Helwani revives long-running critique of UFC Apex crowds

Meta Apex is expanding to seat up to 1,000

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated Aug 261 min read

Years later, it’s great to hear Dana White has finally realized that having a crowd in attendance dramatically improves Via @arielhelwani on X

What happened: Ariel Helwani mocked Dana White’s belated embrace of live crowds. Years earlier, Helwani contrasted the Apex’s muted atmosphere with the energy surrounding UFC 280.

Why it matters: The renovated Meta Apex will offer tickets to the general public for every event. The shift gives smaller UFC cards a chance to regain the atmosphere lost during the venue’s closed-door era.

By the numbers: The Las Vegas venue has staged nearly 200 UFC events, including 112 Fight Nights and 70 episodes of Dana White’s Contender Series.

What to watch: Crowd response at upcoming Fight Night and Contender Series cards will show how much the expanded seating changes the room.

Sources

@arielhelwani 2026-08-26T17:53:03.219252+00:00

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