Not even being a UFC champion could guarantee Aljamain Sterling a place in the T-Mobile Arena for UFC 296 in Las Vegas tonight. The UFC 296 is in full flow as Colby Covington sets his sights on defeating Leon Edwards for the UFC welterweight title in tonight’s main event. However, with the T-Mobile Arena packed with fans, it appears as if Sterling couldn’t get in despite having a ticket.
American MMA star Aljamain Sterling took to his X (formerly known as Twitter) account to express his disappointment in not being able to attend UFC 296. He wrote, “Just a bit annoyed that we found out our tickets were pulled, after arriving to the arena.” He further issued an apology to the fans present outside the arena who couldn’t click a picture with him.
Sorry to the fans asking to take pictures while we were stuck outside. Just a bit annoyed that we found out our tickets were pulled, after arriving to the arena. #UFC296 pic.twitter.com/d5VY10YmGG
— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) December 17, 2023
This incident, however, has gone down well with UFC fans. Several fans expressed their annoyance at how Sterling was treated, despite being a former UFC Bantamweight Champion. The American fighter even responded to some of the comments left on his post by various X users. One user asked him, “Wait so you literally can’t enter the arena”? To which, Sterling replied, “Literally, unless we try to buy some“.
Replying to another comment about how the UFC should arrange some tickets for Sterling, the latter wrote, “Pretty Wild.” Aljamain Sterling ultimately ended up watching UFC 296 at Flanker Kitchen, as revealed by the 34-year-old fighter on X. Nevertheless, while Sterling may have missed out, other high-profile celebrities like former US president Donald Trump and Hollywood A-lister Mark Wahlberg are in attendance for the event.
UFC 296 Ticket Sales and Reported Gate
Meanwhile, Dana White has revealed the expected gate and ticket sales for UFC 296. With two title fights on the line, UFC 296 will provide a perfect ending to this year. While Colby Covington challenges Leon Edwards for the welterweight title, Alexandre Pantoja will look to defend his flyweight title in a rematch against Brandon Royval.
Per @danawhite #UFC296 is a sell-out with a gate of $9.15 million
— Kevin Iole (@KevinI) December 16, 2023
The tickets for the event had a wide price range, going from as low as $350 to as high as $3000. The latest reports from StubHub showed that some tickets have been selling for a whopping $13,796. In addition to this, columnist Kevin Lole has reported that Dana White has revealed that all tickets for UFC 296 have been sold out. Last but not least, the ticket sales have generated a massive $9.15 million, as reported by Kevin Lole.