UFC President Dana White watches UFC Fight Night at VyStar...

UFC President Dana White watches UFC Fight Night at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on May 16, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida. Credit: Getty Images/Douglas P. DeFelice

Fights will return to the "fight capital of the world" this weekend as the Nevada State Athletic Commission on Wednesday approved two UFC events and two boxing events in Las Vegas, the first such combat sports events to take place in the state since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down much of the sporting world.

NSAC voted unanimously to allow the events to take place — with no fans in attendance — during a conference call, the first meeting of the commission since they instituted a ban on all combat sports in mid-March because of the outbreak.

“We feel comfortable now because the governor advised [NAC chairman Anthony Marnell] it was his prerogative as to when we’re ready to move forward and he has the governor’s support provided [promoters] adhere to their operational plan and our protocols,” NAC executive director Bob Bennett told the Review-Journal. “The UFC, like Top Rank, has been very aggressive, creative and enthusiastic about providing the best operational plan possible to make the environment as safe as possible. Now we just have to carry that out.”

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak included live sporting events in Phase 2 of the state's reopening plan Tuesday night, so long as no fans were in attendance and the promoter submitted a health and safety plan that was approved by state officials.

The approved UFC events are scheduled for Saturday, May 30, and the following Saturday, June 6, and will take place at the UFC Apex facility. The UFC has additional events planned, with fights booked, for June, but only these two events were discussed and approved Wednesday.

UFC Fight Night this Saturday is headlined by the return of former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley against Gilbert Burns. UFC 250 next weekend is a pay-per-view event headlined by Amanda Nunes defending her featherweight title against Felicia Spencer. That card also includes Uniondale's Aljamain Sterling against Cory Sandhagen in what many consider a bantamweight title eliminator bout.

Top Rank's boxing events are scheduled for June 9 and June 11 at MGM Grand, with Shakur Stevenson vs. Felix Caraballo headlining the first event.

"Throughout this process, we've been working hand in glove with the UFC," NSAC executive director Bob Bennett said. "I'm aware of their operations plan, and everything is moving forward based on their operations plan and our protocols."

NSAC also issued its own set of COVID-19 protocols, which includes immediate quarantining of people related to the event after testing. There will be another round of testing the day before the fight, again followed by self-isolation until the event. The plan also calls for contact tracing for anyone testing positive.

The UFC held three events over the course of eight days in Jacksonville, Florida, earlier this month. They had obtained 1,200 tests for the fighters, trainers, production staff and others associated with the events. There were three reported positive tests during fight week. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza and two of his cornermen tested positive and were pulled from the card and quarantined. 

With The Associated Press

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