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Of all the sports leagues out there, the UFC has been perhaps the most passionate about the notion of “the show just go on”, as UFC President Dana White has been going above and beyond in recent weeks to make sure that UFC 249 — and future fights — take place.
Just a couple of days after news broke that White was looking to secure a “private island” to host UFC fights at, reports indicate that UFC 249 — which sees Justin Gaethje take the place of Khabib Nurmagomedov against Tony Ferguson, as Khabib is unable to leave Russa due to quarantine — will take place at the Tachi Palace Casino Resort outside Lemoore, California, which is approximately 40 miles south of Fresno.
The location will be the Tachi Palace Casino Resort outside Lemoore, Calif., about 40 miles south of Fresno, according to the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because White had not announced the venue. The casino, which closed the night of March 20 because of the pandemic, is on land belonging to the Tachi-Yokut Tribe, part of the federally recognized Santa Rosa Indian Community.
A representative of the Tachi Palace Casino Resort could not immediately be reached for comment, and the U.F.C. did not immediately respond to a request for comment. [via The New York Times]
Given that the UFC is quite literally the only game in town these days, it should come as no surprise that White and the UFC remain committed to making UFC 249 happen, as it would allow the league to dominate sports talk for weeks to come.
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Eric is a New York City-based writer who still isn’t quite sure how he’s allowed to have this much fun for a living and will tell anyone who listens that Gotham City is canonically in New Jersey. Follow him on Twitter @eric_ital for movie and soccer takes or contact him eric@brobible.com