With UFC’s historic one-of-one event at the White House now in the rearview mirror — as well as its iconic Sphere event in Las Vegas — it is only natural to wonder what is next for Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) CEO Dana White and Co.
But everyone is thinking it.
It’s got to be the Roman Colosseum, right?
Well, White has answered the question, and it is going to take someone with a very large checkbook.
“It’s impossible,” White told MMAmania.com during the UFC Vegas 119 post-fight press conference. “Because I was negotiating the deal with Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. That was real. I was literally in my backyard for two weeks negotiating that deal, and they wanted the Colosseum. The Colosseum wanted something like $150 million to do it there, which that money would go into a fund that restores all of the iconic places in Italy. The Colosseum would take Zuckerberg fighting Musk for it to happen because those two were gonna put up the money for the Colosseum.”
Okay, well, what if some multi-millionaire or billionaire like Zuckerberg or Turki Al-Sheikh wants to put up the money?
“Anybody to put up the money for the UFC to fight in the Colosseum, I’m in,” White said.
Unfortunately, until someone wants to light $150 million on fire for the privilege of staging fights inside one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, it does not sound like UFC will be heading to the Roman Colosseum anytime soon.
The last recorded gladiatorial games at the historic venue are believed to have taken place in the early fifth century, around 404 A.D., so yeah, UFC would be just a little late to the party.
Then again, after the White House and Sphere, never say never.
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