UFC exec Dave Shaw reacts to record-breaking UFC on ESPN 64: ‘We have planted our flag’

MEXICO CITY – UFC on ESPN 64 was a record-breaking occasion for the promotion.

The occasion headlined by Brandon Moreno vs. Steve Erceg at Enviornment CDMX broke data for the UFC in Mexico because the promotion’s highest-grossing occasion within the nation and the highest-grossing occasion within the enviornment’s historical past.

It was a profitable evening by many measures, and the promotion hopes to go even greater when it returns to Mexico on September 13 for the third Noche UFC occasion, UFC 320 in Guadalajara. The UFC has not made two journeys to Mexico in a calendar 12 months in a decade, which is one thing that excites the UFC executives, together with Dave Shaw.

“It’s necessary for our technique in Mexico and Latin America for us to come back greater than as soon as,” Shaw informed MMA Junkie and different reporters at a post-fight information convention. “It’s additionally the one-year anniversary of our Efficiency Institute opening, which is an accolade and an accomplishment that our whole workforce has been actually happy with.

“We’ve planted our flag. We’re right here. If anybody was on the opening 12 months in the past, after which has returned at any level within the final 12 months, there’s been a whole lot of progress on the PI. … We’re thrilled. Two occasions in Mexico this 12 months, subsequent installment of Noche, as we’ve talked about, and additional success of the UFC Efficiency Institute right here.”

For the primary time since committing to the Noche UFC branding to rejoice Mexican Independence Day, the promotion will deliver the occasion to Mexico. The primary two occasions occurred in Las Vegas, at T-Cell Enviornment and Sphere. Enviornment Guadalajara is a model new venue within the metropolis that holds as much as 20,000 folks. Shaw says the promotion is happy to carry an occasion there early to spotlight the fighters from the area.

“Give it some thought – we’ve acquired our 42 occasions, and our occasions our pay-per-views and Battle Nights, and we’ve acquired all these different manufacturers that sit on prime of our occasions that assist exemplify the true state of athleticsm that our athletes deliver,” Shaw stated. “Contender Collection, Final Fighter, Highway to UFC, what we did with Battle Island, and now you’ve acquired this franchise model known as Noche.

“Bringing Noche to Mexico for the primary time is one thing that was actually necessary to Dana (White), necessary to (Craig) Borsari and plenty of the opposite members of our workforce. So I feel to come back again and rejoice Mexican tradition once more on the weekend of Independence Day is basically necessary for us.”

For extra on the cardboard, go to MMA Junkie’s occasion hub for UFC on ESPN 64.