UFC in Las Vegas for May 30 card ‘a go’ after Arizona served as backup
May 20, 2020, 2:51 PM
In this Oct. 6, 2018, file photo, Dana White, president of the UFC, speaks at a news conference after the UFC 229 mixed martial arts event in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)
(AP Photo/John Locher, File)
After saying a May 30 UFC event would take place in Arizona if it couldn’t in Las Vegas, UFC president Dana White said the event is “a go” for the promotion’s Apex facility in Vegas, per The Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Following Saturday’s latest UFC event, White was asked if future events could take place in Arizona given Gov. Doug Ducey opening the state to major sports leagues, and White said that’s the move if Vegas couldn’t work out.
“That’s where I’ll go. That’s 100% where I’ll go,” White said.
“If we can’t get May 30 at the Apex, it’s gonna be super disappointing, but we will go somewhere else.”
Per the Journal, though, the city of Las Vegas’ restrictions haven’t been lifted yet.
The Nevada Athletic Commission suspended all combat sports events in an emergency meeting March 14 because of the coronavirus pandemic, and that order is still in place.
As of early Tuesday evening, there had been no decision from the NAC on the UFC’s attempt to hold the fight card in Las Vegas. The NAC works under the authority of Gov. Steve Sisolak, who has not made any formal announcement regarding a timeline for the potential return of fanless professional sports.
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In Las Vegas, the UFC has the Apex, its own 130,000 square foot facility that opened in June of 2019 and is an ideal location for a fanless event. The promotion has already held a series of fights at the facility on its own programming since the building opened, Dana White’s Contender Series.
UFC has held three events since the coronavirus led to mass suspensions of play and cancellations in the sports world. Its latest event on Saturday came in Florida, which as a state followed Arizona in reopening itself to professional sports.
