The APEX Gambit: WWE and NXT Enter TKO’s New ‘Mini-Colosseum’

Goodbye Florida? NXT is ready to frequently visit UFC's top residency.

“Great empires are not maintained by timidity.”

— Tacitus

Sources inside WWE and TKO confirm that NXT will begin a recurring residency at the UFC APEX warehouse, starting this Fall. This isn’t a one-time venue experiment like NXT Battleground 2024.

It signals a structural pivot: one designed to give TKO total control over its live event ecosystem. They’re building their own version of a Hollywood studio and Roman Gladiator Colosseum.

The UFC APEX, once a stripped-down production facility during the pandemic, has been transformed into a premium event destination and fully functional content engine. Renovations expanded seating capacity from 600 to over 1,000, installed more than 170 LED panels across the arena, and overhauled the internal layout. New additions include VIP suites, upgraded locker rooms, expanded media zones, and enhanced backstage infrastructure. The venue now features dedicated concessions, retail areas, and fan-friendly hospitality upgrades, creating a hybrid space that functions as both a broadcast sound stage and a high-end live event arena.

NXT Battleground in June 2024 served as the test case. Tickets sold out fast. Talent got a taste of the new setup. And executives saw the potential: lower costs, tighter production, greater flexibility. The verdict was clear: this model scales. Scalability is the ultimate buzz word with media executives.

The APEX will prove to be a very key component in producing content for future UFC & WWE media rights deals. Over the weekend in Baku, Dana White announced big plans regarding UFC doubling the amount of DWCS events.

NXT’s return to the APEX in June 2024 wasn’t a one-off. WWE has expressed interest in utilizing the venue further, particularly for developmental and special event programming. While there are no confirmed plans for weekly tapings or main roster events at the UFC APEX, the success of Battleground has opened the door for more NXT content to originate from the upgraded facility. The residency conversation remains focused on NXT, not Raw or SmackDown.

The APEX gives WWE what it never had before: a controllable home base with fixed overhead and built-in infrastructure. No touring costs. No third-party venue logistics. Just uninterrupted storytelling with cinematic precision.

TKO is positioning the UFC APEX as more than just a venue. It’s becoming a premium event location and a fully integrated content engine. Sources confirm UFC officials are exploring opportunities to bring in outside promoters and third-party events to increase foot traffic and expand business operations. With WWE and UFC already under the same roof, the APEX is being shaped into a multi-use hub: capable of hosting fan festivals, developmental showcases, and crossover programming that traditional touring arenas can’t support.

The MMA Draw’s Zach Arnold highlighted an important note from TKO’s recent SEC filings:

But how is TKO going to pay back the massive debt they’ve run up?

In Corporate America, you do this with “cost savings” in the form of mergers and acquisitions, salary & outright talent cuts, and price hikes on customers.

M & A could include integrating all WWE & UFC operations into Las Vegas under the Performance Institute and APEX. Recent TKO SEC filings revealed $40 million in two loans ($28M for the warehouse, $12M for land costs) to finance the APEX Warehouse. The maturity date for those loans is November 1, 2028.

TKO needs event dates at the APEX besides the UFC. They are now a very expensive landlord. WWE is likely their biggest future tenant.

Beyond live events, TKO looks to position the UFC APEX as a centralized hub for all TKO NIL athletes. With its proximity to the UFC Performance Institute and expanded infrastructure, the facility can serve as a year-round training ground, media content lab, and onboarding center for collegiate athletes across WWE and UFC pipelines. What once seemed out of reach — a meaningful foothold in the NCAA system — is now within striking distance.

Through NIL partnerships, TKO can scout, train, and develop future stars early. The APEX becomes both a physical and strategic gateway into a market that was virtually untouchable a decade ago.

This isn’t just a smart logistical move. TKO views this as a strategic one. The APEX will become TKO’s proving ground for what comes next in live entertainment. And when that first NXT residency show series kicks off under the new lights, it’ll be clear:

The future of WWE won’t just be on the road. It’ll be right here, at home with the UFC APEX in Las Vegas.

Blake Avignon is a pseudonym for a media and brand strategist working across sports, advertising, and entertainment with clients in the UFC, NBA, NFL, and F1.