The Ultimate Fighting Championship mixed martial arts series has signed a multi-year hosting rights agreement with Las Vegas’s T-Mobile Arena.
UFC’s partnership with the US arena, which staged the UFC 209 event on Saturday, is said to be the first time that a global sports brand that is not a professional franchise has been named as an anchor tenant for a sports and entertainment venue.
T-Mobile Arena opened on April 6, 2016 and has already hosted three of UFC’s most successful events including UFC 200: Tate vs. Nunes, UFC 202: Diaz vs. McGregor 2 and UFC 207: Nunes vs. Rousey.
Under the agreement, UFC will stage a minimum of four events each year at the arena. UFC will have priority scheduling for designated major events windows, such as International Fight Week, and will have a presence at T-Mobile Arena, headlining the welcome sign in the lobby alongside newly-formed NHL ice hockey team the Vegas Golden Knights.
UFC will also benefit from concourse activations, signage and retail space at the 20,000-capacity facility.
Todd Goldstein, chief revenue officer for AEG, which owns the arena along with MGM Resorts International, said: “From day one, AEG and MGM Resorts have been committed to developing a showplace for the very best in concerts, championship sporting events, awards shows and special events that would be unrivalled not only in Las Vegas but in our industries.
“There is no doubt that UFC is synonymous with the biggest and best events today that attract unprecedented international audiences on platforms of all kinds. T-Mobile Arena is truly a one-of-a-kind, world class arena that will create the most outstanding stage and atmosphere worthy of the incredible events of all kinds UFC and WME-IMG will bring to our venue and most importantly, our fans.”
