The UFC will return to action Saturday night in Jacksonville with UFC 249, and while UFC President Dana White said the MMA promotion did not have to be the first major U.S. sports entity to come back after the coronavirus shutdown, he "just knew it would be first." Appearing yesterday on "The Jim Rome Show," White said being the first sport to return was not "something that I wanted or felt like, 'We need to be first.'" Fans will not be permitted inside VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, and White said, “We haven't had a live event in a few weeks, so I would do anything right now. But it's not fun without the fans." The UFC tried to hold events last month before being urged not to by broadcast partner ESPN, and White called coronavirus a “very big deal.” However, he said, "You just have to spend the money to be safe, and that’s what we’ve done for the last 20 years. Safety didn't just pop up for us with the coronavirus." The promotion submitted a 30-page document to governors of Nevada and Florida “on all the things that we’re going to do to make sure that this event is as safe as can possibly be." One idea White came up with last month that drew considerable media attention was the concept of "Fight Island," a secluded location that could hold events. He said the infrastructure on the undisclosed island is “being built right now” and he is “hoping that it will all be done by mid-June." White: "We can literally do a fight that weekend that it finishes or the end of June” (“The Jim Rome Show,” CBS Sports Radio, 5/5).
BIG VIEWERSHIP EXPECTED? White yesterday also appeared on CNBC, with the net's Sara Eisen asking him what kind of viewership Saturday night's event might draw. White said, “Three months ago, I could have answered any questions about my business. I don't know now going into this thing. But I can tell you this: I'm dying for live sports. I'm not really a TV guy. I would watch just about anything right now if it was live. I would imagine that this event is going to do very well" ("Closing Bell," CNBC, 5/5). ESPN's Sage Steele said UFC 249 is “likely to generate a lot” of PPV buys (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 5/5).
