Dana White’s Stand-in Dismisses UFC Perth Ticket Sale Worries, Highlights “Special” Event
UFC executive Dave Shaw, stepping in for Dana White who did not travel to Australia, asserted that he is not concerned about the reported poor ticket sales for the upcoming UFC Perth event. During Friday`s pre-fight press conference, Shaw responded to questions regarding reports that the RAC Arena might be only “half full” for Sunday morning`s main event featuring Carlos Ulberg vs. Dominick Reyes.
Reports had indicated that the RAC Arena could be “half full” when UFC Perth kicks off on Sunday morning local time. Adding to concerns, a key fight for the low-selling UFC Perth event was called off just 48 hours before the card.
Dave Shaw Defends UFC Perth Event
When directly asked about a potential ticket sale issue ahead of UFC Perth, Dave Shaw firmly replied, “Not at all.” He went on to highlight the company’s extensive history and successes in Australia.
“Listen, from the very beginning, we’ve taken the long run. We’re playing a long game with Australia,” Shaw stated. He reminded attendees of UFC’s initial presence in 2010 with UFC 110, the establishment of the UFC Australia office in Sydney in 2014, and the monumental 2015 event in Melbourne featuring Ronda Rousey and Holly Holm. He also pointed to the overturning of the octagon ban in 2017 and the “Fight of the Year” in 2023 between Alexander Volkanovski and Islam Makhachev. Shaw emphasized that the UFC would continue its long-term investment in Australia.
“We know that you guys are a sports-mad country, and for us, you often hear Dana talk about how MMA is going to be the biggest sport in the world. Our viewpoint on Australia as one of the top markets that we go to every year is that this is going to be a massive sport in this country,” Shaw elaborated.
Shaw further described the upcoming card as “pretty special,” noting the unprecedented number of regional athletes from Australia and New Zealand, including a first-time female fighter from New Zealand and an Adelaide-based athlete. He stressed the importance of developing future talent, predicting, “It’s really important for us to build the future in terms of the quality athletes. Guaranteed, someone from this card is going to be the next Jack Della (Maddalena) – and that’s what we’re invested in.” Despite further persistent questioning from the reporter, Shaw concluded, “We do not see an issue for this event.”
Full UFC Perth Card:
- Carlos Ulberg vs Dominick Reyes
- Jimmy Crute vs Ivan Erslan
- Jack Jenkins vs Ramon Taveras
- Jake Matthews vs Neil Magny
- Justin Tafa vs Louie Sutherland
- Tom Nolan vs Charlie Campbell
- Navajo Stirling vs Rodolfo Bellato
- Cameron Rowston vs Andre Petroski
- Jamie Mullarkey vs Rolando Bedoya
- Colby Thicknesse vs Josias Musasa
- Michelle Montague vs Luana Carolina
- Brando Pericic vs Elisha Ellison
- Loma Lookboonmee vs Alexia Thainara
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