NSAC Statement On UFC Return To Las Vegas

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White expects to resume mixed martial arts (MMA) operations on May 9, with a star-studded fight card that could pop off from inside the promotion’s state-of-the art APEX facility in Las Vegas.

That could be a difficult task to accomplish without the inclusion of Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), which shut down operations last month in response to the coronavirus pandemic and as of this writing, has no plans to reopen.

“We will see what the data reveals based on the science of COVID-19 and move forward accordingly,” NSAC Executive Director Bob Bennett told MMA Fighting. “We are closed until further notice, and once again the data from the science will determine future events accordingly.”

White joined World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) chairman Vince McMahon along with other sports leaders on President Donald Trump’s economic task force. There has been a growing movement at the federal level to reopen the economy in early May.

Regardless of where UFC ends up on May 9, if it ends up anywhere at all, it’s unlikely to include anyone but essential personnel. And if APEX is taken off the table, UFC can always revisit its options in Florida or ultimately, “Fight Island.”