For the first time since March of this year, the Texas Department Of Licensing & Regulation (TLDR) is accepting licensure request from MMA promotions to hold events in the state.
MMA Junkie first reported the news, while also reporting that all events will allow fans to attend at 50% of the venues full capacity. The TLDR has already implemented safety precautions due to COVID-19, while promoters must also reveal their safety procedures before running events.
“TDLR will accept applications for combative sports events in the state in preparation for a phased-in reopening with a limited number of events,” a TDLR public relations representative said in a statement. “Events will be able to include spectators, with a cap of 50 percent of the total listed occupancy of the venue.
“Promoters must submit their own operational plan to TDLR and to the Texas Department of State Health Services. The operational plan must detail the promoter’s plans for daily COVID-19 screenings, providing protective equipment and staffing, as well as cleaning and disinfecting the event venue and athlete delegation housing.
“When deciding whether to allow an event to proceed, TDLR will monitor factors including positive test rates and hospitalization rates in the area where the event is scheduled. If there’s a localized spike in cases, the agency may cancel an event any time up to the beginning of the bouts.”
Eight events have already been approved for the next three months, with the first of them happening on October 31. A TLDR rep also states that there will only be one event held per night in the state for the time being, instead of multiple events on the same night.
“We’ve received several other requests for later dates in other parts of the state and are evaluating the protocols they have submitted,” the rep said. “We will not schedule multiple events on the same night as we did in the past, at least when we first get going again.”
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