Dana White Expects to Hold More Frequent Events in Miami After Successful UFC 287

By most accounts, the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s first event in Miami since 2003 was a smashing success.

“There’s a new sheriff in town, ladies and gentlemen,” UFC president Dana White said at the UFC 287 post-fight press conference. “Miami beat [the last] Madison Square Garden [gate at UFC 281 in November] – last gate there was $11.5 [million] and it was the same [headliner]. Unbelievable. When you think that last time we came here, we did a gate of $446,000, and now we just beat Madison Square Garden.

UFC 287 at the Kaseya Center in Miami marked the promotion’s first venture to the city since UFC 42 in April 2003, when Matt Hughes defeated Sean Sherk in a welterweight title bout in the evening’s main event. This time around, Israel Adesanya provided an electric ending to the festivities with a second-round knockout of Alex Pereira.

While the action in the Octagon was memorable, White praised the city for providing a great atmosphere throughout fight week.

“I’ve been saying this all week: Miami reminds me of L.A. 10 years ago. This place is booming. I’m sure a lot of you are from here, but those of you that aren’t, I mean, every restaurant is packed till midnight, 1 in the morning, people out in the streets,” he said. “It’s just like this place is as cool and as hot and incredible as ever. I’m glad we came here. It was a cool experience.”

With that being said, it’s safe to say the UFC won’t be waiting another two decades to return to Miami. In fact, the city could be a regular destination in the years to come.

“We’re coming to Miami [on a regular basis],” White said. “This place is such a different place than the last time I was here. Obviously, I’m assuming a lot of this was built up during COVID and all the stuff that went on here. It’s just this whole place is at a whole other level. It’s incredible.

“Well, I don’t think I need to tell anybody at the office that we need to come back to Miami … It’s just such a great place to come. I’m sure those of you that came in town this week had a blast like I did. Ten years ago, L.A. was the greatest city in the world. I look at Miami now like L.A. was. This place is booming. This is a really cool city – tons of great restaurants, hotels, etc. When I opened this [press conference]: There’s a new sheriff in town now, man. I mean, this thing was looking like it was going to be right behind MSG and Vegas. It beat MSG, so we definitely made the right decision, and now we’ll figure out when to bring it down here again.”