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UFC Exec Confirms Fewer APEX Fight Nights in 2025

The UFC APEX is here to stay, at least in 2025.

Zain Bando

June 27, 2020; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Dustin Poirier (red gloves) punches Dan Hooker of New Zealand (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at the UFC APEX. Mandatory Credit: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Imagn Images
June 27, 2020; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Dustin Poirier (red gloves) punches Dan Hooker of New Zealand (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at the UFC APEX. Mandatory Credit: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Imagn Images / Handout Photo-Imagn Images

The UFC APEX isn't going away anytime soon, at least according to UFC executive David Shaw.

Shaw attended Saturday night to fulfil media obligations for UFC Edmonton in lieu of UFC CEO Dana White, who normally serves in that role.

Nevertheless, Shaw provided an update on whether the UFC would proceed with in-house UFC APEX events in Las Vegas. While the answer is yes, they will be less frequent next year. An exact number was not disclosed, but Shaw clarified that it will factor in with an "increased" level of on-the-road Fight Night cards in various cities worldwide.

To date, the UFC has held 15 UFC APEX cards this year, excluding The Ultimate Fighter, Dana White's Contender Series, and Road to UFC fights. Its final APEX card is next Saturday, dubbed UFC Vegas 100, before the venue goes on hiatus until January while undergoing renovations.

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"Will we ever get back to Pre-Covid of no APEX? I don't think so, but I think we're gonna find the right balance for us," Shaw said.

Shaw's rationale for remaining in-house for certain events comes down to several factors, but more specifically: ease of access. Putting on these cards in a smaller arena, much less one where it owns the property, doesn't hurt the UFC's budget. Adding to that, it allows the UFC to hold more fights that they wouldn't have put together otherwise without their own space, given arena availability in certain cities and timing.

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Shaw confirmed that Canada still remains a priority for the UFC. He said that he would like to bring a pay-per-view back to the region but explained that it would be "a few months" before any official details are ironed out.

For now, Fight Night events will continue to be a staple of the promotion's portfolio, especially considering the UFC's media rights deal with ESPN is set to expire at the end of next year.

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Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99