This past Saturday’s UFC Mexico Fight Night was a wake-up call for Dana White and the suits at TKO. Fans did not fully embrace the Fight Night despite a strong fight card. With the promotion shelling out $60M for the White House, with no profits to be made, this type of reception is simply unacceptable, and they seem to have realized that.

While the UFC Mexico lineup lacked major global stars, it still highlighted several talented Mexican fighters, led by the Moreno vs. Kavanagh blockbuster. Even with the ongoing cartel war, the promotion ran the event successfully in Mexico City with added security.The 13-fight card produced six finishes, including standout debuts from a couple of rising Mexican talents. However, many fans skipped the event at Arena CDMX, leaving a significant number of tickets unsold. So, White and his team are taking strong actions and doing everything they can to ensure their next big event outside the country is successful.

UFC refines strategy after Mexico show underperforms

“For completists: Attendance for UFC Mexico: 16,454 (first non sellout in three years, little over 3,500 tickets unsold),” wrote Mexican journalist Rodrigo Del Campo González on X.

The promotion has not released the total gate yet, but the attendance of 16,454 fell short of the previous UFC Mexico event, UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs. Royval 2, which drew 19,731 fans, 3,277 more than this recent card. The ongoing tension between cartel groups and armed forces in western-central Mexico may also have contributed to the unsold tickets.

These developments raise concerns for the promotion as UFC looks to protect its events after the Mexico turnout. For its next overseas card, UFC Fight Night: Della Maddalena vs. Prates, scheduled for May 7 at RAC Arena in Perth, the organization is taking measures to avoid similar issues.

“The UFC Fight Night event in Perth will take place at prime time (Saturday night) in Australia, which likely means it will start very early on Saturday morning in North America,” wrote The Score’s MMA and boxing editor Nick Baldwin on X.

By scheduling the event during prime time in Perth, the UFC can align streaming services with Australian timing instead of U.S. schedules. This strategy, importantly, respects the local audience, especially since the event counts as an exclusive international show rather than a regular UFC card.

Additionally, the upcoming Perth event stems from a social agreement between TKO and the Western Australian government, finalized last year, which requires the UFC and WWE to hold events in the region throughout 2026. However, Dana White’s current focus is on the upcoming White House event.

Dana White confirms UFC White House card announcement for this week

The upcoming White House event promises to be arguably the biggest UFC event to date. It will coincide with Donald Trump’s 80th birthday and celebrate the 250th anniversary of America, so the hype is only growing. Last Friday, Dana White took to social media to announce some upcoming matchups, primarily the UFC 327 fights.

At the same time, he also addressed the most talked-about White House fight and promised to clear up any confusion.

“Actually, this week I should announce the White House fight. This week,“ revealed White.

In the same announcement, he stated that Alex Pereira would vacate his Light Heavyweight title and move up to the Heavyweight division. The UFC 327 main event would be between Jiri Prochazka and Carlos Ulberg for the vacant belt. This points to Pereira fighting at the White House, likely for an interim heavyweight belt against Ciryl Gane.

But the bigger fight is, without a doubt, against Jon Jones. As things stand, the superfight appears more likely than an interim fight. Jones confirmed recently that he was in negotiations with the UFC for the White House event. If things align, we get the superfight announcement this week, as White said.

This would, however, leave out Conor McGregor, the biggest name on the roster. According to Ariel Helwani, the UFC does not want to waste his star power on an event centered around the American identity. They would rather save him for the International Fight Week, where paying fans will shell out top dollar for a spot in the T-Mobile Arena to watch ‘The Notorious’ live.

The White House event will have limited seating capacity, and that already includes foreign dignitaries and the ultra-rich elite. Plus, TKO COO Mark Shapiro confirmed that they will not gain any profits from this one. They are shelling out almost $60M, three times what they spent for the Las Vegas Sphere event for this one-and-done fight night. Any revenue they earn will be from commercials.

Since the White House event is practically a non-profit event, it makes sense for the promotion to capitalize on the other shows, such as the Perth Fight. Night. That means they have to make sure to cater to the local audience, ensure maximum footfall, and sell out their arenas, even if it means inconveniencing the streaming US audience. Stay tuned for more updates.