Dana White Under Pressure After $30M Hit on UFC’s Pocket as Fighter Shows Discontent Over UFC Apex

Remember UFC Noche? The Sphere, decked up with almost 16,000 people cheering and hollering as the fighters entered with their walk-out songs in tow. The huge LED screens displayed the history and future of UFC. It was a whole other ballgame. Then switch to a smaller crowd of maybe 1000 people inside the Apex Arena, where you don’t have the deafening cheers of fans nor the glistening lights pumping your adrenaline. But you do have a zoomed-in version of the fight with every detail and sound of a punch resonating through the arena. Which one sounds more entertaining, though?

Well for most of the UFC fighters, it’s definitely not Apex Arena. From Renato Moicano to Angela Hill, many fighters have shown their disdain over the small venue. Recently Dustin Jacoby joined the bandwagon and expressed his lack of excitement on fighting at the Apex for his next bout against Bruno Lopes.

While speaking to MMA Junkie, he did not hold back and showed his disappointment with both the matchup and the venue. He said, “When they first came to this matchup, they didn’t know where it was going to be. They thought it was going to be in Las Vegas, but they didn’t know it would be at the Apex. Of course, I’m where I’m at in my career because I’ve never said no. So when they came with Bruno Lopes, we saw he was 14-1, we saw he was an up-and-coming guy. I didn’t love the matchup.”

‘The Hanyak’ went on to say that he did not like Lopes’ style, but he never said no to any challenges. After reluctantly accepting the matchup, there was another disappointment waiting when he heard that the venue was UFC Apex. The 20-9-1 star said, “Then I found out it was at the Apex, and I was pretty bummed. (But) again, I have to control what I can control and get the job done. To be honest with you, it does sting a little bit. I was on a good run even when I fought (Kennedy) Nzechukwu, a big crowd in Nashville – that was a performance bonus and to hear the crowd go nuts. In Tampa, that knockout was electrifying, one of the best knockouts. It was just a pure home run punch and a home run feel, and the crowd went nuts. The crowd lives for those moments and we as fighters, live for those moments. So it does sting a little bit.”

He was not excited that he would be going from a packed arena to a venue with a limited crowd. Just like Renato Moicano had mentioned on his YouTube channel. “Nobody likes the Apex, my brother,” Moicano had said earlier. “You can ask anybody. The fans hate the Apex. The fighters, I’m pretty sure, don’t like the Apex, too.” Jacoby’s last fight was in Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, with an audience capacity of almost 20k. So naturally, the excitement was more palpable, and he was pumped up for the fight against Vitor Petrino. Jacoby won the bout via KO/TKO in Round 3.

It was a lucrative decision to hold fights at the Apex during COVID-19 due to restrictions, but that was a necessity. Is the same thing relevant right now? Let’s be real—does anyone other than the UFC brass and Joe Rogan like the Apex? If there’s one aspect that gigantic companies love more than development, it’s cost conservation, and The Apex is all about cost savings.. Meanwhile, Dana White has decided to spend more money on Apex despite fighters disliking the venue. The UFC CEO decided to renovate the venue and has some huge plans for it.

Dana White has almost $30 million tied to the UFC Apex

During the UFC 311 post-fight press conference, a reporter asked if the UFC Apex would feature boxing matches after its expansion. This is when Dana White gave a knowing smile and said, “I think you can see a lot of things at the Apex after the expansion. The Apex is gonna be bad— when it’s done. It’s like a $26 to $30 million expansion. So, it’s going to be very nice.”

Let’s not forget that the UFC bossman is a visionary, and he has made UFC one of the biggest promotions essentially from scratch. He also managed to cash on Power Slap just when it was getting traction and is now venturing into Boxing with Turki Alalshikh. So maybe he is going to do something with UFC Apex that might make the fighters fall in love with the venue.

In an interview with TNT Sports, the UFC boss declared, “The Apex is going under construction” and indicated that it will remain closed till mid-2025. He also revealed that there would be more hospitality, bathrooms and bigger seatings. Do you think fighters will appreciate the changes? Drop your comments down below.

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