"The UFC's own private venue in Las Vegas was originally designed to house The Ultimate Fighter, Dana White's Contender Series, and perhaps host some regional MMA shows. However, during the coronavirus pandemic, it became a godsend, allowing the promotion to continue hosting events in the face of a global shutdown, capturing the sports market at a time when all other leagues were on a pause."
"The UFC has steadfastly refused to leave the Apex entirely, leading to an overwhelmingly negative reaction from fans. "Apex slop" has come to describe C-level UFC events (numbered events, and Fight Nights outside the Apex, representing A and B tiers) hosted at the facility. Now, the promotion has sold the naming rights to the venue, which houses a tiny fraction of spectators compared to a normal arena."
"Zuckerberg, in recent years, has been dabbling in jiu-jitsu, which led to talk of a fight between himself and Tesla CEO and Twitter/X owner Elon Musk. Thankfully, the bout never materialized. Zuckerberg infamously had the entire Apex venue to himself for a Fight Night event in 2022, a move widely panned as it kept out both fans, and media. White has also joined Meta's board of directors."
The UFC Apex in Las Vegas, originally built for The Ultimate Fighter and Dana White's Contender Series, became the promotion's pandemic-era event hub. The venue continued hosting events after 2022, prompting fan backlash and the nickname "Apex slop" for lower-tier shows held there. The UFC sold the venue's naming rights to Meta in a five-year deal, renaming it the Meta Apex. The facility seats only a tiny fraction of a normal arena and has limited spectators. Mark Zuckerberg's recent interest in jiu-jitsu and a widely criticized private Fight Night appearance drew attention. Dana White joined Meta's board of directors.
Read at Cageside Press
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