The UFC offered a particular cultural celebration at UFC 306 on September 14, 2024, as octagon ladies wore elaborate Day of the Lifeless-themed costumes on the Sphere in Las Vegas. The occasion, titled Noche UFC, coincided with Mexican Independence Day weekend and served as what UFC President Dana White described as a “love letter to Mexico.
Dia de los Muertos
Day of the Lifeless, or Dia de los Muertos, is a Mexican holiday noticed on November 1 and a pair of that honors deceased family members. The custom originated from Indigenous Mesoamerican peoples, significantly the Aztecs, who considered dying as a continuation of life reasonably than an ending. When Spanish colonizers arrived within the sixteenth century, they launched Catholic observances like All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, which blended with indigenous rituals to create the trendy Day of the Lifeless celebration.
The vacation facilities on creating ofrendas, or altars, embellished with marigold flowers, pictures of the departed, their favourite meals, and candles. Households consider these choices information spirits again from the afterlife to go to the dwelling. Sugar skulls, referred to as calaveras de azucar, function ornamental parts on altars and symbolize the cycle of life and dying.
The celebration focuses on pleasure reasonably than mourning, permitting households to reconnect with deceased relations by means of colourful parades, conventional meals, and festive gatherings. Many individuals put on elaborate cranium face paint and costumes to commemorate the departed.
UFC Octagon Women
Eight new octagon ladies participated within the occasion, with six native-born Mexican girls and two second-generation Mexican Individuals. The roster included Hannah Esparza, Ayled Coreno, Ariadna Vidal, Karla Espiritu, Valeria Galvan, and Dany Lule, amongst others. Every girl wore customized wardrobe and make-up aligned with totally different thematic chapters offered all through the occasion.
Seven-time Emmy Award-winning costume designer Marina Toybina created the intricate costumes for the octagon girls. Toybina, who has designed for major artists including Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, and The Masked Singer, brought her expertise in blending storytelling with visual spectacle to the UFC event. The costumes featured several distinct styles honoring Mexican heritage. Some octagon girls wore traditional Mexican-inspired outfits, while others embodied the “Sacred Heart” theme with stunning black net gowns, elaborate face makeup, and headdresses.
The makeup designs incorporated Day of the Dead elements, including intricate face paint resembling sugar skull decorations. Makeup artists Lisette Santana and Mara Rouse created the detailed looks on several octagon girls. The designs featured colorful patterns, floral motifs, and skeletal imagery characteristic of Dia de los Muertos celebrations.
UFC 306’s production team created six 90-second film chapters showcasing different periods in Mexican history, with each segment accompanied by corresponding visual themes reflected in the octagon girls‘ apparel. The occasion generated a record-breaking $22 million dwell gate, changing into the highest-grossing occasion in UFC historical past. The flowery manufacturing, which price roughly $20 million, featured customized fighter kits, unique movies directed by Carlos López Estrada, and unprecedented integration of Sphere’s cutting-edge expertise.
