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Dana White says UFC would need $150 million backer to hold fights at Roman Colosseum
UFC president Dana White told MMA Mania the Roman Colosseum requires a $150 million payment to host fights. The sum would fund restoration of Italian sites, but the plan remains unrealized.
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Dana White said the UFC would need a backer willing to spend $150 million before the promotion could stage fights inside the Roman Colosseum. White told MMA Mania after UFC Vegas 119 that the historic venue demanded that figure during talks over a proposed bout between Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. The funds would have gone toward restoring iconic sites across Italy.
That fight never took place, and neither did the Colosseum event. White said the Colosseum would take Zuckerberg fighting Musk for it to happen because those two were going to put up the money. He added that anybody who puts up the money for the UFC to fight in the Colosseum, he is in.
When gladiatorial games ended. White has overseen recent spectacle events at the Las Vegas Sphere and the White House, which have prompted speculation about another one-off location. When asked about Rome, White called it impossible under normal circumstances.
No timeline exists for a potential Rome show, and UFC's 2026 schedule is already packed with stadium dates.
