UFC Fight Night: The fireworks before the show
MMA exponents entertain the crowd with their answers and antics during yesterday's weigh-in
Its stage has hosted great musicals over the years, from Cats to Wicked and, most recently, Chicago.
But the MasterCard Theatres at the Marina Bay Sands housed performers of a different kind yesterday, with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Fight Night Singapore's ceremonial weigh-in.
Instead of the calming tunes that typically await patrons before plays and musicals at the same venue, the 1,000-strong audience of fans, VIPs and media were treated to electronic music as they waited for the shebang to start, a prelude to what they should expect later.
While the fans were eager to see fighters, such as Holly Holm, Andrei Arlovski and Rafael dos Anjos in the flesh, they were first treated to a 40-minute question-and-answer session with UFC athletes Dan Hardy, Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson, Jorge Masvidal and Julianna Pena.
Topics such as the upcoming Mayweather-McGregor fight, ONE Championship and the altercation between Cris Cyborg and Angela Magana emerged from two never-ending lines of fans - some hailing from countries such as the US, South Korea and the Philippines.
While the quartet on stage are used to entertaining in the Octagon with their fists, legs and chokeholds, they were equally appealing on stage yesterday with their answers, some of which were colourful and should not be repeated in polite company.
WEIGH-IN
The session ended some 15 minutes before the weigh-ins started, as stage hands worked in dim light to set the stage in organised, clockwork fashion, a stark contrast to the unscripted violent ballet of punches, kicks and grapples to be dished out in the Octagon at the Indoor Stadium today.
The procession began at 7.03pm, with three Octagon Girls accompanying UFC officials and senior figures, among them Joe Carr, its senior vice-president of international business.
One by one, the fighters streamed out, some carrying their national flags and adorned with accessories such as necklaces and sunglasses.
Camera flashes bounced off each fighter as they stood on the weighing scale - just for the camera, as they did the actual weigh-ins in the morning - with whoops and cheers emanating from the crowd.
The decibel levels were raised for dos Anjos, former heavyweight champion Arlovski and ex-bantamweight champion Holm, whom they call the Preacher's Daughter.
While the 35-year-old's opponent Bethe Correia was all smiles and gushed about being in Singapore during a short interview on stage, a poker-faced Holm strode out, made weight again, and went straight to face off against the Brazilian.
"I have been doing everything to prepare for this fight; I want to be ready for everything," Holm said in a short interview on stage.
"I (prepare for) every opponent as if it's the last fight of my life. I've had a great training camp and we'll see tomorrow."
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