Earlier this month, Mark Zuckerberg had the MMA community on edge as it appeared the Facebook CEO had rented out the UFC APEX for his own private event.
As it turns out, the event was being used to test out a new partnership between the Las Vegas fight company and Meta, the parent company of Facebook, that will bring a virtual reality experience to fans starting with LFA 144 which aired on Friday night. Fans were given a virtual front-row seat via the Horizon Worlds app available on the Meta Quest 2 VR headset.
Fans Share Their Experience With UFC’s Newest VR Offering
Fans were quick to share their VR experience which allowed individuals sitting in the comfort of their own homes to enter the arena and sit down for an up-close look at the evening’s action.
Earlier in the week, Fight Pass VP Crowley Sullivan announced the partnership via a press release.
“We are excited to offer an unprecedented level of engagement for Fight Pass subscribers and MMA fans around the world by producing a live MMA event in virtual reality,” said Crowley Sullivan. (via MMA Junkie). “With Meta providing the VR platform and YBVR lending their production expertise, we’re confident this will be a great experience for fight fans.”
While the platform is still being optimized for the best possible viewing experience, fans online appear to be genuinely thrilled with the technology and the possibilities it brings.