FILE — A ring girl walks around the octagon Hunter Azure of the United States fights Brian Kelleher of the United States in their Men’s Bantamweight bout during UFC Fight Night at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on May 13, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida. Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images/AFP
When UFC 261 takes place Saturday at a sold-out 15,000-seat venue in Jacksonville, Fla., precautionary COVID-19 face coverings will be suggested but not required.
Saturday’s event is the first major event at a sold-out indoor arena in the United States since the COVID-19 pandemic started in March of 2020. The Texas Rangers had a sold-out outdoor game to begin their season earlier this month.
Face coverings with a UFC logo will be supplied for all fans that enter the event.
UFC 261 will feature three world-title bouts. Champion Kamaru Usman will face Jorge Masvidal in a welterweight rematch. Women’s strawweight champion Zhang Weili will face former champion Rose Namajunas and women’s flyweight champion Valentina Schevchenko will face Jessica Andrade.
There will be COVID-19 precautions in place for the event. The security company CLEAR, whose technology is used in a number of airports, will screen fans before the event, with the potential that some will be turned away.
CLEAR will use both online and on-site screening procedures through a COVID-related health questionnaire. The system reportedly will be able to verify COVID-19 related information for each fan in attendance but will not be able to access any other medical information.
Fans not cleared to enter the event will have their tickets refunded.
The NBA is reportedly set to work in cooperation with CLEAR, with the company’s technology available to all teams to screen fans, but each team can use the system at its discretion.