UFC 216 Draws 10,638 To T-Mobile; Promotion Honors First Responders

UFC 216 last night was the promotion's seventh event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and "drew an announced attendance of 10,638 and a live gate of $677,999.50." The event "ranked sixth" in attendance among those seven shows (MMAJUNKIE.com, 10/8).

Last Sunday’s mass shooting "cast a wide shadow" over the first major event on the Las Vegas Strip since the tragedy. Before the main card began, two injured first responders and two survivors were "recognized in the octagon before Everlast performed 'America The Beautiful.'" UFC President Dana White also "made a statement in a video that played in the arena." UFC "provided free tickets to hundreds of first responders, law-enforcement agents and victims." The arena was "dotted with fans wearing 'Vegas Strong' shirts, and that message was also permanently and prominently displayed in the right corner of the pay-per-view broadcast" (LAS VEGAS SUN, 10/8). Everlast was "originally scheduled to perform 'The Star-Spangled Banner'" before UFC 216, but he "didn’t want to sing the words 'bombs bursting in air' in Las Vegas." He said that doing so "just felt wrong" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 10/8).