COVID Who? The UFC Sells Out VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville Florida for UFC 261

     The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is the biggest and most famous mixed martial arts promotion in the world. It has grown since its founding in 1993 from a small almost cult-like following to selling out crowds of thousands of people as the biggest promotion in the sport. Dana White, the president of the company known for his straight talk and sometime brash behavior, has led the promotion to great success. Up until last year, the UFC seemed as though it was becoming unstoppable as it finally broke into the arena of mainstream sports when it signed a deal with ESPN to air UFC events on ESPN and ESPN+. However, as COVID-19 struck in the spring of 2020 and restrictions on large gatherings like sporting events were put in place across the nation, the future of the UFC was in doubt. However, by May of 2020, the UFC was able to establish COVID-19 safety standards, and began negotiating with states to start putting on UFC events again. The first of these events was held on May 9^th, 2020, in Jacksonville, Florida. One notable absence, however, was the packed crowd which typically brought so much excitement and energy to the fights. The UFC continued hosting crowd less events like this for nearly a year, until yesterday April 24^th, 2021, when the UFC held the first major indoor sporting event in the United States with no crowd size restrictions, selling out 15,000 seats in the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, in Jacksonville, Florida for UFC 261. Prior to the event, the Mayor of Jacksonville and Florida Governor Ron Desantis made an appearance at the event’s press conference where they spoke to resounding cheers and applause after which Dana White thanked them for hosting the UFC and finally allowing spectators to return.

     Whether you support the decision by Dana White and Florida to allow the return of full crowds to indoor events or not, it certainly seems to be marking a tipping point in the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, and it may lead to there being more support for other states to open up to the UFC and other sporting events. Governor Ron Desantis seemed to be insinuating this in part of his speech when he says, “this event is good for Florida, we’re happy y’all are going to have a good time, but it’s going to be great for people that are watching on TV to see the fans back, to see all this stuff happening.” It will be interesting to see how this UFC event influences the discussion and perspectives surrounding COVID-19 restrictions across the country and if it perhaps even leads to real policy changes in other cities and states.

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