Nevada Gov to put lives before dollars; NSAC closed until further notice

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

How likely is the UFC going to restart their events in Las Vegas next month?

Dana White went on record to say that he plans on hosting multiple events in Nevada starting in May, specifically at the UFC APEX facility in Las Vegas. He is also planning a big event with three title fights proposed for May 9th. Top Rank is also said to be exploring the possibility of hosting boxing shows in Florida on even in UFC’s APEX Facility as well.

When asked about it, the Nevada State Athletic commission states that it’s still a bit “premature” to address any plans for sanctioning combat sports in the state.

“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.”

Nevada’s stay-at-home order, which has shut down all non-essential businesses, is currently in place until April 30. At the start of May, things may change, with the UFC reportedly expecting those restrictions to be eased enough for them to host events.

According to Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak though, despite criticism about the closures, they aren’t likely to loosen their mandates soon. He promised on Thursday to continue to prioritize lives before dollars.

“I’m putting the lives of my fellow Nevadans ahead of any dollars,” he said on a press conference. “We will open when the time is right, when the experts tell me, and the data tells me that it’s okay.

“I cannot end the shutdown until we feel like we’re in a good position as it relates to the spread of the virus, the hospitalization,” Sisolak said. “Some people are more concerned with the business side of this, than the human toll that this virus is taking. The human toll is the most important to me.”

Silosak went on to say that eventually reopening the state will be done slowly, gradually and safely, but there is no target date just yet.

“I do not know when that time is going to be. It would be unfair to you to just guess on a date. I won’t do that.”

Despite everything, White remains confident (again) that his events will push through, and says he has it all figured out. As with the case of UFC 249 and the other cancelled events though, there’s really a lot that can happen in a span of two to three weeks during this coronavirus pandemic. I guess we’ll have to wait and see how this all unfolds.