LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - AUGUST 20: A general view of the Octagon during Dana White's Contender Series season three week nine at the UFC Apex on August 20, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/DWCS LLC/Zuffa LLC)
UFC APEX Events Aren’t Going Away
The UFC opened the APEX in June 2019. It was to hold Contender Series events and improve “the future of fighting” according to UFC President, Dana White when he addressed the media when officially began use of the facility. It is in the UFC’s backyard, in Las Vegas, and it obviously saves the UFC a lot of money to hold events there.
When it first opened, the UFC APEX seemed to be a tool to expand UFC Fight Pass, which it still has but 9 months later a global pandemic halted sports, when trying to move forward protocols were put out, and “fight bubbles” were needed for combat sports. The APEX fit the bill by coincidence, not because of the pandemic and people seem to forget that.
Most recently, UFC Fight Night: Holm vs Bueno Silva was held there, and leading into the event, fans made their feelings known that they don’t understand why APEX events are still happening with the world opening up again. The answer is in the opening paragraph of this piece, it saves the UFC a lot of money.
Back in 2019, White said, “I can do any style of fighting in here. I can switch this place out every three hours and do a different fight we have our own network (UFC Fight Pass) now which is global, we have our own facility now where we can do any style of fighting. We’re getting into all these different businesses. I’ll put kickboxing, jujitsu, boxing, MMA events all will come out of here.”
Slap fighting was not on the table then, but those events were already held there and like the APEX, it looks like that will continue as well. It’s all very good for the UFC, but the flip side is the fighters and fans. Is it good for them?
The most recent card, Holm vs Silva Bueno, was being trashed all week by fans leading up to the event because of being held there and the card, but in all honesty, that card wasn’t bad. There were some great finishes and upsets on the card. Would it have been better at a legit venue packed with fans that is not the APEX? Absolutely.
Kevin Lee (19-8) recently fought at the APEX. Before he fought, he told the media, “I’m not gonna lie, I wish it was in front of more fans. I don’t know how many people are going to be at the APEX but it’s kind of stupid I don’t know what we’re doing, you know what I mean?
“The pandemic is over. I don’t know if people got the message, or you know if they sent out the telegram but the pandemic is over. I don’t know what we’re still doing here. I get that there’s money to be had but it’s kind of stupid. It’s a different energy when it’s thousands and thousands of people screaming. It’s a different level of feeling.”
Lee lost that fight by submission and announced his retirement after.
One thing Lee pointed out again was, “There is money to be had.” If you think there isn’t, remember that time Mark Zuckerberg was able to rent out the place for himself and his friends? Lee even acknowledged that when he gave his opinion on the APEX saying, “I’m gonna go out there on Saturday in front of the two or 300 Rich ass [expletive ] that want to see me bleed.”
That’s the sticking point. Fans still want to see the fights. For everyone that trashed the Holm/ Bueno Silva card, they all still tuned in and everyone watched. Memes went up, fighters got boos and praise, but everyone still watched this card that was supposed to be horrible going into the weekend. So as long as the hashtag “UFCVegas__” keeps trending when they’re there it won’t be going anywhere.
