Whatever your familiarity with UFC may be, the event itself was a magnificent production effort.
After 12 months of planning and 33 days spent building and breaking down three separate locations, the Lincoln Memorial, the Ellipse, and the Octagon, the scale of the project was hard to ignore. The event brought together more than 2,000 companies and cost $60 million to put on. And, as if the logistics needed another Jenga block added to the stack, it all happened during a heat wave.
Dana White has already stated on the record that he would never repeat the event due to its logistical complexity.
For me, it ultimately resulted in making great connections, gaining a new perspective, and walking away with a story I will be telling for a long time.
Sometimes, getting into the thick of a project helps clear your head of the assumptions you build around your own work. Being part of such a huge production forces you to evaluate your role, understand your value, and see how your small piece fits into a much larger puzzle.
That was probably the biggest takeaway for me. On productions of this size, no role exists in isolation. Every person, every department, every decision, and every small adjustment matters. It was a reminder that even when your piece of the puzzle feels small, it is still part of what makes the whole thing possible. And I got a photo with Merab Dvalishvili!
