ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP president Dana White has confirmed that the organisation are planning to host the featherweight title bout between Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor at the home of NFL franchise Dallas Cowboys.
Speculation about the fight taking place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, began last week when Kevin Iole reported that the UFC is targeting the venue for UFC 194 on 5 December, with the UFC featherweight champion set to face McGregor, the interim title-holder.
White then told MMAFighting.com that AT&T Stadium is being looked at, but for another date in December other than the fifth.
In an interview with Sportsnet’s Tim & Sid, White said that as a result of an Andrea Bocelli concert taking place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas — where McGregor versus Aldo was expected to be held — the UFC is “probably going to be going to [AT&T] Stadium”.
A UFC event taking place at the venue — which can hold approximately 100,00 fans for combat sports — has long been rumoured, but White believes the time is now right.
“I just think that you have to go to that stadium with the right fight,” said White. “Obviously the Aldo-McGregor fight is even bigger than it was now. A lot of people believed that McGregor couldn’t beat a wrestler, and he did that. And the fight’s even bigger now. Obviously we’ll put together an amazing card and I think we could do it in Dallas.”
White also admitted that it would be “devastating” if the bout were to be booked for the stadium… only for one of the fighters to withdrew. Aldo pulled out of his bout with McGregor earlier this month due to injury, with the Irish star going on to defeat Chad Mendes for the interim belt instead in Las Vegas on 11 July.
White said: “But I believe [Aldo] will show up for this fight. Obviously there’s a lot of money at stake for him in this fight too. He wants to show up. He wants to fight.”
