UFC Seats: Get the Best View (where to sit?)

Before you buy your UFC tickets, where is the best place to sit to get the best view at a UFC event?

UFC seats in the middle and upper tiers give you the clearest view into the octagon and of the big screens in the arena; with less obstruction from people in front and camera operators standing around the cage. The lower floor seats are closer to the action but your line of sight is more obstructed.

Let’s look at what else will affect your view, including:

• The seating tiers (levels)
• Your seat’s distance from the octagon
• Your line of sight to the octagon and to the big screens

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UFC Seating for the Best View

At a live UFC event the seating plans are laid out in three main sections.

1. Lower (floor and cage side seating, nearest the cage)
2. Middle tier (behind the lower floor seats and raised above)
3. Upper tier (furthest away and raised above all other seats)

Here’s how the different sections look from above:

Here’s how the side view layout looks.

Including each tier’s line of sight into the octagon:

UFC Seating: Key Points

• UFC camera operators will be standing around the sides of the octagon recording the action

• The angle from which you’re viewing the fights, will determine how obstructed your view is by the camera operators

• The octagon is slightly raised off the floor level – meaning, from the floor seats you’ll be watching the fights through the cage walls

• Floor seating near to the octagon offer the best views but with the highest prices

• Floor seating further away from the octagon have more people sitting in front – meaning you have more heads to look over to see the action

• Middle and upper tier seats offer a clearer line of sight which is angled over the top of people’s heads and over the cage walls

• The higher the angle – the clearer view you’ll have looking over the cage walls and down into the octagon

• However, the further you move back from the octagon, the smaller the fights start to appear in the cage – meaning you may watch the big screens more than the live fights (depending on the size of the arena)

• All seats normally have a clear line of sight to the big screens located around the arena

Middle tier seating offers the perfect balance between your distance, and your line of sight to the octagon.

Lower Floor Seating

• Distance from Octagon: The lower floor sitting areas are the nearest to the action or can even be located cage side if you have a VIP pass.

• Line of Sight: The octagon is slightly raised above the floor seats, with everyone looking up at the octagon from the same level. Meaning, you may find your view is obstructed by people sitting or standing in front of you and you will be watching the fights over people’s heads. On the lower floor tier, the closer you are to the octagon, the better your view will be.

It is also important to note that you will be watching the fights through the cage walls and during the fights there will also be camera operators standing on some of the octagon corners which can obstruct your view.

If you find your view through the side of the cage walls is being obstructed, then you may find yourself looking around the arena for the big screens.

Big screens are usually located around the outside of the arena, and also above the octagon.

The floor seats nearest to the octagon are usually reserved for the guest and VIP ticket holders.

Alongside those, the floor seating is where the fighter’s families, UFC staff, celebrities and media personnel will all be located.

“On the lower floor tier, the closer you are to the octagon, the better your view will be.”

Middle Tier

• Distance from Octagon: Middle tier seating is located further back than the floor seating and is raised up higher.

• Line of Sight: Because of the middle tier’s raised level, you are looking over the heads of the people in front of you and are able to see better over the side of the cage walls, meaning the fight can be less obstructed. However, this depends on how far up in the tier you sit, in the middle tier, the higher angle you are looking down into the octagon from, the better.

From the middle tier seats, you will be looking down at an angle towards the octagon meaning your line of sight is less obstructed by the people sitting in front of you and the cage walls.

The middle tier seating gives you a clearer view into the octagon and also a clear line of sight to the big screen above the octagon.  

Middle tier seating is very popular with UFC fans and they usually sell out fast.

“In the middle tier, the higher angle you are looking down into the octagon from, the better.”

Upper Tier

• Distance from Octagon – Upper tier seating is located the furthest away from the octagon than all the other seats and are the highest seats in the arena.

• Line of sight – Because of the upper tier’s hight, they offer the clearest view into the octagon. However, because you are located further away, the fighters can appear very small inside the cage. Meaning, you may find that you’re watching the fights on the big screen, more than in the octagon.

From the upper tier’s raised elevation, you will be looking down into the octagon from the highest angle, meaning you’ll have the clearest line of sight of the action over the cage walls and over the camera operators around the octagon.

However, because you’re so far back from the cage, the fighters can appear very small and you may spend more time watching the big screens than the real fight.

This depends on the size of the arena though – the bigger the arena, the smaller the fights will appear from the upper tier seats.

“You may spend more time watching the big screens than the real fight.”

Check the Arena’s Seating Plan

Each arena has different floor plans and seating layouts – meaning not all seats in the same tier will be the same distance from the octagon, and with the same line of sight.

Take a look at this diagram for an example of the same tier seating, but at different distances from the octagon, with different lines of sight.

This is why it is important to check the arena’s seating plan.

The seating plan should be available on the ticket website you are making your purchase from.

The difference in the distance and line of sight are usually reflected in the price of your ticket – regardless of whether or not they’re in the same tier.

Do you need to be over 18 for a UFC event? Check out our article: Are UFC Events Age Restricted (18+)?