UFC’s massive schedule in 2024 continues Saturday with PPV action from Anaheim, Calif., with UFC 298: Volkanovski vs. Topuria, exclusively on ESPN+ PPV.
Keeping up with the year-round slate across ESPN platforms is no small task and requires countless hours of planning and the dedication of many.
But what is it really like to be a part of the ESPN UFC team on a PPV week?
ESPN associate producer Kirsten Hatton takes you inside her daily highlights leading up to Saturday’s card featuring the main event, UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski dueling No. 3 ranked contender Ilia Topuria.
MONDAY
Morning
- Finish up any elements for teases/features.
- Attend our rundown meeting with researchers, producers and commentators to discuss the pre-fight shows (UFC Live, UFC Pre-Show, UFC Best Bets and SportsCenter segments).
Afternoon
- Finish scripts.
- I am producing “Best Bets.” I look at my rundown and reach out to our on-air team to discuss. I also lay out what graphics and video I would like to use.
Night
- Discuss breakdown tape with ESPN MMA analyst Gilbert Melendez.
- Inside Look: Gil is going to break down Topuria’s striking. Gil details to me what’s special, and I find clips. The goal is to give a better understanding of what that fighter does well. We highlight, circle, and add sound to make those things stand out.
TUESDAY
Morning
- Work with our producer Nick Giangarra on what clips we want to use for Gil’s tape.
Afternoon
- Work with Nick on telestrations for the breakdown tape.
- Hop on a call about our show that is taping Tuesday afternoon.
Night
- Receive tracks from one of our analysts, Din Thomas, for a piece I will be cutting.
- Cut and edit a Black History Always piece on [UFC welterweight champion] Leon Edwards, voiced by Din, that will air in our shows.
- Finish the breakdown tape and send it to Gil for review.
- Review our ESPN Stats and Information Group [SIG] packet on the fights.
- Inside Look: I found an interesting tidbit that details this fight as the longest odds of Volkanovski’s featherweight career since 2019. This is going to be a full-screen graphic in Best Bets that adds context to his dominance and the over 1,500 days he’s held his belt.
- Finish the remaining video for UFC Live/Pre-Show and check in with the team.
- Full team meeting to discuss the status of our shows, share last-minute ideas, and receive updates from producers.
- Read more about the card, check the odds and any updates.
- Fighter weigh-ins begin at 9 a.m. We need to see if fighters make weight for our shows to go on as is.
- We cut video of the fighters our producers want making weight and any faceoffs from the news conference the night before.
- Our APs and PAs [production assistants] work in the media room with a QEP operator who helps us make sure the shows look good.
- We make sure all new videos, from weigh-ins to faceoffs, are in the rundown. Then, our team follows the schedule our production coordinator, Cheyenne Leeman, lays out for the week.
- We tape UFC Live, Best Bets, and SportsCenter segments and do UFC Pre-Show live.
- Once our shows finish for the day, we head home and prepare for Saturday.
- Overall, Saturday is all about reaction. What we do depends on what happens live. We are continuously preparing throughout the day and adjusting during the fight.
- After the UFC Post-Show, we finally call it a day and put a bow on another successful UFC PPV week!
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WEDNESDAY
Morning
Afternoon
Night
THURSDAY
Morning
Afternoon
FRIDAY
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Afternoon
Night
SATURDAY
EDITOR’S NOTE: For more information on UFC 298: Volkanovski vs. Topuria, visit ESPN PressRoom
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