No live audience at UFC 249

[Beetlegeuse]

Dana White has been adamant that, coronapanic or no, the UFC would continue to hold events so long as the US government was in operation. True to his word, now he says UFC 249 will go ahead on April 18th as planned, there just won't be any live audience.

He won't yet say where it will be held but considering the economics of this I'm guessing he will be looking to minimize the hit from not having a live gate (big fights usually gross over $10 million in gate alone) so he's probably not going to want to pay the rent on any of the usual venues. Provided their infrastructure will support it I'm thinking he'll use the production facility where they film the fights in his TV series, The Ultimate Fighter. But I don't know squat about producing a TV show, or how those requirements change from the TV show to a major production like a championship fight.

But won't it be odd to watch a full-blown UFC without the fighter's entry pomp and the crowd noise. So you'll hear the impact of every blow landed. The PPV might actually be a better viewing experience. It'll be interesting to see how if affects the fighters, too, not being able to feed off the crowd noise.

[Beetlegeuse]

Now the story is that Nurmagomedov has told the UFC that the Rooskies won't let him out of the country on account of the coronapanic. And apparently Dana White is taking him seriously because he's fishing for a new opponent for Tony Ferguson. And Jorge Masvidal was quick to offer up his services.

[Beetlegeuse]

Nurmagomedov's first fight in the UFC in 2012 (16-0-0 coming in):



His punching is so overextended it's almost comical (a decent counterpuncher would've cleaned his lock) but his ground game already was hella-strong.

[Beetlegeuse]

Citing coronapanic, Khabib officially withdraws from UFC 249. The irony is the same day he made this announcement, Russia decided to allow private flights to the US.

But I not there is not notice of Khabib's withdrawal on the UFC's website so Dana White still might be trying to change Nurmagomedov's mind.

[Beetlegeuse]

Now Nurmagomedov is saying he never said he wouldn't fight, so he might fight, but only if only someone would tell him where the fight was going to take place.

But Dana White (always his own worst enemy) is saying everybody knew Kbabib wasn't going to fight. I'd say that's a bear he'd sooner not be poking, but if Dana wasn't such a naturally abrasive individual, Scott Coker might have shuttered Bellator and become an aluminum siding salesman.

[Beetlegeuse]

It looks like Khabib is really out for 249. And the rumor is that DW is negotiating with an Indian reservations for a venue because none of the athletic commissions in the other states will permit "their" referees to oversee a fight during the coronapanic.

I think it would be great if he held ALL of the UFCs on Indian reservations, used his own referees and his own MMA-specific judges. Let the states that normally host UFC events watch the millions of dollars they bring in disappear into the First Mohegan Bank. Then they might get off their goddam high horse, insisting that they get to adjust the UFC's rules, make the UFC use their referees and judges (which is union/organized crime bullshit anyway) and use judges trained specifically in scoring an MMA fight.

[Beetlegeuse]

Now Dana says he's in negotiations to procure a private island as a venue for UFC 249. And he talks about holding other UFCs there. All of which sounds rather bizarre to me, especially when you consider what an arrangement like this would do to live gate once the coronapanic has passed.

I think he's lost objectivity and is chasing his ego.

[Ashop]

Now Dana says he's in negotiations to procure a private island as a venue for UFC 249. And he talks about holding other UFCs there. All of which sounds rather bizarre to me, especially when you consider what an arrangement like this would do to live gate once the coronapanic has passed.

I think he's lost objectivity and is chasing his ego.

Dana White has ruined the UFC. He's just another Don King and Bob Arum.

[BG]

Dana White has ruined the UFC. He's just another Don King and Bob Arum.

Agreed. It’s turned me away from it, I was a diehard, but now I read more then I watch. I’ll only watch match ups I really look forward to, other then that I’m good. Big business (hedge fund) getting involved wrecked it, Dana-turned into a real CEO..........all about making share holders profits.

[Ashop]

Agreed. It’s turned me away from it, I was a diehard, but now I read more then I watch. I’ll only watch match ups I really look forward to, other then that I’m good. Big business (hedge fund) getting involved wrecked it, Dana-turned into a real CEO..........all about making share holders profits.

We used to watch every PPV and Fight Night that we could but no longer. I'm with you, I only catch ones that really interest me like the Connor/Cowboy fight(suspect). Dana has ruined the rankings and belts mean nothing. Its all about the money fight.

[Beetlegeuse]

UFC 249 is postponed. Apparently Dana had something cooked up with Disney to host the fight but Kommifornia's governor pressured them into backing out. He's still looking at the mysterious private island but he says it'll be another month before the infrastructure is ready. Which in reality probably means July.

[Beetlegeuse]

Yesterday the blogger at The Bloody Elbow commented that Dana White needs to be replaced.

Today comes the word that Standard and Poors has downgraded the UFC's parent company, Endeavor (which paid $4 billion for the UFC in 2014), from a rating of B (highly speculative) to CCC+ (substantial risk).