Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White recently stated that the promotion would, in fact, be staging a “Fight Night” event in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 23, 2020. This, after government officials in UFC’s home state prevented the promotion from staging events indefinitely at its APEX facility because of COVID-19.
But, according to undefeated (7-0, 1-0 UFC) Light Heavyweight contender, Jamahal Hill, he just got confirmation that he will be fighting in Jacksonville, Fla., on the same date. While the promotion has yet to confirm a change of plans in accordance with Hill’s statement, it seems Steve Sisolak, Nevada’s governor, didn’t see much in White’s 30-page document to convince him to resume combat sports events in “Sin City.”
The promotion held UFC 249 this past weekend (Sat., May 9, 2020) inside VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville (recap), and will host UFC Jacksonville this Wednesday (May 13), as well as UFC on ESPN 8 on Saturday (May 16). With the venue already locked down, it makes sense to keep business there for the foreseeable future. Or, at the very least, until “Fight Island” is up and running, which is now possible for late June.
Prior to UFC 249, Ronaldo Souza and two of his cornermen tested positive for COVID-19, forcing the cancelation of “Jacare’s” scheduled bout against Uriah Hall. Despite the setback, White and Co. are confident its safety protocols worked to perfection, as Souza revealed prior to the event that he had been around a family member who had the coronavirus.
Hill is expected to face off against Klidson Abreu in 205-pound action. And while not yet officially confirmed, Tyron Woodley is expected to headline the event against Gilbert Burns in a pivotal Welterweight showdown.