LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The KFC Yum! Center and the Ultimate Fighting Championship announced that Saturday night's Fight Night was a success and also set new records.
More than 19,000 people showed up to the event and brought in $2.5 million that night. This is the highest grossing UFC fight night of all time and the highest grossing sporting event in the KFC Yum! Center's history.
This is the first time the organization made it's return to Louisville after an 13-year hiatus.
The last match held in Louisville was on March 3, 2011 and it featured Diego Sanchez versus Martin Kampmann.
Saturday night’s headline match was Jared Cannonier versus Nassourdine Imavov.
Sandra Moran, the regional director of marketing for ASM Global, got to experience Imavov's victory for herself.
"Just kudos to our fans for showing up and showing that support," Moran said. "When you almost have 20,000 fans and people in the venue it's just special. Last night was very special for the city of Louisville."
Metro Louisville consistently keeps track of the tourism growth.
Last Tuesday, Mayor Craig Greenberg announced that the city itself contributed $4.2 billion to the state's $13.8 billion in tourism economy in 2023.
WHAS11 reached out to the mayor's office about this accomplishment.
In a statement they said, “From the greatest two minutes in sports, to NCAA and PGA Championships, and now UFC Fight Night’s highest grossing event ever, Louisville continues to show why we’re one of the country’s best cities for live sporting events. It was great to see so many people pack the Yum Center on Saturday, and we look forward to bringing UFC Fight Night back to our city in the future.”
"We already certainly told them we’ve got to talk about them coming back," Moran said. "I know that they do go into some markets multiple times once they have success there. So that’s what we’re hoping for."
Moran stated that about 60% of spectators were tourists from across the country and the world.
"Most of them, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Lexington are the next biggest," Moran said. "But they’re from all over. New York, Chicago, Los Angeles."
The records are proof that tourism is increasing in the Derby City.
WHAS11 also reached out to the Louisville Sports Commission about last night’s event.
In a statement they said, “"Last night, the KFC Yum! Center hosted the highest-grossing single-day sporting event in the arena’s history. UFC Fight Night delivered an electrifying experience for local fans, as well as those who traveled from around the world to be part of this event. Thanks to a strong partnership among ASM Global, Louisville Tourism and the Louisville Sports Commission, successfully hosting a world-class event such as UFC Fight Night reinforces our community’s reputation as a premier sports destination.”
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