In the midst of the global coronavirus pandemic, UFC President Dana White has been committed to getting operations back up and running. The UFC so far has postponed three events that were scheduled for March 21, 28 and April 11. White has been adamant that the UFC will resume by their next Payper-view event UFC 249 which airs on ESPN+. 

   White has been looking into private locations in the U.S. to host fights without a live audience for health measures. For many fighters, the problem will be solved with the UFC being able to secure a private location for fights. However, for many fighters that live outside of the U.S. and are not able to travel, the problem still remains. White said in an interview with ESPN on Monday that the UFC will host fights weekly for the next two months at their secured location. White also said in the interview that he is close to purchasing a private island that he will be able to fly all of the international athletes to since they can’t come into the U.S. right now.

   UFC 249 is the next big event for the UFC and is planned for April 18. The event was supposed to be headlined by a lightweight championship fight between undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson. Nurmagomedov was forced to back out of the fight after complications with leaving his homeland of Dagestan. Ferguson will still fight in the main event on April 18th against Justin Gaethje. Other fights that are supposed to be a part of UFC 249 will also still be held at the secured location in the U.S. and also the private island.

   In his interview with ESPN, White said he plans to pump out fights in the next couple of months once they secure a couple of private locations. In response to the questions about the health measures he is taking for the athletes, White said, “I’m ready to get back. You keep people in their houses for too long without entertainment, people are going to start losing their minds. And we need to start figuring out solutions. That’s what we’re doing. We’re going to keep everyone safe, and we’re going to pull this thing off.”