Mixed Martial arts-UFC close to securing private island for fights, says White

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White has said the mixed Martial arts promotion is close to securing a “private island” to stage bouts for international fighters during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The flu-like virus has infected 1.27 million people globally and caused over 70,000 deaths and brought the sports world to a standstill, but the UFC plans to stick to its schedule albeit without fans in attendance.

The organisation, which was forced to postpone three events, will resume its calendar with UFC 249 on April 18 and White said he had also found a new venue for that event after the Barclays Center in New York was ruled out.

“I locked this venue up for two months,” White told TMZ Sports. I have this venue for two months, and I’m setting up shop here. We’re going to be pumping out fights every week.”

With countries locking down borders and tightening travel restrictions, White said he had a way to get his stable of non-US based fighters back in action.

“I’m also a day or two away from securing a private island ... we’re getting the infrastructure put in now, so I’m going to start doing the international fights, too,” he added.

“I won’t be able to get all of the international fighters into the US so I’m going to start flying them off into the island and do international fights there.

“As of April 18, the UFC is back up and running.”

White said that he planned to put on fights every week and that all fighters, support staff as well as UFC crew would be tested for the virus regularly.

UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov was scheduled to meet American Tony Ferguson at UFC 249 but he said last week the fight was off as he is in quarantine in Russia.

UFC 249 is still on schedule for April 18, with Tony Ferguson fighting Justin Gaethje for an interim lightweight title in the main event.

White hasn’t announced a venue for his promotion’s biggest pay-per-view show of the spring, he remains determined to hold an event in less than two weeks amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The mixed martial arts promotion announced the change to UFC 249’s main event bout Monday.

“The fight is signed and is 100% ON LIVE on ESPN somewhere on EARTH!!!!” White tweeted Monday.

White also confirmed several additional matchups for UFC 249. Former strawweight champions Rose Namajunas and Jessica Andrade will meet in the penultimate bout, and heavyweights Francis Ngannou and Jair Rozenstruik also will compete.

White’s quest hit another obstacle later Monday when the Association of Ringside Physicians issued a statement calling for the indefinite suspension of all combat sports events.

“Any combat sport taking place during this global pandemic places the athletes, officials, and anyone else involved in the event under unnecessary risk of infection and transmission of COVID-19,” ARP’s statement read.

“In addition, combat sports athletes often require medical attention after a bout, and we do not wish to see any additional strain on an already overwhelmed medical system.”

To hold an event, White will have to find ringside physicians willing to work against the ARP’s recommendation. The UFC already is likely to be forced to hire its own judges and referees while serving as its own regulatory body, since most state athletic commissions will not currently allow an event to take place in their jurisdictions.

Although others speculated that White would attempt to stage his fights on tribal lands on the West Coast, a private island might be the most logical place for White’s illogical quest.

White has steadily attempted to buck the rest of the sports world’s collective plan for handling the pandemic over the past five weeks.

The UFC held a full fight card in an empty arena in Brazil last month, but was forced to cancel its ensuing three scheduled shows when not even the promotion’s native Nevada would allow it to hold fights in an empty arena.

Most UFC fighters have expressed an eagerness to fight during the pandemic.

Mixed martial artists typically don’t get paid unless they fight, although Bellator and other promotions have paid fighters whose bouts were canceled by the pandemic in recent weeks.

Ferguson (25-3) is a longtime lightweight contender who has been booked to fight Nurmagomedov five times. Every single bout has fallen through due to injury or other circumstances.

Gaethje (20-2) is among the UFC’s most exciting fighters, with a heedless brawling mentality that suggests a thrilling matchup with the equally reckless Ferguson.

“I’m terrified and I ... love it,” Gaethje tweeted after the announcement.