'Vegas is back': After conclusion of UFC 264, Las Vegas is ready to go all in once again
LAS VEGAS — Most cities in the world have been greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, but for one built on tourism, Las Vegas was all but a ghost town in the past year.
“It was heartbreaking,” MGM Resorts Vice President Chris Baldizan told Paste BN. “It really kind of puts into perspective how important the human connection is.”
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority said tourism spending in Southern Nevada fell from $36.9 billion in 2019 to $17.6 billion in 2020 — a 52% decrease. Visitor volume also fell 55% to 19 million, the lowest annual total since 1989.
Even as Vegas began to have phased reopenings in recent months, the city was still missing its signature spark. That changed this past weekend when fans returned to the fight capital of the world for UFC 264.
The event was the first time fans were allowed to attend a UFC event in the city in more than a year, All fights in Vegas during the pandemic were held at the UFC Apex Center, a few minutes west of the strip. Rather than competing in an empty performance center, fans and celebrities filled up T-Mobile Arena with an attendance of 20,062, creating an electric environment the sport was missing for so long.
“The buzz and the energy here was awesome,” UFC president Dana White said after the event. He added the only issue leading up to the fight was having enough tickets for fans and celebrities.
The energy was building up throughout the week with fans allowed to see the Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor press conference and the ceremonial weigh-ins, regardless if they didn't have a ticket for Saturday night.
Justin Silva, 18, came early in the week with his family from Pleasanton, California, in order to soak in everything going on during fight week.
"I think it's more entertaining (to see the press conferences)," he said.
Breda Jones, 57, lives in Colorado but is from Crumlin Village, the same Dublin suburb McGregor is from. She went back home in June and said people there were already getting ready to go the fight.
"Everybody was hyped up for this," she said. "The Irish crowd are all here right now."
That energy wasn’t just contained inside the arena either. Outside T-Mobile Arena, fans gathered to take in the pre-fight festivities. Bars and restaurants up and down the strip were filled up, with several hosting watch parties that sold out in minutes.
“UFC, it's part of the fabric of Las Vegas,” Baldizan said. “It’s hard to really say the impact that UFC has had on the city because it's just enormous.“
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Having one of the biggest fights of the year was certainly going to elevate tourism, but the entertainment didn’t stop there. More than 65,000 people filled up nearby Allegiant Stadium for Garth Brooks’ concert on Saturday, Dave Chapelle and Joe Rogan held a show on Friday, and artists such as Bruno Mars returned to their residency.
While statistics aren't available for June, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority said tourism has doubled from January to May, with hotel occupancy going from 31.6% to 70.9% in that same time frame. Baldizan said the recent number of entertainment options available is not only bringing people back to the city, but at a volume that exceeds levels before the pandemic.
“The numbers that we're doing across all metrics are some of the highest in the history of the city,” he said. "These last couple weekends was just the essence of what Las Vegas is about and I think it's what people needed."
Even with more people coming to Vegas, risk remains with the spread of COVID-19. Those who are vaccinated aren’t required to wear masks inside casinos and at many venues, but those locations do not ask for proof of vaccination. T-Mobile Arena also adopted the same policy.
Clark County has a 9.7% positivity rate, with case numbers reaching highs last seen in March, according to Nevada's Department of Health and Human Servies. Even with the rise in cases, there seems to be no sign of Vegas going back to restrictions, and Baldizan believes good things are on the way.
“We feel like this is the beginning of the comeback and Vegas is back,” he said. “We see no reason why we should be turning back now.”
Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jord_mendoza.