UFC selects historic venue in California for upcoming pay-per-view
UFC 249 finally seems to have locked in on a venue for its star-studded card set to take place on April 18.
After it was revealed by the UFC that the main event will feature Justin Gaethje opposite Tony Ferguson for the interim Lightweight belt, Dana White had said that post UFC 249, he would fly the fighters and everyone else involved to a private island he will soon be owning, and hold weekly fights from there over the course of the next few months.
The venue for UFC 249, as reported by sources, happens to be Tachi Palace Casino Resort just outside of Lemoore, California, 40 miles south of Fresno.
Tachi Palace makes sense as a UFC 249 venue - here's why
In a tweet on Monday, veteran MMA reporter and Sherdog-founder Jeff Sherwood shared that the next four UFC events will take place at the Tachi Palace.
The New York Times later published a detailed article about the same.
It said in the report that the casino itself shut down on the night of March 20 due to the pandemic, but will reportedly host the UFC events behind closed doors. Despite California's ban on combat sports events extended till end of May, what allows Tachi Palace to hold the UFC events is its location in tribal lands.
The land belongs to the Tachi-Yokut Tribe, part of the federally recognized Santa Rosa Indian Community, and thus does not fall under the jurisdiction of CSAC or the the statewide stay-at-home orders issued by California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Tachi Palace has a rich history of hosting MMA events, including the Tachi Palace Fight series from 2009 to 2018.
CSAC will not partake in UFC 249
CSAC has previously regulated combat events for several promoters before at Tachi Palace, but they will not be present this time. In a statement provided to The New York Times, the commission made it clear that they will stick to the Governor's orders.
"The commission echoes the guidance of California Governor Gavin Newsom, the Department of Public Health, local health officials, and the recommendations of the Association of Ringside Physicians regarding the cancellation of events where people may be at risk of contracting Covid-19 and encourages the industry to do the same. The commission will not participate in the UFC event on April 18, regardless of the event location."
Despite losing 155-pound champ, Khabib Nurmagomedov due to travel bans in his native Russia, UFC has managed to put together an excellent card for the event.
Other than the headliner between Ferguson and Gaethje, Jessica Andrade vs. Rose Namajunas, Francis Ngannou vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik, and Jeremy Stephens vs. Calvin Kattar are among the other big fights slated for the evening.