UFC parent company Endeavor has bought a majority stake in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

The global sports firm said that a new publicly listed company would be formed that combines the UFC and WWE brands  – making them worth more than $21 billion.

The new deal will give Endeavor majority ownership at 51% in the new entity, while WWE will control the remaining percentage.

Since 2019, both the UFC and WWE have achieved 10% annual revenue growth each since 2019. And both combined for $2.4 billion in revenue during fiscal 2022.

At the transaction, the UFC is valued at $12.1 billion and WWE is worth $9.3 billion, according to Endeavor

“Together, we will be a $21+ billion live sports and entertainment powerhouse with a collective fanbase of more than a billion people and an exciting growth opportunity,” Vincent K. McMahon, executive chairman of WWE said in a statement.

“I believe that this is without a doubt the best outcome for our shareholders and other stakeholders,”

The new company will be led by Ariel Emanuel, chief executive officer of Endeavor.

While Endeavor confirmed Dana White will continue his role as UFC President, it’s unclear if he will he take on new responsibilities with the entity.

But he did say in a statement today in reaction to the news that he’s “excited to take this to another level.”

“Vince is a savage in the wrestling space, Ari is a beast at what he does, and then add what we at UFC bring to the table and there is no limit to what this company can accomplish in the next few years.”

While the board of directors “unanimously” approved the deal, keep in mind that the closure of the deal is pending conditions including regulatory approvals.

However, Endeavor expects the deal to close in the second half of this year.

UFC President Dana White wants a massive pay-per-view fight card set for 2023.

In March, the UFC is in line to put on a show for the fans in the United Kingdom.

And White wants fireworks, with another fight of Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards headlining the March PPV card.

In September, the two squared off for the second time – that time for the Welterweight title.

While Usman dominated most of the fight, Edwards delivered a devastating head kick that knocked out his opponent in the final minute of the fight.

Usman was that close to tying UFC legend Anderson Silva‘s winning streak record, which was 16.

But that’s not the only fight White wants.

Another would be a highly anticipated match between fellow welterweights Colby Covington and Khamzat Chimaev as the co-main event.

“I would love to do that fight in England too,” White said in a recent interview.

He added, “I’m telling you – I’m bringing a bad a** card to England. English fans are so fun they bring such great energy.”

However, there could be one potential problem.

That’s if Chimaev fails to make 170 pounds again.

Last month, the UFC was forced to remove Chimaev from the main event against Nate Diaz because he showed up a whopping 7.5 pounds above the scales.

As a result, he fought Kevin Holland and forced him to tap just minutes into the fight.

“Khamzat wants to fight at 170,” White said.

“I’m going to give him one more opportunity to fight at 170.”

And fans will hope that Chimaev can make the weight at least a couple of more times.

This is because a Chimaev victory could set up a title fight against the winner Usman and Edwards.

Both Covington and Chimaev, along with former champion Usman have elite wrestling abilities.

So, these could make interesting matchups if the fights remain on the feet.

The next UFC PPV card will take place on November 12, where middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is set to fight Alex Pereira in the main event.

Following an impressive victory in the Contender Series Tuesday, 17-year-old Mexican fighter Raul Rosas Jr. signed a contract to compete for UFC, becoming the youngest ever to do so. UFC President Dana White described Rosas as “special” at a press conference following the fight.

“For a 17-year-old to conduct himself the way he did in this fight, I was blown away by it. Blown away,” White said.

In just his sixth professional fight on Sept. 20, Rosas faced off against 25-year-old Mando Gutierrez and defeated him by unanimous decision after three rounds. Competing in front of White and other UFC officials, he received an opportunity to sign a contract with the organization on the spot.

If Rosas competes soon, he could become the youngest fighter in UFC history and would surpass current record holder Dan Lauzon, who debuted at the age of 18 years, 198 days in 2006. Though his age was an obvious obstacle in securing a contract, it didn’t bother Rosas, who said he was confident going into the fight.

“I’ve been saying it since the beginning. Since I was born, I knew this was gonna happen,” Rosas said.

Through six bouts, Rosas remains undefeated and has won five by submission or KO. Even in his decision victory over Gutierrez, however, he overwhelmed his opponent, scoring knockdowns with a number of deceptive maneuvers.

“I’m very, very impressed with this kid. He’s absolutely special.” White said.

Known as “El Niño Problema,” or the Problem Child, Rosas comes from Mexico but is based in California. He will compete in the UFC as a bantamweight fighter, though he has previously competed at the featherweight level as well. He will turn 18 next month. His ambitions are sky-high.

“I know it won’t be easy, but nothing is easy in this life. I will become the youngest UFC champion,” Rosas said. “I don’t care what it takes, nobody is going to take this away from me. If I could fight a top five in my UFC debut, I would, but I have to work my way up there, and I will be up there soon.”

Multiple reports have confirmed that Jake Paul’s next in-ring opponent will be UFC legend Anderson Silva. The match will take place in October. Paul was supposed to fight Hasim Rahman Jr. in July but refused to fight Rahman after the former heavyweight failed to make weight failed to make weight.

https://twitter.com/mostvpromotions/status/1563652221782343681?s=21

Paul is set to fight Silva, who won the UFC Middleweight Championship and held it for 2,457 days from 2006 to 2013. Despite spending most of his career in mixed martial arts, Silva has performed as a boxer in multiple stints over the course of his career. He holds a 3-1 record and won both of his professional bouts in 2021.

Paul, meanwhile, has earned more respect as a fighter recently after defeating another UFC legend, Tyron Woodley, in two straight matches in 2021, including a knockout in December. He continues to take criticism, however, for scheduling fights with overmatched opponents, or fighters with name recognition who are either old or unfamiliar with the sport. Silva fits both of these latter descriptions as a 47-year-old UFC retiree with limited experience in the ring.

In the months leading up to his fight against Rahman, Paul’s team, Most Valuable Promotions, demanded that his opponent weigh 200 pounds on the day of the fight. Once weighing in at 260 pounds, Rahman initially agreed to these terms but later complained that it wasn’t feasible. The two subsequently accused one another of running away from the fight.

Addressing rumors of a match between Paul and Silva, UFC President Dana White seemed exasperated but admitted that it would be a test for Paul.

“If he’s really fighting Anderson Silva, and that’s true, it’s about time he’s got a real fight on his hands there,” White told reporters at a press conference. “Regardless of how old Anderson is, yeah, that’s a real fight.”

An official announcement from Paul’s team will likely be announced next week.

Jon Jones could have a fight in line by the end of the year.

The 35-year-old indicated that he would return for UFC 282, which has a set date for December 10.

https://twitter.com/JonnyBones/status/1560470499901075456

By many fans, Jones is considered one of the greatest UFC fighters of all time.

However, he has been involved in a fair share of controversy including a battery domestic violence charge and injuring and tampering with a vehicle in 2021 that took place in Las Vegas.

Jones wound up accepting a plea deal so he could avoid jail time. 

Also, he was arrested for using a firearm and an aggravated DWI in New Mexico in 2020, along with a number of other legal issues.

Additionally, Jones has been stripped of his title three times for his past controversies.

 In his UFC career, Jones holds a 26-1 record with one no contest.

Jone’s only loss came from a disqualification over illegal elbows against Matt Hamil back in 2009.

His last fight was a unanimous decision victory over Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 in 2020, where Jones once again defended his light heavyweight belt.

Currently, Czech-native Jiří Procházka is the light heavyweight champion – but Jones has his sites set higher.

“My goal, my dream is to have my first heavyweight title fight look like my first light heavyweight title fight,” Jones tweeted. 

“Pure domination,” he added. 

That could set up a fight between Jones and champion Francis Ngannou, who is recovering from a knee injury that required surgery. 

However, the bigger issue with Ngannou, who has been critical of UFC fighter pay, remains without a contract. 

In fact, he recently tweeted: “Fighters are ripped off with Sponsorship. It’s a huge source of revenue for us but the company keeps exploiting that for their own benefit.” 

And he was also critical of the UFC’s collaboration with a major cryptocurrency trading site. 

https://twitter.com/francis_ngannou/status/1560035771293253645

UFC president Dana White previously said it’s “all business and we’ll see how it plays out.”

In the meantime, he added that a fight between Jones and Stipe Miocic “makes sense.”

But that has not been confirmed. 

Another possibility is Ciryl Gane (10-1), who lost the heavyweight belt to Ngannou by decision in January. 

UFC fighter Julianna Pena has adamantly denied having received surgery following her bantamweight title fight with Amanda Nunes Sunday night. Before losing her title in the rematch against Nunes, Pena sustained a massive gash that UFC President Dana White said took a “big chunk” out of her forehead. White also said that she was going to see a plastic surgeon, but Pena refuted these claims, calling the injury a “cat scratch” and clarifying that she only needed a few stitches.

Pena’s fight against Nunes Sunday was a rematch from last December in Las Vegas when Pena upset the champion with a rear naked choke submission in the second round to win the title. Nunes returned as a heavy favorite going into the second matchup and won in five rounds by unanimous decision.

https://twitter.com/UFCEurope/status/1553601309592485890?s=20&t=5RJ5_JFovMnvi4wTXisTQg

The highlight of Nunes’ victory, however, came in the third round, when the new champ pinned Pena to the mat and began striking at open cuts along the top of her opponent’s forehead. Blood splattered across the mat and began to flow freely down Pena’s face, concealing the gruesome injury.

Amanda Nunes Surgery?

Though White said that Pena was seeing a plastic surgeon in a press conference after the match, Pena later clarified on Instagram that she only required stitches for what she considered to be a minor injury. She also seemed intent on finishing the trilogy.

“Tougher than a two-dollar steak. Thanks for the love, everyone! Just a cat scratch that required a few stitches, no chunks missing, no surgery necessary. Love you all! We’re 1-1 now,” Pena said.

Pena and Nunes’ fight was the main event of UFC 272, an event at the American Airlines Centre in Dallas. The pair headlined a 13-match card that also included interim men’s flyweight champion Brandon Moreno, who defeated Kai Kara-France with a knockout in the third round.

UFC higher-ups—including President Dana White, welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and retired former lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov—last week penned letters to the Santa Clara County, Calif., Superior Court in support of Cain Velasquez.

Velasquez—charged with attempted murder and nine other counts after targeting a man charged with molesting one of the former two-time UFC heavyweight champion’s young relatives—is currently being held in Santa Clara County main jail without bail.

The 34 letters, including some from professional wrestlers, pleaded for leniency for Velasquez, with many saying how he’s a family man, has no criminal record, and has been a model person for more than a decade in and outside of his occupation.

The 39-year-old was arrested February 28 after a high-speed chase with Harry Eugene Goularte, who’s being charged with molestation. During the chase, Velasquez fired several shots into the other vehicle and hit Goularte’s stepfather in the arm and torso; he was left with non-life-threatening injuries.

Velasquez is facing more than 20 years in prison if convicted; his next court date is April 12.

“I have known Mr. Velasquez for more than 15 years, and during his time as an active athlete with UFC, he represented our company with dignity and always treated others with respect,” White wrote. “He was a model example of how a professional athlete should carry himself, projecting a positive image to UFC’s fanbase.”

In addition, others who write letters included former: UFC double champions Daniel Cormier and Henry Cejudo; UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno; UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum; and Bellator promoter Bjorn Rebney.

“Cain has helped me on more occasions than I can count,” Cormier wrote. “Like me, he is a father and husband, so he knows the demand of trying to do it all. Throughout the years, he has traveled with me, supported me, and even helped me prepare for a coaching job at the high school while I retired from my fighter career. Cain has taken it upon himself to help every chance he gets. During the pandemic when many gyms and restaurants were closed, Cain opened his home and provided a place for wrestlers to train and eat. He even housed them.”

“[Velasquez] is an honest and kindhearted person who would do anything for his family and friends. He is the type of man that most of us would want on our side in life,” wrote Nurmagomedov.

“[Velasquez] is a loving man, who has consistently gone above and beyond to provide the best possible life for his family,” WWE’s Rey Mysterio. “[He] expressed to me how hard it was having to leave them behind at home, while he travels in order to pay the bills and put food on his [family’s] table.”

UFC president Dana White said that he tested positive for Covid-19 this week and is currently quarantining and isolating in his Las Vegas home.

White, 52, said that he and his immediate family tested positive for Covid-19 after arriving home from a Thanksgiving gathering at his northeastern estate in Maine.

On “The Jim Rome Podcast,” talking to legendary sportscaster Jim Rome, White confirmed his vaccination status and consulted in UFC commentator and host of popular Spotify podcast of his own, Joe Rogan, for advice.

Rogan has been known to spread misinformation about Covi-19 and vaccines via his podcast. Besides advising White, Rogan also advised Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rogers on how to go about treatment when he came down with the coronavirus.

White decided to call Rogan after realizing that he had no sense of smell last Sunday. White said he feels like “a million bucks” and continues to exercise multiple times a day. He also relayed his desire to attend a UFC Fight Night event this Saturday in Las Vegas if he tests negative.

The UFC has three remaining live events this year. Besides Saturday’s fight in Las Vegas, the company has a UFC 269 pay-per-view set at T-Mobile Arena the following week, and in Las Vegas and another UFC Fight Night on December 18 at Vegas’s Apex.

Conor McGregor had an untimely injury in his UFC matchup against Dustin Porier, but the superstar and face of fighting is not letting the setback keep him down.

McGregor lodged his ankle and foot under himself when moving backward against Porier, leading to a gruesome-looking injury to his left leg. The injury forced a stoppage in the first round of the bout.

“Just out of the surgery room, everything went to plan, everything went perfect and I’m feeling tremendous. We’ve got six weeks on a crutch now and then we begin to build back,” McGregor said on social media.

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While the injury has caused many to question whether McGregor will ever step into the octagon again, UFC President Dana White assured reporters that there would be more fights offered to the Irish fighter and that he expects to see McGregor back soon.

Jake Paul’s next boxing match will be against former UFC champion Tyron Woodley. It is his second consecutive bout against a former UFC fighter. Paul knocked out Ben Askren, Woodley’s good friend and teammate, in just two minute back in April. Woodley was actually in Askren’s corner for that fight, and Woodley and Paul got into a heated altercation prior to the start of the match. That is likely what planted the seed for this fight to come together.

This match will happen later this summer, both Paul and Woodley told ESPN. The 190-pound match is currently slated for August 28, sources say. Several host cities are still under consideration, per sources, though an official announcement on the date and location is expected shortly.

Paul was quick to put a statement out regarding his fourth professional fight. “I have a list of people I plan on shutting up with my fists,” Paul said. “And as I enter my fourth pro fight, I am excited to knock the first one off the list by challenging myself against a five-time UFC champion known for his knockout power. Tyron’s a seasoned striker who has fought the best in the world. I certainly respect his career, but I will be sending Tyron into a permanent siesta on August 28. Maybe this time [UFC president] Dana White will actually be a man and put his money on his former champion instead of trying to undermine my success like a jealous ex. Influencer vs MMA: let’s get it on. It’s showtime.”

Paul’s adviser talked a little more smack on the subject. “In just his fourth professional bout, Jake is taking on much tougher competition than any boxer does at a similar stage of their career, which usually includes extended amateur experience,” Paul adviser and CEO of BAVAFA Sports Nakisa Bidarian told ESPN. “Floyd Mayweather, who was 84-9 as an amateur, entered his fourth professional fight against an opponent that was making his boxing debut and ended his career at 0-4. Moreover, in his 50th pro fight, after going 49-0, he fought Conor McGregor, who was making his boxing debut. Mike Tyson’s fourth opponent was 1-0 and ended his career at 2-23. Jake is taking on a decorated MMA champion, known for his knockout power. And please remember it is mixed martial arts, which if you go on the UFC website and look at their intro-to-MMA, boxing is the first martial art listed. Tyron Woodley has been training boxing for much longer than Jake has. This fight is going to be fireworks. Thank you Showtime for believing in our vision and partnering with Jake to do this.”

Woodley had differing thoughts on the fight. “Easiest fight of my career and biggest purse of my career all in one night,” Woodley said. “Basically, they brought me in to take out the trash. I can’t wait to shut this b—- up. This is getting done for the culture, the whole MMA community and boxing community, to rid this guy of combat sports.”

There is clearly heightened emotion and tons of anticipation building up to this matchup. The fight is for sure shaping up to be an excellent bout.

It is almost but certain that UFC fighter Anderson Silva has fought his last fight.

The longtime UFC middleweight champion revealed that he is likely done with MMA. Silva was released from the UFC following his loss to Uriah Hall in October last year.

“I think MMA for me is done. It’s hard to stay training at a good level because you hurt yourself a lot,” Silva said. “Now, I just try to enjoy. I need to prove nothing for anybody. I just try to enjoy every single moment.”

What is next for the UFC legend? The MMA fighter revealed what is next in his post-UFC career. “Maybe my next challenge is jiu-jitsu — gi or no-gi,” Silva said. “Just enjoy the moment. The whole martial arts.”

Silva has already ventured into boxing and already partook in two boxing bouts. The 46-year-old has an upcoming boxing match with Julio César Chávez Jr. The bout between the two will take place on June 19 at Guadalajara, Mexico. The 46-year-old holds a 1-1 career boxing record.

Nicknamed, “The Spider,” the fighter became one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time and remained a UFC star for 15 years. Some of his accomplishments include holding the UFC middleweight title for nearly seven years, from 2006 to 2013. “The Spider” holds the UFC record for the longest title reign (2,457 days). One of his biggest and famous accomplishments was his iconic 16-fight win streak that lasted from April 2006 to October 2012. The 16-fight win-streak became the longest in UFC history.

Silva’s final UFC fight was a TKO loss to Hall last year. Heading into that fight, UFC president Dana White said going into that bout that it would be Silva’s last in UFC. Silva agreed and asked for his UFC release so he could compete in other combat sports. White granted that request in November. Following his release, he received offers from MMA promotions in Japan to compete, but he declined them.

Jake Paul fired back at Dana White in their latest feud.

It was White who dished out the first verbal spat against Paul during the UFC 261 post-fight press conference. In the conference, White bashed the company Paul and Triller, saying the company lied about its pay-per-view buys and how much money Paul made for facing Ben Askren. “The numbers are there? Nah. I don’t know if the numbers are there,” White said. “Do you know what would happen to this guy? He ain’t fighting in the UFC.” The UFC president continued, “He’s getting hand-picked opponents, and God knows what else is going on with that whole f—ing thing.”

The UFC president did not stop there and further claimed that the sales of UFC were better than Triller and what Paul drew. “What happened tonight is, we sold this place out and it was packed, and the numbers that you’re hearing [Triller] did they’re full of s–t. They’re full of s–t. OK?” White said. “They didn’t pull that kind of numbers at all not even f—ing close.”

Paul did not take the claim too lightly and went on Twitter to fire back at the UFC president. The social media-turned boxer published a note on Twitter with his response to White. “Dana you claimed you would bet $1M on me losing,” Paul wrote. “[You] Set up Askren to train with Freddie Roach … gave him full access to UFCP,  and he still got his a-s handed to him.” The social media influencer then said, “Seems like you are the real douche…not Ariel.” This was a reference to when White called out ESPN MMA reporter Ariel Helwani. 

“In my third fight, I made more in total pay than any fighter in UFC history,” the boxer said. “Maybe it’s time to pay your fighters their fair share?” The boxer called out White on the low payouts that the company gives to its fighters. “No wonder they all want to get into boxing,” Paul said.

“Dana, you say you make the fights fans want to see…so hurry up and make Jones vs. Ngannou. Pay them their fair share… $10M purse for each guy, plus PPV,” the note read.

The note ended with one final statement questioning the low payouts again. “Why are UFC fighters so underpaid vs. boxers? Why did I make more money in my third fight than all but two [Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor] UFC fighters have in history? I know why …”

On Wednesday, UFC president Dana White announced UFC 264’s location and the number of fans that will be allowed into the arena.

UFC 264 will be held on July 10 in Las Vegas, Nevada at T-Mobile Arena. The event will be headlined by the showdown between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier.

GET THE BEST UFC 264 TICKET DEALS HERE!

“I’m so happy to finally be able to say Vegas is back,” White said in his announcement video. “This summer Las Vegas is back open for business, and on July 10, UFC 264 will be at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas at 100% capacity. Ladies and gentlemen, that’s 20,000 fans.”

The main event of UFC 264 will be the third fight between McGregor and Poirier. The two competitors got into a Twitter feud over the past weekend. The feud began when Poirier called McGregor out for not donating to a charity like agreed upon during their second fight. It resulted in a back-and-forth between the two fighters before the Irish fighter seemingly called the fight off and said that he’ll look for another opponent.

However, things have dramatically changed since then. “I signed bout agreement this morning,” McGregor told ESPN’s Ariel Helwani. “I’m going to rip this game a new a–hole July 10th,” the Irishman expressed. “The Mac is back in Sin City! Full house!”

The two fighters will meet with one another for the third fight in their trilogy series. Their first bout resulted in a victory for McGregor. Earlier in January, the two fighters met for a second match, which resulted in a TKO victory for Poirer. This third fight is for all the marbles!

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UFC is back in full swing, and it will start with UFC 261 in a full fan capacity setting. UFC president Dana White had vowed that the MMA promotion will not return to live crowds during the pandemic. White wanted there to be full fan capacity allowed for a live event in order for UFC to return.

White finally got his wish and UFC 261 will be held at Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, on April 24. The event will have a full crowd meaning fans will be allowed at full capacity for the event.

UFC 261 main events will be the rematch of welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal. The two had previously fought in UFC 251 and at that time it was Usman who came out with an easy victory. In that bout, Usman easily nullified Masvidal’s offense. Now Masvidal has a chance to try again and we’ll see if he has learned from his mistakes. Usman is currently the favorite to win.

GET UFC 261 TICKETS TODAY!

Women’s Strawweight Title: Weili Zhang (c) vs Rose Namajunas

The card will feature current Women’s Strawweight champion Zhang battle Namajunas for the title. Zhang is currently on a 21-win streak and is the favorite to win. Zhang effortlessly captured the title by beating Jessica Andrade in just 42 seconds to win the title. Zhang then won her first title defense in UFC 248 against Joanna Jedrzejczyk, which was decided in a split decision favor for Zhang.

Namajuanas is a former strawweight champion herself. She had won the title from Jedrzejczyk in 2017. Namajuanas will look to win back the title and will face her biggest challenge yet.

Women’s Flyweight Title: Valentina Shevchenko (c) vs Jessica Andrade

Defending champion Shevchenko will be the favorite to win this bout. The champion already has four dominant wins when defending her title. Yet, Andrade is no slouch herself as she is a former Strawweight champion.

UFC 261 Fight Card:

• Kamaru Usman (c) -400 vs. Jorge Masvidal +310, Welterweight Championship
• Weili Zhang (c) -195 vs. Rose Namajunas +165, Women’s Strawweight Championship
• Valentina Shevchenko (c) -400 vs. Jessica Andrade +310, Women’s Flyweight Championship
• Uriah Hall -110 vs. Chris Weidman -110, Middleweight
• Jimmy Crute -195 vs. Anthony Smith +165, Light Heavyweight
• Randy Brown vs. Alex Oliveira, Welterweight
• Brendan Allen -135 vs. Karl Roberson +115, Middleweight
• Danaa Batgerel -150 vs. Kevin Natividad +125, Bantamweight
• Qileng Aori -125 vs. Jeffrey Molina +105, Flyweight
• Jamey Simmons vs. Johnny Munoz, Bantamweights
• Rong Zhu -240 vs. Kazula Vargas +200, Lightweight
• Dwight Grant vs. Stefan Sekulic, Welterweight
• Ariane Carnelossi -150 vs. Na Liang +125, Women’s Strawweight

GET UFC 261 TICKETS TODAY!

UFC President Dana White announced that UFC 261 will take place next month with no capacity limits for fans despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The event will be hosted at the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida with fans in full attendance. White said that the fight will take place on April 24 and that there may be upwards of 15,000 fans in the arena cheering on the action.

The UFC president did not confirm whether additional safety predictions, such as COVID-19 testing or face mask requirements would be implemented. 

UFC 261 will mark the first time that fighters will have an audience in North America since the beginning of the shutdown in March of 2020, according to The Associated Press. The events in the past year in America have been in empty arenas. They did hold events that included some spectators in Abu Dhabi earlier this year. 

Florida officials are still encouraging residents to “avoid congregating in groups larger than 10.” The state reported 3,699 COVID-19 cases on Sunday, according to The New York Times. Florida, similarly to other regions across the United States, has seen a sharp drop in cases since its peak in early January. 

It is no secret that Donald Trump is extremely popular with UFC fighters. A number of MMA fighters  have openly supported his re-election campaign.

Trump is fully aware of his popularity in the UFC and has used that to his advantage for his re-election campaign. UFC is extremely popular with young men, who make up a majority of the fans. The UFC’s audience is made up of 70% men with a median age of 35 years old. The sport has a fanbase of over 42 million Americans.

Trump had a long relationship with the UFC that dates back to 2001 when he had hosted two UFC events in his former Trump Taj Mahal.

Trump is using outspoken MMA fighters as advocates for his campaign. Welterweight fighter, Colby Covington, has been outspoken in his support of Trump. He had promised a title win and that he would bring the title to the White House – Covington delivered on the promise back in 2018 when he won the welterweight championship. Covington has since made speeches at a Las Vegas fundraiser for Trump and was given a front seat at the presidential debates.

Other UFC fighters include Henry Cejudo, a Hispanic fighter who spoke at a Latinos for Trump rally, Jorge Masvidal, a Cuban-American is another Hispanic Trump supporter. Masvidal claimed that the Black Lives Matter protests led to his decision to support Trump.

UFC President Dana White, who supported Trump in 2016, continues to speak at his rallies.

For his part, Joe Biden has added his own fighters such as professional wrestler Dave Bautista and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to counter Trump and his MMA following.

Jon Jones. one of the most accomplished UFC fighters in history with a record of 26-2 during his career and a light heavyweight title, will be vacating his title amid pay disputes with the UFC. 

On Sunday, Jones tweeted out, “To the light-heavyweight title – veni, vidi, vici.” This phrase is Latin for “I came, I saw, I conquered.” Although not directly saying it, it appears that Jones is giving up his title.

Jones has been at the center of disputes with UFC President Dana White over pay disputes. Jones tweeting Sunday, “I hurt myself every time I walk out there and take a punch to the head and not feel my pay is worth it anymore.”  Jones has said that he wants to be compensated fairly for what he has put himself through. 

These disputes stem from the 32-year old Jones demanding upwards of $15 million to fight Francis Ngannou, which White called “crazy.” After an event in Las Vegas on Saturday, White spoke about Jones saying he is free to do what he wants. “He can do whatever he wants to do. He can sit out, he can fight, he can whatever,” White said. “Jon Jones can say whatever he wants publicly. It’s his God-given right here in America. He can say whatever he wants. And when he’s ready to come back and fight, he can.” 

President Donald Trump brought his attention to the sports’ world during a White House press conference Tuesday night, expressing his dissatisfaction with watching games that aren’t live.

“We have to get our sports back. I’m tired of watching baseball games that are 14 years old,” Trump said. “But I haven’t actually had too much time to watch. I would say maybe I watch one batter then I get back to work.”

He then announced the formation of an advisory group consisting of sports’ commissioners from the NBA, NFL, MLB, MLS, NHL, UFC, PGA and LPGA in addition to Robert Kraft (Patriots’ owner), Jerry Jones (Mavericks’ owner) and Mark Cuban (Mavericks’ owner). Also included in the group were UFC president Dana White and WWE chairman Vince McMahon, who Trump called “great.” Both men are reportedly good friends with the president and White had previously spoke at a Trump campaign rally in 2016. White had previously attempted to host UFC 249 on a private island before the plan was shut down by executives from ESPN and Disney. The WWE hosted its annual Wrestlemania event at the company’s performance center in Orlando on April 4 and 5 which was the last sporting event held in the U.S. since the NBA postponed its season on March 11.

Trump also said that he will have conversations with the various sports’ leaders in groups and also individually. He later mentioned that the panel will work independent of the White House task force addressing the spread of coronavirus currently lead by the director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci. He did admit, however, there may be a point when both groups jointly discuss certain issues.

Fauci gave his opinion on sports returning in the summer in an interview released on Wednesday with Snapchat’s Peter Hamby.

“There’s a way of doing that,” Fauci told Hamby. “Nobody comes to the stadium. Put [the players] in big hotels, wherever you want to play, keep them very well surveilled…. Have them tested every single week and make sure they don’t wind up infecting each other or their family, and just let them play the season out.”

New York Mayor Bill De Blasio told CNN on Wednesday that he is definitely concerned with people attending games in the near future until the proper precautions are taken.

“It’s not an on-off switch [reopening] and we should get it right, one false move and we will see a resurgence , that’s the worst of all scenarios, so let’s get this right … it will be about smart, careful, staged reopening. If you put 50,000 people in Yankee stadium and see a resurgence [of COVID-19] that would be the worst thing. We have one chance to contain this thing,” De Blasio said.

UFC president Dana White was hoping to save the star-studded UFC 249 card from cancellation after the event was forced to be relocated from New York due to the spread of Coronavirus. White spoke to TMZ Sports on Monday saying he was a “day or two away” from acquiring a “private island” with the necessities to host UFC 249 and future fights amid social distancing obligations and the laws against large gatherings. The company was reportedly prepared for the April 18 event but executives at the UFC’s broadcasting partner company ESPN, and the parent company Disney, told White to “stand down.”

“While the organization was fully prepared to proceed with UFC 249, ESPN has requested the postponement of the event and subsequent bouts until further notice in light of the COVID-19 pandemic,” a UFC spokesperson said on Thursday. “UFC looks forward to resuming the full live events schedule as soon as possible.”

One of the event’s high-profile fighters Rose Namajunas had previously dropped out of her fight with Jessica Andrade after two of her family members died from coronavirus complications, her manager Brian Butler said,

“Namajunas withdrew from UFC 249 due to 2 deaths in the family related to the coronavirus,” Butler said in a statement. “Her hopes are to return to the Octagon as soon as possible but for now we ask for people to respect their privacy during this time.”

Before attempting to purchase an island, the UFC had chosen the Tachi Palace Casino Resort located near Fresno, California, for the site of UFC 249. The venue chosen was on tribal land which gave the company a loophole to bypass the California State Athletic Commission’s ban on combat fighting through May 31. But California Senator Dianne Feinstein expressed “concern” about the safety of everyone involved because they could still be susceptible to the virus.

“I’m concerned by reports that Ultimate Fighting Championship plans to hold a pay-per-view event in California, in defiance of the state’s shelter-in-place order,” Feinstein said in a statement. “This event would involve dozens of individuals flying to California and driving to a casino for a purpose no one can honestly claim is essential.

CORONAVIRUS FAQ: WIKI OF MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 

“I understand this event is scheduled to take place on tribal land and therefore is not subject to state law. However, at best this event ties up medical resources and sends a message that shelter-in-place orders can be flouted. At worst, participants and support staff could carry the virus back to their home communities and increase its spread.”

Regardless of Feinstein’s concerns, White praised the resort’s owners for “standing with me through this thing.”

“The Tachi Palace in California, the Indian reservation, has had our back this whole time, has stood their ground and was willing to do this fight. And let me tell you this: When the world gets back to normal, California, that [fight] will be at Tachi Palace,” White said.

The event’s original main event was supposed to feature undefeated champion Khabib Nurmagomedov against No. 1 lightweight contender Tony Ferguson, but Nurmagomedov refused to leave quarantine in his native Russia and Justin Gaethje was slated to fill in to fight Ferguson.

President of the UFC Dana White is insisting that UFC 249 will continue and will not be a one-time event. The upcoming event will be held at a still-undisclosed location and that the promotion for the fight will be hosted on a private island.

White stated that UFC249 will not be the only event that will be coming up. The fight schedule will be back up and running on April 18. The same venue that is hosting UFC 249 will be hosting other events for the coming two months, according to the UFC President.

CORONAVIRUS FAQ: WIKI OF MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 

White told TMZ on Monday, “I have this venue for two months, and we’re setting up shop here. We’re going to be pumping out fights every week. I’m also a day or two away from securing a private island. I have a private island that I’ve secured. We’re getting the infrastructure put in now, so I’m going to start doing the international fights, too, with the international fighters.”

“I’m not going to be able to get the international fighters, all of them into the U.S., so I have a private island. I’m going to start flying them all into the private island and start doing international fights from there. So as of April 18, the UFC is back up and running. … We have all our own planes and everything we’re going to fly into the island with the fighters.”

UFC 249 was originally scheduled to be headlined by Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson for the lightweight title.  Since Nurmagoedov is on lockdown in Russia, Ferguson will fight Justin Gaethje for the interim 155-pound belt.

The UFC already has been forced to postpone three events, which followed the trend of nearly every major sports league and event globally over the coming months. These fights will also be taking place behind closed doors with no fans. White said precautions will be in place for the U.S. destination, as well as the island location.

“Everyone is going to be tested and tested and tested,” White said. “We’re going to make sure healthy athletes, healthy athletic commission people, healthy judges, referees, my production people, and everyone there is going to be healthy. We’re going to make sure everybody is going to be safe before, during and after the fights.”