UFC 306 smashes record set by Conor McGregor before a single punch is thrown
Dana White claims UFC 306 has already broken a long-standing record.
On Saturday night, the MMA mogul will put on an epic 10-fight card as he brings combat sports to the futuristic £2billion Las Vegas Sphere for the first time.
White has spent more than £15million on the event, which is the most expensive card ever, but he’s already earned all that money back through ticket sales.
On Tuesday, the 55-year-old revealed that UFC 306 had set a new gate record after ticket sales earned the company $23 million.
That numbers dwarfs the previous best UFC gate. Conor McGregor brought $17.7 million in ticket sales when he became the first-ever dual-weight champion at UFC 205 in 2016.
Naturally, White is delighted with how well UFC 306 has done so far.
“You know me, I love to break records,” he said on Tuesday evening.
“This is going to be the biggest gate we’ve ever done in the history of the company, and the most pre-buys on PPV ever too.
“People have been buying the event the week before the event.”
White has high hopes for what will happen after punches start flying.
The UFC CEO thinks UFC 306 could end up claiming several prestigious entertainment awards.
White added: “My goal with this thing is to be nominated for an Oscar, an Emmy, and a Grammy.”
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TOP 10 BIGGEST UFC GATES
“So yes, there will be a documentary.”
UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley will top the card in an eagerly anticipated scrap with Merab Dvalishvili, who is riding a 10-fight winning streak.
In the co-main event, flyweight foes Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko will complete their trilogy of title fights.
Ultimately, it’s the venue that is the biggest star ahead of UFC 306.
White has promised several short movies will play in between the fights and help his latest fight card become the ‘the greatest live combat sports event anybody has ever seen’.
The massive ticket sales suggest fans have bought into the idea.
We are now only a day away from finding out if White will deliver the truly legendary event he has promised.