Dana White has publicly acknowledged that the UFC Apex, one of the promotion’s most significant investments, was the brainchild of Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel. In a recent media session at the newly renovated Meta Apex in Las Vegas, the UFC president revealed the origin story behind the state-of-the-art facility.
“At the time when Ari wanted to do this, it seemed insa ne,” White admitted. “I didn’t know how we were going to pay for that building, let alone this building.”
The timing of Emanuel’s vision made the decision particularly risky. The Apex concept came immediately after Endeavor’s 2016 acquisition of the UFC, during a period of significant uncertainty for the organization. White recalled the skepticism surrounding the deal, noting that critics questioned whether Endeavor had overpaid and doubted the UFC’s ability to secure a new television contract after their Fox deal.
“We didn’t even have a TV deal then,” White said. “Everybody was talking about how Ari overpaid and this was ridiculous. People were talking about how we weren’t going to resign with Fox and all that stuff.”
Despite the financial pressure, Emanuel pushed forward with the ambitious project. White described the decision to purchase and develop such an expensive facility during that uncertain period as requiring significant courage.
“When you’re looking down the barrel of all of that, to make another big decision like this to buy a building this big and this expensive, it’s ballsy to say the least,” he stated.
The investment has proven worthwhile. The Apex became particularly valuable during the pandemic, allowing the UFC to continue operations when most sports organizations shut down completely. The facility has since evolved into a multi-purpose venue hosting not only UFC events but also the popular Dana White’s Contender Series.
The newly expanded Meta Apex features enhanced capabilities that White believes surpass anything available at Las Vegas casinos.
“If you need audio visual, there’s literally not a casino in town that can do what we can do here,” he said. The facility now offers convention space and entertainment options beyond combat sports.
