# UFC 306
**UFC 306** (branded as UFC 306 at Riyadh Season Noche UFC) was a mixed martial arts event produced by the [Ultimate Fighting Championship](https://www.edgepedia.org/ultimate-fighting-championship) on September 14, 2024, at [Sphere](https://www.edgepedia.org/sphere-venue) in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was the first live sporting event held at the $2.3 billion Sphere arena, and it became the highest-grossing event in UFC history, with a live gate of $22 million and a sold-out crowd of 16,024.[1](https://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-306-sphere-sets-record-highest-grossing-event-ufc-history-and-highest-grossing-single) In the main event, [Merab Dvalishvili](https://www.edgepedia.org/merab-dvalishvili) defeated champion Sean O'Malley by unanimous decision to win the bantamweight title.[2](https://us.ufcespanol.com/news/official-judges-scorecards-ufc-306-omalley-vs-dvalishvili-noche-ufc-sphere)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date and venue | September 14, 2024, Sphere, Las Vegas, Nevada[1](https://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-306-sphere-sets-record-highest-grossing-event-ufc-history-and-highest-grossing-single) |
| Gate | $22 million, the highest-grossing UFC event of all time and the highest-grossing single event at Sphere; sold-out crowd of 16,024[1](https://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-306-sphere-sets-record-highest-grossing-event-ufc-history-and-highest-grossing-single) |
| Previous record | $17.7 million, set by UFC 205 at Madison Square Garden in 2016[3](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/9/25/24254125/ufc-306-sets-record-as-highest-grossing-event-in-ufc-history-for-ticket-sales-merchandise-and-more) |
| Main event | Merab Dvalishvili def. Sean O'Malley by unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 48-47) for the bantamweight title[2](https://us.ufcespanol.com/news/official-judges-scorecards-ufc-306-omalley-vs-dvalishvili-noche-ufc-sphere) |
| Co-main event | Valentina Shevchenko def. Alexa Grasso to reclaim the flyweight championship[4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEsCRrjllig) |
| Production cost | More than $20 million, against roughly $2 million for a typical UFC pay-per-view[5](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/9/5/24236008/ufc-306-production-includes-6-short-films-between-fights-each-bout-taking-place-in-a-different-world) |
| Ticket origin | 89% of ticket buyers came from markets outside of Nevada[1](https://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-306-sphere-sets-record-highest-grossing-event-ufc-history-and-highest-grossing-single) |
## Venue and origin of the event
[The Sphere](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-sphere) is a spherical arena in Las Vegas with wraparound interior LED screens of [16K resolution](https://www.edgepedia.org/16k-resolution) and immersive sound, which opened in 2023.[5](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/9/5/24236008/ufc-306-production-includes-6-short-films-between-fights-each-bout-taking-place-in-a-different-world) UFC CEO Dana White decided to pursue an event there after attending a U2 concert at the venue with NFL quarterback [Tom Brady](https://www.edgepedia.org/tom-brady), and he called his head of production during the show to begin planning.[5](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/9/5/24236008/ufc-306-production-includes-6-short-films-between-fights-each-bout-taking-place-in-a-different-world)
Scheduling depended on a gap in UFC's Las Vegas commitments. The promotion has an overall deal with MGM Resorts, under which major pay-per-views are held at the MGM-owned T-Mobile Arena. When MGM booked a Canelo Alvarez boxing match at [T-Mobile Arena](https://www.edgepedia.org/t-mobile-arena) for the same weekend, UFC was able to stage the card at the Sphere, which is owned by the Dolan family company behind [Madison Square Garden](https://www.edgepedia.org/madison-square-garden).[3](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/9/25/24254125/ufc-306-sets-record-as-highest-grossing-event-in-ufc-history-for-ticket-sales-merchandise-and-more) To help pay for the production, White secured a title sponsor for a pay-per-view card for the first time, making [Riyadh Season](https://www.edgepedia.org/riyadh-season), the Saudi entertainment festival headed by Turki Alalshikh, the event's official name partner.[3](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/9/25/24254125/ufc-306-sets-record-as-highest-grossing-event-in-ufc-history-for-ticket-sales-merchandise-and-more) • [6](https://www.arabtimesonline.com/arabtimes/uploads/images/2024/09/15/27720.pdf)
## Production
The event was built around Mexican [Independence Day](https://www.edgepedia.org/independence-day-mexico) weekend, and White described the card as his "love letter to Mexico."[6](https://www.arabtimesonline.com/arabtimes/uploads/images/2024/09/15/27720.pdf) Six short films of approximately 90 seconds each aired between the fights, tracing Mexican history and the country's contribution to combat sports, produced with director Carlos Lopez Estrada and live-event director Glenn Weiss.[5](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/9/5/24236008/ufc-306-production-includes-6-short-films-between-fights-each-bout-taking-place-in-a-different-world) Each bout on the main card took place within a different projected "world," an environment filling the entire interior LED screen.[5](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/9/5/24236008/ufc-306-production-includes-6-short-films-between-fights-each-bout-taking-place-in-a-different-world)
The technical scale exceeded a normal UFC event. The broadcast used 45 cameras instead of the usual 20, and four production trucks instead of two, with two trucks dedicated to the in-Sphere content; one truck carried the first 1080p UFC broadcast in ESPN history.[7](https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattcraig/2024/09/11/inside-dana-whites-20-million-plan-to-bring-ufc-306-to-the-sphere/) • [8](https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2024/09/13/ufc-sphere/) The Sphere has no center-hung lighting grid, which forced the UFC to redesign its lighting approach entirely, according to White.[9](https://time.com/7020074/dana-white-ufc-sphere-trump-interview/) The budget, originally set at $8 million, grew past $20 million, roughly ten times the cost of a typical pay-per-view event.[5](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/9/5/24236008/ufc-306-production-includes-6-short-films-between-fights-each-bout-taking-place-in-a-different-world)
## Fights and results
The card carried two championship bouts. In the main event, challenger Merab Dvalishvili of Georgia dominated champion Sean O'Malley with repeated takedowns and control, winning a unanimous decision with scorecards of 49-46, 48-47, and 48-47 to take the bantamweight title.[2](https://us.ufcespanol.com/news/official-judges-scorecards-ufc-306-omalley-vs-dvalishvili-noche-ufc-sphere) • [4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEsCRrjllig) In the co-main event, [Valentina Shevchenko](https://www.edgepedia.org/valentina-shevchenko) defeated [Alexa Grasso](https://www.edgepedia.org/alexa-grasso) in the third fight of their trilogy, reclaiming the women's flyweight championship on the strength of takedowns and ground control across five rounds.[4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEsCRrjllig)
The card also featured a lightweight bout in which Esteban Ribovics of Argentina and Daniel Zellhuber of Mexico traded punches in a fight that drew wide praise.[10](https://www.ufc.com.br/news/monthly-report-september-2024-sphere-paris)
## Records and commercial outcome
[TKO Group Holdings](https://www.edgepedia.org/tko-group-holdings) announced after the event that UFC 306 set several company records: highest-grossing UFC event of all time, highest-grossing single event at Sphere, highest-grossing sponsorship sales, highest-grossing VIP experiences through On Location, and highest-grossing merchandise sales in company history.[1](https://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-306-sphere-sets-record-highest-grossing-event-ufc-history-and-highest-grossing-single) • [3](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/9/25/24254125/ufc-306-sets-record-as-highest-grossing-event-in-ufc-history-for-ticket-sales-merchandise-and-more) The $22 million gate exceeded the previous record of $17.7 million from [UFC 205](https://www.edgepedia.org/ufc-205) at Madison Square Garden in 2016, and the gate alone covered the event's production cost.[3](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/9/25/24254125/ufc-306-sets-record-as-highest-grossing-event-in-ufc-history-for-ticket-sales-merchandise-and-more) The event also marked the first time fans in attendance could listen to live audio of an entire UFC event in Spanish.[1](https://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-306-sphere-sets-record-highest-grossing-event-ufc-history-and-highest-grossing-single)
Despite the commercial success, White and TKO executives described the event as "one and done," citing the production cost and the exclusive agreement with MGM that returns major pay-per-views to T-Mobile Arena.[3](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/9/25/24254125/ufc-306-sets-record-as-highest-grossing-event-in-ufc-history-for-ticket-sales-merchandise-and-more) TKO's 2024 annual report lists UFC 306 as the record for the company's highest-grossing live event.[11](https://materials.proxyvote.com/Approved/87256C/20250417/AR_606174.PDF)
## Reception
Commentary after the event drew a distinction between the spectacle and the fights. Reviewers praised the Sphere's visuals, the between-fight films, and the production values, with fighters and commentators comparing the display to a video game, while several noted that the main and co-main events produced lopsided decisions rather than competitive action, and that the at-home broadcast could not fully convey the in-arena experience.[12](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/9/16/24243551/ufc-306-report-did-sphere-lead-to-the-greatest-live-sporting-event-of-all-time) • [13](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/9/14/24244937/it-feels-like-mortal-kombat-pros-react-to-incredible-spheres-sights-and-sounds-at-ufc-306) The Las Vegas Review-Journal judged that the event lived up to its hype, and Sports Business Journal reported that the Sphere's presentation became the star of the night.[14](https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/sports-columns/adam-hill/hill-ufcs-sphere-debut-somehow-lives-up-to-immense-hype-3169903/) • [15](https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2024/09/15/ufc-306-sphere-recap/)
## References
1. [UFC 306 At Sphere Sets Record For Highest-grossing Event In UFC History, UFC](https://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-306-sphere-sets-record-highest-grossing-event-ufc-history-and-highest-grossing-single)
2. [Official Judges Scorecards, UFC 306: O'Malley vs Dvalishvili, UFC](https://us.ufcespanol.com/news/official-judges-scorecards-ufc-306-omalley-vs-dvalishvili-noche-ufc-sphere)
3. [UFC 306 sets record as highest-grossing event in UFC history, MMA Fighting](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/9/25/24254125/ufc-306-sets-record-as-highest-grossing-event-in-ufc-history-for-ticket-sales-merchandise-and-more)
4. [Sean O'Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili Results, Noche UFC 306, MMA en Español (YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEsCRrjllig)
5. [UFC 306 production includes 6 short films between fights, MMA Fighting](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/9/5/24236008/ufc-306-production-includes-6-short-films-between-fights-each-bout-taking-place-in-a-different-world)
6. [Arab Times, September 16, 2024 (AP report on UFC 306)](https://www.arabtimesonline.com/arabtimes/uploads/images/2024/09/15/27720.pdf)
7. [Inside Dana White's $20 Million Plan To Bring UFC 306 To The Sphere, Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattcraig/2024/09/11/inside-dana-whites-20-million-plan-to-bring-ufc-306-to-the-sphere/)
8. [Inside the tech powering UFC 306 at the Sphere, Sports Business Journal](https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2024/09/13/ufc-sphere/)
9. [What It Means to Be a Man, According to UFC's Dana White, TIME](https://time.com/7020074/dana-white-ufc-sphere-trump-interview/)
10. [UFC Monthly Report, September 2024, UFC](https://www.ufc.com.br/news/monthly-report-september-2024-sphere-paris)
11. [TKO Group Holdings, Inc. Annual Report 2024](https://materials.proxyvote.com/Approved/87256C/20250417/AR_606174.PDF)
12. [UFC 306 Report: Did Sphere lead to the greatest live sporting event of all time?, MMA Fighting](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/9/16/24243551/ufc-306-report-did-sphere-lead-to-the-greatest-live-sporting-event-of-all-time)
13. ['It feels like Mortal Kombat': Pros react to Sphere's sights and sounds at UFC 306, MMA Fighting](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/9/14/24244937/it-feels-like-mortal-kombat-pros-react-to-incredible-spheres-sights-and-sounds-at-ufc-306)
14. [UFC Sphere event shatters expectations, Las Vegas Review-Journal](https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/sports-columns/adam-hill/hill-ufcs-sphere-debut-somehow-lives-up-to-immense-hype-3169903/)
15. [Sphere shines in live-sporting debut with UFC, Sports Business Journal](https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2024/09/15/ufc-306-sphere-recap/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Combat sports and professional wrestling › Mixed martial arts › UFC numbered events 201–300*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license