Before T-Mobile Arena became the UFC’s primary home in Las Vegas, MGM Grand Garden Arena was the historic stage for many of the promotion’s most important nights. Situated inside the MGM Grand hotel complex, the arena seats around 16,000 for combat sports and has hosted iconic boxing and MMA cards for decades. Its central Strip location and association with classic fight nights made it the natural base for the UFC through much of the 2000s and early 2010s.
Numerous landmark UFC events took place at MGM Grand Garden Arena, including title fights involving the three GOATs of MMA, Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva, and Jon Jones. Cards like UFC 52, UFC 66, UFC 100, and UFC 196 are woven into the sport’s history and helped propel the UFC from niche promotion to mainstream powerhouse. Even as T-Mobile Arena has taken over the biggest pay-per-views, MGM’s legacy remains central to the story of the promotion’s growth in Las Vegas.
Three biggest fights at MGM Grand Garden Arena
UFC 100: Lesnar vs. Mir 2 (July 11, 2009)
Card highlights
- Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir 2 (heavyweight title unification)
- Georges St-Pierre vs. Thiago Alves (welterweight title)
- Dan Henderson vs. Michael Bisping
Lesnar stopped Mir with ground-and-pound to unify the heavyweight belts, St-Pierre dominated Alves over five rounds, and Henderson’s knockout of Bisping became one of the most replayed finishes in UFC history.
UFC 196: McGregor vs. Diaz (March 5, 2016)
Card highlights
- Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz (welterweight)
- Holly Holm vs. Miesha Tate (women’s bantamweight title)
- Ilir Latifi vs. Gian Villante
Diaz weathered McGregor’s early offense and submitted him in the second round with a rear-naked choke to fuel on MMA’s greatest rivalries. Tate rallied late to choke out Holm and capture the bantamweight belt in a dramatic comeback.
UFC 189: Mendes vs. McGregor (July 11, 2015)
Card highlights
- Chad Mendes vs. Conor McGregor (interim featherweight title)
- Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald 2 (welterweight title)
- Dennis Bermudez vs. Jeremy Stephens
McGregor stopped Mendes with strikes near the end of round two to claim interim gold, and Lawler vs. MacDonald produced one of the bloodiest and most celebrated title fights in UFC history.
Information on MGM Grand Garden Arena events, seating, and amenities is available through MGM’s official website.