Spring isn’t just about UFC 313 for MMA fans. Once the dust settles after March 8, all eyes will turn to London as Dana White & Co. prepares for their 16th visit to the city with UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs. Brady. This event isn’t just another stop on the UFC calendar—it marks the promotion’s long-awaited return to the English capital since 2023. The last time the Octagon landed in London, fans witnessed a thrilling showdown between heavyweight giants Tom Aspinall and Marcin Tybura at UFC Fight Night 224.
Now, on March 22, the promotion is set to return with a blockbuster main event featuring local favorite and former welterweight champion Leon Edwards taking on #5 ranked 170-pounder Sean Brady at the O2 arena. However, as the excitement builds, there’s a looming issue overshadowing the event—ticket prices. Are they really as outrageous as fans fear? Well, if you were planning a night out with your better half, you might find those tickets to see Taylor Swift would cost about the same. Wait! that’s just the beginning.
Recently, media outlet MMA UP on Instagram highlighted the shocking ticket prices. According to the page, “ONE ticket to UFC London is more expensive on average than— 2 tickets to see Taylor Swift (£206)”—which translates to roughly $260. However, the comparisons didn’t stop there. The post also pointed out that UFC London tickets cost more than “A Man City season ticket (£425)”—approximately $537—and even “a single ticket to watch all 7 London PL teams COMBINED (£279)”, which comes out to about $352.
With just a month to go, the price breakdown is staggering. Floor seating in Section D, the most expensive UFC London ticket, starts at £883, while the cheapest option in Level 4D costs £130. Converted to U.S. dollars, that means fans will be paying over $1,000 for premium seats and at least $164 for the most affordable ones. Unsurprisingly, this pricing hasn’t gone over well with fans. Many took to the comments to slam Dana White & Co. for what they see as outrageous costs. Now, let’s take a look at what they had to say!
UFC London ticket prices spark fan outrage against Dana White & UFC
“You know me, I love to break records. This is going to be the biggest gate we’ve ever done in the history of the company, and the most pre-buys on pay-per-view ever too,” said Dana White after UFC 306. The event was far from an ordinary fight night—it was a “one and done” spectacle, held inside the state-of-the-art, $2.3 billion Sphere. Moreover, the total production costs of the event were reported to be around $20 million. On this historic night, the UFC shattered the live gate record previously set by UFC 205, which featured Conor McGregor vs. Eddie Alvarez nearly nine years ago.
However, the record-breaking numbers weren’t just fueled by the fights themselves. The allure of ‘The Sphere’ combined with sky-high ticket prices—ranging from $651 to an eye-watering $17,942 (approximately £14,179)—played a huge role in setting new milestones. Not in the right direction though! And for many fans, these numbers weren’t worth celebrating. One frustrated fan commented, “‘We broke the gate record” by raising prices.” Another echoed the sentiment, adding, “And after the event, we’ll have Dana proudly announce that the UFC set multiple records yet again.”
The frustration over ticket prices isn’t exclusive to UFC 306. Fans are now turning their anger toward UFC London, headlined by Leon Edwards and Sean Brady as part of UFC Fight Night 255. Unlike UFC 306, this is not even a pay-per-view event, making the hefty ticket costs even harder to justify. Many argue that such high prices should be reserved for a greater event—like a heavyweight title unification bout between England’s own Tom Aspinall and Jon Jones, a dream clash for MMA fans.
One disappointed fan mocked the situation, commenting, “Just to watch Sean Brady.” Originally, Leon Edwards was set to face Jack Della Maddalena but the Aussie slid into the UFC 315 main event to face reigning welterweight champion Belal Muhammad for division gold. UFC’s first outing in Montreal in nearly a decade is set to take on May 10 at the iconic Bell Centre. However, ticket prices for UFC 315 are also expected to be steep. Looking back at previous UFC events in Canada, one fan recalled, “Bro, for nosebleeds in Toronto, it was $690 lol. I’m like, nah, I’ll stream it from home.” Another sarcastically added, “Just to watch Sean Brady attempt to touch tips with Leon for 25 minutes.”
As for the rest of the UFC London card, additional fights have yet to be revealed. One confirmed matchup was a light heavyweight showdown between Alonzo Menifield and Oumar Sy. However, Sy later withdrew, leading Menifield to compete at last week’s UFC Seattle event instead. With more bouts yet to be announced, fans are already questioning whether these high prices are justified, with one fan commenting, “Paid £290 for my ticket, so that’s rather bulls–t.”
For those unwilling to pay inflated ticket prices, the solution is simple. One fan summed it up, saying, “Yeah, good thing I’ll be watching for free on ESPN.” Another echoed the sentiment, commenting, “This is why I stream my fights now, homie tripping.” How do you feel about the UFC London ticket prices? Is the backlash against Dana White & Co. justified in today’s costly economy? Share your thoughts below!
The post “That’s Rather Bulls***” – Taylor Swift Gets Dragged as Fans Mount Pressure Against Dana White’s Expensive Ticket Prices for UFC London appeared first on EssentiallySports.