There has been some criticism levied against the state of Florida for allowing the UFC to run events there during the coronavirus pandemic, but Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says that the UFC running in the state is a good thing.
“There’s not going to be any fans but I think that [UFC 249] is going to be a good event for people,” Gov. DeSantis said during a recent press conference (via Karim Zidan of Bloody Elbow).
Other promotions such as the WWE and AEW have also been deemed essential by the Florida government, as they have been or will be running events in Florida in the near future.
DeSantis also believes the fans, which have been barred from events due to the coronavirus pandemic, could be back at the shows by June or July.
“I do think if the trends are good as you get into June-July. I think there is a window to have some fans,” says DeSantis.
UFC 249 takes place on Saturday, May 9 from the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida with Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow.
