UFC Apex

What is the UFC Apex?

The UFC Apex is a compact indoor venue that the UFC built to host smaller fight cards and film its studio programming under one roof. It sits directly across the street from the UFC Performance Institute, the promotion‘s Las Vegas headquarters, in the suburb of Enterprise, about a ten-minute drive from the Strip. The building opened on June 18, 2019, and is owned by the UFC’s parent company, TKO Group Holdings.

Before the UFC moved in, the property was the headquarters of slot machine manufacturer Scientific Games. The UFC bought the 130,000-square-foot warehouse in October 2018 for $40 million and spent roughly another $30 million converting it into a media production facility, according to Wikipedia’s record of the purchase. The idea was to run events and broadcasts without renting out a large arena every time.

That design paid off in an unexpected way. When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down live sport in 2020, the Apex became the promotion’s base of operations, hosting event after event behind closed doors while arenas sat empty. It has stayed in regular use ever since for the UFC’s smaller cards.

Why the UFC Apex uses a smaller octagon

The cage at the Apex is not the one fans see on pay-per-view. It is smaller. A standard UFC Octagon measures 30 feet across, with about 746 square feet of fighting space, while the Apex uses a 25-foot version with roughly 518 square feet. That is about 30 percent less room. The smaller cage was originally a practical choice, since the venue was designed as a television studio rather than a full arena, but the UFC has also embraced the kind of fights it tends to produce.

The theory is that less space forces fighters to engage, which leads to more finishes. There is data behind it. A study from the UFC Performance Institute found that the 25-foot cage saw a knockout rate about 5 percent higher and a submission rate about 8 percent higher than the 30-foot cage, with 12 percent fewer fights reaching a decision. Fighters attempted 9.09 strikes per minute in the smaller cage versus 8.56 in the larger one. ESPN Stats & Information logged a similar early gap, with a 54.5 percent finish rate across the first three Apex events against 46.9 percent at three comparable events in Jacksonville.

The numbers come with a caveat. The UFC Performance Institute noted that no research-based evidence confirms the cage size causes the difference, and Dana White has repeatedly downplayed the effect, once calling the idea that the smaller cage changes fights an illusion.

Octagon size comparison

Feature	Standard octagon	Apex octagon
Diameter	30 feet	25 feet
Fighting area	About 746 sq ft	About 518 sq ft
Where it is used	Pay-per-views and large arena cards	Apex studio events, Contender Series, smaller shows

What events are held at the UFC Apex?

Plenty happens inside the building beyond the marquee UFC cards. The Apex is the regular home of UFC Fight Night events, Dana White’s Contender Series, and UFC BJJ, the promotion’s submission grappling league. It also hosts Power Slap, the Dana White-owned slap fighting competition. Other combat sports have moved in too. The first Zuffa Boxing card ran there on January 23, 2026, and WWE has staged NXT specials at the venue, including NXT Battleground in June 2024.

The volume is considerable. By the UFC’s own count in January 2026, the facility had produced close to 200 UFC events since opening, including 112 Fight Nights, 70 episodes of Dana White’s Contender Series, and four UFC BJJ events. What the Apex does not host are the UFC’s numbered pay-per-view cards, such as UFC 300, which go to full-size arenas built for tens of thousands of fans.

UFC Apex vs a full-size UFC arena

A common point of confusion is why some UFC events look small and quiet while others fill a stadium. The answer is the venue. A numbered UFC card at a building like T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas plays to a crowd in the tens of thousands, with the roar that comes with it. An Apex card is a different animal, staged in a room that holds around a thousand people at most, with the intimacy and relative silence that a small space brings.

Feature	UFC Apex	Full-size UFC arena
Capacity	Around 1,000	15,000 to 20,000 or more
Cage size	25-foot Octagon	30-foot Octagon
Typical events	Fight Nights, Contender Series	Numbered pay-per-view cards
Atmosphere	Close, studio-style	Loud, large-event

The two serve different purposes. The Apex keeps production costs down and gives prospects a stage, while the arenas deliver the spectacle that headline events are built around.

Can you attend, and how much do tickets cost?

For most of its history, getting into the Apex was difficult and expensive. The venue ran on a limited, VIP-driven model, with a small number of high-priced seats and many complimentary tickets handed to guests of the promotion. That has changed. After a renovation that reopened the building in August 2026 and expanded seating to around 1,000, the UFC began selling tickets to the general public.

The clearest sign of the shift is price. The UFC put tickets for Season 10 of Dana White’s Contender Series on sale to the public for $25 through AXS, with a limit of eight per person, according to reporting from Hoodline in August 2026. Premium hospitality packages for Fight Night cards still exist through the UFC’s official VIP channel and cost considerably more, but the days of the Apex being closed to ordinary fans are over.

Why is it now called the Meta Apex?

The venue picked up a new name in January 2026. The UFC and Meta announced a five-year naming rights and branding partnership on January 14, 2026, and the building became the Meta Apex. The deal built on a relationship that started in 2025, when Meta became the UFC’s first official fan technology partner. As part of the agreement, Meta plans to use the venue to display its technology, including its work in AI, virtual reality, and smart glasses, and to build interactive spaces for fans inside the building. The venue is still widely referred to as the UFC Apex, and the two names point to the same place.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the UFC Apex?

The UFC Apex is at 6650 El Camino Road in Enterprise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Valley. It sits across the street from the UFC Performance Institute and is about ten minutes from the Las Vegas Strip.

How many people does the UFC Apex hold?

After its 2026 renovation, the Apex holds roughly 1,000 spectators. That makes it tiny compared with a standard UFC arena, which seats well over 15,000.

Why do UFC Apex fights use a smaller cage?

The Apex uses a 25-foot Octagon instead of the standard 30-foot version, mainly because the venue was built as a studio with limited floor space. The UFC also favors the smaller cage for the extra action it tends to produce.

Is the UFC Apex the same as the UFC Performance Institute?

No. They are two separate buildings across the street from each other. The Performance Institute is the UFC’s training and headquarters facility, while the Apex is the event and broadcast venue.

Is the UFC Apex now called the Meta Apex?

Yes. As of January 2026, the venue’s official name is the Meta Apex, under a naming rights deal with Meta. Many fans and outlets still call it the UFC Apex.

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Sources

1. Wikipedia. “UFC Apex.” Accessed August 2026.
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFC_Apex
2. UFC. “UFC and Meta announce naming rights partnership for Apex venue in Las Vegas.” January 14, 2026.
   https://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-and-meta-announce-naming-rights-partnership-apex-venue-las-vegas
3. Hollywood Reporter. “Meta Scores Naming Rights to UFC Apex Facility in Las Vegas.” January 14, 2026.
   https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/meta-apex-ufc-naming-rights-deal-las-vegas-1236473244/
4. Hoodline. “UFC’s Meta Apex doubles crowd size, sells $25 tickets to the public.” August 2026.
   https://hoodline.com/2026/08/ufc-s-meta-apex-doubles-crowd-size-sells-25-tickets-to-the-public/
5. Sportskeeda. “New study shows booking fights in smaller UFC octagon lead to increase in finishes.” (UFC Performance Institute study.)
   https://www.sportskeeda.com/mma/news-new-study-shows-booking-fights-smaller-ufc-octagon-lead-massive-increase-finishes
6. ESPN. “Why a small Octagon could decide Curtis Blaydes vs. Alexander Volkov.” (ESPN Stats & Information finish-rate data.)
   https://africa.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/29318795/ufc-fight-night-why-small-octagon-decide-curtis-blaydes-vs-alexander-volkov

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