By Alan Snel and Cassandra Cousineau of LVSportsBiz.com
Dana White believes he’s going to stage a UFC fight night at UFC’s APEX facility Saturday.
But he needs just one thing.
White needs the official blessing of the Nevada Athletic Commission, which meets Wednesday morning to decide UFC’s request for a fight show Saturday and boxing promoter Bob Arum’s proposal for boxing matches in Las Vegas in June.
On Tuesday night, Gov. Steve Sisolak allowed sports events without fans to move ahead during the state’s phase two of reopening. Here’s his statement on the matter:
White was the toast of the sporting world more than two weeks ago when he staged UFC 249 in Jacksonville, Fla. during a COVID-19 pandemic that has now claimed the lives of 100,000 Americans.
White even received video shout-out from his friend, President Trump, on the night of the UFC 249 event in north Florida. One one UFC fighter rested positive for the novel coronavirus.
White spoke to LVSportsBiz.com two weeks ago about holding the 249 event during these pandemic times.
LVSportsBiz.com received a text early last Wednesday morning saying the next UFC event will be at the APEX May 30.
He’s looking at a welterweight headline fight of Tyron Woodley vs. Gilbert Burns on Saturday.
Now he just needs the state’s athletic commission to approve the deal. We will find out tomorrow morning, with LVSportsBiz UFC contrubutor listening in on the Wednesday meeting.
UFC is tightening the ship when it comes to testing for COVID-19 as well. A tighter protocol will be in effect before the fights inside the APEX. Unlike the UFC events on May 13 and 16 in Jacksonville. where Ronaldo Souza and one of his cornermen tested positive before UFC 249, each fighter will be required to take two separate tests before Saturday’s event at the APEX.
The first will be administered upon check-in at the designated hotel in Las Vegas.
Then, each fighter will be quarantined in his or her room until results are obtained. A memo obtained by ESPN reads, “This means you should not leave the Athlete Hotel or have physical contact with anyone other than the members of your camp until you have received your test result,” the memo reads, per ESPN. If the test is negative, fighters “may continue with fight week activities. … If your result is positive, you should remain in your hotel room and await further instructions from UFC’s medical team.”
The second test will then be scheduled for after the official weigh-in. Again, fighters will have to isolate themselves in their hotel rooms.
“During this time, no athletes or cornermen will be permitted to leave the Athlete Hotel without express prior approval from the Nevada State Athletic Commission,” the memo reads. “You also should not have physical contact with anyone other than the members of your camp.”
All fighters and team members will need to sign a HIPAA authorization form so the testing lab can share results with the UFC. HIPAA is the 1996 act which provides protection for personal health information.
Today at 5:30 p.m., Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak will also be discussing Phase 2 reopening topics.
Here’s Nevada’s COVID-19 numbers as of Friday.
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