WWE could be getting a much bigger footprint in Las Vegas, and UFC is already looking at where to put it.
UFC owns roughly 70 acres of land near its Las Vegas headquarters, Performance Institute and Meta Apex facility, with around 35 acres still sitting undeveloped. Now according to Las Vegas Review Journal the company is putting together a master plan for the property, and WWE is specifically part of the conversation.
UFC senior executive vice president and COO Lawrence Epstein said the company wants the next phase of the campus to include several major additions, with WWE expansion directly on the table.
“We’re currently in the process of developing a master plan for this facility, which will include hopefully a lot of things, including a hotel, expansion with our TKO partner WWE, maybe additional collaborations with other sports and entertainment organizations here in Las Vegas.”
That’s the part that jumps off the page for WWE fans. UFC and WWE have been under the same TKO umbrella for years, but this would be another major step toward physically bringing the two companies closer together in Las Vegas. UFC already has its headquarters, training facility and Meta Apex on the property, while WWE could eventually get dedicated space of its own as part of the next buildout. Dana White made it clear the company isn’t close to being finished with the land.
“Like Lawrence said, we’re just getting started. We own a lot of the property around here, and we’re coming up with a master plan.”
UFC hopes to reveal more details about the campus expansion within the next several months, so there’s still no word on exactly what the WWE portion could include. It could be office space, training facilities, production space or something completely different, but Epstein specifically naming WWE shows the company is already part of the planning process.
The potential WWE expansion comes as UFC continues pouring money into the property. Meta Apex was recently upgraded to hold as many as 1,300 people, with retractable bleachers, a second-floor mezzanine, new kitchens, a redesigned entrance and larger LED screens. White has much bigger ambitions for the venue than simply hosting fights.
“When you think about the arenas in Las Vegas, you got the T-Mobile, Allegiant, MGM and other ones. There’s a new arena in town, and this is it. This arena can do anything. We can host anything here, from fights, comedy, concerts, tons of conventions that come in town. We’re capable of handling anything that comes our way.”
White also refused to rule out even more arena expansion down the line, pointing out that Meta Apex originally started as a studio before turning into something much larger.
“We just got this done. But yeah, I mean, who knows? This originally was supposed to be a studio for fights, and now we have an arena that we’re already talking about expanding, so who knows?”
For WWE, the biggest takeaway is simple: TKO is looking at its massive Las Vegas property and WWE is already being included in the blueprint. With half of the land still undeveloped, there’s plenty of room for the company to build something significant if those plans move forward.
What do you think WWE should build on the UFC campus in Las Vegas? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
