APEX Events Continued as UFC Developed Its Venue Expansion
UFC staged an event at APEX on January 11, 2025, despite earlier reporting that renovations would close the venue from late 2024 until mid-2025. The completed Dern–Ribas card showed that the projected extended shutdown did not describe the schedule that followed.
The early report described an expansion
An August 2024 MMA Mania report discussed planned work after the season of Dana White’s Contender Series and the remaining November Fight Nights. Dana White described an expansion adding seating, bathrooms and hospitality facilities.
The report anticipated an extended period away from APEX events. UFC nevertheless returned there for its first card of 2025, with Mackenzie Dern facing Amanda Ribas in the headline bout.
A completed January event established continued use
Dern submitted Ribas with an armbar at 4:56 of the third round. UFC’s official results identified both the January 11 date and the Las Vegas APEX venue.
That result provides a clear point in the building’s event history while renovation plans were developing. Construction plans and the actual sequence of fight cards therefore need to be tracked separately.
Meta APEX followed in 2026
On January 14, 2026, UFC and Meta announced a naming-rights agreement for Meta APEX. The announcement described expanded seating for up to one thousand attendees, improved concessions, hospitality areas and a remodeled entrance.
UFC also said tickets would be available to the general public. The venue continued serving live events and broadcast production as the organization outlined the next stage of its expansion.
Sources
- MMA Mania: early closure forecast and expansion comments
- UFC: completed January 2025 APEX event
- UFC/Meta: January 2026 naming and renovation announcement
