UFC president Dana White is planning a UFC event for May 9, though he has yet to announce a venue or location for what promises to be a major show with multiple title fights.
White reported to ESPN that he is in the midst of putting together a loaded card for May 9, a date originally reserved for UFC 250 in Brazil.
UFC Planning Three Title Fights for May 9
The UFC no longer plans to hold an event in Brazil on that night, but White is still looking to put together a show on that date that would include a number of high-profile matchups.
Potential matchups include an interim lightweight title fight between Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje, as well as a women’s featherweight title fight between Amanda Nunes and Felicia Spencer, and a bantamweight title bout between Henry Cejudo and Dominick Cruz.
The UFC has yet to officially announce any of these fights. According to sources cited by ESPN, several fighters are eager to participate, but are hesitant to commit due to the recent UFC cancellations.
That includes UFC 249, which appeared to be ready to go for April 18 at the Tachi Palace Casino Resort in California. However, White called off the event after pressure from ESPN and Disney executives, who asked him to “stand down.†Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-California) also asked the UFC to reconsider the event.
“I understand this event is scheduled to take place on tribal land and therefore is not subject to state law,†Feinstein said in a statement last week. “However, at best, this event ties up medical resources and sends a message that shelter-in-place orders can be flouted.â€
Cejudo: ‘I Need to Know Today’
Henry Cejudo is among those who want more certainty before committing. The current UFC bantamweight champion says he is willing to fight on May 9, but wants to know as early as possible if the fight will actually happen.
“I think we need to have a conversation with Dana and everybody there, because you don’t want to train and have them give you a certain date, and then you’re not peaking at the right time,†Cejudo told ESPN on Monday. “My training is very methodical. Everything I do has to be precise, to make sure I’m 100%. You can’t surprise me before, two weeks. I need to know today. I don’t have time to waste if this is going to happen.â€
At some point, the May 9 event will need a venue to move forward. One intriguing possibility is the so-called “Fight Island,†the private island that White says he has procured for the UFC. However, White hasn’t disclosed the location of this island, and it’s unclear if or when it would be ready to host fights.