Report: UFC 249 to go down on Californian tribal land
It turns out that indian tribal land in California is the answer in regards to UFC 249, and the next few UFC events.
One can only imagine the hectic days that UFC president Dana White has had since the Covid-19 outbreak. Cancelled events, fighters stuck under lockdown and commissions refusing to allow competition. These are just some of the many issues that White has dealt with. However, he has taken it upon himself to host UFC events despite the recommendations of local governing bodies. This has led to many wondering how he will manage to host UFC 249, which he has insisted will happen.
While White said he had secured a private island for international fighters, he also disclosed that the island is not where UFC 249 will happen.
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“This place where this fight is going to be on April 18 I have locked up for two months, so I’m going to continue to pump fights out,” White told ESPN.
According to Jeff Sherwood, The Tachi Palace Resort and Casino will be the venue for UFC 249, and the next few events. This report was later backed up by The New York Times, who confirmed with a source close to the situation. The land belongs to the Tachi-Yokut tribe, of the Santa Rosa Indian Community, recognised by the federal government. By hosting UFC 249 on tribal land they do not fall under regular jurisdiction of the Californian government, which has mandated self-isolation via executive order.
The Tachi Palace Resort and Casino should be familiar to some MMA fans. The WEC hosted 22 events there, before being bought by Zuffa (former parent company of the UFC), and having fights relocated to Las Vegas. The promotion Tachi Palace Fights was later formed in 2009, with over 30 events hosted at the Casino, featuring names like Joe Soto, Ian McCall and Chad Mendes.
