June 9. Mark it in your calendar.
Promoter Bob Arum confirmed to The Associated Press plans to stage a five-fight show behind closed doors on that date — a Tuesday — at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on ESPN, the first boxing card in the U.S. since the coronavirus pandemic took hold in March.
And that would be only the first show to come in quick succession. Another card is set for June 11, also on ESPN. Arum plans to stage two shows a week through July.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission has yet to approve the cards but Arum has worked closely with state officials in his planning. The regulatory body is scheduled to meet next week to rule the Top Rank shows and two UFC cards scheduled for Las Vegas.
Arum’s plans also are contingent on the opening of the MGM Grand and other hotels in Las Vegas, which is expected to take place the week of June, according to The Associated Press.
“Once we get those fights in and UFC gets its initial fights in, both of us will ask for additional dates,” Arum said. “The key was getting enough testing, and we’ve got plenty of testing in Nevada to hold our events.”
Who will be fighting on the cards? Featherweight titleholder Shakur Stevenson, who was scheduled to fight on a Top Rank card in March that was later canceled because of the pandemic, is expected to fight on the first show. No opponent has been selected.
“These will be the same guys we were going to have before to the extent possible,” Arum said. “Guys like Shakur Stevenson and others who would have been fighting on our cards.”
Arum said fighters and cornermen will be tested for COVID-19 twice a day and will stay on what he called a “bubble” floor at the MGM Grand. They will be allowed to leave only to eat at specified restaurants in the hotel and train at the Top Rank gym.
The goal of the twice-a-day testing is to avoid a positive test the night before the event, which occurred with UFC 249 on May 9 in Jacksonville, Florida.
“Our protocols will be much more stringent than UFC had in Florida,” Arum said. “In ours you would’ve have fighter testing positive the day of the fight or the day before.”
Golden Boy Promotions officials have mentioned a possible restart date of July 4 but they haven’t worked out the details. Promoter Eddie Hearn is shooting for a July restart in the U.K.