American Airlines Center — Dallas, USA

American Airlines Center opened on 17 July 2001, at a cost of $420 million, as the replacement for the ageing Reunion Arena. American Airlines, headquartered in nearby Fort Worth, bought the naming rights in 1999. The arena is the home of the Dallas Stars of the NHL and the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA, and it holds 19,200 people for basketball.

The building was designed by architect David M. Schwarz in a deliberately traditional style, with brick facades and broad arches. Its curved roof earned it a nickname among fans: "The Hangar", a nod to both the shape and the airline on the sign. It stands on the site of an old power plant and was meant to anchor a whole new district around it, Victory Park.

Dallas has a long UFC record at this address: UFC 103 in 2009, UFC 171 in 2014, UFC 185 in 2015, UFC 211 in 2017, UFC 228 in 2018 and UFC 277 in 2022 were all held here. The next card on this storefront, UFC Fight Night Dallas, is set for Saturday 16 January 2027. Its bouts have not been announced yet.

The arena's address is 2500 Victory Avenue, in the Victory Park neighbourhood of downtown Dallas. It sits just north of the Woodall Rodgers Freeway and close to Interstate 35E, so both the city centre and the main highways are a short distance away.

The main entrance faces south onto PNC Plaza, an open square with fountains between the arena and the neighbouring office and retail buildings. The plaza is also home to the statue of Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavericks' best-known player, caught mid-way through his one-legged fadeaway jump shot. On event days it is the natural meeting point before the doors open.

American Airlines Center has its own rail stop, Victory Station, which makes the train the most straightforward way to arrive.

Transport options:

• DART light rail — the Green and Orange lines stop at Victory Station seven days a week; on the Red or Blue line, change to a Green or Orange train at West End station
• From DFW Airport — the airport lies about 16 miles (26 km) northwest of downtown, and the Orange Line runs from DFW Airport Terminal A station to Victory Station without a change
• From Dallas Love Field — the city's second airport is about 6 miles (10 km) northwest of downtown
• Trinity Railway Express — TRE commuter trains between Dallas and Fort Worth stop at Victory Station on platforms 3 and 4; there is no TRE service on Sundays
• By car — the arena publishes routes in from the Dallas North Tollway, northbound and southbound I-35 and the Woodall Rodgers Freeway

There are more than 5,000 parking spaces for arena guests, most of them within two blocks of the building, and more than 3,000 more within walking distance to the south and east. The arena-managed lots open two hours before an event and stay open for two hours after it ends; the Lexus Garage opens at noon on event days. Overnight parking and leaving and re-entering a lot are not allowed, and grilling, open flames and alcohol are banned in all parking areas. Spaces can be booked in advance through the arena. Rideshare pick-up and drop-off is on the north side of the arena and is often moved to Valor Place on the west side.

American Airlines Center has been completely cashless since November 2022. Debit and credit cards and mobile wallets such as Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay are accepted at every food, drink, merchandise and parking point; cash is not. The ticket categories released for UFC Fight Night Dallas are listed on the event page once sales open.

The bag policy is worth checking before you leave. A small wristlet, wallet or clutch up to 4.5 × 6.5 inches is allowed at every entrance. A larger purse up to 14 × 6 × 14 inches is accepted only through the X-ray inspection at the four main entrances, the North, East, West and South doors. Backpacks and large totes are not allowed, and the arena has no place to check oversized bags or luggage, so anything bigger is best left at your hotel. All permitted bags are subject to inspection.

For accessible entry and seating, contact our support team before the date: the arrangements for the event are confirmed by the organiser. Terms for a specific event can add to the arena's rules, so read the event information before you travel.

Dallas in January is mild by winter standards but changeable. At Dallas Love Field the average daily high is 14.3 °C and the average low 3.3 °C, with about 66 mm of precipitation spread over around seven days of the month, and snow is rare (1991–2020 normals). Evenings are cool, so a warm layer for the walk back to the train or the car park is a good idea.

A hotel in or near downtown, or anywhere along the Green and Orange lines, puts the arena within one train ride. If you fly into DFW, the Orange Line takes you from the airport to Victory Station without a taxi.

Plan your trip with the UFC 2026 schedule, learn how a fight night works on the about the UFC page, see the other arenas on the venue overview, or go back to the homepage for tickets.