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The UFC is reportedly pushing back its scheduled May 23rd event to the next week.
When the UFC found a way to get back up and running amid the pandemic, it immediately packed the month of May with four fight cards. Three of which were set to take place in Jacksonville, Florida, while the final one scheduled for May 23rd was targeted for the UFC’s APEX facility in Las Vegas.
But as of Tuesday, the UFC is reportedly tweaking its schedule. Close sources have informed MMA Junkie that the company will push back its May 23 card to May 30th. A formal announcement is set to be made and the venue remains unclear.
Despite White’s plans to hold events in his home state throughout the ongoing health crisis, Nevada State Athletic Commission director Bob Bennett isn’t making any guarantees.
“We will see what the data reveals based on the science of COVID-19 and move forward accordingly,” Bennett said in an April interview. “We are closed until further notice, and once again the data from the science will determine future events accordingly.”
In the same way, Nevada governor Steve Sisolak affirms he is putting his citizens lives “ahead of any dollars.”
The intended headliner for the May 23rd card is a welterweight bout between former champion Tyron Woodley and Gilbert Burns. Other targeted fights include Mackenzie Dern vs. Hannah Cifers, Klidson Abreu vs. Jamahal Hill, and Blagoy Ivanov vs. Augusto Sakai.