As you would expect from a multi-billion-dollar brand like the UFC, their events are an awesome experience for all sports fans around the world, but what should you wear to a UFC event?
There is no dress code for UFC events, but most people dress smart if going to an after-party or sitting near the octagon; generally, the closer you sit, the smarter you dress. For men, this can be a shirt and tie, or even a tuxedo, for women, a dress and heels. But you can wear whatever you want.
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In this article we’ll cover what to wear for a UFC event, and when you may want to dress smart or casual.
But first, don’t buy any UFC tickets until you know where the best seats in the venue are for the best view into the octagon – discover where in our article: UFC Event: Where to Sit for the Best View.
Plus, do you need to be over 18 for a UFC event? Find out in our article: Are UFC Events Age Restricted 18+?
UFC Event: What To Wear
The UFC has come a long way from its early beginnings.
In the UFC’s early days, it was common to see their events being held in casino backrooms, filled with screaming fight fans wearing their favourite sports jerseys.
Nowadays though, the UFC are a high-end sporting league at the top of the global Mixed Martial Arts scene and frequently host their events at some of the world’s most prestigious venues.
In addition to the prestigious venues, UFC events are also now broadcast to millions of viewers watching at home.
Much like the big-name Boxing events, UFC events now regularly have a-list celebrities, sports stars, Hollywood actors, and even political powerhouses all in attendance at their events.
Meaning, at a UFC event, you just never know who you might bump into.
You may even end getting a snap with some big-name super stars, or being spotted on international Pay-Per-View TV as the UFC event is broadcast all around the world.
So its fair to say, you may want to dress smart for the occasion, but with that being said, you can dress casual and wear whatever you want.
| For Men (Smart) | For Women (Smart) |
| Tuxdeo/ Three-piece suit | Smart women’s suit |
| Shirt | Dress/ skirt |
| Tie/ Bow | Heels |
| Smart leather shoes/ dress shoes | |
| For Men (Casual) | For Women (Casual) |
| T-shirt/ hoody | T-shirt/ hoody |
| Jeans/ shorts | Jeans/ shorts |
| Trainers/ sneakers | Trainers/ sneakers |
“Some UFC events are held in prestigious venues and broadcast to millions of viewers around the world”
UFC Event: When To Dress Smart Or Casual
There are a couple of things to consider when choosing what to wear for a UFC event, and deciding whether to dress up and look your best, or dress down and go casual for the night.
They are:
- How close you’re sitting to the octagon
- The venue location & night-life after the fights
1. How Close You’re Sitting To The Octagon
How close you will be sitting to the UFC action inside the cage, is generally a good indicator as to how smart or casual you should choose to dress for the night.
The seating floor plans at UFC events can be categorized into three main areas:
- Lower floor seating (including cage side VIP seats)
- Middle tier
- Upper tier
The lower floor seating is the closest to the action, and the upper tier seats are the furthest away.
“Discover more about UFC seating & where to get the best view (including diagrams) in our article: UFC Event: Where to Sit to get the Best View”
Lower Floor Seats & VIP Cage Side
It’s fair to say that for most of us, we won’t have cage side seats because these are usually reserved by the UFC for VIP guests.
However, you may have seats located just a few rows back in the lower floor seating area.
Regardless of how close you are to the cage, for most people sitting in the lower floor seating areas, dressing smart for the occasion is a popular choice.
This is because, in these seating areas, it is very common to see all the big-name guests located here.
Think a-list celebrities, sports stars, Hollywood actors, and of course, other UFC fighters who are taking the night off to enjoy the fights too.
Plus, when you’re sitting that close to the octagon, you may get caught on camera and beamed out to millions of viewers watching around the world.
Which is why people sitting here choose to look their best.
Middle & Upper Tier Seating
For most of us, the middle and upper tier seating is where we are going to be located for the fights.
If this is where your seats are, this doesn’t mean you can’t get dressed up to look your best.
Even though you’ll be further back from the cage, it is still very common to see both men and women located in the middle and upper tier areas dressed to impress.
This is because you’re still sharing the prestigious venue with the big-names and never know who you may bump into on your way to the bar.
Plus, the camera crew regularly pan round with their cameras to get a shot of the crowd – meaning you still may be broadcast to millions of viewers watching on Pay-Per-View.
But also, for many people at a UFC event, regardless of where they’re sitting, the fights are only the beginning of the night for them before heading out for the city night-life or an after-party.
2. Venue Location & Night-Life After The Fights
As the UFC has grown into a global MMA brand, they have expanded their list of venues in which they host their live events.
Its common nowadays for the UFC to be in some of the worlds biggest cities including New York City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, London, Sydney, and so many more.
With that being said, when the last fight of the night ends, the army of UFC fight fans will exit the venue and join the city night-life to continue the party.
Therefore, the location of the venue you’re going to be watching the fights also plays a big part in how smart or causal you choose to dress for the event.
For example, if you’re in Vegas and planning to head into some casinos after the fights, a tuxedo is not going to look out of place.
Final Thought
The UFC do not have a dress code for their events, meaning you can wear whatever you want. If you want to dress casual and go in a t-shirt and jeans then you can do that.
Just keep in mind that if you’re planning to go to an after-party, some local bars, or the local night clubs after the fights finish, then most of these will have dress codes in place.
Discover more about UFC events in our other articles:
