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Dana White Vows to Outclass $20 Million+ Noche Event at The Sphere with White House UFC Card

Originally posted on FirstSportz | By Ameetosh Dash | Last updated Jul 16, 2025 11:02 AM ET

From finding no venues to hold his UFC fights to the White House, CEO Dana White has come a long way. It originally started after President Donald Trump officially announced the historic White House UFC event during next year’s Independence Day celebrations. With huge anticipation from loyal fight fans, White has confidently promised to deliver the biggest spectacle ever.

Till now, UFC’s largest event remains Noche UFC, hosted last year inside the revolutionary and iconic Las Vegas Sphere arena. For that groundbreaking event, Dana White reportedly invested twenty million dollars, hiring global experts specializing in production and entertainment. Recently, during the Pat McAfee Show interview, White revealed ambitious plans to elevate the White House event even further.

Obviously, everybody wants to fight on that card. And that’s a good thing – because we’re going to put on the best card we’ve ever done for that White House event. Just think about what I’m going to do for this fight, and then think about what Trump is going to do for this fight. It’s a one of one experience. Like when we did the Sphere, it’s the Sphere on steroids! It’s going to be a one of one event, and nothing like it ever again.
Dana White via Pat McAfee Show

The UFC Sphere event boasted 580,000 square feet of LED screens, creating stunning visuals which was White’s brainchild. Technological advancements included 16K resolution visuals, advanced audio effects, and breathtaking 360-degree fighter introductions never experienced before in mixed martial arts.

The main card featured Sean O’Malley versus Merab Dvalishvili, and co-main event featured Alexa Grasso versus Valentina Shevchenko. The event generated a record-breaking $21million live gate, receiving universal positive fan reactions

Dana White says the White House card will be ‘the Sphere on steroids’

“We’re gonna put on the best card we’ve ever done.”

@PatMcAfeeShow #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/dLKpVdvb62
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) July 15, 2025

The UFC Sphere event proudly secured the prestigious Emmy Award for Outstanding Studio/Production Design and Art Direction. It also impressively claimed another Emmy Award for Outstanding Graphic Design, celebrating innovative visuals and groundbreaking entertainment production throughout the event.

However, White plans to surpass that massive hype, building a fight card that will make the White House event historically unforgettable forever. Ahead of the much-anticipated event, superstars like Conor McGregor and Jon Jones have already expressed strong interest in fighting. With nearly one full year remaining, it will be exciting to observe UFC’s promotion strategies for this highly anticipated mega spectacle event.

Dana White gives a sneak peek at UFC’s future broadcast deal

UFC’s current exclusive broadcast deal with ESPN, valued at around $300 million per year, expires end of 2025, prompting new negotiations. The promotion is targeting a new broadcast deal worth at least $1 billion annually, more than tripling the current ESPN revenue. Big names such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Warner Bros Discovery are all in active discussions to acquire UFC media rights.

UFC aims to possibly split media rights between platforms, for example, ESPN for standard events and Amazon are targeting pay‑per‑view packages. Past UFC events have focused on enhancing global appeal via elite production values and spectacular visuals, emphasizing audience engagement. In a recent interview with FULL SEND, Dana White talked about this upcoming deal in detail.

The world’s going to change a lot in the next year with our rights deals. Depending on where we end up, but more than likely, we’re going to end up with a platform that is way more global than we are now. There’s nothing. I don’t have anything right now. We’re in the middle of talks. We’ll see how it plays out. Literally have zero info on that right now.
Dana White via FULL SEND PODCAST

On top of that, White is also preparing for his TKO Boxing debut featuring Terence Crawford vs. Canelo Alvarez . The event could massively impact combat sports history, merging UFC’s promotional power with boxing’s biggest superstars under the TKO umbrella. Depending on where the UFC ends up at, fans can expect a shift in the dynamics moving forward.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

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