The O2 Arena is one of the largest arenas in Europe, and this year, in March, it will host the UFC 286 event. It is an American-style arena with a capacity of 20,000.
The UFC O2 Arena is one of the premier venues in London for world-class UFC events. Located near the heart of London, this arena provides a great atmosphere to watch UFC fights live.
The UFC 286 event will be held at the UFC O2 Arena. Learn everything about UFC O2 Arena in this article.
What is O2 Arena?
The O2 Arena is an indoor multi-purpose arena located in southeast London, England, on the Greenwich Peninsula.
The arena is London’s first and follows the American style. The total construction cost of this arena was £789 million, which is about £1.45 billion in 2023 pounds.
A Brief History of the O2 Arena
- It is among one of the largest arenas in Europe with a 20000 capacity.
- The arena was constructed from 2003 to 2007.
- This arena was built without cranes, as a crane couldn’t be used inside the dome. During the construction of the dome structure, the arena’s roof was built on the ground and lifted into place.
- It is possible to modify the seating arrangement throughout the entire arena. In many ways, it resembles the Manchester Evening News Arena.
- Depending on the needs, the ground surface can also be used as an ice rink, basketball court, exhibition space, conference venue, venue for private hire, and concert venue.
- This is one of the busiest venues in the world, overtaking Manchester’s MEN Arena regarding the number of visitors.
What Events Do They Show at O2 Arena?
- The first sporting event in the O2 arena was a boxing event named Commonwealth Boxing Lightweight Championships. It happened back on July 14, 2007, and features Amir Khan.
- The arena hosted Andy Murray’s first-ever Turbo Tennis Tournament on 15th September 2007.
- The O2 Arena has also been used by WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) for its television shows like Raw and Smackdown.
- The 2012 Summer Olympic games took place here as well. As per the venue’s schedule, it was planned to host the finals for artistic gymnastics and basketball, which will have a capacity of 16500 and 20,000, respectively.
- Back in 2009, this venue hosted UFC 95 event.
Everything You Need to Know About the O2 Arena
The UFC event will return to the UK after six long years. It is confirmed that London’s O2 Arena will host the UFC 286 event in 2023.
This event is scheduled to happen on Saturday, March 18. This will be a pretty exciting pay-per-view event, as there will be two sold-out shows.
There are a couple of ways to get there. You can go there by public transportation, private car, taxi, or walking.
You can take public transport from the nearest tube station, North Greenwich, on the Jubilee line. You can take the subway, or the Line 188 bus, both of which will take you there.
This annual trip to British Capital excites many fans, and this effect is shown in ticket sales.
UFC 286 is expected to be one of the most popular card announcements in recent years, and ticket interest will likely surpass previous records.
It is expected to have more than 20,000 seats inside the arena.
To gain priority access to UFC 286, UFC fans are encouraged to visit UFC.com and sign up to register their interest in UFC 286 early. The ticket sale started back in January.
The O2 Arena’s Main Functions and Events
There is no official announcement regarding the matches that will happen in the O2 Arena. However, there are a lot of rumors going around about which matches could happen.
According to Dana White’s hint, the most anticipated fight on the card is Edwards-Usman in the welterweight division.
It will be the famous rematch of last year’s event in Utah, which saw Leon Edwards defeat Kamaru Usman in a knockout to become Great Britain’s second-ever UFC champion.
Wigan heavyweight Tom Aspinall fought in both UFC London main events in 2022, submitting veteran Alexander Volkov in March and suffering a knee injury in July. Although he could be a great contender, he is not expected to recover in time for the event fully.
Darren Till and Paddy Pimblett hail from Liverpool and are expected to be in this event.
Another possibility is for Molly McCann, one of the best fighters in the women’s flyweight division, to appear.
Visit UFC.com for more information regarding any announcements and to sign up for ticket alerts for UFC 286.
Conclusion
There is no better place to experience mixed martial arts and UFC fights than the UFC O2 Arena. Fans can enjoy the fight in style at the venue because it provides a comfortable and modern atmosphere.
In addition to having a large seating capacity, the knowledgeable staff ensures your experience is enjoyable. Hence, UFC O2 Arena is the perfect place to watch UFC fights in London.
