UFC 249 marked the end of a near 2-month sports hiatus with a successful event in Jacksonville, Florida. They will hold 2 more events tomorrow and Saturday in the same venue. Dana White’s organization was all set to go full steam ahead and even announced an event for May 23. However, that event will be delayed due to undisclosed reasons.
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UFC May 23, set to be postponed
As per Nolan King’s report in MMA Junkie, the promotion is targeting a May 30th date for the event instead. The sources asked to remain anonymous, as nothing has been set in stone yet and inside leaks have proven detrimental to the MMA organization.
USA Today via Reuters
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While a formal announcement about the date isn’t made yet, the venue too is subject to speculation. UFC President Dana White brought up the UFC Apex in a chat with Barstool Sports..
A Nevada event will depend on approval from the Nevada Athletic Commission. The go-ahead could be easy, as Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak revealed the state of Nevada will reopen in phases. He said, “just like its closure, with no real indication of how many phases the reopening will take. To start, smaller businesses will reopen with restrictions in place. However, bars, nightclubs, malls, large sporting events and large places of worship will remain closed during the first phase.”
The UFC will allow only essential personnel and fighters, ensuring the event is not classified as ‘large’. Furthermore, the successful organization of UFC 249 could boost their chances of getting a go-ahead. This is because the world has seen that their testing system works and fighters will be taken care of.
The returning Tyron Woodley was rumored to headline the event. The former Champion was to fight Gilbert Burns. Also on the card were Mackenzie Dern vs Hannah Cifers, Blagoy Ivanov vs Augusto Sakai, and Jamahal Hill vs Klidson Abreu.
As per MMA Junkie, two of these bouts will move to May 30. However, it isn’t confirmed if this includes ‘The Chosen One’s return.
Do you think the postponement is good for the UFC and gives them a breather before resuming in earnest?
