UFC president Dana White has said he will “100 percent” hold events in Arizona if Las Vegas doesn’t re-open in the coming weeks. Last Tuesday the Governor of Arizona Doug Ducey announced that Arizona would allow professional sports leagues to play there despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“We have had discussions with leaders with some of these leagues, and they all know they are welcome to operate, play and perform in the state of Arizona.” (Transcribed by MMA Fighting)
Speaking at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 8 post-fight press conference White confirmed he would be taking his shows to Arizona if Las Vegas doesn’t re-open, he said. “That’s where I’ll go. That’s 100 percent where I’ll go.”
In an ideal world, the UFC will move all its scheduled events to their Apex Facility in Nevada, but so far that has been impossible. Earlier this month White revealed he was planning to return to Vegas on May 23 to host a show that was supposed to be headlined by Tyron Woodley vs. Gilbert Burns.
“While everybody was f*cking lying out by the pool, hanging out and doing whatever the f*ck they’re doing in quarantine, we were in here f*cking grinding, man. Fighting crazy wars every day to put on this first event. We pulled it off. We were gonna be able to hold this thing earlier, and they asked us to stand down… Now we’re going Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday. And I don’t think I’ve told anybody this yet: We’re gonna come back to Vegas and put on a fight May 23.”
A few weeks later and he has now been forced to push that show back until May 30 and as of right now it still seems unclear exactly which state the fight card will take place in or if it will even go ahead at all.
Where do you think Dana White and the UFC should be holding events during the COVID-19 pandemic?