The UFC’s Apex facility, on its campus in Las Vegas, will serve as the starting point for the promotion’s return to action. Tentatively scheduled for May 9 per a report by ESPN, it’s the Apex that will host the first events for the company following its shutdown in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
UFC President Dana White confirmed the news to Variety.
“We built the APEX facility next door just in time to save the day from this pandemic,” White was quoted as saying in a statement to the entertainment outlet. “Live fights will be produced out of there starting next month and for the foreseeable future.”
It’s unlikely any crowd will be present for those events, although the Apex can hold a limited number of spectators. Whether media will be allowed on the premises is another question.
The Apex, which opened last year, has thus far primarily been used to host Dana White’s Contender Series. But the company and White have long envisioned it as something more — a production facility that could house multiple combat sports events in a single day, pivoting from MMA to boxing, or kickboxing, and so on.
Given its location and scaled down size, it’s almost uniquely suited to the current situation. Teams traveling may still be a concern, but if the U.S. does gradually reduce social distancing, the UFC will at least be primed to be among the first sports to return to action.
Of course, a hurdle remains in the form of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. They put the kibosh on an earlier attempt to host UFC events at the Apex. The NSAC put all combat sports in the state on hold in late March, as a result of the coronavirus. That decision remains in place, although things could certainly change by May.
If they do not, as Variety also noted, Florida could be an option for the UFC. Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis, has opened the state up to professional sports despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“Employees at a professional sports and media production with a national audience — including any athletes, entertainers, production team, executive team, media team and any others necessary to facilitate including services supporting such production — fall under “essential,” said Jared Moskowitz, the state coordinating officer for the Florida Division of Emergency Management (via the Miami Herald).
Both the WWE (with their Performance Center) and rival AEW have continued to operate in Florida. The WWE aired WrestleMania 36, pre-taped, from that location. AEW has taped a few weeks worth of action, but is expected to resume live shows shortly.
