The plans for UFC 311 could be under threat after its agreed-upon venue, the Intuit Dome in California, could be deemed unsafe after wildfires have stormed the city of Los Angeles and its surrounding areas.
The UFC’s first pay-per-view event of the year may have to find another venue for its show as California continues to face devastating wildfires. It is not unusual for the state to experience wildfires at this time of year, but the ones that have severely affected Los Angeles in the last week have been particularly harmful, putting many sporting events in doubt, with some cancelled already.
Los Angeles Wildfires Causes Sporting Cancellations
Two NBA games have already been postponed due to the natural disaster
One of the planned events at the Intuit Dome this weekend, an NBA match between the Charlotte Hornets and the LA Clippers, has been postponed, as well as the Los Angeles Lakers and their match against the San Antonio Spurs at the nearby Crypto.com Arena. The reported reason for this is to ensure that no resources are taken away from the wildfire response efforts in Southern California.
The residents of Los Angeles have also been affected, with many losing their homes and valuables and being forced into temporary shelter, not knowing when they will be able to return. The Lakers’ own coach, JJ Redick, has confirmed his family’s rented home has been burned down, and this is the reality for many in the area.
UFC 311 Status After Los Angeles Wildfires
The first PPV of the year should be taking place at Intuit Dome in California
The devastation gives Dana White difficult decisions to make regarding the event, but if the disaster cannot be calmed before next weekend’s planned event, then it will not take place in Los Angeles. It is vital for the UFC that events this year go as planned, with rising broadcast rights putting an emphasis on every show enticing viewers and driving the momentum of the fighting division, although the local humanitarian disasters put the importance of this into perspective.
UFC 311 main card Weight class Fight Lightweight Islam Makhachev vs Arman Tsarukyan Bantamweight Merab Dvalishvili vs Umar Nurmagomedov Light heavyweight Jiri Prochazka vs Jamahal Hill Lightweight Beneil Dariush vs Renato Moicano Middleweight Kevin Holland vs Reinier de Ridder
The event, headlined by Islam Makhachev’s potentially record-breaking lightweight title defence against Arman Tsarukyan, is still up in the air, and how successful the firefighting response is in the next few days will be crucial to the event, and to the livelihoods of people in the area.
Popular MMA journalist Ariel Helwani provided an update that suggested the backup plan, in a situation where continuing at the Intuit Dome was not possible, would be finding a new arena, rather than delaying the event.
The 14-time MMA Journalist of the Year also provided a potential alternative venue, declaring that Vegas would be the frontrunner. Logistically, this would make sense, as Vegas is one of the nearest big cities to Los Angeles that has a record of hosting UFC events, and isn’t currently facing the difficulties that California is.
Ariel Helwani also notes that the T-Mobile Arena, home of NHL team the Vegas Golden Knights, is currently not booked for the scheduled event date of the 18th of January, making it a potential alternative for the event. What Dana White and the UFC will choose to do is unclear at the time of writing, but being adaptable and flexible in these circumstances will be key to putting on a UFC 311 that people remember for the right reasons.