WWE, UFC set to return to Perth for five events after agreement with WA Government

Western Australia will become the home of UFC and WWE in Australia after their owner TKO Group Holdings inked a quiet deal with the WA Government before it entered caretaker mode. The new contract is for five events in the next 18 months and has been kept secret until now. It was signed before the State election writs were issued on February 5, putting provisions into effect that would bar the Government from entering a new multi-million dollar deal. Under the previous agreement, RAC Arena will host a UFC Fight Night later this year, but they will now also host an additional four events. As part of the deal, RAC Arena will also be the venue for a bumper weekend of WWE action later this year with three nights of wrestling including a Friday night Smackdown, a premium live event and a Monday night Raw in prime time. The UFC will also return for a pay-per-view in 2026 — the fourth in Perth — at a date yet to be announced. It is the first deal of it’s kind from TKO for the Austral-Asian region. “The return of UFC and WWE in 2025 is a major coup for Western Australia, following the roaring success of UFC 284 and WWE Elimination Chamber that collectively injected nearly $50 million into our economy last year,” Premier Roger Cook said. “Both UFC and WWE have proven to be huge drawcards with a dedicated fan base, and we expect to see thousands of out-of-state visitors travel to Perth to attend these blockbusters.” The price tag is being kept under wraps but the State Budget includes $37 million to lure major events to WA. The Government has previously defended the use of taxpayers money, revealing a Coldplay concert, WWE and the FIFA Women’s World Cup injected $105 million into the economy in 2023-24. TKO executive vice-president of event development and operation Peter Dropick said Perth was “a world-class city, home to many passionate UFC and WWE fans” and that they were we’re thrilled to extend this partnership with the WA Government. “Perth’s tourism hospitality is second to none, and UFC and WWE will proudly showcase the city and its wonderful people to the world through our global broadcasts reaching over 975 million TV households across more than 170 countries. We thank Premier Cook and the WA Government for making this possible,” he said. Last year, the WWE brought its Elimination Chamber to Optus Stadium, with more than 52,000 people attending the first event in Australia since 2018. In August, the UFC returned to RAC Arena for its second event in two years with UFC 305 headlined by the middleweight championship bout, with South African star Dricus du Plessis retaining against Australian-based Israel Adesanya in front of more than 14,000 fans. Details for all five upcoming UFC and WWE events at RAC Arena, including ticket on-sale dates, bout cards and participating WWE superstars, will be announced in the months ahead.