With the UFC returning to live events with fans in attendance in April, company president Dana White on Saturday told MMAWeekly.com that he is targeting UFC 264 for a return to T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. He also hopes that the event will feature the trilogy bout between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier.
UFC 261 is currently slated for April 24 in Jacksonville, Fla. That event will feature three championship bouts, but perhaps overshadowing that is the fact that it will be the promotion’s first event with a full house of fans. The VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena is already sold out to the tune of 15,000 fans.
With Florida opening up, the plan is fans will not be required to social distance or mask up. The UFC did, however, include a warning to fans buying tickets to the event that by purchasing tickets they accepted the risk of possibly contracting COVID-19 at the event, and that they would not hold the UFC or the venue liable if they did.
Though that approach has been met with heavy criticism from some, there are others who are ready to move full steam ahead. Count Dana White among them.
UFC 262 is also already scheduled for May 15 at the Toyota Center in Houston, where the venue is again expected to be at full capacity.
Dana White admits to wanting crowds back in Las Vegas in July
When asked by MMAWeekly.com about UFC 264, which is tentatively planned for July 10, White admitted that he is targeting a return to T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for that event. Though the UFC has held the majority of its events at its Apex facility in Las Vegas since pandemic induced limitations were put in place, they haven’t been allowed to have full-capacity crowds there.
White hopes to change that with UFC 264, and wants to return to crowds on the UFC’s home turf with a blockbuster trilogy bout between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor.
McGregor defeated Poirier in their first bout at UFC 178 in September of 2014. Poirier returned the favor in their more recent bout at UFC 257 in January. Poirier won the rematch via a second-round stoppage with a masterful performance.
If he’s able to line up Poirier vs. McGregor 3 for UFC 264, White also agreed that it would make sense to either book Justin Gaethje in a supporting bout or to even have him lined up as an outright back-up in case either of the main event fighters were to drop out for any reason.
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Dana White targets UFC 264, Poirier vs. McGregor 3 to return crowds to Vegas
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Dana White targeting UFC 264, Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier for Las Vegas
