--- title: Noche UFC | 7th Hashtag Sports Awards description: Global awards recognizing excellence in fan engagement and celebrating creativity across sports marketing, media & entertainment image: https://www.hashtagsports.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Assets-AF-2025/geZvlrVq-wen3ok2XTZ-file.jpg --- Noche UFC | 7th Hashtag Sports Awards [The 7th Annual Awards](https://www.hashtagsports.com/awards/shortlist-2025?hsLang=en) # Noche UFC [UFC](https://www.ufc.com/) ![trophy-icon-silver](https://www.hashtagsports.com/hubfs/brand/trophy-icon-silver.svg) Hashie Winner - Excellence in Latinx & Hispanic Storytelling Share [** ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hashtagsports.com%2Fawards%2Fshortlist-2025%2Fnoche-ufc) [** ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hashtagsports.com%2Fawards%2Fshortlist-2025%2Fnoche-ufc&text=Noche+UFC+%7C+7th+Hashtag+Sports+Awards) [** ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hashtagsports.com%2Fawards%2Fshortlist-2025%2Fnoche-ufc) ABOUT THIS ENTRY Noche UFC was a groundbreaking celebration of Mexican Independence Day weekend, blending cultural authenticity, cutting-edge technology, and immersive fan engagement. As the first live sporting event at Sphere Las Vegas, UFC delivered a visually stunning and deeply meaningful experience through a six-chapter film, For Mexico, For All Time, which honored Mexico’s history, mythology, and fighting spirit. The event set multiple records, including the highest-grossing UFC event ever ($22M), while engaging fans through in-person activations, digital storytelling, and innovative broadcast integrations. Noche UFC redefined sports entertainment, setting a new standard for excellence in engagement. ![Image](https://www.hashtagsports.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Assets-AF-2025/geZvlrVq-wen3ok2XTZ-file.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&name=geZvlrVq-wen3ok2XTZ-file.jpg) How does this represent "Excellence in Engagement"? Noche UFC represented excellence in engagement by seamlessly integrating cultural authenticity, innovative technology, and fan interaction into a groundbreaking live event. By leveraging Sphere Las Vegas’s state-of-the-art capabilities, UFC crafted an unparalleled experience that went beyond traditional sports entertainment. The event’s storytelling framework—anchored by a six-chapter film merged history, mythology, and combat sports, engaging audiences while celebrating Mexico’s rich heritage. Between live MMA bouts, Noche UFC premiered an original film, For Mexico, For All Time, on Sphere’s massive plane, building a connective narrative for the event. For Mexico, For All Time was told in six 90-second chapters that focused on different periods in Mexican history and their influence on the nation’s identity. Detailed CGI “worlds” also accompanied each chapter of the film, bringing audiences into ancient Mexico, through the evolution of unarmed combat, and alongside freedom fighters. By blending cultural storytelling, cutting-edge visuals, and multi-platform engagement, Noche UFC not only set a new standard for live events, but set numerous records, including the highest-grossing UFC event ever and Sphere’s highest-grossing single event. Sponsorship sales, merch sales and VIP package revenue all bested previous highs. Objective Noche UFC was a vibrant celebration of Mexican Independence Day weekend, paying tribute to the Mexican people, their culture, fighting spirit, and profound contributions to combat sports. Our goal for Noche UFC Fight Week was to craft an immersive experience that invited fans worldwide to celebrate with UFC. At its core was a deep commitment to authentically honoring Mexican heritage, guided by Dana White’s vision of delivering a once-in-a-lifetime sporting spectacle—"A Love Letter to Mexico." To bring this vision to life, we fully leveraged the cutting-edge capabilities of Sphere Las Vegas. Utilizing its 160,000-square-foot 16K-resolution media plane inside and the massive 580,000-square-foot Exosphere, we created a visually stunning experience that told a powerful, authentic story. As the first brand to host a live sporting event at this revolutionary venue, UFC set a new standard for immersive fan engagement, captivating audiences from the moment they arrived. ![Image](https://www.hashtagsports.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Assets-AF-2025/NocheUFC.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&name=NocheUFC.jpg) Strategy & Execution For Noche UFC we assembled a multidisciplinary team—including Nexus Studios, Carlos López Estrada’s Antigravity Academy, and cultural consultants—to create an immersive experience. Artists, designers, animators, and technical directors collaborated to produce a six-chapter film using CGI, hand-drawn animation, procedural simulations, and live action. Each chapter uniquely transported fans through Mexico’s history, mythology, and future. The cultural transformation extended beyond the Sphere’s media planes to every aspect of the event, including broadcast packages, digital content, and in-person activations. Athlete fight kits honored ancient Aztec gods, symbolizing power, resilience, and unity, while the Octagon Girls' attire reflected the intricate Mexican narrative. The marketing strategy kicked off with a bold statement on the 580,000-square-foot Exosphere, ensuring maximum visibility and engagement. On event day, UFC took over the Sphere grounds with a 30,000-square-foot Fan Experience featuring live Mariachi performances, Folkloric dancers, and athlete meet-and-greets. On event night, fans were welcomed into an atrium lit in the colors of the Mexican Flag, filled with the beautiful Papel Picado panels and cultural installations, including holograms of fighters and Dana White speaking in both English and Spanish, guaranteeing an unforgettable experience. ** 2x Nominations ** - Best Use of Visual Storytelling - Most Creative Partnership **Organizations** - UFC - Silent House Productions - BLINK - Antigravity Academy - Germaine Franco - Silent Partners Studio - Marina Toybina - Sktch - Proto **Featured** - Sean O' Malley - Merab Dvalishvili - Alexa Grasso - Valentina Shevchenko - Diego Lopes - Brian Ortega - Carlos López Estrada - Germaine Franco - Gael García Bernal - Glenn Weiss - Marina Toybina **Credits** **[ Dana White](https://www.hashtagsports.com/awards/shortlist-2025/ufc.com?hsLang=en) ** CEO UFC **[ Craig Borsari](https://www.hashtagsports.com/awards/shortlist-2025/ufc.com?hsLang=en) ** Executive Vice President, Chief Content Officer & Executive Producer UFC **[ Heidi Noland](https://www.hashtagsports.com/awards/shortlist-2025/ufc.com?hsLang=en) ** Senior Vice President, Global Brand and Creative UFC **[ Zachary Candito](https://www.hashtagsports.com/awards/shortlist-2025/ufc.com?hsLang=en) ** ‪EVP & Coordinating Producer, Live Event Production UFC **[ Chris Kartzmark](https://www.hashtagsports.com/awards/shortlist-2025/ufc.com?hsLang=en) ** Executive Vice President, Production and Programming UFC **[ Tucker Greene](https://www.hashtagsports.com/awards/shortlist-2025/ufc.com?hsLang=en) ** ‪Senior Vice President, Originals Production UFC **[ Baz Halpin](https://www.silent-house.com/) ** Producer Silent House Productions **[ Linda Gierhan](https://www.silent-house.com/) ** Producer Silent House Productions **[ Mark Bracco](https://www.silent-house.com/) ** Producer Silent House Productions **[ Tom Colbourne](https://www.blink-inc.com/) ** Screens Content Producer Blink **[ Richard Cullen](https://www.blink-inc.com/) ** Screens Content Producer Blink **[ Carlos López Estrada](https://antigravityacademy.co/) ** Segments Director Antigravity Academy **[ Valerie Bush](https://antigravityacademy.co/) ** Segments Producer Antigravity Academy **[ Germaine Franco](https://www.germainefranco.com/) ** Film Score Composer Germaine Franco **[ JT Rooney](https://www.silentpartnersstudio.com/) ** Creative Producer Silent Partners Studio **[ Marina Toybina](https://www.marinatoybina.com/) ** Costume Designer Marina Toybina **[ Jordyn Czarnomski](https://www.sktchevents.com/) ** Experiential Producer Sktch **[ David Nussbaum](https://protohologram.com/) ** Founder Proto Hologram #### INSPIRED TO ENTER WORK? 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