UFC president Dana White has promised that his company will be the first major sports organization to return to a normal schedule amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, he is already planning his next event for May 9 at a location to be determined.
On Tuesday, White told ESPN that he is deep in the process of building out the card. Recently, he had to postpone UFC 249 pay-per-view event scheduled for this Saturday. He also had to postpone events on March 21, March 28, April 11 and April 18 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
White secured a private island to hold fight, presumably jurisdiction free. However, once he postponed, he was adamant to hold UFC 249 at Tachi Palace Casino Resort on tribal lands in Lemoore, California.
The UFC’s next pay-per-view event is UFC 250, originally scheduled to take place on May 9 in Sao Paulo. That event will no longer happen in Brazil, but that is the new date for the promotion’s return.
White already has the potential card built out.
A sample of the planned fights include an interim lightweight title fight between Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje. After Khabib Nurmagomedov pulled out over social distancing concerns, Gaethje stepped up. A bantamweight title fight between Henry Cejudo and Dominick Cruz is also planned. Last, a featherweight title fight between Amanda Nunes and Felicia Spencer.
