In an attempt to skirt federal and state guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic, the UFC plans to hold its April 18 pay-per-view event on tribal land in California, per multiple reports.
The state of play: Even as the rest of the sports world hits pause, UFC president Dana White has remained adamant that fights must go on, and appears to have settled for a shutdown casino in a state with the fourth-most confirmed cases of coronavirus.
- That relentlessness could ultimately be a boon for business (UFC 249 will be available on ESPN+), but it also paints him as somewhat of a villain, willing to bend the rules and go to extreme lengths to ensure fighters can keep punching each other on camera and making him money.
The location: Tachi Palace Casino Resort, which is about 40 miles south of Fresno and sits on land belonging to the Tachi-Yokut tribe.
- The loophole: By holding UFC 249 on tribal land, the UFC isn't subject to California's stay-at-home order and fights don't need to be sanctioned by the state's athletic commission, which has canceled all bouts through May 31.
- The headliners: The event will feature 12 fights, headlined by the interim lightweight championship between Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje, who is replacing Khabib Nurmagomedov (unable to travel from Russia).
- The island: White also claims he's secured a private island to stage events with international fighters who can't travel to the U.S.
The backdrop: The Association of Ringside Physicians has urged the suspension of all combat sports, which could impede the UFC's attempt to hire ringside doctors.
Go deeper: No one knows when the coronavirus sports shutdown will end
