Dana White is putting some rumors to rest.
This weekend the UFC is returning to the UFC APEX center for a Fight Night event. Mackenzie Dern will be taking on Yan Xiaonan in the main event of this card, but there has been some strange announcement surrounding this event. Leading up to fight week it was announced that there would be no fans or media allowed at the event. Usually, at the APEX the fan attendance is limited anyway as it is not an arena like those that most bigger events are held in. However, media members have always been allowed since social distancing rules were removed.
With the strange circumstances surrounding the attendance policy for the event, rumors began to fly. Some people thought that perhaps they were filming a movie at the event and it was to be kept a secret. Others believed that perhaps the UFC could be toying with a VR-style “MetaVerse” event for the first time. No real information was given to the media as to why they were blocked.
Mackenzie Dern let some info slip during media day, White responds
During media day for this event, Dern was asked why the lack of media and fans for the event. She relayed what she had heard which was that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg had rented out the entire building.
“I know Mark Zuckerberg like rented out the whole event, so I know he’ll be there,” Dern said. “I don’t know if it’s just like literally him and his wife or if he’s gonna have friends, or if it’ll be like a small party, I don’t know.”
Dana White seemed pleased to be keeping the real reason a secret while he was in front of the media during fight week. Now he has come out to explain that Dern’s guess was not correct.
Mark Zuckerberg did NOT rent out the UFC Apex. That’s total bullshit. https://t.co/VbdFATcltd
— danawhite (@danawhite) September 29, 2022
“Mark Zuckerberg did NOT rent out the UFC Apex. That’s total bullsh-t,” he wrote on Twitter.
It is unclear if the UFC will ever give a reason why this event is closed to the public. Only time will tell.
