UFC president Dana White is forging forward with attempts to set up a marquee fight night for the sport’s potential return on May 9.
The promotion's plans to hold UFC 249 on April 18 fell apart last week when pressure from Disney and ESPN, parent company and broadcast partner, forced White to "stand down" in his bid to put on the show in the United States. The UFC have had to cancel their past four events because of the coronavirus crisis.
However, according to ESPN on Tuesday, White remains adamant the UFC will be the first sport to return to hosting live events, with a loaded card next month in the works.
Tony Ferguson, the No 1-ranked challenger in the lightweight division, is understood to have verbally agreed to take on Justin Gaethje for the interim title. The pair were supposed to meet at UFC 249 after Gaethje accepted a late offer to stand in for undisputed champion Khabib Nurmagomedov following the Russian's withdrawal.
Nurmagomedov is currently in his native Dagestan and cannot leave the country because of travel restrictions imposed there in light of the coronavirus.
A provisional line-up for the card also includes Henry Cejudo defending his bantamweight champion against former champion Dominick Cruz. Cejudo had been slated to fight Jose Aldo on May 9 at UFC 250 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, but the fight fell victim to yet more travel restrictions.
Elsewhere, women's featherweight champion Amanda Nunes, who also holds the bantamweight belt, is being lined up to defend her 145-pound title against Felicia Spencer, while the highly anticipated heavyweight bout between Francis Ngannou and Jair Rozenstruik is expected to get the go ahead, too.
White's ambitious card also features the hugely popular Donald Cerrone against Anthony Pettis. It would mark Cerrone's first return to the octagon since his 40-second loss to Conor McGregor in January.
As for location, White has confirmed he plans to host the event at the Apex training facility in Las Vegas, paving the way for subsequent shows to be staged there for the foreseeable future.
In a statement given to Variety, the UFC president said: "We built the Apex facility next door just in time to save the day from this pandemic. Live fights will be produced out of there starting next month and for the foreseeable future."
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Afghanistan Premier League - at a glance
Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Fixtures:
Tue, Oct 16, 8pm: Kandahar Knights v Kabul Zwanan; Wed, Oct 17, 4pm: Balkh Legends v Nangarhar Leopards; 8pm: Kandahar Knights v Paktia Panthers; Thu, Oct 18, 4pm: Balkh Legends v Kandahar Knights; 8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Paktia Panthers; Fri, Oct 19, 8pm: First semi-final; Sat, Oct 20, 8pm: Second semi-final; Sun, Oct 21, 8pm: final
Table:
1. Balkh Legends 6 5 1 10
2. Paktia Panthers 6 4 2 8
3. Kabul Zwanan 6 3 3 6
4. Nagarhar Leopards 7 2 5 4
5. Kandahar Knights 5 1 4 2
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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Results
3pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,400m, Winner: Lancienegaboulevard, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Fawzi Nass (trainer).
3.35pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Turf) 1,600m, Winner: Al Mukhtar Star, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
4.10pm: Handicap Dh165,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner: Gundogdu, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4.45pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (T) 1,200m, Winner: Speedy Move, Sean Kirrane, Satish Seemar.
5.20pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Moqarrar, Dane O’Neill, Erwan Charpy.
5.55pm: Handicap Dh175,000 (T) 1,800m, Winner: Dolman, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
Mobile phone packages comparison
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
The biog
Name: Atheja Ali Busaibah
Date of birth: 15 November, 1951
Favourite books: Ihsan Abdel Quddous books, such as “The Sun will Never Set”
Hobbies: Reading and writing poetry
UAE's role in anti-extremism recognised
General John Allen, President of the Brookings Institution research group, commended the role the UAE has played in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.
He told a Globsec debate of the UAE’s "hugely outsized" role in the fight against Isis.
"It’s trite these days to say that any country punches above its weight, but in every possible way the Emirates did, both militarily, and very importantly, the UAE was extraordinarily helpful on getting to the issue of violent extremism," he said.
He also noted the impact that Hedayah, among others in the UAE, has played in addressing violent extremism.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
