Report: UFC 249 To Take Place At Tachi Palace In California

UFC 249 reportedly has a location and that location is Tachi Palace Resort Casino in Lemoore, California.

On Tuesday, the New York Times reported that the promotion intends to hold the April 18 ESPN+ pay-per-view card on tribal lands. With that, the UFC will not be beholden to state athletic commission regulations. The California State Athletic Commission cancelled all MMA events through May 31. Longtime MMA reporter Jeff Sherwood of Between Rounds Radio, was the first to report the location of the event. 

“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 CSAC said in a statement to the Times. “The commission will not participate in the U.F.C. event on April 18, regardless of the event location.”

On Monday, the UFC announced that Justin Gaethje will step in and replace lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in the main event of the fight card. Gaethje is set to face Tony Ferguson. The interim 155-pound title is on the line in that contest. Nurmagomedov cannot travel from his home in Russia because of travel restrictions. 

Nurmagomedov’s withdrawal from the event marks the fifth time he and Ferguson have failed to make it to the octagon for a scheduled bout.

UFC 249 was initially booked for Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The UFC has been looking for a new home for the event since mid-March when the New York State Athletic Commission informed the UFC that Barclays Center was out of the mix. 

“Out of an abundance of caution and in line with recent guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and New York State, the New York State Athletic Commission informed the U.F.C. that U.F.C. 249 cannot be held in New York,” the commission said in an email message to the Times.

The NYSAC and CSAC are not the only ones taking a stance against the event, the Association of Ringside Physicians, which represents safety personnel in combat sports also commented on UFC 249. 

“Any combat sport taking place during this global pandemic places the athletes, officials, and anyone else involved in the event under unnecessary risk of infection and transmission of Covid-19,” the association wrote. “In addition, combat sports athletes often require medical attention after a bout, and we do not wish to see any additional strain on an already overwhelmed medical system.”

During an interview with ESPN on Monday, White refused to say where UFC 249 would take place, “This place where this fight is going to be on April 18 I have locked up for two months, so I’m going to continue to pump fights out.” 

White added that he had secured an island where the UFC would hold its international events during the global coronavirus pandemic. 

Tachi Palace has been closed since March 20 due to the pandemic. 

The UFC and Tachi Palace did not respond to inquiries about the reported location of the event. 




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