$8.07 million: That's what the Smoothie King Center's ticket gross for Saturday's UFC 318.
That gate figure is a new record for the venue, and that, along with a sellout crowd of 18,138 fans, left a good impression on the mixed martial arts promotion's leaders who may be thinking about coming back to New Orleans.
"It always starts and ends with the number of tickets that you sell," Jay Cicero with the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation said. "(UFC President Dana White) said it was incredible. The sellout crowd, the enthusiasm of the crowd, the support, and the uniqueness of hosting his event in New Orleans really impress him."
According to Cicero, the UFC card attracted a huge out-of-town contingent.
"Sixty-five percent of the ticket purchasers were from outside of Louisiana," Cicero said.
Cicero says New Orleans is now in prime position to bid on--and win--future events owned by TKO holdings, including world championship boxing matches, WWE events, and, of course, UFC cards.
"I think this really puts a feather in our cap and shows them that New Orleans is not only an attraction for travelers to come to the city but our locals are also supporters and ticket buyers," Cicero said. "A hard sellout of over 18,000 people: I know the UFC was very pleased with that."
