Former Ultimate Fighting Champions Jose Aldo and Shogun Rua were expected to compete at UFC 250 on May 9 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, next month’s pay-per-view event will have to be relocated. The report comes from Brazilian news outlet Combate who suggests that the UFC is now looking to move May’s highly anticipated event to the USA.
Per Combate, it is likely that UFC 250 will not be held in Sao Paulo due to coronavirus precautions and the UFC have asked Jose Aldo and Shogun Rua to see if they can get to the U.S. (where UFC is aiming to hold the event).
Other Brazil-based fighters have not yet been contacted https://t.co/iJvTI3JUfP
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) April 4, 2020
“Per Combate, it is likely that UFC 250 will not be held in Sao Paulo due to coronavirus precautions and the UFC have asked Jose Aldo and Shogun Rua to see if they can get to the U.S. (where UFC is aiming to hold the event). Other Brazil-based fighters have not yet been contacted.” – Aaron Bronsteter of TSN.
Jose Aldo is slated to challenge reigning UFC bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo in the May 9 main event.
Aldo made his bantamweight debut at December’s UFC 245 event in Las Vegas, where he suffered a controversial split decision loss to former division title challenger Marlon Moraes.
As for Henry Cejudo, ‘Triple C’ was most recently seen in action at UFC 238, where he scored a third round victory over the aforementioned ‘Magic’ Moraes.
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio Shogun Rua is also slated to compete at UFC 250 in a trilogy bout with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.
‘Shogun’ is coming off a split draw with Paul Craig at November’s UFC event in Sao Paulo.
Rua has gone 4-1-1 over his past six Octagon appearance overall.
A new US-based location for UFC 250 has yet to be announced by the promotion, but expect that announcement to come soon.
What do you think of the UFC asking Jose Aldo and Shogun Rua to fly out of Brazil to the USA during the Covid-19 pandemic? Share your thoughts in the comments section of this post PENN Nation!
This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on April 4, 2020