe on Auckland's K' Road after training when the incident took place. He added that he tried to de-escalate the situation repeatedly in vain and requested bystanders to call the police as the man approached him "aggressively" while continuing to abuse.
"He then entered my personal space, and I felt threatened. To protect myself, I became more forceful in my language and defensive. Though he paused, the abuse continued, so I left him with some choice words, cautiously moved to my car, and drove away."
Read the full report here.
Real reason behind Khabib Nurmagomedov's black eye
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Usman Nurmagomedov shared the truth behind the photo of a black eye that Khabib Nurmagomedov posted a few days ago:
"It [happened] when he grappled with Islam Mamedov. I don't know how [it happened]. That day I was resting because Khabib pushed me all week and he said, 'Today you rest.' When he came, I said, 'Hey, what happened with your eye?' He's like Islam Mamedov gave me [the black eye] when they were grappling."
Khabib has been helping Usman train for his upcoming Bellator Champions Series: San Diego title fight against Alexander Shabliy. 'The Eagle' will be present in his corner as well during the fight.
