What are the most iconic locations to have hosted a UFC event?
Given how big and popular the UFC is around the world, it does not come as a surprise to learn that the promotion has been able to use a number of iconic venues and locations around the globe to showcase numerous events.
This article will take a look at some of the most famous locations to have been used in the past, and will likely be used in the future once again.
Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada is one of the most iconic venues for Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) matches. The city has a long history with gambling and entertainment, making it the perfect place for the high-energy and often brutal sport of mixed martial arts. Some of the most famous UFC fights have taken place in Las Vegas, including bouts between Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman, Georges St-Pierre and Matt Hughes, and Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz.
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates is another popular destination for UFC matches. The city is home to the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC), which hosts some of the biggest and most prestigious MMA events in the world. The ADCC features a state-of-the-art facility with a large arena and plenty of space for training and other activities.
The region hosted the Fight Island series on Yas Island in 2020 and 2021, and it quickly became one of the iconic venues on the circuit, especially as a number of top matches were fought in the Octagon to have ever taken place recently.
Indeed, Abu Dhabi has proven to be an incredibly successful location for the UFC in recent years and there are still a number of events being scheduled, including the UFC 281 that is confirmed to take place at the Etihad arena. It would not be a surprise if we were to see even more in the future, especially if it continues to be as much of a success!
Madison Square Garden
Another iconic venue for the UFC is Madison Square Garden in New York City. MSG has been host to some of the biggest sporting events in history, including championship boxing matches and NBA games. In November 2016, the UFC held its first event at MSG in over 20 years, drawing a sell-out crowd of over 20,000 fans. The card featured several exciting bouts, including a title fight between Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Karolina Kowalkiewicz.
TD Garden
Boston’s TD Garden is another venerable venue for the UFC. The arena has been home to the NBA’s Boston Celtics and the NHL’s Boston Bruins for decades, and in 2010 it was transformed into a world-class mixed martial arts arena for UFC 118. That event was headlined by a matchup between former Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar and B.J. Penn, with Edgar coming out on top via decision.
The State Farm
The State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia is also an iconic UFC venue. The arena has been home to the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks since 1999, and it has also hosted several major sporting events, including ice hockey matches as the home for the Atlanta Thrashers before they moved to Winnipeg in 2011 and became the Winnipeg Jets. In April 2019, the venue held the UFC 236 event that saw two different championships go on the line.
One bout was between Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier for the interim lightweight belt; a contest that saw Poirier win by decision after five rounds, whilst the other co-main event was between Kelvin Gastelum and Israel Adesanya for the interim middleweight belt. That fight ended with “The Last Stylebender” winning via decision, too!
Final Thoughts
The venues and locations mentioned above are amongst some of the most iconic to have ever been used by the UFC to host some of their events, although there are many others that can be included too! We would be surprised if more were not used in the future, especially given how popular the sport is with fans all over the globe!
