MMA and boxing fans from all over the world let out a sigh of relief. As they see some clarity regarding the return of their beloved sport. UFC President Dana White appears to have set the location for the UFC for its foreseeable future.
It seems like UFC’s home base, the Apex Facility could be hosting live fights as early as next month. The promotion recently announced its return on May 9th with a star-studded fight card. A location that is far more viable than a remote island.
The venue that hosted the last season of Dana White’s Contender Series might just become the home of the UFC for quite some time. In an email to Variety, White reveals that the UFC is looking to make a comeback at the Apex facility sooner rather than later.
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“We built the APEX facility next door just in time to save the day from this pandemic. Live fights will be produced out of there starting next month and for the foreseeable future.”- Dana White
The Apex, however, features a smaller octagon and it will be interesting to see how it factors into these fights. White has not yet specified when the Apex will start hosting events. As the event on 9th May does not have a particular location yet.
“This facility gives us the flexibility to try new things and push the envelope on producing and distributing combat sports all over the world. We are limited only by my imagination.”- Dana White
The Apex is a 130,000 square-foot production facility that contains more than 50,000 square feet of production space and 70,000 square feet of office space.
“With UFC APEX, we’re future-proofing the way we produce and distribute our content. The combination of state-of-the-art technology, with this enormous highly configurable arena space, gives us the opportunity to host other live events beyond combat sports.”- Craig Borsari, UFC Executive Vice President of Production.
The installation of a new IP-based control room means that the UFC can produce live events remotely. And broadcast them in 4K.
Why Florida Looks Appealing to the UFC
The Nevada State Athletic Commission has banned all sporting events as a response to the COVID-19 threat. Therefore, the question remains whether or not the Commission will allow the UFC to host its events next month onwards.
The stay at home order for all non-essential businesses in the state of Nevada will last until April 30th. However, the UFC is expecting the state to ease the lockdown within the coming month.
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If Nevada ceases to be an option for the UFC, Florida is in the lead as its next location. Governor Ron DeSantis is the man behind this.
MMA Fighting reports that a new order issued by the Governor includes the likes of athletes, entertainers, production, media teams and more in the list of essential services.
The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation confirms that events can take place as long as they are closed to the public.
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The event on May 9th looks to pit Tony Ferguson against Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title. Henry Cejudo looks to defend his bantamweight title against Dominick Cruz. And Amanda Nunes makes her debut title defense against fellow featherweight, Felicia Spencer.
It looks like the UFC is making up for the time that it has lost by putting together such an incredible card. Should the event materialize successfully, it would be a night to remember.
