Covid 19 coronavirus: UFC boss Dana White targeting stacked return event in early May

Multimedia Journalist·NZ Herald·

15 Apr, 2020 01:45 AM3 mins to read

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UFC boss Dana White is determined for the UFC to be the first sport to return from its coronavirus-enforced hiatus, and has set a new date for a packed return card.

ESPN reports White is scheduling a card for May 10 (NZ time) at a location yet to be determined. The UFC has already had to postpone events on March 22, March 29, April 12 and April 19 because of the coronavirus.

The promotion looked set to return on April 19 with a pay-per-view card, UFC 249, in California. Because the proposed location was on tribal land, they were not subject to the state's shelter-in-place order. However, White was asked to stand down by the UFC's major broadcasting partners ESPN and Disney last week, and postponed the card.

A number of fights scheduled for UFC 249 have been lined up for the UFC's May 10 return, including the interim lightweight title fight between Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje. That fight is one of three White hopes to have on the card, alongside the men's bantamweight title bout between Henry Cejudo and Dominick Cruz and the women's featherweight title bout between Amanda Nunes and Felicia Spencer.

A number of the other match-ups White was hopeful to secure for the May 10 card have been rescheduled from postponed events, including the highly anticipate heavyweight clash between knockout artists Francis Ngannou and Jairzinho Rozenstruik, which was initially scheduled to headline the card on March 29.

There has been no official confirmation of bouts for the event, but a number of athletes have verbally agreed to fights.

Although a return on May 10 would likely make the UFC the first sport to return, the promotion is not the only sporting league that has set a date in the not too distant future for its comeback.

The NRL last week announced it was working towards a return on May 28, which had been signed off by the New South Wales government provided the league comply to the set regulations.

• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website