UFC exec explains why the promotion doesn’t run many stadium shows: “They’re tough”

A UFC executive has detailed why the company limits its stadium events.

The UFC has held stadium shows in the past. Perhaps the most memorable one was UFC 193 back in 2015. The event closed with the head kick heard around the world. Holly Holm knocked Ronda Rousey out in the second round of their UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship fight. On that night, over 56,000 people packed Etihad Stadium, now known as Marvel Stadium.

UFC’s Small Number Of Stadium Events

During a recent UFC London post-fight press conference, promotional executive Dave Shaw answered questions from reporters. When asked about a potential UK stadium show, Dave Shaw explained why running UFC events in massive buildings is a challenge (via MMAJunkie).

“I think (we’ll be) generally sticking to arenas unless there’s special circumstances,” Shaw said. “Stadiums are tough. The six that we’ve had, or whatever the number is, they’re tough. They’re big. They’re not the best viewing experience. But it’s fitting for when the stars align, you’ve got the right fights, the right moment in our calendar, and we can de-risk in terms of weather, we can de-risk in terms of production costs, there’s the availability of some sort of local support, government support – it might make it a bit more manageable. But for us, the sweet spot is an arena with 15,000 people.”

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UFC 243 was the company’s last major stadium show. The event, which took place back in October 2019, featured a middleweight title fight between Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya. “The Last Stylebender” stopped Whittaker via TKO to capture the gold in front of over 57,000 fans at Marvel Stadium.

With the UFC sticking to its format of running shows inside arenas and the UFC Apex, it’ll likely take a big fight in the right location for another stadium event to take place. Time will tell who can fit that bill.