MELBOURNE, Australia
The UFC’s first event at massive Etihad Stadium in Melbourne already has been a record setter, requiring some of the largest volumes of production equipment and engineering in the company’s history to set up UFC 193 for a worldwide audience.
A day before weigh-ins, Tim O’Toole, the UFC Senior Vice President, Event Production, took stock of the traveling road show overtaking the Etihad Stadium infrastructure – in particular, the sheer amount of equipment hanging from the structure’s enormous roof.
“In the 15-year history of this stadium, we have the most rigging points of any event that has come in here, and the most tonnage hanging from their roof,” O’Toole said. “Over 70 tons of production equipment is hanging from their roof, and we have over 250 rigging points, which is the most that’s ever been done here.”
Considering 75 rigging points for equipment is typical for most UFC events, the heaviest weight load ever at Etihad Stadium will be something to see, in addition to the stacked fight card.
Seven trucks were required to bring in the 939 lights that will blaze at Etihad, and five cargo shipping containers from Los Angeles helped transport the speaker cases and cabinets.
Also imported from L.A.: a 44-foot by 26-foot center-hung LED display screen, also used by entertainer Taylor Swift in her live shows.
O’Toole said outfitting Etihad Stadium has required four trips from Las Vegas to Melbourne, as well as 22 trucks locally to haul equipment starting Nov. 9, and more than 435 local workers to get the venue ready.
Here’s a look at some of the production numbers for UFC 193:
Rigging, Lighting, Speakers
- 250 rigging points (75 for a typical UFC event) – most ever used at a show in Etihad Stadium in its 15-year history
- 70+ tons of production equipment hanging from the roof – heaviest weight load ever used at Etihad Stadium
- 2,000 feet of trussing
- 7 trucks for all of the lighting
- 939 lights
- 6 x 400 Amp services
- 128 speakers cabinets
- 115 cases in the center-hung display screen, shipped in five cargo shipping containers from Los Angeles
- 8 hours to install the center-hung display screen
Screens
- LED center-hung display is 44’x26’
- 504 panels total = 126/side = 21/row @ 6 rows/side
- 9mm resolution
- 2 Corner LED screens to match the screens already in venue
- 18’ x 32’ / 144 panels each @ 7mm resolution
- 4 projection screens 26’ x 15’ with 20,000 lumens projectors
- 3 projection screens 26’ x 15’ for the weigh in
Octagon
- 10 people to build, including two UFC staffers
TV Production
- 11 Hours of live TV production + 20 more hours in French, Spanish and Portuguese
- 120 TV Crew onsite on event day
- 2 TV Trucks, 2 satellite trucks, 6 editors
Nancy Gay is the Editor-in-Chief of UFC.com. Follow her on Twitter at @NancyGay