The UFC is expected to push back their May 23 event one week to May 30 as the promotion looks to possibly hold events at the UFC Apex.
First reported by MMAJunkie, the UFC is looking to move their May 23 event back one week to May 30 per sources with the promotion. The move comes after speculation that the UFC may be able to return to their home in Las Vegas where the promotion has the UFC Apex available to broadcast full events. Currently, they have not been able to hold events in Nevada as businesses remain closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
As of Monday, no main event has officially been announced for what would be the May 23 event. The undercard was set to consist of:
Mackenzie Dern vs Hannah Cifers
Blagoy Ivanov vs Augusto Sakai
Klidson Abreu vs Jamahal Hill
The UFC is currently in the middle of holding three events in one week in Jacksonville, Florida at the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena. The UFC is housing the fighters in a hotel near the venue where the athletes have been provided with private training rooms and a portable sauna in the bedrooms to help practice social distancing as the state tries to curve the number of cases of COVID-19. After the state of Florida had deemed professional wrestling and sporting events as essential business, the state became a frontrunner for the UFC events as they returned to action.
While the UFC has shown that they have the ability to air complete events from Florida, the convenience of holding events at the UFC Apex is more favorable for the promotion. The structure is best known as the venue for Dana White’s Contender Series where weekly events have been held for the past two summers. As more businesses in Nevada continue to reopen, more resources at the UFC Performance Institute (which is located across the street from the Apex) are also expected to become available.
