At UFC 274, we all got a preview of how tight security is during live events. This lady learned it the hard way when she tried to jump the barriers and made a beeline toward the cage, only to be stopped and harshly thrown out.
But no matter how foolproof a system is, there are loopholes to exploit. Perth-based YouTuber Michael Todaro (a.k.a Mikey T) got to sneak into UFC 284, which was held in his hometown last week. And as he showed in his recent vlog, it can be done by anyone with the same resourcefulness and connections.
Todaro’s little stunt even got the attention of a local news outlet. Here, he shared how he got into the event for absolutely no charge and even got to walk out alongside Alexander Volkanoski, all while the paying public had to shell out around 6,500AUD ($4,400) for front-row seats.
“We literally just walked straight in, and there was no questions asked,” he told 7 News Australia (H/T MMA Mania).
According to the outlet, arena management affirmed that they “take security seriously but weren’t aware of the incident.” The UFC has yet to comment.
As for Todaro, he says he would do it again “a hundred percent.” But unfortunately for him, his hometown fighter lost to Islam Makchachev via decision that night.
About the author: Milan Ordoñez has been covering combat sports since 2012 and has been part of the Bloody Elbow staff since 2016. He’s also competed in amateur mixed martial arts and submission grappling tournaments. (full bio)