McGregor's heir & historic trilogy - inside UFC's $20m Sphere

Dana White was astatine a U2 performance successful Las Vegas past twelvemonth erstwhile nan inspiration struck him.

It wasn't U2's show which influenced nan UFC president, it was nan grandeur of nan venue successful which they performed.

White was watching nan Irish stone set successful nan marque caller Sphere - nan largest spherical building successful nan world pinch an exterior coated successful truthful galore LED screens, its glow can beryllium seen from space., external

More screens decorate nan wrong of nan 17,385-seat venue, helping to present an immersive acquisition for fans which near White dreaming of hosting a UFC show successful nan aforesaid vein.

Almost a twelvemonth later, White's imagination has travel to fruition pinch nan promotion group to big nan "greatest unrecorded combat sports show anybody has ever seen", erstwhile Riyadh Season Noche UFC takes spot connected Saturday.

The show, described arsenic a "love missive to Mexico" by White to observe Mexican Independence Day, sees American bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley take sides his title against Georgia's Merab Dvalishvili successful nan main event.

The co-main arena features Mexico's Alexa Grasso, who defends her flyweight loop against Kyrgyzstan's Valentina Shevchenko successful nan first women's trilogy conflict successful UFC history.

Two mouth-watering contests, but will nan fights beryllium nan main attraction of nan evening?

The UFC has spent $20m (£15.3m) to big nan event, pinch White describing it arsenic a "one and done, erstwhile successful a life experience".

Inside nan Sphere are a further 160,000 quadrate feet of LED screens which will show a movie during nan event, divided into chapters, that "pays tribute to Mexican group for their bonzer contributions to combat sports".

"We telephone them worlds and each conflict will unrecorded wrong this world," said White.

"And nan world will germinate arsenic nan conflict is going connected but it will beryllium very subtle. Clouds will move, fires will burn, birds will fly, whatever."

"If you're Mexican this will beryllium for illustration a Rocky movie for you guys."

White says nan UFC faced a number of logistical issues successful preparing for nan event, but nan biggest situation was usurping nan Sphere.

"When I was astatine nan Sphere watching nan U2 show, you realise nan Sphere is nan prima of nan show," added White.

"So our biggest challenge, different than lighting, was 'how do you make nan Sphere nan prima of nan show, but not during nan fights'?"

The show, antecedently called UFC 306, marks nan first clip nan organisation has collaborated pinch a sponsor, pinch nan arena being rebranded to Riyadh Season Noche UFC.

It is nan latest high-profile sporting arena to characteristic Saudi Arabian marketing, pinch nan Kingdom spending billions connected boxing, football, golf, snooker and more.

But nan state continues to look disapproval for utilizing athletics to divert attraction distant from its mediocre quality authorities grounds - a process known arsenic sportswashing.

Despite nan maturation of MMA, no-one is yet to execute nan level of nickname extracurricular nan athletics arsenic erstwhile double UFC champion Conor McGregor.

O'Malley has drawn comparisons to nan Irishman because of his assurance and breathtaking knockout power, and location are signs nan UFC spot nan 29-year-old arsenic nan heir to McGregor's throne erstwhile it comes to prima power.

When O'Malley hit Aljamain Sterling for nan title past year, nan promotion shared nan knockout connected societal media to a worldwide assemblage - thing it seldom does owed to authorities deals pinch various broadcasters.

Now nan organisation has selected O'Malley arsenic nan look of its eager Sphere show.

"When you talk astir Conor's personality, nan point he ever did was present connected nan large fights, each azygous time," said White.

"In this athletics erstwhile you person what Sean O'Malley has, and you tin spell retired and triumph nan large fights... and O'Malley is simply a smart kid for illustration Conor too, he conscionable gets it."

O'Malley says UFC Noche could supply nan springboard to becoming nan UFC's biggest prima - if McGregor loses his adjacent fight.

The 36-year-old is owed to look American Michael Chandler but a day is yet to beryllium group aft McGregor pulled retired of their June bout pinch injury.

"I deliberation I’m very close. I deliberation Conor has 1 large conflict near successful him, but there's a large mobility people – tin he travel backmost and hit Michael Chandler?" said O'Malley.

"If he loses, I would presume I'm there, I'm nan guy, I'm nan number one."

The co-main arena sees Grasso renew her now historical rivalry pinch Shevchenko.

Grasso, 31, stunned Shevchenko past March, ending nan 36-year-old's tally of 7 consecutive flyweight title defences.

The brace fought successful a rematch past September pinch Grasso retaining her loop successful a draw, earlier they faced disconnected arsenic opposing coaches connected nan reality TV show nan Ultimate Fighter earlier this year.

"We shared a batch of clip successful there. No, we're not friends, but we're ace master and that's ace important for me,” said Grasso.

"I've been watching her fighting since I was young and it's conscionable thing really cool to beryllium capable to beryllium astatine this level pinch personification erstwhile I've been watching her profession for truthful long.

"The first conflict was amazing. Second was astonishing too, and I tin expect nary little from nan 3rd one."