UFC creates fan-friendly event

Fans from all over the world flock to the site of the Super Bowl each year even without tickets to the game just to be a part of all the hoopla and peripheral festivities going on around town.

That's precisely the type of atmosphere the Ultimate Fighting Championship will try to create each year around its traditional Fourth of July weekend card in Las Vegas with the introduction of International Fight Week, which starts Tuesday in advance of Saturday's UFC 148 card at the MGM Grand Garden.

"It doesn't matter where (the Super Bowl) is in the country, that brings in thousands and thousands of people to that event above and beyond what they are putting in the stadium. And we knew instinctively that our fan base was even more of a core fan base and more ardent supporters of what we do," said Bryan Johnston, the UFC's chief marketing officer. "We felt like if we built out this entire week of events for them, it was not only a way of cementing our relationship with Las Vegas but really our way of giving back to our fans that support us 12 months out of the year and have supported us for many years."

After a Tuesday news conference at Palazzo to kick off the week, there will be fighter appearances and events at Encore, Palms, Cosmopolitan, Wynn and the Fremont Street Experience downtown. The week culminates with the two-day Fan Expo at Mandalay Bay - where 50,000 to 60,000 fans are expected between Friday and Saturday - and of course, the main event fight between Chael Sonnen and middleweight champion Anderson Silva at the MGM Grand Garden on Saturday night.

The UFC, which is partnering with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, drew inspiration from close to home for the weeklong schedule of events.

Johnston said close attention was paid to how events such as the National Finals Rodeo incorporate the entire city into the festivities.

"Our objective as an organization is to promote the entire destination, so we thought between (all those venues), as much of the destination as we can get people to see, the better it is for promoting the destination," said Jeremy Handel, a spokesman for the LVCVA. "(International Fight Week) fits right in with our strategy that we're trying to do these themed weeks and weekends during downtimes, the biggest example being Halloween, which we do Hallo-week. Partnering with the UFC for this fight week was really a natural fit for that strategy."

As the UFC has continued to expand internationally into such new markets as Australia, Brazil, Canada and much of Europe, some local fans have feared fewer cards would be held in the UFC's headquarters of Las Vegas.

There is little chance, however, of the city losing its grip on the major mid-summer card that has become a tradition for the organization.

"The way it works out is we don't really have a season. Our sport goes 12 months out of the year. For whatever reason, the summer months end up in a lot of ways becoming the focus of a lot of major fights, and July Fourth weekend in Las Vegas has always been a marquee event for the UFC," Johnston said. "The city has been very good to us and embraced the UFC, and at the same time we feel we are a very significant economic factor in the success of Las Vegas."

According to a study commissioned by the UFC, the organization's events attract visitors who come to Las Vegas more often, have higher incomes, and arrive with larger gaming and non-gaming budgets than the average Las Vegas tourist. Visitors are expected from all over the world this week, particularly from Silva's home country of Brazil.

"The UFC is an international brand and Las Vegas is obviously an international brand, so there's a natural tie," Handel said.

Johnston says plans are already being laid out for International Fight Week in 2013 and 2014, leaving no question about the UFC's commitment to Las Vegas.

"I'm one of these people who's fortunate enough to travel around the world and I've been to just about every city you can go," UFC president and longtime Las Vegan Dana White said. "I've never been to a city where I said, 'I wish I could stay here.' I always can't wait to get back to Las Vegas. It's the perfect place for an event like this.

"You get to do all the interactive stuff with the UFC, plus the pools, the weather, the casinos, the nightlife, the restaurants, shopping ... the list goes on forever. There's never a dull moment. There's always something exciting and fun to do, and if you're going to go somewhere on vacation, I honestly and truly believe there's nowhere better on the planet."

As for which of the many events will be the highlight of the week, White didn't hesitate.

"It's always an easy one for me. I'm excited for the (main event)," White said. "You know what, I'm really looking forward to the press conference on Tuesday, too. I'm a huge fight fan and this fight really excites me."

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj.