DBPR chief Halsey Beshears tries to lure UFC to Florida

UFC President Dana White (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

One of the earliest victims of the coronavirus outbreak was professional sports.

Major League Baseball pushed back Opening Day to mid-May, the NCAA cancelled March Madness and the road to the Masters became a dead end — during the Florida swing, no less.

But there may yet be a professional sporting event in Florida soon if Department of Business and Professional Regulation Secretary Halsey Beshears gets his way.

On Tuesday, Beshears reached out to Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White on Twitter to let him know the Sunshine State was willing to accommodate the mixed martial arts league.

Why take @ufc and go to an island @danawhite? Florida is your huckleberry. @FloridaDBPR will get your fighters licensed and we wil make it work. Then remember Florida when all the cool kids want to date you again…

— HalseyBeshears (@HalseyBeshears) April 7, 2020

White had previously announced that UFC was working to secure a private island to continue holding matches as the coronavirus pandemic marches on, leading most states to put in place stay-at-home orders and block events of 10 or more people, per CDC guidelines.

UFC 249 is slated for April 18. White also said he is “close” to securing a U.S. venue for UFC fights.

As reported by ESPN, White did not disclose the U.S. location, and he doesn’t plan to.

While matches would be closed to spectators, the number of fighters, film crews and medical personnel required for the production would far surpass that number.

UFC wouldn’t be the first production to head to Florida to whether the coronavirus. Last weekend, the state served as the venue for WWE’s WrestleMania 36, which was taped in Orlando sans audience after previously being booked for Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium