UFC 306: Dana White on how Tom Brady was the catalyst for upcoming Sphere spectacular

5 min read
Aug 9, 2024, 11:34 AM

Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady. Credit: Michael Dwyer, AP

UFC CEO Dana White has revealed that his passion for hosting a UFC event at the spectacular Sphere in Las Vegas came from an unexpected source. RG.org tells why.

UFC 306 has been branded "Noche UFC" and, according to the UFC supremo, will be a "love letter to the Mexican people," with the event set to take place on Mexican Independence Day weekend, on September 14.

The confirmed fights for the event feature a host of Mexican stars, including reigning UFC women's flyweight champion Alexa Grasso, flyweight fan-favourite Ronaldo Rodriguez and teenage rising star Raul Rosas Jr. The main event will see reigning UFC bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley put his title on the line against number-one contender Merab Dvalishvili.

But, in conversation with TNT Sports in the UK, White explained that his plans for an event at the Sphere all came about due to his original plan to host a show at T-Mobile Arena falling by the wayside, followed by a phone call from an NFL legend inviting him to a rock concert.

"The great thing about this sport is, we have our plans, we lay out the year, but things pop up and happen that we never expect," White began.

"Like, look at this thing that happened with UFC Noche. The way that this played out is we've been treated like absolute s**t for the last 20 years by the MGM, and because of that, they allowed (Al) Haymon, God bless him, to slide in and steal that date after I had it and I flipped out. 

"And now, here we are with the Sphere, with the biggest, greatest sporting event of all time, which I didn't see coming and wasn't in my plans at the beginning."

White then revealed that a phone call from longtime friend and NFL all-time great Tom Brady was the man responsible for White's determination to host a UFC event in the brand new Las Vegas venue.

White is a proud Massachusetts native and a passionate supporter of the New England Patriots, and during their golden era with Tom Brady at quarterback, the UFC boss and the Pats' play-caller became firm friends. 

So, when Brady picked up the phone and invited him to join him at the Sphere to check out a U2 concert, White said yes, and his experience at the state-of-the-art venue blew him away, leaving him determined to put on a spectacular UFC event at the 18,600-seat venue. 

"Had Tom Brady not called me and asked me to go to U2 with him, I would have never even gone to the Sphere, and would have never seen it."

It's a remarkable story that White said demonstrates how much of the UFC's business gets done. 

"The way that this whole thing played out, that's how the sport goes, you know?" he said.

"People win that you don't see coming. People become stars overnight that you don't see coming. I mean, if you look at some of these fights that have materialized, in just one event. Or a star breaks out – Khamzat Chimaev during COVID – and things like that. 

"You never really know what's coming, but the rest of our year is gonna be awesome. But there's always something that's going to pop up that I don't see coming right now, like UFC Noche."

Having to deal with the unexpected is the sort of stuff that could drive business leaders crazy. But White seems to revel in the chaos. And with the UFC having a well-deserved reputation for being agile in the face of unforeseen changes and setbacks, White said that when things don't go according to plan, they often end up working out even better for the UFC.

"That's what I love about this sport," he said.

"Every day, when I wake up, crazy s**t goes down, and we have to deal with it on the fly, and it always leads to something bigger, or some other storyline, or something crazy that goes on.” 

“And the beautiful thing about it is it's all real. This isn't all fake, like WWE storylines. This is real stuff, that really happens, in real time, that we deal with. It's like a never-ending soap opera, and I love every minute of it.”

Simon is a sports journalist and MMA reporter with 25+ years' experience covering sports and 15+ years covering mixed martial arts as one of the UK's longest-tenured MMA journalists. He also has more than a decade of experience working in the betting and gaming industry.

He has provided coverage for a plethora of major sports outlets, including BBC Sport, USA Today, Daily Mirror and BT Sport, and has covered Olympic Games, World Cups, FA Cup Finals and UFC title fights during his career.

Interests:
UFC
NFL
EPL
F1
MotoGP

More RG Exclusive Interviews

Our Authors

Paruyr Shahbazyan began his business career in 2000 as a private entrepreneur. Over thirteen years, he developed a deep understanding for business and leadership, laying a solid foundation for his professional journey.

In 2013, Paruyr stepped into the sports and betting industry as the founder and president of Bookmaker Rating. This online mass media platform, which he led until 2020, focused on providing in-depth analysis and insights in sports betting, earning a reputation for its quality content. 

Continuing his innovative approach in 2022, Paruyr co-founded Azuro, a decentralized betting protocol. This venture showcases his dedication to integrating advanced technology in the evolving landscape of sports betting. Through these diverse experiences, Paruyr has continuously influenced and shaped the betting industry, driving new trends and setting high standards.

 ExperienceYear
Engaged in private entrepreneurship2000-2013
Founder and President at Bookmaker Rating, an online platform focused on sports and betting2013-2020
Co-founder at Azuro, a decentralized betting protocol2022

"Innovation in sportsbetting comes from a deep understanding of both technology and the human element of sports." 

- Paruyr Shahbazyan, Founder, RG

 

Principles and Ethics

Paruyr Shahbazyan's core beliefs lie in the power of informed decision-making and integrity in the betting industry. He understands that the foundation of successful betting is not just about odds and predictions, but also about the trust and reliability of the information provided. Paruyr advocates for a betting environment where transparency and knowledge are paramount, ensuring that bettors are well-equipped with accurate data and insights.

Strategic Vision

Paruyr's vision is to revolutionize the sports betting industry through the integration of technology. He sees the future of betting as a blend of traditional sports knowledge with innovative tech solutions, like decentralized protocols, to enhance user experience and fairness. His aim is to create platforms that are not only user-friendly but also uphold the highest standards of ethical betting, contributing to a more responsible and enjoyable betting culture.

Future Perspectives

Looking towards the future, Paruyr envisions a betting landscape that is more inclusive, technologically advanced, and globally connected. He anticipates a significant shift towards more decentralized and transparent betting systems, driven by blockchain technology. Paruyr is committed to being at the forefront of this change, continuously exploring new possibilities and innovations that can redefine what it means to engage in sports betting in a digital world. His focus is on building systems that prioritize user empowerment, fairness, and the global growth of the sports betting community.

 

Sol Fayerman-Hansen
Sol Fayerman-Hansen
Editor-in-Chief

Sol has over 20 years of experience in writing for diverse industries including sports, gambling, regulation, technology, and startups. As the Editor-in-Chief at RG, Sol brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the role, focusing on delivering transparent, evidence-based content grounded in thorough research. Sol's mission is to empower readers to enjoy gambling responsibly and make informed decisions, enhancing their overall experience through insightful and engaging content. Under Sol's leadership, RG prioritizes the highest standards of integrity and reliability, ensuring that all information provided is accurate and trustworthy. Sol's dedication to transparency and research-based writing helps create a responsible gambling environment where readers can truly benefit from the content. This commitment to excellence has positioned RG as a leading source of information in the gambling industry.

Experience:

  • Over 20 years in writing and editing across multiple industries
  • Former head of regional innovation at BMO Financial Group
  • Senior Writer, Online Casino Reports
Cristina Varela Galan
Cristina Varela Galan
Problem Gambling Expert

Cristina used to work as a Psychology Assistant in the Bizkaia Pathological and Risky Gamblers Association. She was also part of a research team in Deusto University, specializing in pathological gambling area. While working there, she managed to develop her own project 

 “Exploring the association between emotional regulation, alexithymia, stressful life events and gambling in adolescent and young adult women”.

Nick Ashbourne
Nick Ashbourne
Senior Writer

Nick has been fascinated with sports since he was first taken to a Toronto Maple Leafs game back in 1998, and he's written about them professionally since 2014.

Nick has covered baseball and hockey for outlets like The Athletic, Sportsnet, and Yahoo Sports, and his sports betting expertise has grown since its legalization in Ontario in 2022. 

Between 2022 and 2023 he worked for a betting startup called NorthStar Bets, and in 2024 he contributed to Oddspedia before joining the Responsible Gambler team.

Sergey Demidov
Sergey Demidov
Head of News Department

Sergey has been in sports journalism since 2007 as a reporter, editor, and manager. He has covered the Olympic Games, soccer World Cups, the World Cup of Hockey in 2016, the European championships, the Stanley Cup Finals, IOC events, and many others. Sergey interviewed the sport's greatest athletes, coaches, and executives. Since 2016, he has been an Independent Senior Editor of NHL.com/ru.

Anna Kravtcova
Anna Kravtcova
Problem Gambling Expert

Ph.D. in organizational psychology, an internationally certified psychologist (EuroPsy 2022, Cognitive behavioural therapy of mindfulness 2020, International Society for Emotional Intelligence 2017, Russian Psychological society 2014, American Psychological Association(Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychologist) 2011), speaker of many international conferences (USA, Brazil, Portugal, Czech Republic, Russia, etc.). TEDx speaker.

Mark Medina
Mark Medina
NBA Reporter

Mark Medina is a longtime NBA reporter that includes stints as a Lakers blogger with The Los Angeles Times (2010-12), Lakers beat writer with the Los Angeles Daily News (2012-17), Warriors beat writer with Bay Area News Group (2017-19) as well as an NBA reporter/columnist for USA Today (2019-21) and NBA.com (2021-23). Medina is also an NBA insider with Fox Sports Radio and frequent contributor to CBSLA's SportsCentralLA with Jim Hill and with Spectrum Sportsnet.

Daria Tuboltseva
Daria Tuboltseva
Hockey Reporter

Daria went to St. Petersburg State University and earned a bachelor of international journalism. Working as a sports journalist from 2014, from 2016 as a hockey journalist. Covered 5 World Championships, 2022 Winter Olympics, 2020 World Juniors, 6 Gagarin Cup Finals. 

Owner of a telegram channel Coolest Game on Earth.

Integrative nutritionist specializing on sports nutritionology.

Paul M. Banks
Paul M. Banks
Sports Reporter

Paul M. Banks is a professional Content Creator whose career has seen bylines in numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Chicago Tribune, USA Today, Yahoo, MSN, FOX Sports and Sports Illustrated.

Banks has made scores of guest appearances on live radio and television, featuring regularly on NTD News, WGN-TV, CCTV, ESPN Radio, the History Channel, SiriusXM and CBS Sports Radio.

He is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank.net, which has been featured and linked in hundreds of leading media outlets all across the world.

He has also authored two books, one of which, "No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in Sports Media," became an assigned textbook in journalism courses at State University New York-Oneonta.

Marco D'Amico
Marco D'Amico
Hockey Reporter

Marco D'Amico is a beat reporter covering the Montreal Canadiens and the NHL Draft, while also being a recurring guest on TSN690 and BPM Sports. His work primarily on NHL CBA breakdowns and prospect analysis, all while covering the Montreal Canadiens on a day-to-day basis.

Show More