UFC 306, a highly anticipated fight card themed around Mexican Independence Day, is set to make history this Saturday. But it’s not just the fights themselves that are groundbreaking; it’s the venue. Forget traditional arenas – UFC 306 will be hosted inside the Las Vegas Sphere, a cutting-edge venue that’s more than just a building; it’s a revolution in entertainment.
While the Sphere has already wowed audiences with concerts and immersive movie experiences, and even hosted the NHL Draft in June, UFC 306 marks its debut as a live sports competition site. This leap into live sports has presented unique challenges and pushed the boundaries of event production, as UFC Chief Content Officer Craig Borsari explained, with costs exceeding $20 million – a testament to the ambition and scale of this event.
Borsari emphasized the extensive preparation involved in transforming the Sphere for “Noche UFC,” particularly the creation of custom content for the venue’s defining feature: a massive 160,000-square-foot, 16K x 16K resolution interior LED screen. This screen is not just a backdrop; it’s a dynamic canvas that will redefine how fans experience MMA.
A centerpiece of this visual spectacle is “For Mexico, For All Time,” a six-part film directed by Carlos López Estrada. This cinematic creation, segmented into 90-second chapters, will play throughout the event, ensuring both live attendees and pay-per-view viewers at home are immersed in the Sphere’s unique environment. To bridge the gap between the venue and home viewers, UFC is employing a TAIT nav camera, strategically placed to capture the full scope of the media plane and provide a sense of being inside the Sphere.
“One of our very early guiding principles for this event was to figure out a way for us to take images from inside the Sphere to the viewer at home in a way where it feels as if they’re watching it inside the venue,” Borsari stated. This innovative camera system aims to deliver on that promise, making viewers feel part of the groundbreaking experience.
During the fights, the media plane will transform into immersive “digital worlds,” enhancing the action with dynamic backdrops and fighter statistics. Beyond the interior screen, the Sphere’s exosphere will also be utilized, showcasing title cards and live drone footage of fighter arrivals and locker room scenes, seamlessly integrated into the broadcast.
However, integrating UFC into the Sphere’s technological marvel wasn’t without hurdles. The standard UFC production infrastructure, particularly lighting and microphone systems, had to be completely reimagined. Traditionally, UFC relies on a large lighting truss positioned above the Octagon. But in the Sphere, this was impractical due to the need to preserve the seamless LED screen.
The solution? A “blow-through” lighting network. Eighty light fixtures, positioned between the exosphere and the interior screen, project light through the screen’s perforations. “Roughly 50% of the light is being blocked by the LED grid, and then 50% is passing through,” Borsari explained, highlighting the complex calculations and engineering required to achieve optimal lighting while working with the Sphere’s unique architecture.
Microphones and cameras also required innovative placement. Instead of an overhead truss, 32 directional microphones are placed throughout the seating area to capture the sounds of the Octagon. An overhead robotic camera is cleverly hidden behind an LED panel, which opens during fights to provide a clear view and closes afterwards to maintain the immersive screen.
Further enhancing the fan experience, attendees can access live English or Spanish commentary via the LiveVoice app. The Sphere’s audio system also incorporates haptic technology in the seats, powered by “thump” microphones under the Octagon. This allows for synchronized haptic feedback during dramatic moments like slams and knockouts, adding a physical dimension to the viewing experience.
The sheer scale of UFC 306 at the Sphere is immense. Nearly 200 staff are on-site for the event, a significant increase from the usual 120 for a typical UFC fight night. In total, approximately 500 people have contributed to the production. This includes not only the standard A and B unit trucks for fight coverage – facilitating UFC’s first-ever 1080p broadcast on ESPN – but also two additional production trucks dedicated solely to managing the in-Sphere content.
“I’ve been [at UFC] for 20 years, and there’s nothing that comes even close to this event in terms of how ambitious our approach and goals are,” Borsari concluded. UFC 306 at the Las Vegas Sphere is not just a fight night; it’s a bold step into the future of sports entertainment, leveraging cutting-edge technology to create an unparalleled experience for fans both in the venue and watching from home. The question of “Where Is Ufc 306?” is answered emphatically: it’s at the forefront of innovation, inside the revolutionary Las Vegas Sphere.
