The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is the largest Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion company in the world. UFC events feature professional MMA fighters competing inside the UFC’s trademarked octagonal cage. UFC events draw huge crowds to arenas around the world, with the excitement peaking for those seated in the coveted ringside seats.
What are ringside seats?
Ringside seats at UFC events refer to the seats that are situated around the perimeter of the octagon cage. These seats typically offer an up-close, unobstructed view of the MMA action for fans in attendance. The most sought-after ringside seats are those that sit directly alongside the octagon cage walls. These seats allow fans to be just feet away from the fighters competing inside the cage.
Why are ringside UFC tickets so expensive?
There are a few key reasons why ringside tickets demand such a high price for UFC events:
- Prime Viewing – Ringside seats offer the best possible view of fights. Fans can see facial expressions, grappling transitions, submission attempts, and knockouts up close.
- Exclusivity – There are very limited ringside seats available at each arena. High demand and low supply drives up costs.
- Experience – Ringside seats provide an electric experience with sights, sounds, and energy mere feet from the action.
- Status Symbol – Ringside seats are seen as a status symbol and luxury purchase for many UFC fans.
- Cage Interaction – Those sitting ringside may be acknowledged or even touched by fighters before or after fights.
How much do UFC ringside tickets cost?
The cost of ringside tickets at UFC events can vary substantially based on the scale and prominence of the event. Generally speaking, UFC ringside seats carry the following typical price points:
- UFC Fight Night events – $500-$1,500 per seat
- UFC Pay-Per-View events – $1,500 – $5,000+ per seat
- UFC International Fight Week/Major Events – $5,000-$10,000+ per seat
Ticket prices frequently exceed the upper limits of these ranges for the biggest UFC cards, particularly when purchased resale on secondary markets. Ringside resale prices often reach into five figures for UFC’s mega-events.
Sample Ringside Ticket Prices for Recent UFC Events
| UFC Event | Location | Ringside Face Value Price Range |
|---|---|---|
| UFC 282 | Las Vegas, NV | $1,500 – $2,500 |
| UFC 281 | New York, NY | $5,000 – $7,500 |
| UFC 280 | Abu Dhabi, UAE | $10,000+ |
| UFC 279 | Las Vegas, NV | $1,000 – $1,500 |
As shown above, the price of ringside seats varies significantly depending on the scale of the event. Marquee UFC cards at premium venues demand the highest ticket prices. International destination events also drive up ringside pricing due to increased travel costs for fans.
How do ringside prices compare to other ticket prices?
The premium price of UFC ringside tickets becomes very apparent when comparing against pricing for seats in other sections:
| UFC Seat Location | Sample Price Range |
|---|---|
| Ringside | $500 – $10,000+ |
| Floor Seats | $250 – $1,000 |
| Lower Bowl | $100 – $500 |
| Upper Bowl | $50 – $250 |
Ringside seats commonly cost 5-10x as much as seats in the upper bowl at the same event. The exponential price increase for ringside reflects the small supply and sheer demand for the most coveted seats in the house.
Ringside prices for other major MMA promotions
While the UFC is the MMA industry leader, there are a number of other major promotions that also host events with ringside seating:
- Bellator MMA – Ringside usually $300-$1,000
- PFL – Ringside typically around $500-$1,500
- ONE Championship – Ringside pricing $1,000-$2,500 range
Ringside pricing follows the same dynamics for these promotions, with premium prices charged for limited seats offering proximity to the action. However, the baseline pricing is generally lower than UFC ringside since these are smaller promotions.
Getting octagon-side seats at UFC events
Here are some tips for fans hoping to secure the most coveted octagon-side seats at UFC events:
- Buy during presales – Purchase tickets early before the best seats are snatched up.
- Join Fight Club – UFC’s official fan club gets exclusive presale ticket access.
- Buy resale – Be prepared to pay a premium over face value from resellers.
- Experience packages – All-inclusive packages with top seats are sold via UFC’s website.
- Get to know fighters – Having connections to fighters may lead to seat access.
- Corporate packages – Deep-pocketed corporate donors may be offered octagon-side seats.
Ringside seats are in extremely high demand from MMA fans, celebrities, high rollers and corporate partners. Securing this prime real estate remains an immense challenge. Persistence, connections and budget are key factors in getting a spot at the most coveted tables in MMA.
Conclusion
Ringside seats at UFC events offer the most electrifying and exclusive experience in MMA fandom. With availability severely limited and demand constantly high, ringside ticket costs regularly match the premier status of the seating. While pricing fluctuates broadly, ringside seats commonly run from $500 to well over $10,000 depending on the magnitude of the event. Ringside seating dwarfs pricing for all other ticket locations within UFC arenas. For the hardcore fans with deep pockets, ringside seats provide the only way to be merely feet away from the hard-hitting action inside the octagon.
