UFC president Dana White has confirmed that tickets for tonight's UFC 216 pay-per-view in Las Vegas will be free for first responders who helped attend to the victims of massacre in the city, last Sunday.
Fifty eight people were killed by lone gunman Stephen Paddock and almost 500 more were injured when the 64-year-old opened fire from a bedroom at the Mandalay Bay hotel on an audience which had gathered for a country music festival on the Las Vegas strip.
Tonight, UFC will host their 216th Pay-Per-View event in Vegas, headlined by Tony Ferguson vs Kevin Lee and also featuring a Flyweight Title bout between Demetrious Johnson and Ray Borg. And, in an interview with ESPN, Dana White has confirmed that tickets will be free for the 1,500 first responders from Sunday night's atrocity.
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"I've never been in a position where I don't even know how many people are going to show up here tomorrow. People bought tickets, but were flying in from other places. Did they cancel their flight? A lot of these airlines are saying you can use the ticket anytime you want if you don't want to come to Vegas.
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"It might just be me, the media and 1,500 first responders here tomorrow. And I don't care. This isn't an event about the gate or about any of that stuff. This is about the families, the victims, Las Vegas, and not bowing down to cowards."
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The MMA promotion have also donated $1 million to the victims' families, with White revealing that UFC's generosity has encouraged other businesses to make similar contributions.
"That doesn't fly you home. That doesn't bury a loved one.I urged the community -- let's dive in and handle this ourselves.
"Sure enough, [previous UFC owners Lorenzo and Frank] Fertitta stepped up for $1 million. Zappos gave $1 million. Boyd Gaming gave $1 million. Then you get into MGM gave $3 million, and Sheldon Adelson came in with $4 million. So now you're talking real money for these people."
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(H/T Bleacher Report)
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: UFC, Dana White
