International Fight Week
UFC X Takes Over International Fight Week 2023
Thousands of UFC fans flocked to the Las Vegas Convention Center on Friday, July 7
For yet another International Fight Week, UFC X returned to the Las Vegas Convention Center on July 7, with thousands of fight fans joining a star-studded cast of legends at the event.
This time around, it was bigger and better than ever before.
Familiar faces and exciting experiences waited around every corner of the Las Vegas Convention Center’s South Hall on Friday. The day started with Project Rock’s Morning Grind, featuring lightweight contender and The Ultimate Fighter Season 31 coach Michael Chandler answering questions from the crowd at 10am on the main stage.
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Following Chandler on the main stage were 2023 UFC Hall of Fame class inductees Jose Aldo, Cowboy Cerrone, Jens Pulver, fresh from Thursday night’s ceremony, as well as Class of 2016 member Minotauro Nogueira. Fans in the crowd had the chance to ask questions to these four legends during the panel which was broadcast live on SiriusXM.
The main stage was far from the only opportunity fans had to interact with their favorite UFC stars. Meet and greets and autograph sessions attracted crowds all day long, with current titleholders Israel Adesanya and Aljamain Sterling highlighting a mix of current UFC contenders and all-time greats who attendees had an opportunity to interact with up close and personal.
Fans from all around the world can usually only dream of getting to meet their favorite UFC stars. At UFC X, those dreams turn into a reality.
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“It’s sick; I got some free shirts, and the atmosphere is so nice,” Gavin Burmachek, a fan who traveled to Las Vegas from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, said. “I really liked watching the weigh-ins and I’m looking forward to watching the fights.”
The experience was just as memorable and exciting for the athletes as it was for the fans.
“It’s been good. I love International Fight Week. I think this is an excellent opportunity for the fans,” UFC featherweight contender Raquel Pennington said. “I absolutely love interacting with my fans, it’s one of my favorite things, especially the younger generation. I think it’s a really cool thing that the UFC puts this on.”
Interactions with their favorite athletes weren’t the only thing that fans got to enjoy at UFC X. Interactive events and experiences covered the South Hall. Everything from a mechanical bull to arcade and party games were enjoyed by fans all day long. Also available to fans was the UFC Store, including unique UFC X and International Fight Week merchandise, as well as limited memorabilia such as a random autographed event poster.
The UFC Journey was a highlight of the afternoon for many fans. This interactive exhibit took fans through the full experience of a fighter, including taping their hands, posing for a poster, entering a real UFC Octagon for a photo op, weigh-in, and raising the belt like a real UFC champion. A section modeled after Dana White’s War Room, where fans could move around fighters’ names on a board and create their dream bouts like a UFC matchmaker, was also a hit amongst fans in this area.
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Friday’s festivities were just the start of the UFC X experience, with even more exciting events planned for day two of the event. New experiences on the second day of UFC X include meet and greets with Chuck Liddell, Charles Oilveira, and Jose Aldo, the UFC 290 predictions show, a Q&A session with Jamahal Hill, and a live stream of the UFC 290 prelims to close out the day.
UFC X will be open for day two on Saturday, July 8 from 9am through 5pm, where you can catch up on all the action at UFC's premier International Fight Week event.
