Dana White welcomed to Jacksonville by Mayor Lenny Curry for UFC 261: “We are proud to welcome you back”

UFC president Dana White was welcomed back to Jacksonville by Mayor Lenny Curry for UFC 261, who said “we are proud to welcome you back.”

White announced this week that the world’s leading MMA promotion is set to return with a full crowd of fans when UFC 261 takes place on April 24 in Jacksonville, Florida. The card features Kamaru Usman vs. Jorge Masvidal 2 in the main event, along with two other title fights. The announcement was met with excitement by some fans, who are looking forward to attending a UFC event live again, but also with some concern by some fans and media who believe the event could be risky given the realities of COVID-19, especially in Florida.

White, however, is not worried about those issues and neither is Jacksonville’s mayor. In a comment to BloodyElbow.com, Mayor Curry said that he’s looking forward to hosting the UFC’s first event back with fans, and Curry believes that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis should be praised for his approach to COVID-119 that has allowed fans back in the arena.

“Thanks to the strong leadership of Governor DeSantis and his smart and safe approach throughout COVID-19, Florida is poised to host signature sporting events. The UFC and its president, Dana White, have demonstrated the ability to safely host fans at multiple events that have taken place during the pandemic in Florida, Las Vegas, and Abu Dhabi. For the thousands of UFC fans who are ready to return to world-class sports entertainment, we are proud to welcome you back to Jacksonville,” Curry said in the statement.

Jacksonville hosted the UFC’s first pay-per-view event back from the initial COVID-19 pandemic last March, UFC 249, as well as two other Fight Night cards. The promotion then started hosting events solely in Las Vegas and in Abu Dhabi, but with a full crowd of fans now able to return, Jacksonville wins the sweepstakes as the home for April’s UFC 261.

How excited are you for Dana White to bring UFC 261 to Jacksonville?