Ceehawk’s UFC 324 Weekend

Having covered pro wrestling for the better part of 20 years, there’s an idea of what a big fight weekend will entail- you’ll usually have a media day prior to the actual event, get to share the press box with your colleagues for said event, then have a press conference after the event to ask questions to the talent and producers that made everything come together. In between, you’ll share war stories of deadlines, missed opportunities, and the underground rumblings that make wrestling both hard to predict and so much fun. One of the goals since the inception of the Yahoo! Sports Uncrowned team was to be versatile; telling stories across pro wrestling, boxing, and MMA were open to whoever had the ability to tell them. So when Total Wireless, UFC’s official wireless partner, invited me to Las Vegas to cover UFC 324, I jumped at the chance. 

The Total Wireless/ UFC partnership isn’t all that different from WWE’s Cricket Wireless promotions and events, having events like in-store meet and greets at their brick and mortar locations the weekends of their large events. What came across as truly unique is the level of media access, being able to interact with talent across UFC and its affiliates. “What struck me during UFC 324 fight week was how much these fans value authenticity and access over flash,” said David Kim, President of Verizon Value. “They want real experiences, smart value, and to feel connected to the sport they’re passionate about. That’s exactly who Total Wireless serves – people who refuse to overpay for quality service and appreciate innovation over gimmicks. This extended partnership lets us keep delivering both the visibility and the grassroots fan experiences that resonate with our customers and the greater UFC community.” The first event of the weekend was the ceremonial weight in, where the fighters from each matchup, who did their official weight-ins earlier in that day, took to the T-Mobile Arena to show off their physiques to a free audience, with half of the arena tarped off. Outside of the venue, there were Total Wireless sponsored photo ops, from their own branded booth to a larger than life UFC Title belt fans would stand on either side of. Vegas being Vegas, there was a co-branded Jameson installation, providing drinks for fans before they entered the building.

For the weight ins, I sat with the Total Wireless team in the media section, along with my Yahoo! Sports Uncrowned media manager Kel Dansby, and independent wrestler, Duke Davis. Between Kel and the members of the team, I was given some background on each of the fighters and matchups. Another big difference from pro wrestling was knowing the exact card order, with each weight in and faceoff being a chronological counterpart to the actual fight. Later, I’d get my first true taste of the TKO Umbrella, when I’d go with the team to the inaugural Zuffa Boxing event that Friday night. Held at the Meta Apex, which has hosted UFC and WWENXT events alike, it’s an intimate, high tech space, making sure every seat in the arena is a good one. For a small venue, it had its share of notable names, with UFC President Dana White and WWE President Nick Khan right at the top of that list. Both were ringside monitoring each bout, with fighters like Nate Diaz and various social media personalities spotted throughout the crowd. Outside of the main arena, there’s a merchandise area, a photo op space, and a concession stand. But the real appeal of the venue is a private lounge, which that night hosted a private party for select attendees. Along with the Total Wireless team, I was privy to a buffet, complete with cocktails and photo ops. UFC luminaries like Chuck Liddell and Kamaru Usman were in attendance, and would pop in and out between fights.

Saturday, the day of the event, would sum up the all day, all world party that is Las Vegas. The MGM Park Hotel, the rest spot/ casino/ foot court right across from the T-Mobile Arena, was filled to the brim with teenie boppers in town for a Zayn concert, while further away, the older fans were at The Sphere to see The Eagles. Somewhere in the middle, a decidedly mixed aged crowd were there to see longtime veteran Justin Gaithe and popular newcomer Paddy Pimblet face off for the Interim UFC Lightweight Championship, as reigning champion Ilea Topuria had decided to take the first half of the year off for personal reasons. UFC star Amanda Nunes was scheduled to face Kyla Harrison for the Bantamweight Title, but the fight was called off due to an injury that required surgery for Harrison. Stars like Sean O’Malley and Derrick Lewis also graced the card, which was previewed on a full fledged red carpet outside of the arena. 

Every outlet, from Entertainment Tonight, to Sports Illustrated, to Barstool Sports and my own Yahoo! Sports home, covered the event. Hosted by Paramount+ to celebrate their new partnership with UFC, there were stars from all corners of their programming: Wilmer Velderramma, the ‘That 70’s Show’ alumnus and current ‘NCIS’ star, was on hand, along with Black cinema icon Morris Chestnut, who currently stars in Watson, both CBS programs under the Paramount Umbrella. Phil Keoghan, host of the long running ‘Amazing Race’ show, happily talking for minutes about his love of 80’s middleweight boxing. Current UFC stars like featherweight contender Aljamain Sterling and Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira did their best not to choose a winner in the main event, but gave some good insight into what the win would mean for both fighters. In a fun wrestling crossover, Natalie Loureda, MMA fighter/personality, and the younger sister for WWE competitor Lola Vice, was on hand to talk about her family’s fighting legacy. And the aforementioned Liddel would take the time to break down starting from his fights being on VHS tapes to where the sport is now. 

The event itself was interesting, in that everyone around seemed to have a pretty solid knowledge of who was fighting and what they were capable of. And once more, Vegas being Vegas, every matchup would have a few fans audibly groaning about how much the decision messed up their parlays. The idea of someone’s real life pain via punch, kick or lock translates to someone else being able to pay the rent is still surreal, but absolutely commonplace. Seated with the team a few rows off the floor, every blow, every ounce of blood, every time someone had to expose their mouth pieces to get some air, was clear as day. Seeing a man Derrick Lewis; size get knocked out, seeing Paddy’s extensive, exhausting (for him entrance) and Gaethje fending off the young fighter in the main event that close was all the most interesting parts of what makes the gladiator game so special. 

After the fight, we were given the chance to go down to the Octagon to take a few pictures. My Jordan 1’s matched both the color of the cage and the blood that had been spilled in it, it was tough to imagine standing inside what all had just taken place. We’d each been given Total Wireless Bomber Jackets as part of a care package, and wore them to the event, so the team photo came out in sync. And the for the highlight of the weekend, the members of the team who knew UFC legend/ Color Commentator Daniel “DC” Cormier went up and talked to him, which let to him making the hilarious decision to include me in his post-show intro, properly acknowledging Total Wireless as the sound of UFC.

My first UFC event is one of the unique experiences I’ve had covering sports and entertainment. Where Wrestlemania weekend, even in a city like Vegas, has so many different stops and events, my UFC weekend was more focused, more centralized. The Total Wireless team having such a vast knowledge of UFC and its fighters really helped, both in our conversations and in navigating the spaces we were invited into. It was a blast, and it would be fun to do again, in Vegas or any of the many arenas they’ve filled up over the years.