Florida to allow boxing and UFC events?

The State of Florida has added some new “essential services” to the businesses allowed to operate during the COVID-19 lockdown that could bring live professional boxing, UFC and other sports back to the Sunshine State sooner than expected.

A memo from the Florida Division of Emergency Management announced the approval of employees at a professional sports and media production with a national audience – including any athletes, entertainers, production team, executive team, media team and any others necessary to facilitate including services supporting such production – only if the location is closed to the general public.

WWE is reportedly already planning live shows in the state.

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  • Proceed with extreme caution… Trust me. Let science dictate the public’s safety rather than money for entertainment.

    • “Science” has thus far been wrong every step of the way in their dire predictions for how bad COVID would be. Ignore science and use common sense.

      • I work with COVID patients everyday on my job and so far, science has saved them and protects me on the frontline. If one would catch the virus, how would common sense save you if science could not? Please clarify…

          • Based off the preliminary results, it shows some promise, but the FDA has not given full approval. The key word is “full”. The anti-malaria drugs, as you mentioned, work by changing the ph in the cells to not allow the virus to have favorable conditions to mutate or survive. Zithromax, an semi-synthetic antibiotic, works synergistically with the drug combo as an anti-infective. This whole thing is a work in progress and drug makers, researchers, etc are working around-the-clock. What is crazy is some of the research changes daily in some circumstances.

          • Scoobs!!! Thank u for ur service. For real brother. Its takes a VERY brave person that TRULY loves what they do and who they do it for. My wife works at a hospital treating patients as well. It worries me every time she goes to work, but she does it faithfully and makes a difference to her patients and their families, Jus like u my friend! Keep up the great work and this too shall pass

          • Tony, thank you. Tell your wife thank you on my behalf for her front line duty.

          • Scooby Doo-May I be so bold as to ask what you do at the hospital? Are you a Doctor? You have provided a lot of valuable information on various threads. The voice of truth and reason! Haha. But seriously, thank you.

          • I am a interventional vascular access specialist. I insert lines for long and short-term access in various patients. Thank you for your presence here and all of us sharing ideas about boxing and other knowledge.

        • We all applaud your efforts on the front lines, but as a medical professional you’re seeing mostly the worst-case scenarios; most who have it manifest few or no symptoms. By common sense I mean let the young and healthy go to work and let the elderly and infirm remain sheltered.

  • Send all NBA and NHLers to Florida. Get a mini training camp going and get games going by June 1. Plenty of arenas. Games all day

  • So lets get this straight…they are essential because they are “national”? These public officials have little regard for public safety and can be bought easily. Perfect example here.

  • This is the best news I’ve read here in weeks. It’s about time someone broke the medical tyranny. Let people exercise their right to assemble; if you’re worried about the virus, then stay home.

    • Cubanitovich, it’s not that simple. All those who are exercising their right to assemble will bring their crap everywhere and those who are worried when they have to out will be exposed to those exercising their right. It’s better to just hold back a little longer, right now it might be too soon.

      • Nonsense, this is nothing more than the common cold for over 80% of those who contract it. Since when do Americans cower behind closed doors like a bunch of pansies during flu season?

      • whetto.. agreed brutha. Better to wait a bit longer and be sure than jus go out there get the virus and pass ut in to an elderly person or a child accidently.

  • 10 times more people will die from starvation over this than the actual virus. If you want to stay home then stay home. For everybody else lets start living life again.

    • It’s not that simple, yup. Those who want to start living again are only thinking about themselves.

      • People have to provide food for their loved ones. Killing the economy to preserve a microscopic percentage of the population already at death’s door is supremely selfish and beyond stupid.

  • If people keep wearing these masks new diseases will pop up by the thousands and the bacteria will multiply and insects will breed in masks . The world will see complete chaos. People will be dripping sweat onto produce. It will be a complete nightmare.

  • Our liberties are being taken away here. It is your god given right ti breathe freely without obstruction. The government has no right to mandate wearing masks. New viruses will always come around. Thats the inherent risk of being an earthling. People need to man up and if anything ban motorcycles and amusement parks and speed boats fast food and social media which causes depression and suicides. All of these things cause far more deaths than the coronavirus ever will.

  • This is a terrible idea and will undoubtedly lead to more people getting sick. As someone who works in the sport in Florida, I can say that if I got the call to work an event right now, I’d turn it down.

  • If events are going to have no audience, then I don’t see why they can’t stage them in Alaska, Wyoming, South Dakota, Montana or another area with a very low number of infections. The area’s I mentioned have had less than 400 recorded cases so far. As long as they have a sports hall, where a ring can be setup they can broadcast from there.

  • Ron DeSantis Rules. He will be the next President of the USA, AFTER President Trump finishes his 2nd term.

    Thank you, Governor DeSantis, for using common sense. He is my governor, and am lucky to be living in his state.

  • Florida is open for business. We held an MMA streamed event in Jacksonville, Feb with a 50 person limit of no fans, just officials and essential team members. I read Bob Arum is looking to use the Orlando, WWE gym and local Sails University for training and televised events. Bring it on!

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