Back in March, the president and COO of TKO Holdings, Mark Shapiro, went head over heels regarding the Apex. He claimed, “When you’re watching on TV, you can’t tell if you’re in a stadium or an arena or you’re at the small but mighty Apex we have in Vegas.” Needless to say, the Apex helped Dana White and Company in a lot of ways. Whether it was saving the fight promotion during the COVID-19 pandemic or saving money on event production, Apex was always by White’s side. However, some of the fight fans believe that a smaller Octagon is no fun. 

The Octagon at Apex is 25 feet wide, while the standard Octagon is 5 feet wider. This smaller size pushes the fighters to compete with high-volume attacks at a significantly faster pace. No wonder we’ve seen so many finishes at the Apex. But the UFC head honcho wanted to thank the building for having his back during the pandemic. And for that, he dropped in around $20 million and renovated the venue. The Apex now has more capacity (about 1000 people), more bathrooms and restrooms, and better food and parking service. But was it enough for the fans? 

MMA History Today recently took to Instagram and shared a peculiar post. The post showed an image of the Apex Octagon. And the caption read, “The UFC Apex served its purpose in 2020 when the world shut down. It’s now 2025. The only purpose that it now serves is saving on production costs while TKO looks to secure site fees for UFC Fight Night events. This place is killing the atmosphere of a sport that’s largely based on atmosphere.” Well, the TKO officials did claim that fewer Fight Nights will be featured at the Apex. But that’s just what it has become. A venue for Fight Nights. 

Soon after the post went online on Instagram, the fighting realm took to the comments section to reveal their thoughts. And it seemed like the fans were split into factions. Of course, there were some who supported the venue. But many others kept attacking the Apex. Let’s see what the fighting community had to say.

Fans stand against Dana White’s Apex for this reason

Most fans began thinking of the fighters unable to get the fandom they desired or deserved at the Apex. A smaller crowd meant fewer people cheering for the fighter. And mixed martial artists often join the UFC for the kind of attention it attracts. The small crowd certainly fails to do that. One of the fans weighed in on this and wrote, “yall ain’t thinking about the fighters perspective. imagine working up your entire career to make it into the UFC. you get a 4 fight contract and likely 3-4 of those are apex prelims. it’s s—– for everyone involved.” Another fan commented, “It’s hard to support UFC and WWE under TKO ownership. Both products feel soulless.”

Meanwhile, some of the fans tried to pinpoint the problem. And they reached the conclusion that it was all because of poor matchmaking. One of the fans claimed, “The problem is the fights. These cards absolutely suck.” A few others claimed that the venue should be used for Dana White’s Contender Series and The Ultimate Fighter. One of the comments read, “Perfect for DWCS and TUF but they shouldnt still be holding real cards there.” Another fan wrote, “IDK why apex is used for anything other than DWCS.”

However, the Apex also received quite a bit of praise. With fewer people in attendance, the fights at Apex were better audible. Just like Maycee Barber recently said, one could definitely hear the shots landing on the fighters’ bodies. And that excited the fighting realm. One of the fans reflected on this and wrote, “I kind of like it you can hear the shots better.” Another fan added, “From viewer perspective, apex is much better, can hear the shots, adds to the experience well. Crowd is irreverent, they can be anywhere for all I care if it’s super loud it’s the same.”

But what do you think of the Apex? Do you believe we can get a better venue for Fight Nights? Let us know what you think of the UFC’s own venue in the comments down below.