Dana White on UFC returning to Las Vegas: "We are a go on the 30th"
Dana White confirmed it to the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Wednesday that the UFC is all set to return to the state of Nevada with its May 30 event. White, in a text message, wrote, "We are a go on the 30th”. The announcement comes after long speculation as to where will the event be held.
Earlier this week, Gilbert Burns confirmed that he will be locking horns against Tyron Woodley in the main event. The fight is an important one for the division, the rest of the card hasn't been formally announced.
White had earlier hinted that he might move to Arizona if Nevada didn't open up soon. In a press conference, he said, “That’s where I’ll go, that’s 100 percent where I’ll go.” The move was being hinted at after the Governor of the state promised to re-open sports leagues in May.
The NSAC back in April had refused to comment on the idea of having a UFC event in May. NSAC Executive Director Bob Bennett had released a statement that read, "We will see what the data reveals based on the science of COVID-19 and move forward accordingly."
Dana White responds to criticism for holding events during an ongoing pandemic
The UFC has been one of the very few sports leagues that are still functioning. The decision has drawn criticism for multiple sources, which includes popular talk show, Last Week Tonight. Dana White has deflected all of that criticism stating the show was using "selective facts". He tweeted,
I like John Oliver, I think he's funny. But this is a perfect example of how you can control the narrative by using selective facts. We did approximately 1,100 tests, only 3 were positive, it was a fighter and his 2 trainers and we had 3 events NOT 1 (via @LastWeekTonight)
This will be UFC's fourth event post the announcement of lockdown. Dana White has been credited as the driving force behind these events.